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Thursday, January 26, 2012

9 Tips for Eating Healthy on the Run

As a dietetic intern with a small budget, I am always looking for a great deal on my grocery items. I tend to look for items at the grocery store that are healthy, budget-conscience, and pack easily without spoilage. For this reason, I have compiled a list of ways that I have survived on a dime, and on the run!

1. Marked-down groceries. These deals are found in most every store. My personal favorite is when I can find marked-down produce. In the Knoxville area, I have found a few places that sell good products for cheap. At Food City, there is always a discount produce rack. On any given day, there will be 8 yellow bananas for around $1.00. At Kroger, when it is close to the sell by date, I like to buy guacamole, because it will be half of the price, and the product is able to be frozen for longer keep. Finally, at Big Lots, there is a bread rack. Name brand breads of all kinds can be found for about $1.10. **Note: Many of the items described in this section are close to their sell-by date. These items should be consumed soon and/or stored safely for long time use (such as frozen). Always remember, “if in doubt, throw it out”.
2. Couponing. Couponing has become a revolution. I, personally, do not contribute much of my free time to coupon cutting, but know that these can save money at the register. Coupons can be found in the paper, online, in some magazines, and from writing in to the company.
3. While you are at home, create a written meal plan for the week and make a grocery list of things that you need to make these items. While you are at the store, stick to the list. This seems simple, but store marketing is tough. If you stick to the list, it cuts down on money spent on impulse buys.
4. Use one thing many times. One of my favorite examples of this is a can of tomato sauce can be used for pizza, pasta, and chili, all in the same week. One can of tomato sauce is priced around $1.00, and can feed you for a week. This concept can be used with beans (beans, chili, salad topper) and chick peas (chili, salad
topper, and hummus).

As a dietetic intern, people have always asked me how they can eat on the go, without hitting the drive-thru. The next few tips are for when you bring the groceries home and have to use them.
5. Preparation Sunday. Every week, I set aside a day where I will cook a large portion of foods to reheat for quick and easy dinners throughout the week. This cooking involves making about two meals that can be put into storage containers for later consumption.
6. Plastic Sandwich bags. When I buy snacks, such as trail mix, cereals, crackers, or cookies, I make rations of these snacks according to their serving size at the beginning of the week. This helps with quick and easy lunch and snack preparations in the morning. The items in these bags will not spoil (and pair well with the apples and bananas you can get marked down at the store)! This tip works well with fruits and vegetables that can be sliced and placed in the refrigerator for later consumption.
 7. Use the oven to heat up everything. It sounds strange, because it is so easy. If you turn on the oven as soon as you get home, heating up a tray of chicken, frozen vegetables, and bread can make for a nice, warm meal in less than 30 minutes.
8. Eat breakfast. It is the smartest meal of the day, and it is the cheapest! Eating breakfast cuts down on hunger later in the day.
9. Keep a fruit bowl on your table. Typically, fruits and vegetables live in the bottom drawer of your refrigerator. This makes them “out of sight and out of mind!” Instead, a fruit bowl on your table may keep you from the other items that live on the counter, such as cakes and brownies. This can be nice if you are waiting for the oven to heat.

As you can see, eating on the run and on a budget can be easy.
Submitted by:
UT Dietetic Intern

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