How-to: Eat Well and Stay on Budget

As we wrap up the week with this final addition to our "how-to" series, I hope that some of the information we've provided has been enlightening and/or helpful to you in your day-to-day life. There's so much more advice we could share on a variety of topics, but these were at the forefront of our minds when planning this little series. We just wanted to share more about where we're coming from when we discuss certain aspects in the blog that are ingrained in our kitchen, but may be foreign concepts to you. We take many of these to heart because they are what helps our kitchen run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, which has really come to light while we've been living in two different cities! Together or apart, these same principles still apply. We hope you enjoy this last little nugget and as always, please feel free to leave us some feedback in the comments!







One large part of the success in our kitchen is all the preparation we do with our meal planning and grocery shopping. Another is just the natural interest in being creative and adventurous with our recipes, which primarily comes from Will's brave cooking attitude. But another large part of it comes from our tight budget and desire to nourish our bodies with the best food we can afford. That doesn't mean we buy all-organic and as you know from reading the blog, it doesn't mean we only eat rabbit food (aka salad), but we do try our best to be selective about what we try. Granted, we do indulge sometimes - it would be impossible not to. But we try not to eat too much meat, cheese, sweets or really heavy foods. Just the occasional treat!



As you know if you read regularly, we often reference Beth who is the creator of the website and cookbook, Budget Bytes. While we are not as exact as Beth for breaking down cost per serving of the recipes she designs, we do rely on her because she gives you a sense of how budget-friendly a meal is. The more you cook and grocery shop, the better understanding you have of how much certain ingredients will cost. If you're on a super tight budget, the pennies you spend will outweigh the quality of the food and that's fine. But Beth offers innovative and inspiring recipes that can be healthy and keep your budget at a minimum. If you prefer to know more about the healthiness factor of the foods you eat, blogs like Pinch of Yum include nutrition facts with her recipes. Lindsay is a dedicated mostly-full-time blogger, though, which is why she has time for that! While we are not exact in our calculations or healthiness barometer, we do try to give you a sense of where the recipes lie on the spectrum of cheap or sustaining through either the label "Budget" or from what is written up in the text at the beginning of a post.

When it comes down to it though, you don't necessarily need to know the exact numbers or cost or calories to determine how well you're eating. Your body will tell you with how much energy it has and how it feels! After Pastitso you aren't going to feel as great as you do after a Power Bowl and that's fine. But you just have to be aware of how often you splurge on a heavily-cheesed, meat or sugary meal. We have a policy that we don't eliminate anything or do any diets - we just try to eat as well as we can without depriving ourselves of anything. Portion sizes are huge when it comes to watching what you eat, especially with indulgences. Eating smaller portions has a twofold benefit - the first is that you're consuming only what you need, not what's on your plate that you feel like you need to eat because it's there. The second is that if you don't overeat, you don't run out of food as fast, meaning you can stretch your food for longer periods of time. That recipe that serves 4-6? Make sure it actually does - don't have two servings each in the first night and watch it disappear! You need that for dinner tomorrow!

What you consider eating well is really up to you - veggies, even moreso than fruits, are your best ticket to a healthier diet. A veggie mix with brown rice has more health benefits than a big bowl of sugary fruits. That's not saying fruit is bad, but be aware of the variety of healthy foods you're eating! The darker green your veggies, the better your benefits. We find that even on a tight budget, investing in the better quality nutrient-rich foods, are what gives us the most satisfying turnout both in flavor and fullness. And of course all of this should be balanced with some sort of exercise! Between good food and even minimal exercise, you will keep your body feeling the best it can, which aids in longevity and productivity. Remember any movement is better than none - motion is lotion! Move now so you can later. Eat well now so you can live longer. Save money now so you can reap the benefits later. While that Chick-Fil-A lunch with sugary lemonade and waffle fries (and maybe a milkshake) sounds fantastic now, doing that often will take money out of your wallet and years off your life. Treat yourself well and you will get more enjoyment out of life.

And don't be afraid to try things! We have discovered so many veggies and foods that are new to us in the last three years than we had in the lifetime leading up to it. If it looks/smells weird, don't pass final judgment until you've tasted it. And if you don't like it the first time, be willing to try it again. Know that the steamed frozen veggies you may have had as a kid taste completely different than a roasted fresh veggie medley, from food you hand-selected at the farmers market or co-op. Quality and creativeness make all the difference! Free yourselves of being picky eaters and take a bold approach to food. The worst thing that could happen is you'd have an allergic reaction, which is pretty unlikely in most cases. The more realistic worst thing is you just won't like it. If that's the case, try a second bite and if you still don't like it, skip it. But try, try try! Expanding and experimenting with your food can open so many avenues for your overall health!

We hope these tips and recommendations can spur some creativity for you. Changing how you eat (for the better) can be inspiring and exciting and save you a surprising amount of money! Leave any questions in the comments section and we'll be happy to offer any insight we might have, from our experience :)



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