Eating right isn't always easy, especially on a college budget. Your schedule is busy, making it hard to go "all out" when preparing a meal. Usually, something quick and easy is preferred. This can make eating healthy seem really difficult. However, that isn't the case. CU Money Sense offers eight easy tips to eating healthy and not going broke in the process.
- Make a list: Making a list before grocery shopping can help you stay on track and only get the things you need, instead of wandering through the aisles. Make your list and stick to it! It'll make the whole grocery shopping process go much smoother. Bonus tip: Many of the store brand and cheaper items reside on the bottom shelf.
- Avoid junk food: Junk food can be really tempting. It's usually cheap and easy to prepare, making it tempting for students on a budget. Don't give in! If you don't buy it, you can't eat it. Try to stay out of those aisles at the grocery store; it'll make buying junk food less tempting.
- Dairy: Dairy is cheap and filling while also giving you the calcium you need. Bonus tip: Yogurt with fresh fruit or granola make a healthy, budget-friendly snack.
- Buy plain foods: When you buy things like plain chicken or tofu it's cheap and you can add any seasonings you want. You can choose how you want to cook it too! There's baking, broiling and searing. Chicken is the best quality meat that also won't break the bank, so it's usually always a good option. Bonus tip: Buying plain foods can be a cheap way to eat healthy and add your own flavor.
- Fruits and veggies: Fresh fruit can definitely be expensive. However, apples, oranges and bananas tend to be cheaper than other fruits and can be used in dishes as well as eaten on their own. Veggies are always pretty cheap. Things like celery and peanut butter or cucumber slices with a little bit of pepper can be a really yummy snack that's easy and cheap. Carrots, green bell peppers, spinach, green beans and broccoli are all vegetables that are really good to add to your dishes or eat on their own, and they won't break the bank. Bonus tip: Shop for fruits and vegatables when they are in season, they are cheaper!
- Water, water, water: Try avoiding sugary drinks like soda or juice, they're expensive and have loads of unnecessary calories that you could easily avoid by just drinking water. Thankfully, living in Colorado we are lucky to have some of the best tap water available. If you still feel weird about drinking water from the sink, invest in a water filter. You can usually find them for less than $20 and they'll last you a long time.
- Get a recipe book: You can usually find recipe books for pretty cheap. Check out a second-hand bookstore or Goodwill! Having a cookbook can be really helpful when you can't figure out what to make. There are tons of healthy recipes you can try out and see what you like.
- Never go shopping hungry: One of the worst things you can do when trying to stay on a food budget is to go shopping when you're hungry, because you often end up buying things you don't want or won't end up eating. And you end up buying way more than you actually need.
You can make healthy eating on a budget happen! It may seem daunting, but following these eight steps will show you just how easy it can be.
CU Money Sense is your campus resource to help with budgeting, student loans, debt, saving, credit, investing and even retirement planning.
