10 Ways To Eat Healthy On A Budget

In news, about as surprising as the fact that Congress is unpopular with the public, is a recent University of Washington study that confirmed that eating your Brussels sprouts is more expensive than eating Twinkies®. According to the study, meeting the government's recommended intake of potassium would cost the average person an additional $380 a year, while meeting vitamin D and fiber requirements would be about $250 dollars a year. At a time when food prices are rising, eating healthy on a budget may seem impossible, but it's still possible to do at a low cost.

In a perfect world, apples, whole-wheat bread, and kale would be cheaper than ramen noodles, white bread, and doughnuts. But unfortunately, we live in a world where processed food usually costs less than healthy food and the cast members of the Jersey Shore are famous millionaires. But don't despair. Not all healthy foods are prohibitively expensive and eating healthy on a budget can be done. By following a few rules, you can eat foods that are good for you without having to take out a loan to cover your monthly grocery bills.

If you're lucky enough to live in an area where you can grow some of your own produce year-round, join a CSA (community-supported agriculture), or buy your fruits and vegetables at farmers markets, then go ahead and do all three. The more creative you get with your approaches to healthy eating, the less money you will spend. But if you can't grow your own food, join a CSA, or go to farmers markets on a regular basis, there are still plenty of ways to eat well on a budget. Chopping your own vegetables instead of buying pre-cut ones and buying in bulk are just two of the 10 tips that you can follow for healthy eating on a budget.

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