Two of the most common excuses that people often use for not following a healthy diet such as the Eating Alive Program are: “It costs too much” and “I don’t have time.” Most people find that it actually costs less to eat healthy because they’re not spending as much money on ‘junk’ food. Here are a few tips to save both time and money:
· Plan ahead! Take the time to create a weekly menu plan. Decide what you’re going to eat for your meals and snacks for a week and make out a shopping list based on what you’ll need. Eating Alive II has Menu Suggestions, Recipes, and a Seven Day Sample Menu Plan if you need some ideas. Have the flyer from your favorite grocery store handy so that you can plan your menu around what’s on sale that week.
· When planning your dinners, make extra for the next day’s lunch or dinner. For example: roast a chicken and vegetables for dinner one night, have the leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day, then make a quick soup from the carcass for the third night.
- For most of us, stopping in at the grocery store a few times a week to pick up “just a few things” usually ends up costing more than we had planned. By shopping only once a week, you’ll be saving both time and money. When you go shopping, stick to your list—this will help to save you money because you won’t be buying a lot of things that you don’t need. You’ll find that when you’re buying healthy foods, you’ll do most of your shopping around the perimeter of the store where the produce, meat and dairy sections are located.
- It’s a good idea to wash most of the produce you buy before using it. Take the time to wash and dry your fruits and vegetables before putting them away so that you have one less step to do when you’re preparing meals.
- On days that you have more time, make a pot of soup (e.g. Turkey Barley, Chicken Rice, Minestrone) and/or a bean dish (Bean Salad, Hummus, Bean Dip) to use for snacks or part of a quick lunch or dinner. Or choose recipes (Spaghetti Sauce, Turkey Chili, Lasagna) that you can double up on and freeze the extra for days that you’re too tired or don’t have time to cook. (See Eating Alive II and recipes on this website for ideas.)
- Remember that meals don’t have to be elaborate to taste good. If you’re pressed for time, dinner can be as simple as poached or steamed chicken or fish, some rice or other grain (see past Health Tips for ideas) and plenty of steamed vegetables seasoned with lemon and unprocessed sea salt. Poaching and steaming are fast, easy and low-fat cooking methods (see Eating Alive II for recipes).
Considering the fact that what you eat can dramatically affect your health, it’s important to make healthy eating a priority. By planning ahead, you’ll be more successful at eating alive.
