I don't think I know a single person who would look me in the eye and say that they want to be unhealthy or that they want to eat unhealthy food; however, people are full of excuses when it comes to making healthy food choices. I'm not trying to say that these excuses are completely unfounded, because sometimes there are real circumstances that make a healthy lifestyle inconvenient or overwhelming. What I do know is that sometimes people are just unaware of the resources that are available to them and all they need is a little push in the right direction.
I do not personally adhere to a single diet philosophy but prefer to change my diet as my body and my needs change. Currently I am on a fitness journey and woe out 6 days a week and I eat a mostly vegan diet. I am not a vegan, vegetarian, or any of those things, but I have researched my diet and nutrition intensely ( I'm a scientist, it's what I do) and have come to the conclusion that this is what works for me right now. I am also a graduate student, which means that while I struggle toward my Ph.D. I have limited finances and have to consider that when thinking about my diet.
I am not going to try to push any kind of diet plan down your throat, or even suggest that you eat like I do, but I want to give you some useful tips. Some that I have come across in my research as well as some obvious ones as well.
1
Eat lots of fruit and vegetables!
Obvious right? Well though this may be obvious, many people tend to eat a diet very low in fruit and veggies and opt for more fatty options. Fruit and vegetables are nutrient dense foods that should be a huge part of ever person's diet. Not only should you be eating large quantities of these, but you should be eating a variety of them as well to get the benefits that the varieties of foods have to offer. Eat fruit throughout the day as snacks, ensure that there are veggies with every meal. Making sure you are not nutrient deficient is the first step to healthy living.
2
Surround yourself with healthy food you like!
It's easy to grab an unhealthy snack if it's readily available, and it's equally easy to go for a healthier option for the same reason. When grocery shopping try to opt out of the unhealthy snacks and stock up on some fruit and veggies and other healthier options. If all of your snack options are healthy ones, that it won't be a struggle to eat well on a regular basis.
3
Failing to plan is planning to fail!
Plan ahead. Planning is a practice that will save you a ton of grief when trying to eat healthy. Making a comprehensive plan for grocery shopping, meals, snacks, etc will ensure that you are being efficient and that you aren't stressing over your food two days later. Meal prepping a a great tool that I use. When you plan your meals for the week, you can buy the specific things you need for that and you don't end up over spending. nothing's worse that spending a bunch of money on groceries and ending up with a bunch of ingredients that you don't use. Plus it prevents multiple grocery store trips.
4
Buy local!
this is a simple one, buying local is cheaper. Find stores that use local farms or go to farmers markets. Find farms that allow you to pick your own crops. Look into CSAs. Community Sustained Agriculture is a way to get great produce delivered to you straight from local farms for a bargain. You can save a bunch this way.
5
Buy food in season!
This is also obvious, but even though i always knew that buying in season was cheaper I never bothered to look into it. I know i'm not the only one. Produce is significantly cheaper when in season. This is an easy way to save money while eating great quality produce.
6
Use your store ads and shop around!
Supermarkets have weekly store ads that are available in-store and are sometimes mailed to you. I ignored these ads for the longest time, but they do help plan your grocery shopping. I know it's convenient to get all your groceries from one place, but shopping around for the best deals can save a ton of money. Use your store ads and shop around to get the most bang for your buck.
