How to Buy Healthy Food on a Tight Budget On and Off HCG Diet
The time has come where you are going to make a change in your diet and start eating healthy. But the thought of shopping at a specialty health food store and the cost of your shopping trip have you worried. Eating healthy does not need to be expensive, but you do have to change your thought process. Go back to the basics. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t buy it.
Buy Healthy Food with Low Cost While on and Off HCG Diet
– You don’t have to buy organic to be healthy. H Eating organic foods is a great way to avoid pesticides and make sure you know what is going into your body. How to switch to an organic diet will help you if you are just getting started eating healthy food. But, just because it is organic, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. If we eat organic cookies, they are still cookies. When buying fruit and vegetables, not everything needs to be organic. A good rule of thumb is if it has a thick skin like oranges, pineapple, avocado, etc. it’s okay if it’s not organic. If it has a thin skin like apples, strawberries, celery, etc., it’d be best to buy organic.
– Shop at your local farmer’s market. This is a great way to cut costs and try a variety of foods grown locally along with supporting your local agricultural businesses. Most of the time farmers markets have all of the fruits and vegetables that are allowed on the HCG diet as well.
– Join your local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). CSAs are great because you can buy produce and meat at a lower cost. Also, you get a variety of food with your CSA, some of which you may not have tried if picking food out in a grocery store. Who knows? You may find your new favorite fruit or vegetable.
– Buy the store brand. Recently while shopping at Whole Foods, I compared the ingredients between their 365 brand and a name brand spaghetti sauce that they carry. They contained the similar ingredients, but the price difference was about $4.00. Try the store brands when buying healthy. This will help cut your grocery bill down and you’ll be surprised at how great the store brand tastes.
– Plan your meals. This is especially crucial while on the HCG Diet. Going to the grocery store not knowing what you are buying will cause you to overbuy or possibly not buy enough, meaning you will have to make additional trips to the store during the week. Each week, plan out your meals and snacks. By having a clear picture of what you need to buy at the store, you will make it so you don’t buy too much. You know exactly what you need and how much. Go into the store, get it, and get out.
– Buy lower cost fruits and vegetables. When buying bananas, legumes, and other bulk items, you can cut your grocery bill down. Check out your grocery stores bulk section. The value is definitely worth it, and it helps you stock up in case you need to make a meal without running to the store.
– Use coupons. While your Sunday paper coupons may not cater to healthy eating, specialty health food stores may offer coupons in store. A lot of time, they will have a newsletter at the front of the store that also contains coupons. Also, a lot of brands will offer coupons through their website. If there is a brand that you know you’ll be buying ahead of time, visit the company’s website to see what they have to offer. Printing them out at home will save you money at the grocery store.
Healthy Food Is Essential on and Off the HCG Diet
Now that you know different ways to shop for healthy food without breaking the bank, keep in mind the need to eat healthy. Regardless of what phase of the HCG diet you are on, you are looking to get healthy for the future. Stay motivated by continuing to remind yourself the reasons you are doing it in the first place.
What creative ways do you save money when shopping for healthy food?
