Living with diabetes can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. If you’re feeling stressed out about choosing the right foods for your Diabetes-friendly diet because you’ve got limited funds to spend at the grocery store, read on for 4 budget-friendly tips on eating healthy with Diabetes.
Make a List Before You Shop
The next time you go grocery shopping, take the time to make a list. It’s common knowledge that shopping with a list saves you time and money in the store. This is because you aren’t as likely to make impulse purchases when you’re shopping from a list. Making fewer impulse buys also means you’re more likely to stick to the healthy foods that are on your list.
Buy Healthy Foods On-Sale & Freeze
One great tip is to buy the more expensive – but healthy – foods in bulk when they go on sale. Then prepare and freeze it at home for future use. It’s a great way to save money while ensuring you get the most bang for your buck at the store. And don’t sweat it – your frozen fruits & veggies retain their goodness in the freezer because they’re frozen at their ideal ripeness. Plus you can wait for weeks or months before you use them and reduce the waste of uneaten food. It’s a win-win for your health and your wallet.
Pre-Plan & Prepare Your Meals At Home
One important way to eat healthy with Diabetes is to pre-plan and prepare your meals ahead of time at home. This will save you money and you’ll be less likely to opt for less-than-healthy take-out food options when you’re hungry. Because eating healthy meals when you have Diabetes is so important, eating fast food often can seriously impact your health.
You can also buy fresh fruits, vegetables and meats and cut them up at home. This will save you money, versus buying the pre-cut foods at the supermarket.
Plan Your Leftovers
When you make too much food, you’re going to have leftovers. But that’s not a bad thing! Leftovers can be used in all sorts of creative recipes that won’t aggravate your Diabetes.
If you cook too much healthy food, you can reallocate that extra lean chicken breast or soup for another meal the next day or even later in the week. Freeze extra foods and get creative with healthy recipes that can utilize the additional food you have left over from today’s meal.
Eating healthy can be expensive if you’re not careful while shopping, but with a little planning ahead you can reign in your food budget and achieve your healthy-eating goals. Take some time this week to sit down, make a list, and plan out your Diabetes-friendly meals for the week. Your body (and your doctor) will thank you. Just don’t forget to splurge on healthy treats every now and then too, because you deserve it!
