Many people think that eating right is expensive and unprofitable. However, there is a simple solution – just choose the products that will not hit your pocket. Frugality – a useful quality, because not without reason they say: save smart, not poor. But how well is the expression when it comes to food, on which so depends our health and well-being?
Food is the last thing worth saving on, if we spare money on quality products or limit the consumption of what our body needs. But there are times in life when a difficult financial situation does make you reconsider the cost of food. In doing so, be sure to listen to the opinion of dietitians.
Many of them believe that if you save on food wisely, it will not cause any harm to the body, and inexpensive food with the right approach can even be made useful.
Here are the basic principles of healthy dietary savings:
Don’t believe the preconception that cheap products are always worse than expensive ones. Yes, the prices of the same product can vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. But if you compare products, you can see that we are not always overpaying for the quality of the food itself – more often for the brand or packaging. So when choosing products, be guided by the composition, not by the colorful wrappers or intrusive advertising.
For example, when choosing cereals, you can save a lot of money by choosing products made in Russia. In addition, the groats in plain packages without a “brand” in composition and quality are not inferior to their more expensive counterparts. Without overpaying for a beautiful wrapper, you can save up to 30% of the cost of the product itself.
Expensive meats can be replaced by those that are cheaper. For example, instead of pork, eat chicken more often, which is good for your wallet and your health. It is much more profitable to buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself than to buy it in pieces.
From inexpensive pieces of beef you can make excellent dishes, the main thing is to choose the right cooking method. You can make a good mince out of such meat, and for fibrous beef, a long braising is excellent.
Instead of meat products, you can eat vegetable protein – peas, beans, and beans. But remember, these products cannot completely replace meat and fish.
The same principle applies to dairy products. Everyone’s favorite sweet yogurt with flavorings and preservatives is more expensive than plain kefir, but it is of no use. So, think about it: is it worth overpaying in this case? If you still like yogurt, there’s a great solution – make yogurts at home! And tasty and profitable, and most importantly – healthy. You can also make yogurts with different additives and, unlike the store one, you will be sure of its quality.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are very healthy, but buy them only in season. One rule applies here – buy seasonal fruits and vegetables! Greenhouse cucumbers and tomatoes are very expensive and completely useless. In addition to seasonal cabbage, beets, carrots, radishes in the winter period is much cheaper to buy a mixture of frozen vegetables or fruits, which are well preserved vitamins and other substances we need. It is very profitable to make preserves for the winter, freeze fruits and vegetables themselves, canning, sauerkraut.
If time permits, cook more yourself. There are things that we used to always buy, such as ketchup, mayonnaise or other sauces. But to prepare them at home from natural ingredients is cheaper, tastier and, of course, healthier.
For example, it is not difficult to make mustard from mustard powder, ketchup from tomato paste. From the purchase of sausage is better to abandon completely and replace it with a homemade alternative – chicken pastrami, baked ham, various pates.
Do not forget to usefully save on beverages. Instant coffee is more expensive than natural, it is not as tasty and is much more harmful to health. Leaf tea is more profitable to buy than tea bags, and its quality is much higher. Limit the use of sugar – it’s not worth wasting money on harmful product, which, moreover, spoils the taste of drinks.