Cheap, Healthy Eats?

2 things I have heard too often...it's too expensive to eat healthy and I don't have time.  Well it CAN be expensive and time consuming if you let it.  But if you make good choices and plan well, it can definitely be MUCH cheaper and not really take too much time either!  But here are some quick tips that I use to stay on budget.

1) Shop the bulk section.  You can get great, cheap staples here such as beans, brown rice and oats.

2) Use the ads wisely.  For example, if there is a mega good deal on broccoli this week, eat lots of broccoli.  

3) Coupons.  One time I used a coupon on a bag of brown rice, and it ended up being only 50 cents a pound!

4) Get some extra plastic containers and cook in bulk one or two nights a week.  Then you can just reach in the fridge and take out what you need.  If you are taking several meals at once for the day, I have found that it helps to get a nice, pretty lunchbox so you can eat in style.  It makes me look forward to packing my food.  The little things in life!  :)

5) If you have even just a few minutes, you can always have a protein or meal replacement shake. I always prefer them frozen, but I will drink them if I need to.

6) Keep a snack, such as almonds, in your purse.  You never know when you'll be out and needing a quick snack!  Keep in mind that you can buy bulk almonds for 5 or 6 bucks a pound.  If you are out, a 1 to 2 ounce bag of almonds can be 1 to 2 dollars.  These little things you can save on really adds up!

I'm sure there are many more tips and tricks, but these are the ones that I typically use.  Any comments or suggestions?  Email kelliraefit@gmail.com.  I'll write about more nutrition tips in the upcoming posts.