Eat Healthy without Breaking the Bank

There hasn’t been a lot of good news in the financial section of the newspaper lately. Fuel prices have gone through the roof, and as a direct result the cost of just about everything else we need–including food–is also rising steeply. When you stop by the supermarket and see how much a jug of orange juice now costs, you might find those fast food restaurant dollar menus more tempting than usual. But with a little forethought you can still eat healthy even in these challenging times.

Grocery Shopping Tips – Save Money, Eat Better

Focus on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. One simple way to eat healthier and reduce your grocery bill simultaneously is to replace some of the meats and grain–based foods in your shopping cart with fruits and vegetables. When we complain about the supposedly high cost of eating healthy, we forget that fruits and veggies are some of the most economical items in the supermarket. Even with recent inflation, for example, fresh, raw spinach is going for $1.69 a bunch, compared to $4.49 for a box of Raisin Bran cereal.

Avoid Canned and Bottles Drinks. The money we spend on canned and bottled drinks is one of the most wasteful choices we make when food shopping. Most drinks add little nutrition to our diet while adding a lot of dollars to our grocery bill. There’s no better time than a recession to switch from sodas and fruit juices to plain water, which flows free from your kitchen tap.

No Place Like Home

Perhaps the single most effective way to reduce your food expenditures is to eat out less and eat more home–prepared food. The cost of a typical meal at a casual restaurant is approximately $20/person, including a drink, tax and tip. At home, you can have a restaurant–quality meal for much less. For example, a plate of grilled salmon with brown rice pilaf and a salad will only cost you about $8/person.

Best Deal In Town – EnergyFirst Protein Shake – $5 Meal / $2 Snack

Finally, getting more of your protein from economical sources is an excellent savings strategy. Whey protein isolate is the most cost–efficient protein on the market–not to mention the world’s highest–quality protein source. A canister of EnergyFirst Pro Energy whey protein isolate contains 720 grams of whey protein and only costs a little over $0.05 per gram of protein.

You can get a complete meal with all the macro–nutrients you need for approximately $5.00 to $5.73 (depending on which ingredients you use) by making an EnergyFirst Protein Shake.

Here’s a breakdown of the cost and nutritional benefits you get from a few different EnergyFirst Protein Shakes recipes that are highlighted in our newsletters and website.

These cost–cutting ways to eat healthy are so sensible, you just might want to keep practicing them long after good news returns to the newspaper’s financial section!