Finding good, cheap healthy meals for yourself and your family is easier said than done, as most of us know. But its not impossible and there are resources out there to help!
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics puts out “Tip Sheets” on a variety of topics and each one is authored by registered dietitians. They list these key things on their “Eat Right” tip sheet, which was developed to help people eat right on a budget:
Tips on Eating Healthy on a Budget:
- Plan what you are going to eat
- Decide how much to make
- Determine where to shop
- Shop for foods that are in season
- Try canned or frozen produce
- Focus on nutritious, low-cost foods
- Watch Portion sizes
- Make your own healthy snacks
- Cook more, eat out less.
We couldn’t agree more with these tips! Having a plan is more than half the battle, so we were pleased to see that one on top of their list. That alone removes a lot of the nightly stress of “what’s for dinner” because you’re not scrambling for an answer at 5:45.
But having a plan alone doesn’t solve everything – which is why we were so pleased to see this whole list! The Dinner Daily was founded specifically to help busy families eat right on a budget and not surprisingly, our service actually helps on every one of those points, (except the make your own healthy snacks – you’re on your own for that one!)
How The Dinner Daily Helps with Eating Healthy on a Budget:
Your weekly Dinner Daily plan is customized just for you, and gives you a complete dinner plan for five nights, each week. It also tells you how much to make for portions that have a good nutritional profile, but also won’t leave you hungry. And the shopping list that comes with your menu tells you exactly what ingredients to buy, based on your store’s sales. So that knocks off the first three tips for healthy meals on a budget!
Because we create your menu based on store sales, frequently what’s on sale is also what is in season (we’re currently in the at the end of summer and not surprisingly, what’s on sale are the late summer/fall product and fruits). So, our weekly plans make it easy to shop for foods in season – point #4!
But we also recommend using frozen veggies and many of our recipes incorporate some canned ingredients such as variety beans like kidney and garbanzo beans or canned tomatoes because those are economical and healthy alternatives to fresh and can be purchased all year around. And they can save a ton of time in the kitchen vs preparing your own. And one thing better than a cheap healthy meal is an easy cheap healthy meal! Tips number five and six– check!
Lastly, we develop our recipes under guidance from registered dieticians. Our recipes fall within specific healthy guidelines for calories, fat, and other key nutrients. Our recipes give you healthy portion sizes if you follow our serving size recommendations.
How To Get Started:
So, if you want a super easy way to follow these Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ tips for eating healthy on a budget while taking all of the work out of finding cheap healthy meals, try The Dinner Daily. Better yet, try it free for a couple of weeks – it might just be the best thing you do this fall to help tame the chaos.
Here’s what Dinner Daily member Angie M said:
The Dinner Daily is a GAME CHANGER!! Consistently following it for over a year….and we love the meals. We have a very busy family of 6 and this has made our dinner time a million times easier. Thank you!!
