How to Save Time and Money When Eating Healthy

‘Healthy’ eating is often seen as very time consuming and expensive. While it certainly can be, it can also be affordable and quick. As a student, I don’t necessarily have an abundance of time or money so I like eating quick and easy meals. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy some of the pricier foods, but I try to stick to the cheaper ones. Eating healthy is actually cheaper than spending your money on fast food/restaurants, and it’s much better for your body!

Buy in Bulk/Canned/Frozen Goods

This is one of the most important things you can do to save money. Bulk is so much cheaper than regular goods and you can get more (which means fewer trips to the grocery store!). There’s definitely a stigma around buying in bulk and people tend to buy more branded items. However, you can save a lot of money by buying bulk foods. Also buying canned goods can save you money. However, when it comes to buying canned goods be sure to look for ones that say low sodium. I also rinse off any canned beans that I buy in order to get rid of most of the sodium. Frozen food is also a great way to buy plenty of food for cheap! I personally buy nuts, seeds, and grains in bulk,  canned beans and tomatoes, and frozen veggies and berries.

Find the Good Deals

Sometimes this may take a little more time, but if the opportunity cost is worth it, then spend the time looking for bargains. I personally do the majority of my shopping at a wholesale grocery store compared to shopping at a smaller but (much!) pricier local store. Most of the local stores have beautiful displays and nothing is left in boxes, compared to the wholesale where everything is simply left in the bins they were delivered in. While this doesn’t look very visually appealing it allows the wholesale stores to charge much less for the food = saving money!

Make Leftovers

Leftovers are the holy grail when it comes to a quick meal! When I have more time, I love to cook plenty so then when I have no time, I can just toss together a super quick meal. If I have leftovers from my dinner, I’ll have them for lunch or I’ll enjoy it again for dinner the next day. You can also freeze most leftovers to have them further down the road.

Make Simple Meals

It’s very easy to get caught up in the flamboyant and intricate meals that we see at restaurants. Personally, it’s great to try and experiment but when I need a meal fast, I turn to a simple bowl of veg, protein, and carbs. I make sure that I have a source of protein (beans, nuts, or meat), carbs (rice or pasta), healthy fat (olive oil, or nut butter) and plenty of vegetables. Just as a rule of thumb I try to make half of my bowl vegetables, with the rest being carbs and protein. You can also meal prep ingredients, which will also save time in the long run.

In the end, it’s all about balance. I try my best to chose cheaper foods so if I spy something (usually nut butter) I can have a splurge. I make my meals larger so I have leftovers, and so when I have more time, I can make more elaborate meals.

Do you have any tips on saving money and time when it comes to eating healthy?

Emmy xox

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