Healthy Eating without Breaking the Bank

In my last post I talked about working out but the importance of working out pales in comparison to the importance of eating well. Unfortunately, I find eating well so much harder than getting my butt off the couch but when I'm really dedicating myself to both, it becomes like second nature and I just feel so.much.better.

The problem most people have is that they think that healthy food is unaffordable. I see that as an excuse. I also think it's a lie. What I can get at the grocery store for $10 feeds me so much longer than what I get in the food court.

The other night I watched the documentary Hungry for Change. It's an amazing documentary about the diet and health industry. It really opened my eyes about what eating processed foods can do to your body. Now, I'm definitely not on my way to banishing chocolate forever but it does make me want to make healthier choices...and to NEVER drink diet soda again.

I wasn't even done the documentary when I started making a grocery list. Immediately after it was done I ran to the grocery store. I stayed mostly in the produce isle and I got:
- 2 apples
- 1 box of strawberries
- 3 bananas
- 1 bundle of celery
- A huge container of flax seed
- 2 lettuce hearts
- Becel made with olive oil
- Greek feta olive oil dressing
- A carton of fruit and vegetable juice

And I got it all for $24.00. That's about one meal out at a restaurant or two meals at a fast food place. This is going to provide me with snacks, breakfast and smoothies for days.

The point of all of this is that I believe that eating healthy is possible, even on a budget. Sure, you could get 20 boxes of Kraft dinner for 24 dollars but is that something you really want? I think the biggest reason that eating healthy is more expensive is because you get to live longer. And think of how much money you could spend on food by tacking those extra years on your life. Soooo inconvenient.

Eating healthy is hard. I know from experience. Every day when I stare at my fridge I have an internal struggle between grabbing the closest substance made out of chocolate or grabbing some fruit, but eating healthier makes you feel better, and more productive. When you fuel your body you give it something to run on and can actually have the energy to workout and get your work done during the day.

Trust me, you'll never regret a healthy meal, only an unhealthy one.

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Choco-holic, Aspartame-aphobic