Its 8 pm and you are on your way home from work. You are hungry but in no mood to cook and the $20 in your wallet is not permitting you to step into a restaurant. Well, before you decide to go to bed hungry and call it a detox diet, there are certain smart steps you can take to avoid situations like this.
Eating on a budget may seem like a challenging task but its really not. It takes a bit of mindfulness to actually figure out what can you have which does not cost a bomb. And let’s be honest, cooking is not everyone’s primary skill or interest, so trying to forcefully inculcate the habit may not be such a great idea.
So here are way 5 five ways you can eat healthy on a budget that does not involve cooking.
FRUITS, FRUITS, FRUITS
One of the simplest, cheapest and easiest items you must stock up on when on a budget are fruits. The basic categories of fruits such as bananas and apples are available all year long and are super healthy for you as well. You can have fruits for breakfast and evening snacks since its the healthiest options for during these two periods.
PICK HEALTHY STREET FOOD
Not all street food items are unhealthy and if you look carefully, you will see a lot of delicious and nutritious options around you. Rice noodles, dosa, fried rice with veggies, omelettes..the choices are many. Maybe its time you can talk around your neighbourhood and check what’s available?
INCULCATE NEW TASTE BUDS
You may love to eat sushi every night but when on a budget, that might not be the most feasible option, right? Or you may enjoy a Starbucks frappuccino every afternoon, but then again do you want to pay $4 every time? When on a budget, its best that you mentally change what you “addicted to eating” to “what you must eat”. So instead of a sushi dinner, opt for simple Thai dinner of rice and vegetables. And instead of a frappuccino, a glass of fruits juice.
THIS OR THAT?
It’s easy to slip into the habit of eating junk food especially when you are on a diet. Its cheap, it’s easily available and its kinds satisfying, right? Wrong. What you think is satisfying is actually very temporary in nature and it’s doing more harm to you than good. Instead, pick the lesser of the devils. For example, when at a supermarket, pick the “cheapest healthiest option” possible such vegetable soups, frozen vegetarian pizza slices, banana chips and more. They may not seem like the healthiest choices, but its better than the alternative of only chips and coke. And these can be heated easily with a microwave.
There comes a time in everyone’s lives when things are different or challenging. You may not have enough cash to eat lavishly everyday but its a matter of mindset. You have enough to eat well, clean and healthy and that’s what you need to focus on. It’s important to remind yourself of what you have instead of doing and it will make the process a lot easier. And at the end of the journey, you will appreciate food in all its glory a lot more.