In This ArticleView AllIn This Article1. Reduce food waste2. Skip organic (sometimes)3. Buy frozen and canned produce4. Try meal delivery services5. Add beans6. Just slow down
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Reduce food waste
Skip organic (sometimes)
Buy frozen and canned produce
Try meal delivery services
Add beans
Just slow down
With all the trendy superfoods (looking at you, fancy protein powders, turmeric elixirs and coconut matcha lattes), it can seem like losing weight and being healthy is all about shelling out money for pricey foods. Spoiler: it’s not. You can absolutely eat well (and deliciously) and meet your nutrition goals on a budget. “It’s all about getting back to the basics,” says Kelly Satterlee, M.S., RD, ofEliteLifestyleNutrition. Here are 6 tips on how you can lose weight on a budget.
Pictured recipe:Taco-Stuffed Zucchini
You’re committed to buying more fruits and vegetables-a good idea since these foods have fewer calories but contain fill-you-up fiber (and volume). On the other hand, organic produce is so expensive. So, what can you do? Skip organic, and fill your plate with conventional fruits and veggies. “If organics are not in your budget, you don’t have to buy them in order to lose weight or be healthy,” says Satterlee. Eating more fruits and vegetables—whether they’re organic or not—will help you eat more fiber and get more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in your diet.
However, know that you can go to farmers' markets and buy produce there. Locally grown produce from small farms may not be certified, but is often grown organically (you can ask the farmers about their growing methods). Heading to the farmers' market right before closing time can help you negotiate some serious deals, says Satterlee. And, companies likeImperfect Produce(available in select cities) will send you a box of “ugly” produce (that’s perfectly good to eat) for about 30 percent less than grocery store prices.
If organic is important to you, the Environmental Working Group has identified thefoods that are most contaminated(that you should consider buying organic), as well as the produce that iscleanest and most free of pesticides(that you can buy conventional).
Frozen fruits and veggies used to feel pretty basic. But now you can find some really inventive frozen products on the cheap, like carrot spirals, cauliflower rice and zoodles. Manyfrozen vegetables are just as nutritious(if not more so) than their fresh versions, and they’re also usually low-calorie, as long as you buy them without added sauces. Their unique prep—spiraled, riced—means they’re easier to incorporate into meals too.
Canned vegetables often get overlooked, but keeping canned vegetables in the pantry is a great way to make sure you always have veggies on hand (we are partial to corn and tomatoes; see ourtop 5 canned veggies rankedhere). Choose canned vegetables without added salt, or compare cans to find one with lower sodium content.
Before you bristle at the prices of meal delivery kits likeBlue ApronorHello Fresh. Satterlee says she’s found that they actually save her money. “I realized I was spending more money at the grocery store versus when I bought a subscription service, and it’s something many of my clients have found too,” she says. That’s becausethey provide small amounts of high-quality, specialty ingredients, so that you don’t have to buy larger quantities that end up going to waste. And, while they’re expensive, they make dinner at home feel like date night in, which is pretty much always cheaper than date night out.
Meal delivery subscriptions also encourage more home cooking (and learning how to play chef at home), something that research in theInternational Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activityhas found is linked to having a healthier BMI and lower body fat levels.
If meal kits aren’t in your budget, try one of ourcheap dinner recipesfor a nice dinner at home or follow along with thishealthy meal plan on a budget.
Pictured recipe:Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Dressing
Beans aren’t the sexiest of foods, but guess what: they are some of the cheapest finds in the grocery store—especially if you buy them dried and take the extra step to soak them overnight before cooking. And they’re good for your waistline, too. Eating one daily serving of pulses (beans, dried peas, chickpeas, lentils) was associated with an additional 0.75-pound weight loss over a six-week span compared to diets without these foods, according to a meta-analysis of 21 trials in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It sounds modest, but keep in mind that it’s the trend downward that matters—and participants weren’t making other changes to their diet in order to lose weight. Sounds pretty effortless.
Beans are also one of the cheapest protein options in the store. (Find out ifeating more protein can help you lose weight.)
A study inBMJ Openin 2018 concluded that people who ate more slowly reduced their BMI and belly fat more effectively than speed eaters. The reason is simple (and obvious): when you scarf your food, you may naturally overeat. Slow down and you’ll be just as satisfied on less—and have leftovers to show for it.
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