Eating Healthy Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive Or Difficult

In a recent blog, interactive health coach Michelle Desira broached the subject of healthy eating.

Many of us think that eating healthy requires us to spend large amounts of money on organic food or food straight from your own garden, and make everything from scratch like our grandparents did before sliced bread was a thing.

Ms Desira said if you think like that you may be putting too much pressure on yourself, and that’s not healthy, either.

She said the thought of changing one’s family’s eating habits could be overwhelming.

Part of a family of seven herself, she, too, has been overwhelmed a time or two.

Ms Desira considers animal meats, fruits and veggies to be essential foods, and she has a few ideas that might help reduce the grocery bill without added stress.

Mindset - eating organic is not essential to be healthy. While organic is the best option, not everyone can afford it and it isn’t always readily accessible. Eating a salad made with conventional lettuce is better than not eating salad at all. Forget the all-or-nothing mentality;

Shop from your own pantry - look at what you have at home before heading to the store. Write a list of things you haven’t used in a while or that are close to the expiry date and create meals from there. Then, write a shopping list with only the items needed to complete those meals;

Shop seasonally - buying fruits and vegetables in season means they will be fresher, more nutrient-dense, and less expensive. Educate yourself on which fruits and veggies are in season at different times of the year. Generally, tropical fruits, stone fruits, and salad veggies are summer fruits, while fruits and veggies used in warming meals, like soups and casseroles, are winter veggies. Berries, kiwi fruit and citrus fruits, such as oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons and limes, are autumn/winter fruits as they are high in vitamin C, which boosts immunity and protects against colds and flu;

Shop locally - search for a nearby farm that raises its own beef, lamb or chicken. Buy eggs, fruits and veggies from roadside stores;

Grow your own - growing your own can be rewarding, even if it’s just some herbs on the windowsill or a lemon tree in a large pot on your back patio. Gardening is a great way to encourage your children to get outside in the sun. Picking vegetables actually increases dopamine levels.

Teach your kids how to cook - it will pay off in the future. Take advantage of the school holidays. Teach them to make a few batches of muffins to put in the freezer, ready to pack into their lunch boxes next term. You’ll need to buy less store-bought snacks, too. There are plenty of online courses and YouTube videos on the art of making sourdough and other pantry staples, which would be a great holiday activity to get your kids involved in.

Again, healthy eating doesn’t need to be overwhelming, just start with one thing and build from there.

You are doing your best.

• Topics:

• Health & Wellness
• Food / Beverages