- When it comes to healthy eating, there's a question I get all of the time, and it's how to eat healthy on a budget. And this probably applies to
everyone in the community, whether you're single, you're
married, you're a parent, you're a student, or you're retired, because I think we would
all gladly save some money. The truth is, eating
wholesome, delicious food doesn't have to be expensive. The key is to hone in on
strategic budget-friendly picks, to make sure you're stocked
with the right kitchen staples, and take steps to minimize food waste so you're not literally
throwing money away in the form of wilted
greens or mushy bananas. So today, I wanted to share my top 10 tips to make healthy eating more affordable. (gentle music) When it comes to buying
the healthiest meat, I always suggest buying organic, pastured, and grass-fed options. These are not only better for you, but they're better for the planet. However, stocking up on
the highest-quality meat will quickly drain your bank account, so my suggestion here is
to simply buy less meat. When you do buy it, buy the
good stuff, but then supplement your protein intake with budget-friendly, plant-based sources of
protein like pulses, which include beans,
chickpeas, peas, and lentils. When readers on my website ask
me for a meatless alternative for one of my recipes, I
frequently recommend lentils. They're packed with protein and fiber, and definitely will fill you up. So I often whip up a
big batch on the weekend to add to salads, soups,
and baked sweet potatoes throughout the week. (gentle music) To further slash your meat budget, get familiar with the
tougher cuts of meat. Often, the tougher cuts, like
pork shoulder, beef chuck, and stew meat, will be the
least expensive of the bunch, and this is across the board, even with organic and grass-fed options. So how do make these tougher
cuts of meat delicious? It's easy! Just cook them low and slow
in a Crock-Pot or slow cooker until they are ultra tender. And if you need a recipe idea,
my slow-cooker pulled pork is a reader favorite
that's perfect for fall. (gentle music) Eggs are pretty much the least expensive, whole-food source of
protein that you can buy. So even if you spend $6 on
a dozen pasture-raised eggs, that's just 50 cents per egg. And the best part is that eggs can definitely go beyond breakfast. You can whip up some
hard-boiled eggs to eat as a high-protein snack
throughout the week, or turn my breakfast casserole
into a dinner-worthy meal by serving it up with leftover
veggies and wilted greens that are on the verge of going bad. (gentle music) Ah, the motto of Downshiftology,
which is eating in season. Not only is in-season
produce fresher and tastier, but the abundance of the crop
usually drives down prices, making it far more affordable. Seasonable produce and trends
will vary region to region, but you can do a little
bit of research to find out what's in season in your area, and start to plan your meals accordingly. If you wanna maximize the abundance of in-season produce even
more, don't be afraid to cook and meal prep large portions
and utilize leftovers. Making Crock-Pot or casserole dishes, such as my zucchini lasagna
or chicken broccoli casserole, is a great way to take advantage of cheaper in-season produce pricing. Just make a large batch,
freeze it, and you can reap the rewards of those savings
long into the future. (gentle music) If your healthy lifestyle has
you snacking on lots of nuts, get strategic about which ones you buy, because pound for pound, the
price can vary drastically. Walnuts are often several
dollars less per pound than cashews, almonds, and pecans, while containing the highest
level of anti-inflammatory, brain-friendly, plant-based
Omega-3 fatty acids. So that makes walnuts a healthy, cost-effective snack choice. (gentle music) Across the board with both
organic and non-organic, frozen fruits and vegetables
are less expensive than fresh, yet they're just as nutritious. In fact, frozen produce
is picked at its peak in terms of freshness,
then immediately frozen to lock in all that goodness. Frozen vegetables like
peas and green beans make a great addition to
curries, soups, and stir-fries, while frozen fruits like
blueberries and mango are perfect for smoothies,
oatmeal, and of course, my chia pudding. (gentle music) Non-dairy milks that you buy
at the store are mostly water, but they still cost a pretty penny. So I recommend that you make
your own, which is extremely easy to do, and no, it doesn't
always require straining or a lot of time in the kitchen. In fact, two of the quickest varieties are cashew milk and hemp milk. For cashew milk, simply soak one cup of raw cashews overnight, then
blend with four cups of water until smooth and creamy. For hemp milk, blend a half
a cup of hemp seeds, which are also known as hemp hearts,
with four cups of water. Both of those recipes
are easy, affordable, and you won't have any
unnecessary ingredients that you may have in store-bought brands. And bonus, I just added
the hemp milk recipe to my website as well. (gentle music) One of the biggest budgetary
downfalls for people starting to revamp their eating are the packaged, healthy treats and snacks. Now you know what I'm talking about here. These are the grain-free cookies
and granola, protein bars, those bite-sized macaroons,
and dairy-free ice cream. Now of course, these can
be enjoyed in moderation in a healthy lifestyle, but
remember that you're paying a premium for these products. So instead, make whole, fresh
foods your main priority, and when it comes to
treats, make your own. Most of my dessert and treat recipes, which includes those cookies and macaroons and dairy-free ice
creams, can be made easily and more cheaply from
ingredients you'd find in a well-stocked healthy pantry. (gentle music) All right, how many of you have
stocked up on fresh produce only to have half of it wilt or spoil before you've had a chance to use it? Food waste is a huge drain
on your bank account, and one of the ways I minimize
that is by using my freezer, because you can freeze almost anything. If you have bananas going brown and mushy, slice them up, and store
them in the freezer for smoothies and banana bread. If you can't use up those
Siete grain-free tortillas fast enough, store them in the freezer, and remove each one
individually as needed. If you can't go through a
large bag of organic spinach for your smoothies before it wilts, just toss it into the freezer
right after you buy it, and grab a handful whenever you need it. If you've got way too many
avocados that are perfectly ripe, dice them, toss them with lemon juice, and store them in a freezer-safe bag. You can even prep then freeze chia pudding with fresh fruit that's
on the verge of going bad. I think you guys get the idea here. The freezer is absolutely your friend when it comes to minimizing food waste. (gentle music) Grocery stores specializing
in healthy food can sometimes be pricey, and your
run-of-the-mill grocery store doesn't always have the variety and the ingredients that you need. So that's where a membership to Costco and Amazon Prime comes in extremely handy. Surprisingly, Costco
carries a wide variety of organic produce, organic meats, and healthy packaged foods, including the items that
I buy most frequently. A yearly membership to Costco
will run you about $60, but when you look at the cost
savings of buying in bulk, it's certainly worth it. When it comes to online shopping, if you don't have an
Amazon Prime membership, you should definitely consider it. You can save on the
ingredients you buy most often with subscriptions, and this is perfect for all of your pantry staples. Things like nuts and seeds
and flours, I always buy on Amazon with my Prime
membership, and I'm saving on gas because I don't have to
drive to the grocery store. But if you do drive to the
store and shop at Whole Foods, there's a bonus, because with
your Amazon Prime membership, you can save 10% on sale
items, and get access to special deals, coupons, and
savings throughout the store. I hope you guys found these tips helpful, and as I try to think of
more, I will post them on Instagram Stories and in
our private Facebook group. I always welcome you to add your tips into the comments below. It's incredibly helpful to the community, and I know everyone appreciates it. All right, that's it for me this week. If you enjoyed this video, make
sure to give it a thumbs-up. And I'm gonna get started
on the next video, which I know you guys
are really excited about. It's the fall meal prep. So don't go anywhere. And I will see you guys again real soon. (gentle music)
