Are you looking for ways to feed a family on a budget? This time of year we all want to save some money and one of the best ways to cut your spending is by examining your food budget.
The key is to save money and eat well on a budget.
Finding healthy ways to feed your family can often be challenging because it’s not always the most affordable option. However, with just a little creativity, it’s very possible to find healthy, budget friendly food choices so your family and your pocket can reap the benefits!
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The tips below will help you to save money and still put good, wholesome food on your plates!
1. Eat out less often.
The truth is that most of us are eating out less often nowadays but as long as you are not replacing restaurants with baking, then you should be able to save money and eat well.
Eating out less often has two fantastic benefits:
First, your expenditure on food will be significantly less because eating at a restaurant is often pricier than you might realize.
Secondly, eating out doesn’t allow you to control the ingredients in your meals. Even if you order something that sounds healthy, there’s a strong likelihood that the overall meal won’t be healthy enough for your liking.
If you have ever checked the calorie counts at your favorite restaurant, you know what I mean. A “healthy” salad in a restaurant can sometimes run to almost 1000 calories.
2. Grow your own vegetables and herbs.
You’d be surprised at how much you save when you grow your own vegetables and herbs at home. Even if you have a small home with very minimal outdoor space, it’s still possible to have your own garden in pots.
Fresh herbs and vegetables are tasty and healthy, yet quite expensive if you buy the organic versions at the grocery store.
By growing your own, you’ll know that they’re organic, picked at the peak of perfection and nutrition, and you’ll save money as well.
3. Switch up your cooking techniques
You might not have thought about this but an easy way to eat more healthy is to switch up the way you cook your food.
You can make lots of restaurant favorites at home, saving money and calories.
The obvious change is to go grilled instead of fried. If you have kids in your family, then there’s a great chance that they will want kid friendly meals like fish fingers or chicken nuggets.
While those items may not necessarily be very expensive in the supermarket, they’re not as nutritious as their grilled counterparts.
It’s easy to avoid the unhealthy way of preparing these things for your kids by grilling or oven-cooking their favorites.
Oven fries are a cheap way of giving your kids one of their favorites.
4. Make your own condiments
A great alternative to unhealthy store-bought condiments is to make your own relishes and sauces at home. The added benefit is that they’ll be much less expensive than the grocery store variety.
I like to make my own seasoning mixes too. Taco seasoning is really easy to make, for example, and my homemade version has way less salt that commercial mix packets. Look on Pinterest for great alternatives.
5. Make your own juice and smoothies
You’d be surprised at how much sugar or artificial sweetener is contained within many of those “zero sugar” juices on the market. Why not save yourself the extra dollars and your family the extra calories by making juices yourself?
Fruits are relatively affordable – especially if you buy them locally and in season – so buying your own and making your own juices is a healthier and more affordable option.
As for smoothies, I had been spending so much money on store bought green smoothies. I hate having to clean my big blender and it always seemed like such an effort.
During the last Amazon Prime day, I found this amazing portable smoothie maker which has changed my life. It is battery operated so you can take it where ever you go and the battery lasts for 3-4 smoothies. It gets great reviews on Amazon.
Many people end up choosing the more expensive and less healthy eating options for their families simply because they assume healthy eating is more expensive.
A little creativity and imagination can definitely allow you to feed a family on a budget while still eating great, delicious food.
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