Right foods to eat
 

I am trying to get on a healthy diet and want to know what would be a good and semi cheap way to go about it. It sucks that being healthy is more expensive than not. Also I have read where salmon is really good but I'm not a big fish eater. What would be a good replacement for that? Maybe tuna?

Hello! As a third year college student with bills to pay, I feel your conundrum! Here are some of my cheap-living tips!

Canned Tuna!!! Can be used for salads, wraps, omelets, or straight from the can! They get pretty cheap too! I suggest white tuna- meaty and protein packed to fill you.

Canned veggies and frozen fruit!!! They might not be as delicious as fresh, but they're cheaper and last a lot longer. Look for canned veggies with no sodium or sugar added.

Always look for produce sales!!! Sometimes, asparagus for example, can be cheaper if bought fresh when on sale than in a can. And weigh your produce before reaching check-out. So you can control just how much you're spending. Also, as a grocery store clerk it can be frustrating to have to weigh out a customers grapes to the price they want. Nearly all grocery stores have scales in they're produce section.

Meat Coupons!!! A terrific deal on fish or meat is hard to come by because they usually occur when there is too much product. Coupons on meat are great. They appear later in the day as meat is starting to reach it's "sell-by." I promise you that the meat is always good for a few days after the sell-by!

Wraps!!! Often cheaper than bread and can last longer. Look for store-brand and while-gain.

Always pick up a store flyer on your way in! If a store offers recipe books with a purchase of so much money, take it! There are often coupons in there!!

Oh! Canned chicken isn't bad either!

Wait I have another! Juices, especially real juice, can be expensive. If you need some sweetness, go for low sugar powder mixes. The kind that can make several quarts per box. They last longer and cost less!

Or you can always buy tea in bulk and add frozen fruit for a sweet touch. Refrigerate but don't add ice. The ice causes a redox reaction that can lower the amount of antioxidants.

health
 

Right food to eat
 

All the food we eat can be divided into five groups. Try to choose a variety of different foods from the first four groups:-

1. Fruit and vegetables-
Fruit and vegetables are a vital source of vitamins and minerals. It's advised that we eat five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day.

2. Starchy foods-

Starchy foods should make up around one third of everything we eat. This means we should base our meals on these foods. Try to choose wholegrain varieties of starchy foods, such as brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and brown whole meal bread.

3. Meat, fish, eggs and beans-
These foods are all good sources of protein, which is essential for growth and repair of the body. Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc and B vitamins. Fish is another important source of protein, and contains many vitamins and minerals.

4. Milk and dairy foods-
Milk and dairy foods such as cheese and yogurt are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps to keep your bones healthy. To enjoy the health benefits of dairy without eating too much fat, use semi-skimmed milk, skimmed milk or 1% fat milks, lower-fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, and lower-fat yogurt..

Some healthy foods you should be eating now:

Black Beans
Kale
Salmon
Walnuts
Pumpkin
Apples
Blueberries
Bananas
Broccoli
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Red Beets
Eggplant
Brussels Sprouts
Tomatoes
Whole-Wheat Bread
Quinoa
Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Bulgur
Lean Meat
Flaxseeds
Chia Seeds
Almonds
Tuna
Fat-Free Milk
Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
Dark Chocolate
Red Wine
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil..........

I second the advice on working the sales, but stay away from processed food, like cereal, which is usually expensive and loaded with sugar.

Do you have a freezer? If so, buy extra when things like chicken or turkey breast, or salmon filets are on sale and freeze the rest for later. Coupons for places like Subway are good, but buying a quantity of meat on sale, cooking it and slicing it up for 'lunch meat' is cheaper.

And nuts. Watch for low prices on raw, unsalted, nuts.

And of course you should check out the promotions like "buy one get one free" or something like that. I mean that's obvious but as it is something usual sometimes you overlook it. 69.50% of the Americans wouln't say that sales or promotional incentives (like coupons) make a product feel lower in quality, like I found out here, on some facts and statistics about the food shopping behavior. And I guess that's how you should think about it as well. I say that because I sometimes notice that I think like: "That's cheaper? Must be lower quality."

If you follow certain types of diet then sure enough you will be buying specific food items to suffice the kind of diet you want. But if you don't want to spend then limit your food intake so if you always consume 2000 calories a day for example, consuming only 1500 calories can help you lose weight.

Greens. Branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce. Kale, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options—all packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K.
Sweet vegetables. Naturally sweet vegetables—such as corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, and squash—add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets.
Fruit. Fruit is a tasty, satisfying way to fill up on fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on.