10 Easy Ways to Be Healthy Even if You Are Broke

Photo credit: bigstock

It happens to all of us at one time or another: luck just isn’t going our way and you find yourself on a tight budget. That doesn’t mean you have to let your health go out the window, however. Even those with very little cash can find ways to be and eat healthy. Here is our list of the top 10 ways you can do this that involve very little cash.

1. Eat Lots of Homemade Soup

Soups are not only tasty, but they are good for you, not to mention super cheap. When you make soup yourself, you can make it a healthy choice. Try some soups you may not have thought of before such as French onion, lentil, or potato soup. Add a lot of vegetables to a broth and you have a cheap, healthy meal.

Photo credit: bigstock

2. Stay Away from Prepackaged Meals

Look for things you can cook yourself, not a prepackaged or frozen meal that usually contains too many things you don’t want (salt, sugar, artificial junk) and costs way more than the stuff you can cook at home.

Buy rice and beans, not chili or flavored boxed rice.

Read also about poisons in everyday prepackaged food.

Photo credit: bigstock

3. Buy Smart Proteins

Save the T-bone steaks for special occasions and instead go with eggs, beans, cottage cheese, canned tuna, and chicken breasts.

Photo credit: bigstock

4. Buy Generic

Especially when you are talking about food staples such as eggs, milk, frozen foods, and vegetables.

You will save a fortune and the nutrition is the same.

Photo credit: bigstock

5. Look for Sales and Buy in Bulk

Check your local supermarket ads; they frequently run ads for buy one get one free and other types of sales on a regular basis.

Foods that don’t spoil such as beans, rice, and oats can be stocked up on so they will last you until the next sale.

Photo credit: bigstock

6. Don’t Buy Canned

Instead buy fruits and veggies that are in season.

Usually the height of the season is when they are the most plentiful and when they will be the cheapest.

Photo credit: bigstock

7. Drink Tap Water

Ditch the bottled water, which isn’t any healthier and costs a fortune.

Buy a cheap filtration system (Brita Water Pitchers are an inexpensive option) and use it. A filter that will cost you less than 10 dollars will clean more than 40 gallons of tap water.

Buy a stainless steel bottle so you can always take some with you.

Find out what’s in your water.

Photo credit: bigstock

8. Prepare Your Own Food

Cook all your own food for the day, either when you wake up or the night before.

This takes less than an hour, usually, and saves you tons of stress, not to mention tons of cash.

You can eat healthy choices while keeping your wallet full.

Photo credit: bigstock

9. Take Food With You

Buy containers and start taking food with you everywhere you go so you don’t have to buy something that costs much more and isn’t very healthy for you.

Take your lunch and snacks to work or to school, take bags of nuts or string cheese when you go to the movies, and bring your own popcorn to your kid’s soccer game.