Quick Guide to Eating

Healthy on a Budget Eating

How do you maintain a healthy diet
when money is tight?
When you are confined to a limited budget,
it’s very easy to fall into a pattern of meals
consisting of fast food, pre-assembled
frozen meals, and packaged snacks.
However, with proper planning, eating
healthy on a budget can be very simple!
This brochure contains some easy tips to
maintaining a balanced diet without
breaking your bank.
Good Resources
 Choosemyplate.gov
 Allrecipes.com
 Eatingwell.com
 School meal plans
 essential foods such as packaged baked goods,
Food Banks
 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP)
 Cook at home instead of going out: Going out Healthy on a Budget
for dinner usually leads to oversized portions,
options high in sodium, saturated fats, and
calories, and an expensive bill. Eating at home
saves money while also allowing you to closely
monitor portion size.
 Buy non-perishable goods in bulk:
Purchasing foods such as oats, nuts, dried fruit,
and brown rice in bulk from warehouse stores
such as Sam’s Club or Costco is a cost-efficient
way of stocking up on nutritious snacks that
will last for a long time.
 Check out local produce: Shopping for
produce at your local farmer’s market is a cost-
friendly way to obtain fresh fruits and
vegetables while also supporting a small
business!
 Plan your meals in advance: To avoid
spending unnecessary money on foods that are
high in fat and sugar while deficient in essential
nutrients, it is important to develop a plan of “Eating healthy on a
what you plan to eat in a week. This will make limited budget is not
it easier to obtain healthy and balanced foods
in the grocery store and avoid picking up non- impossible. It just takes
frozen treats, high sugar cereals, and soda.
careful planning and
conscious effort.”
. Here are some simple yet delicious
What does it mean to “eat healthy”
anyways?
Consuming the proper amounts of
macronutrients, minerals, and phytonutrients to
maintain health
Finding Balance Between the
Different Food Groups
Use choosemyplate.gov to create a
personalized plan that works for your
family and helps you meet your health
goals.
healthy recipes that anyone can make: Fast food unavoidable?
One Pan Mexican Quinoa As wonderful as a world in which we have time
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. every night to prepare a home-cooked meal
Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until
fragrant, about 1 minute.
would be, that is not realistic in most cases.
2. Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, Therefore, for those nights that all you can really
chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to manage is a drive-thru, here are some helpful
taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until tips to still have a healthy meal while grabbing a
quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in
quick
avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
3. Serve immediately. bite to eat:
 Substitute fried (sometimes labeled as
Greek Stuffed Chicken
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. “crispy”) entrees for grilled or roasted
Place chicken on a cutting board ones or pair your meal with a fruit cup
and make 5 slits in each breast, or side salad.
being careful not to cut through  Check out the kid’s menu for smaller
completely. Transfer to a small
portions.
baking sheet.
 Be mindful of dressings and sauces—
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice,
they often contain unexpectedly high
dill, parsley, and garlic. Drizzle over chicken breasts,
making sure olive oil mixture gets in the slits. Season with amounts of sugar and sodium.
salt and pepper.  For a beverage stick to the low/no
3. Stuff each chicken breast with zucchini, tomatoes, red calorie options or ask for a free cup of
onion, and lemons. Sprinkle crumbled feta and mozzarella
water.
on top.
4. Bake until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink,
about 25 minutes. Garnish with more dill and parsley. Serve
warm.
Ingredients: 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon
juice, 1 tbsp chopped dill, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, 2 cloves
garlic, Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, 4 skinless
boneless chicken breasts, 1 zucchini, 2 medium tomatoes, ½
red onion, 2 lemons, 1 cup crumbled feta, 1 cup shredded
mozzarella