8 Simple Steps to Creating a Healthy Meal Plan on a Shoestring Budget 

Do you suffer from fatigue and find that eating sugary snacks gives you a temporary energy boost? I’ve been there! Consuming an excessive amount of these foods may deplete important nutrients in our systems, leaving us tired and unsatisfied. However, you may be interested in committing to a schedule of clean eating meals but are concerned about the costs involved.

The good news is… it’s finally here! It is possible to eat healthily while sticking to a budget. Planning unprocessed meals and avoiding processed foods as much as possible will allow you to stock up on vitamins while also giving your organs a break from the work of digesting processed foods. Furthermore, it is not only beneficial to your body. The foods you’ll be making will help you save money on groceries because they’re so simple.

If the idea of a win-win situation appeals to you, why not try our tips for eating healthy while staying on budget? First and foremost, let us define what we mean by “clean eating.”

What exactly does “clean eating” imply?

To ensure that you have a clear understanding of what you’re aiming for, let’s define what we mean by “clean eating.” Eating clean emphasizes the consumption of a wide range of whole foods, such as the following:

• Fruits and Vegetables 
• Whole grains and bean products
• Oils from nature
• Both seeds and nuts

What exactly is a clean eating meal plan?

A clean eating meal plan, on the other hand, emphasizes the consumption of whole foods prepared in a variety of delectable dishes. The benefit is the expanded range of foods that can be prepared with its assistance. This will keep you from becoming bored with the food you eat while still allowing you to achieve your goal of eating clean.

To reap the full benefits of a clean eating lifestyle, you should strive to consume whole foods as close to their original form as possible. You should also try to mitigate the following effects:

Foods that have undergone processing

• Cooked in the microwave
• Cakes, cookies, and other baked goods with chocolate flavoring.
• Quick and easy meals

You are now familiar with the term “clean eating” and its definition. However, you may be wondering if it is possible to eat clean while adhering to a meal plan budget. Now that we’ve established that, let’s look into the various ways we can maintain a nutritious diet while staying within our financial constraints.

How difficult is it to eat healthily on a tight budget?

If I understand correctly, you are aware of the health benefits of following the steps for creating a meal plan that allows you to eat clean while staying within your budget. But I’m sure you’ve heard that buying nutritious meals can be expensive. If you’re worried that you won’t be able to afford to eat healthy while sticking to a budget, let us dispel that myth for you.

It is common knowledge that eating trendy foods such as bee pollen or protein smoothies can significantly increase your weekly food costs. These, however, are not required in any way. Clean eating meal plans, on the other hand, are not only affordable and easy to follow, but they are also likely to be less expensive than your current diet.

To make eating clean a successful endeavor, it is necessary to plan ahead of time and stick to a basic routine. If you continue in this manner, you will quickly become a devotee of healthy food. Follow these 10 steps if you want to eat healthy while staying within your budget.

1. Amass a supply of low-cost, sanitary components

The first step in eating clean while staying within your budget is to stock up on ingredients. Numerous readily available and low-cost dietary essentials can serve as the foundation of your clean-eating meal plans.

You don’t have to worry about expiration dates because many of these are canned or frozen. Here are some examples of inexpensive and healthy ingredients:

• Beans combined with other lentils
• The cereal grains barley and quinoa
• Whole grain pasta made with brown rice
• Tomatoes, sweet corn, artichokes, and other vegetables canned
• Tuna in cans
• Oatmeal
• Sweet potatoes and white potatoes are both included.
• Frozen vegetables and fruits
• The peanut butter

2. Purchase frozen ingredients

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that people eat 2.5 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit per day. This may not be possible if you are purchasing the item fresh. Another option that is just as nutritious as the first is to buy frozen fruits and vegetables in bulk.

Because the produce is usually picked and frozen immediately after being picked during the peak growing season, it is just as nutritious as buying fresh food.

Frozen foods also help to reduce waste because you only use what you need and can store any leftovers in the freezer. Just keep in mind that defrosting time must be factored into your meal planning. Frozen foods are essential for low-cost meal plans that emphasize clean eating.

3. Purchase store brands

Consuming store brands, as opposed to the more well-known brands that we are all accustomed to, can carry a certain social stigma. However, this prejudice is the result of astute marketing, and it rarely reflects the quality of the food for which you are paying.

When you lay out the steps for creating a meal plan for eating clean on a budget, buying store brands will allow you to save a significant amount of money.

Assume you go to the grocery store and buy 20 store-brand items rather than your usual favorites from a major brand. Each store brand item costs $0.50 less than the big brand item. This immediately results in ten-dollar savings. If you did this once a week for a year, you would have saved $520.

4. Purchase in bulk

Another way to eat healthy while staying within your budget is to buy in bulk. Purchasing a single large quantity of dry or canned foodstuff is more cost-effective than purchasing multiple smaller quantities of the same food. As a result, if you have the storage space at home, it makes sense to stock up on your favorite clean meals to save money in the long run.

However, to avoid wasting money and food, you should always check the expiration dates. When you get carried away shopping, it’s easy to spend more money than necessary. If you know you have some food that will go bad soon, try to incorporate it into your weekly meal plan or prepare a dish in bulk that can be stored for later use.

5. Make a plan for the coming week and go shopping with a list

Making and sticking to a shopping list is one of the best habits to develop to maintain a healthy diet on a limited budget. Food store organizations may lead customers to purchase items they do not require, causing them to waste money they do not have.

When you have a list, you can keep your head down and work your way through the various food products until you are ready to pay for them.

You can keep a list on your phone and add to it throughout the week if you have a eureka moment and realize you’re running low on one of your supplies. It is critical to check your pantry before going shopping so that you can make a list of any additional items you may need.

6. You should get yourself ready

Is it getting late? It’s tempting to buy pre-sliced fruit and vegetables, but doing so will cost you more money than buying them raw. And, let’s be honest, chopping carrots or slicing an apple doesn’t take all that long, does it?

You can save money by doing your preparation, and because whole foods typically have less packaging, it is also better for the environment. Preparing your meals is an important part of the “eating clean on a budget” meal plan.

7. Consume leftovers

Have you ever noticed how your grandmother never wasted any of the food she cooked? Older generations were more frugal than younger generations, whether it was having chicken salad the day after a roast chicken meal or making a stew or soup to freeze.

Because you can live frugally, the clean eating products you buy can be used for multiple meals throughout the week, allowing you to keep an eye on both your health and your finances at the same time.

Cooking in batches is a good idea, so if you’re going to make a traybake with lentils, why not make two and freeze one for the following week? Furthermore, if you have vegetables in the fridge that need to be used up, you can easily cut them up, puree them, and make a base sauce to quickly reheat a pasta meal or a curry. Finding new uses for leftovers is another way to eat healthy while staying on budget.

8. Consume less animal protein

To begin, eating a healthy diet does not compel one to live a vegan or even vegetarian lifestyle if one does not want to. When it comes to creating meal plans for a clean eating diet on a tight budget, lean animal protein has a place.

However, when compared to other natural whole foods like grains and vegetables, meat is significantly more expensive. As a result, try to think of meat as an accompaniment to the meal rather than the main course. For example, why not toss a couple of ounces of fish or chicken into a stir fry and round out your meal with some salad and rice?