(ModernSurvival.org) – While not everyone lives in a third-world country, where access to food can be much harder to come by, it can still be hard to get quality food — especially while living under financial strain. Here are some tips on how to continue to eat well, even when times are hard.
Avoid Fast Food
When times get tough, it can be easy to fall into unhealthy pitfalls that not only damage the body, but also ultimately hurt the bank account as well. Eating cheap, fast food, for example, may fill up the stomach, but it isn’t going to do much to keep a person alive in the long run.
Studies have linked a high intake of fast food to a number of health conditions, such as digestive issues, obesity, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and depression. While it may be a quick fix to stay fed, it may be a costly mistake down the road.
Eat Healthy Foods
While many people believe that a healthy diet is expensive, in reality, eating healthy foods can actually save money. For starters, when the body becomes accustomed to eating good, quality food from a well-balanced diet, it begins to get full faster. This leads to less food consumption. When a body is getting all of the nutrients it needs in smaller doses, the appetite is naturally healthier.
Purchase in Bulk, But Don’t Be Wasteful
Purchasing food in bulk is one way to save money, but it can also lead to spoilage which is just like throwing money in the garbage. To combat waste, cook large batches of food and then freeze the leftovers for future meals. This ensures that the food won’t get boring after eating leftovers for a few days straight — and keeps it from ending up in the trash can.
Additional Tips
- Start a garden to grow fruits and vegetables.
- Pack a lunch instead of eating out.
- Buy less expensive cuts of meat, or replace meat with eggs for protein in meals.
- Make colorful meals — different colors of fruits and vegetables have different nutrients in them.
- Buy produce by the bag rather than individually — it tends to be cheaper this way.
- Drink water instead of soda or juice.
- Cut out junk food.
While all of these can help reduce the cost of food, there’s one big tip that can save anyone money when they head to the grocery store: never shop hungry. A trip to the store when the stomach is grumbling is sure to lead to impromptu purchases, and they likely won’t be for quality food. Instead, take a predetermined list of items so that extra expenditures won’t be made.
If times become extremely hard and food is truly hard to come by, it will be vital to get every last bit of nutrition possible. To see the best way to cook food, take a look at our article on how to get more nutrients from food.
~Here’s to Your Survival!
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