Your health so important and it’s also something that you can have some control over by living a healthy lifestyle. One component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is making sure you eat well. With all the talk about free-range this, and organic that, you might be scared off, thinking that healthy eating is too expensive. It’s true that you could spend a lot shopping in high end health food stores, but you don’t have to. Not at all! In fact, you can keep your eating very healthy while you build your savings or pay off loans. Here are some tips to help you master healthy eating on a budget:

• Get a store membership card. It’s free to sign up, and this will make you eligible to members-only specials which can save lots of money.
• Buy inexpensive vegetables. Carrots, kale, sweet potatoes, and bananas are are cheap, but also full of important nutrients.
• Buy frozen fruits and vegetables. They are not only sometimes cheaper than fresh, but often more nutritious because they’re frozen at the peak of their freshness.
• Buy plain rice and oatmeal. It’s tempting to buy the ones that come with flavor packets, or in individual portions, but those are way more expensive. Plus there’s lots of extra salt and sugar that are not that great for you. Buy the plain kind, in larger packages, and flavor it on your own with fruit and herbs.
• Beans and lentils. Cheap and nutritious.
• Eggs and tuna. Also cheap proteins.
• Buy meat on sale. Buy more than you need and freeze it.
• Buy cheaper cuts of meat. Cook in a slow cooker to flavor and tenderize. Delicious!
• Buy a whole chicken. It’s cheaper than buying parts. You can use the leftovers for salad or tacos the next day.
• Use onions. Onions are cheap and you can use them to flavor just about everything.
• Use coupons. And take advantage of sales.
• Buy what’s in season. It will cost less and taste better.
• Don’t buy drinks. Drink water- it’s better for you and it’s free.
• Cut out processed foods. Don’t spend your money on unhealthy ingredients.
• Buy generic. Most of the time you’ll see a difference in price, but not in taste or quality.

Don’t give up on healthy eating because you think you can’t afford it. You can! So give it a try: your body and your wallet will thank you!