Everyone is busy these days. And busyness is one of the excuses most commonly cited to justify a poor diet. But that’s not the only excuse: many people also claim eating healthily costs a lot of money. And yes, it can be expensive, but there are also affordable ways to eat right on the cheap. So if you’re looking for ideas to eat healthily when you’re short on time and money, here are a few tips that are sure to help you out.

Buy produce that’s in season

Whether it’s gasoline, or candy the week following Halloween, when there’s an excess of anything prices always drop. The same is true for fruits and vegetables. And when you buy produce in season, it’s not only more affordable but also generally fresher and of higher quality, because it’s usually locally grown.

Shop at budget-friendly grocery stores

If you’re on a tight budget, you should avoid Whole Foods and similar high-end supermarkets like the plague. While their produce and other food choices are undoubtedly of a high quality, it can put a severe dent in your wallet. So to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to produce, try discount grocery stores like Trader Joe’s, Sam’s Club and Costco. Not only can you get good-quality produce at these markets, but you can also buy other staples that you can base your healthy diet around, such as nuts, rice, olive oil and fish.

Stock a few go-to healthy ingredients in your fridge and pantry

And while you’re out shopping at your budget-friendly supermarket, don’t forget to stock up on a few food choices you can turn to in a pinch when your fridge or pantry is otherwise empty. A couple of ingredients that can be used as a foundation to whip up a simple, healthy meal are oats, rice, beans, tofu, olive oil, spices, seasonings, and nut butters.

Buy online to save time and money

In this digital age, it may no longer come as much of a surprise to learn you can now shop for groceries online. What you might not know, however, is that you can receive considerable discounts for doing so. And you will save not only money but also time, as you can skip the trip to the supermarket completely and have your food delivered straight to your door. To test out online grocery shopping for yourself, try Thrive Market, which boasts over 3,000+ healthy products.

Cook a large amount of food at the beginning of the week

If you’re short on time during the workweek, bulk-cooking your meals beforehand just makes sense. Sunday is a great day to spend an hour or two whipping up a large amount of healthy food you can eat for the entire week. From chicken and salmon dishes to vegetable stir-fries, or even a monster bowl of guacamole to snack on, cook enough so you can get three to five meals out of it over your workweek. Once the food is prepared, store it in your fridge in tupperware or other containers. Then when the workweek gets rolling, your breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack will be ready and waiting for you when it’s time to eat.

Want more healthy eating tips? Call us today to talk with one of our nutritional experts, and start changing your diet now!