1. It was VERY labor intensive. This is usually ok for me because I enjoy cooking, but for some people who have busier evenings than I do, it would have been very difficult.
2. Because of number one I would say a person needs to have some basic cooking skills to be successful eating healthy on a budget. Processed and convenience foods are easy, but they are full of fat and sodium and other things we can't pronounce. Not to mention they are very expensive. Take one of my cooking classes :), watch a few episodes of food network or ask a friend to teach you a few basic cooking skills if you are not comfortable in the kitchen.
3. Don't be afraid of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables. They are very nutritious and often cost much less than their fresh versions. I ended up using more of these to save money. I bought a lot less fresh produce than I was used to.
4. Use store brands whenever you can. Most store brand products are made from the same ingredients at the same manufacturing plants as brand name products. You just pay more for the fancy label...and I don't think most of you probably eat the fancy label...so....why pay more for it? This was a hard one for my family. If I made or fed them something with the store brand label, they ate it and liked it. If, however, they saw the store brand label, they immediately thought they weren't going to like it. I agree there are some products that taste different, but for the most part, store brand products are great and much cheaper!
5. Be organized and flexible. I know you might not think those two things go together, but they do when it comes to grocery shopping. This was a real eye opener for me. Before this project I would just go to the store and go through every isle and just pick up what I thought we would eat or like, I had not real plan and that made me purchase a lot more food than I really needed. So here are a few tips: A) Make a list, either on paper or in your head, of what you have as far as food items to work with for the week. B) Look at the sale flyer for the store(s) you shop at and try to plan your big menu items around that. It will save you from wasting food that you already have and will keep the stress down when you are at the store trying to figure out what the heck you are going to buy. C) Be willing to change a menu item if something looks good or maybe doesn't look so good at the grocery store. Or, if something is on sale that wasn't in the flyer that you think you could use, add it to your list.
So overall, eating healthy on a budget is not necessarily easy, but it is possible. Making a few small adjustments that suit the needs of you and your family can save you a lot at the grocery store and keep you well nourished and healthy for a fun and active life!!
Jo-Ellen:
- I learned you CAN eat healthy on a budget.
- I know I will use some of the recipes in the future (lentil soup and vegetable lasagna).
- I didn't care for the repetitive nature of the meal plan. There are a variety of healthy, affordable foods and there are so many ways to prepare them that you never need tire of them.
- What I missed the most during the month were salads and sandwiches. An egg and swiss cheese sandwich on whole wheat toast is my go-to meal. If I don't have a salad with it, I often cut up fruit or veggies for some added "crunch".
- If you watch the sales and purchase a little extra when an item you like is on sale, you can stock a pantry with some extras of your favorites and still stay on your budget.
- You have to own the basics in cookware and have minimal knowledge of cooking and following a recipe to do the 30 days of $200.
Lastly, thanks to all of you that read the blog, posted comments and gave your opinions; as well as those I asked to try my recipes and provide feedback. It made it all worth it!
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