Today at Momscape.com: New Articles | New Coupon Codes | New Product Reviews
Coupons | Product Reviews | Contests | Articles | Forums | Search | Subscribe
Family Fun | Parenting Tips | Romance | Health & Fitness | Organic Living | Weight Loss | WAHMs
Welcome Momscapers!
Momscape.com is an award winning online magazine delivering
uplifting personal essays
from real parents - plus
practical guidance on parenting,
family fun,
romance,
travel,
health & fitness,
weight loss,
and more.
We invite you to share your
MamaWisdom and to help us
spotlight
products that make your life as a mom easier or better while you
enjoy our money-saving
online coupons and
family travel
discounts.
We want to help you enjoy the
simple (and fine) things life has to offer.
Subscribe to Momscape >
or
Get Our Daily Coupon Updates by Email
Bookmark and share Momscape with your friends:
Today:
Online Coupons
Today's
Favorite Coupons
All Online
Coupons by Store
All Online Coupons by
Category
Printable
Grocery Coupons
Product Reviews
Momscape's
Favorite Things (Blog)
Top-Rated
Mom Product Reviews
Family Fun
Activities & Crafts
Family Travel
Deals
Free Scrapbooking Ideas
Parenting Articles
Baby Tips
Toddler Tips
All Parenting Articles
Inspiration/Essays
Relationships
Marriage
Romance
Friendships
Health
and Fitness
Fitness Tips
Natural Living
Nurturing Your Spirit
Weight Loss
Professional
Family Manager Tips
Home-Based Business
Community
MamaWisdom Forums
About Momscape
Subscribe
Site Map
Links
Link to Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
About us
Contact Us
Healthy Eating on a Budget
by Bev Grey
Do you have a problem serving healthy foods for your family because you
feel that they are more expensive? Here are some ways you can improve
your family’s health without ruining your budget:
-Eliminate junk food. You may have to do your grocery shopping alone,
since children (and sometimes spouses!) are often the ones who request
the junk foods. A trip to my local supermarket showed these prices for
typical junk foods and beverages:
-Case of name brand soft drinks – $5.99 -20 ounce bag of potato chips -
$4.19 -Box of snack cakes - $1.99 -Package of 8 toaster-tarts $2.39
(each one contains 20 grams of sugar) -Package of chocolate chip cookies
- $3.59 -Half-gallon of ice cream - $3.99 -Box of pre-sweetened cereal -
$3.19 -8 juice boxes - $2.94 (each contains 26 grams of sugar) -1 box of
12 glazed doughnuts - $3.99
The total amount for the above items was $ 32.26
Replace the items above with:
-Water or skim milk instead of soft drinks. (You can still enjoy your
favorite beverage when you go out to a sporting event, movie, etc. Just
stick with the smallest size to save money AND calories! ) Children AND
adults need milk or milk products every day. Milk also helps fill you up
and provides needed calcium for strong bones and healthy teeth.
-Buy whole fruit instead of potato chips, cookies, doughnuts or snack
cakes. One large banana equals 2 servings; 1 pound of grapes equals
several servings; other fruit should be purchased in season in your
area. Apples are less expensive in the fall. If you live in the south,
oranges, lemons and grapefruit may be plentiful in your area, so use
lots of them. Melons are usually less expensive in the summer months.
-Limit fruit juice to ½ cup per day. Instead of juice boxes or bottles,
look for natural juice in half gallon cartons or bottles. If your kids
want to drink their juice from individual serving bottles, buy your own
plastic bottles and straws at the dollar store and wash them out at
night.
-Buy fruits in quantity when they are in season and freeze extras. When
strawberries and blueberries are plentiful in my area, I always buy
several pounds and freeze in plastic zipper bags. Wash the fruit well;
remove any spoiled pieces, dry thoroughly on paper towels, and freeze.
Be sure to squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible to prevent
freezer burn. You can also purchase frozen fruits out-of-season. Just
check the labels to make sure they were not dowsed in sugar prior to
freezing.
-Look for pick-your-own farms that allow you to pick your own fruit for
less. Take the whole family and enjoy some fresh air and exercise!
-Eat yogurt instead of ice cream for snacks. I know that Wal-Mart,
Target, K-Mart and Kroger superstores frequently have low prices for
yogurt. Stock up with enough to last several days. To save even more,
buy large cartons of plain yogurt and add your own fresh fruit.
-Skip the pre-sweetened cereal and replace with oatmeal or other hot
cereal. A large box of 1-minute oatmeal contains 30 servings and costs $
1.99 for the generic kind (oatmeal is oatmeal!). Each serving contains 4
grams of fiber. Add fresh/frozen fruit or a teaspoon of natural jelly
(100% fruit) for sweetener.
