Meal Prep: How to Be Budget Friendly
By Sara Butler
There are a lot of options for eating at home these days. There are meal delivery services, but those can take a bite out of your pocketbook. Of course, you can fix dinner when you get home from work or school each night, but that can be time-consuming. Fast food on the way home is often chosen, but that's expensive and not that healthy for you. If you're looking for a way to make eating at home easier, simpler, and less costly, then you need to try meal prepping with a few of these budget-friendly tips.
Take Stock
First thing first: go through your cupboards. What do you have on hand that you can use in meals this week already? This is one way to cut back on spending at the store that helps you to keep it inexpensive and makes you less wasteful. Give those cans of beans you've had for six months new life in a pot of chili this week!
Once you take stock in what you've got on hand, you can work to build your meals around them. That way, you buy only what you need instead of buying doubles of things you already have.
Create a List
A grocery list is a smart way to shop. You'll be less inclined to impulse buy when you have what you need to be written down. That saves you money and time.
What's on Sale?
Look at your store's flyer to see what's on sale this week and be flexible with your recipes. If you were making a dish with broccoli in it this week but get to the store and see sweet potatoes are on sale, then swap them out and save a little cash in the process.
Bulk It Up
There are some ingredients available in the bulk aisle that are very economical. Beans, legumes, rice, and nuts are usually all available in bulk. Sometimes you can even find spices -- and you can experiment with spices you may have never tried before.
Go Frozen
Frozen foods can be just as nutritious as fresh, as long as they have no added salt or come doused in sauce. So why not use it to your advantage when shopping? Stock up on frozen vegetables and fruits and find ways to incorporate them into what you're cooking.
Meal prep doesn't have to be expensive. Give it a try and see what it can do for your pocketbook and your health.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Bossier City, La.