I love checking Instagram and Pinterest for fun healthy things. But let me tell you it seems the "healthier" something is the larger the dollar sign is. There is no denying as a college student living on Ramen Noodles would be far cheaper than following a healthy diet plan. The reality is that the Ramen is packed full of a hundred different things I shouldn't put in my body. So over the past few months I have found small ways to maintain a healthy diet and lose weight all on a budget. Here are the top 10 things I have done to save money. 10. Buy in BulkBuying in bulk is a two-fold tip so here's your bonus. For starters comparing the unit prices on items at your local grocery store can save you a chunk of change in the long run. I prefer to shop less often and buy more product per trip. By that I mean I am a single college student I don't need to buy the family pack, but the family pack price per serving is almost always cheaper than the regular size price per serving. Here's an idea last week I went grocery shopping and spent $40 on bulk items. The amount of food I purchased will last me 2 weeks so ultimately I spend $20 a week on groceries. Secondly buying in bulk applies to the bulk food section. Here you have your oats, nuts and different grains. At my local store purchasing food out of the bulk food section is exceptionally cheaper than buying prepackaged food. 9. Avoid Buying BeveragesSo you may say this is a cliche but let's be honest buying beverages is EXPENSIVE and the cost adds up fast. We all know that one huge key to weight loss is drinking water (it's no secret) so buying beverages is not even necessary for weight loss cut the cost out of your grocery bill. 8. Meal PlanThere are two pros to planning meals in advance the first is your meal plan translates very nicely into a shopping list to make it clear what you need to purchase for the week or weeks ahead. The second is meal planning can help you stay on track knowing you have the food you need right there in your home ready to be eaten. 7. Eat Similar MealsEating meals that require similar ingredients helps you to decrease the quantity of items that you need to purchase. Right now my favorite cross over meal is a parfait and a protein shake. For the parfait I use yogurt, fruit and granola, and in the protein shake I use yogurt, fruit and protein powder. So the yogurt and fruit crossover in the two meals and since I know I use those for two different meals I buy those products in bulk. 6. Drink A Glass Of Water Before Each MealThis will help you feel fuller faster and therefore help to ultimately lower the amount of food you intake in a meal. This will also help decrease caloric intake as well so plus plus! 5. Frozen ProduceUsing frozen foods has helped me drastically decrease my grocery bill while still maintaining my fruit and vegetable intake. I check each product before I add it to my cart to be sure that there are no added preservatives or syrups. Frozen produce is especially helpful out of season right now in January in Upstate New York 1/2 a pound of "fresh" strawberries are $6.99/lb while the frozen strawberries I use are $6.99 for 3 pounds! 4. Grow Your Own FoodI like to brag that I spent $3.99 on my strawberry bush and I get about 1 1/2 pounds of strawberries a year. Growing your produce in season is not only quite possibly one of the healthiest options for produce but can also save you money along the way! 3. Meal PrepHere is one of the harder parts of losing weight. Meal planning has been proven to help aid weight loss, but it also takes an extreme level of discipline. You can save money through meal prep by creating a serving size instead of eating infinitely until satisfied. This is especially good to help limit snacking. 2. Set Serving SizesThis one goes along with meal prep, but set out how much food you are going to eat prior to eating it. I like to do this with my snacks like carrots. If I don't set out a serving in advance I will eat as many carrots as it takes until I am full. But that is A LOT of carrots! So instead I put a handful of carrots in a bowl so I can see just how much I am eating. This way I am not eating more food than I need to saving the rest of the carrots for another snack. 1. Consume More ProteinNot all foods fill you up in the same way, some foods make you feel really full right after the meal and not long later you are hungry again. Protein is a nutrient known for keeping you fuller longer. I like to add a bit of protein to each meal that I eat to make the meal last as long as possible.
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MegI am an 18 year old premed student. I am on my journey of losing 80 lbs! You can follow my progress on my blog and my YouTube channel Journey With Meg. Archives
February 2018
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