Motivational Mondays-Healthy eating on a budget

Good morning all- welcome to motivational Mondays, this week I wanted to talk about eating healthy in the most inexpensive way possible. 

One question I get asked often via email or clients is "how can I eat healthy, I can't afford it?" I wanted to give you guys a few low budget options to help! 

I have said this before but I can't even blame those that chose the dollar menu over organic. In America when it costs $5 for a salad or $1 for a burger that will fill you up...how can you not sometimes pick the burger...I get it, and I understand, but lets try and talk about some options that are healthy but still in the dollar menu range.

Eggs: these are a great source of protein and you can get a dozen for about $2. You can scramble or boil for an on the go snack. These little eats pack about 6 grams of protein each along with healthy fat.

Lean meat: Canned tuna and chicken- make sure you get the tuna in water not oil. Tuna will give you protein and omega fatty acids. Tuna has up to 40g of protein and only 2g of fat per serving. One can is less than $1.50. Chicken breast is great for protein and also low in fat. You can get 20-30g of protein per serving. A pound is usually under $4 and that is for 4 servings. 

Brown rice and Quinoa: a pound of brown rice is only about $1.50 and is a great source of protein and fiber. Quinoa runs you about $4 a box and is a great source of protein and carbs. 

Fruits:although some fruits are getting expensive, you can also find a few that are still low cost. Apples, oranges, and bananas to name a few. All these are under or around $1.50 a pound. Don't forget to add a sweet potato in the mix for protein, low fat, and good carbs. These are usually about $1.00 a pound 

Beans: these are great for potassium and fiber. You can get up to 15g of protein per serving and one can is less than $1.00 or you can get whole bags for even less.

Nuts & Oats: I love oats!!! Great source of carbs and protein, as well as good fats. You can get a can of steel oats for about $2. I also love nuts as an afternoon snack. Almonds give you about 4 g of protein and great source of healthy fats. Plus they make a great on the go snack. 

Spinach: a bag of spinach is less than $1 and serves 4. With only 20 calories and great fiber ad vitamins, spinach is a great and inexpensive add on to any meal. 

Non-fat milk: milk sometimes get overlooked but it is a great source of calcium and contains no fat, you also get protein and other essential vitamins. Having an 8oz. glass is actually a great snack.

Plain yogurt: while Greek yogurt has swarmed the market, plain yogurt is cheaper and also has lots of health benefits. A large 32 oz. container is under $4 and gives you about 8 servings. Great source of calcium and protein as well as helps with digestion. Add in some of your low cost fruits for taste. 

I hope that some of these foods are appealing to you and you can purchase these for a great cost and still stay on your health food journey. 

Stay motivated this week!!

Morgan