Myth Busters: Eating Healthy is Expensive
As a retail dietitian, a comment I hear most often is that eating healthy is expensive.
Answer: W-R-O-N-G!
In reality, eating a healthy & balanced diet can easily be done on a low budget. All you need is an open mind and a few tricks of the trade.
Let’s get into it!
1. Healthy Foods Aren’t Always More Expensive
Think about it this way ─ it’s in our conditioning! We tend to think of “healthy food” as expensive because we consider the price of solely meat, fish, dairy, and not to mention the rise of the so-called “superfoods” and organic produce that we simply love to share on Instagram.
As a result, we often associate healthy foods with things like chia seed smoothies, 18$ salads and elaborate poke bowls that are #trendy and #fab. And thus, we forget our basic foods like carrots, lentils, or potatoes that are as cheap as chips! KEEP IT SIMPLE PEOPLE!
To help put things into perspective, here are 2 quick examples:
Let’s compare two 10$ pots of chocolate: one regular and one low fat. If we were to use the price-per-calorie measure, the low-fat version would seem like the more expensive option because it contains fewer calories.
Let’s compare 200g of chickpeas vs. 200g of bacon. If we were to use the price per unit weight measure, the healthier options would be much cheaper on average.
Truthfully, most shoppers are more concerned about the quantity of food they are buying rather than how many calories they are getting for their money.
So it all depends on how you see it!
2. How to Shop on a Budget
Here is a list of tips you can use at the grocery store to shop healthy and budget-friendly:
→ Keep a list of what you already have and buy only what you need ─ this will help reduce your food waste at home and avoid an impulse-buy expensive grocery trip!
→ Avoid shopping on an empty stomach ─ when you’re hungry, you’re more likely to buy foods you don’t really need (i.e. junk food!).
→ Check the store flyers ─ it can help you plan ahead your meals on a budget!
→️ Buy the in-store brands ─ for a cost-friendly alternative (e.g. Compliments, President’s Choice, Trader Joe’s, etc.)
→ Avoid choosing convenience items & ready-made foods ─ these items cost a lot more and are often higher in sugar, salt & fat.
→ Shop with a registered dietitian! ─ they can help you more easily navigate the grocery store according to your personal needs.
Care to know more? Book a session with me!
Source(s):
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