-Buy fresh vegetables in season, grow your own (tomatoes can be grown in
pots on the patio if you don’t have a yard or garden), or purchase
frozen vegetables. Vegetables are frozen at the peak of ripeness and
contain as many vitamins and minerals as fresh. Instead of using rich
sauces, steam your veggies and season with fresh herbs—which you can
also grow easily in pots on your window sill or patio. Stock up on
frozen vegetables when your grocery has a sale.
-Meats and beans are good sources of protein. Lean meats are more
expensive than meats with lots of fat, but still substantially less
expensive than paying high medical bills incurred from consuming a high
fat, less nutritive diet. Here are other ways to save on protein foods:
-Watch your portion sizes. Even an adult male, 35 years old who
exercises more than 1 hour a day (in addition to regular routine) only
needs 7 ounces of meat or beans a day spread over 3 meals. Cook only
enough of those foods to give everyone the recommended amount. For a
family of 5, 1 pound of ground chuck would be enough to give Dad 4
ounces, Mom 3 ounces, a 10 year old boy and 8 year old twin girls 3
ounces each. Those are the serving sizes recommended by the new USDA
guidelines. (A 3-ounce portion of meat is about the size of a deck of
cards.)
-Skip the bacon. Bacon is expensive, very high in fat, and offers little
or no nutritional value.
-Use beans frequently as a meat substitute. There are many varieties,
they can be prepared in a crock-pot so that dinner is ready when you get
home, and they contain lots of fiber to improve regularity. The USDA
recommends eating beans 4 times per week. If you have a problem with gas
after eating beans, try washing them, covering with water, bringing
water to a boil, then draining off water and refilling pot. You can also
use Beano—a natural plant enzyme—if you have problems with gas.
-If you live in a coastal area or an area near fresh-water lakes where
fish is plentiful, make that a staple in your diet.
-Purchase chicken or turkey on sale and freeze. Again, be aware of
healthful portion sizes. Some chicken breasts are large enough for 2-3
servings. Don’t cook more than you need.
-Peanut butter is inexpensive and popular with almost everyone. Use it
for sandwiches instead of hot dogs or lunch meat, and buy natural peanut
butter if it is available in your area. It does need to be refrigerated,
since the oil rises to the top at room temperature, but it does not
contain the unhealthy partially-hydrogenated fats that are in other
peanut butters.
-Fill up with foods that have a high water content. Salad greens,
watermelon, and sugar free gelatin are some good examples. Serve a green
salad at the beginning of each dinner, topped with a small amount of
low-calorie dressing, vinegar and oil, or a squeeze of lemon juice.
-Whole wheat bread is normally more expensive than white bread, but
since white bread usually has little, if any fiber or nutritional value,
it is worth the extra money. If you have a bakery outlet nearby, stock
up on day-old bread and freeze. I live near a Wonder Bread outlet store,
and a loaf of whole wheat bread costs $ .99. If your family doesn’t like
the course texture of most whole wheat breads, try different brands
until you find one you find acceptable. Make sure they label says 100%
whole grain and lists the first ingredient as whole wheat flour.
-If you live in a small town or rural area and do not have a large
supermarket or discount grocery nearby, consider making a trip once a
month to a larger town to stock up on lower-priced non-perishable foods.
Here’s to your health!
About the Author
Bev Grey, Indianapolis, Indiana USA
info@grandmashealthykidsclub.com
Learn more about
Overweight Children
Bev Grey is author of the new book "The Project", and founder of
Grandma's Healthy Kids Club, an in-home program to help children lose
weight safely or just improve their eating and exercise habits.
Subscribe to Momscape >
or
Get Our Daily Coupon Updates by Email
Save up to $265 on Energy Efficient PCs
No coupon code required.
Click this link for details.
Ideal Bite
Free eco-living tips
Delivered Monday through Friday in your inbox.
Shop Eco Friendly products at Brookstone
Send eco-elegant, eco-friendly flowers
The Green Office
We just found this website, through our Ideal Bite subscription. Check it out.
From 1800Flowers.com: Organic Ultimate Gourmet Sampler
Office Depot Coupon Codes
Go Green with Method Cleaning Products
Go Green with Environmentally Conscious Products at drugstore.com
Moms are Raving About
Prairie Kari Soy & Beeswax Candles
Mean Green Household Cleaner
Seventh Generation Cleaning and Paper Products
Dr. Bonner's Soap
ECover Cleaning Products
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Cleaning Products Line
Act Natural Microfiber Mop
Pure Citrus Air Freshener
Sedu Flat Iron
Alba Botanicals Pineapple Enzyme Facial Cleanser
Burt's Bees Milk and Honey Body Lotion
Coupon Codes: Folica.com
Coupon Codes: MotherNature.com
Coupon Codes: Vitamin Shoppe
Coupon Codes: Gaiam.com
Coupon Codes: Organic Style