According to WHO, 39% of world’s adult population were overweight in 2014. The fundamental cause of overweight is an imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. We have to remember that the issue is not as unequivocal as one could imagine. Several researches have found out that obesity and related chronic diseases occur more often among social groups with low income and education level, who are more exposed to fast food and cheap convenience food. It seems that the imbalance between calorie intake and consumption is not a choice for everyone but rather a consequence of socio-economic inequality. Mirroring to this phenomenon, we collected tips for those, who would like to eat more fresh and healthy food but feel it is out of their budget range.

Favor the vegetables of the season

There are many benefits one can obtain by favoring seasonal fruits and vegetables. They are not only cheaper but also much more tasty and fresh. Seasonal products are also more likely locally produced and therefore not transported thousands of kilometers around the world covered in conservatives.

Buy straight from the local producer

Farmers markets are a great place to buy some of your groceries. The taste of the food is so much richer and the price is often lower than in supermarkets because you only pay for the product and the work. Logistic, marketing and other expenses have been taken off from the price you pay. Furthermore, it is ecological to buy locally produced food.

Change nuts to seeds

Seeds and nuts have almost similar nutritional value, except seeds are just cheaper. Seeds are an excellent source of protein and healthy fat. Moreover, seeds are very convenient and versatile food - they are a quick and easy snack as such or can be mixed with almost anything to add taste and texture.

Be creative with the leftovers

Do not waste food. According to European Commission, approximately 180 kg of food is thrown away annually per capita in EU. Try to estimate how much would 180 kg of food cost. This tool will help you to make your calculations.

Besides being a tragedy for your wallet, wasted food is an even bigger disaster for the planet we are living. To give you some perspective, if a country generated as much greenhouse emissions as wasted food does, it would be topped only by USA and China.

Boil expiring tomatoes into a sauce, make a sauce or salad from a back of a roast. Use your imagination and if you can’t come up with anything, the internet is full of great leftover recipes you can choose from. Start finishing your meals!

Eat less meat

Vegetable protein is many times cheaper than meat protein. You can easily fulfill your daily need of protein with beans, whole grain products, lentils and different nuts and seeds. If you are not vegan, eggs and dairy products are rich in protein too. You might want to consider environment here as well; giving up beef would reduce carbon footprint more than cars.

Collect food by yourself

There is nothing better than picking wild berries and mushrooms straight from nature while you are spending relaxing time outdoors. Just make sure the food you are picking is eatable and not poisonous!

Preserve some of the eatables

There are several ways you can preserve food. Freezing is probably the method people in industrialized countries are the most familiar with. Also drying, canning and pickling can be done easily in home environment. It is such a joy to have fresh berries in a freezer in the middle of winter.

Keep your cooking simple

Don’t think too complicated about cooking. Garlic, onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper will form a base full of taste for several kinds of soups and sauces. Simplicity in cooking helps you to stay within your budget range and decreases the risk of over mixing different tastes.

Plan your groceries in advance

Planning makes your life so much easier. You can make budget estimates, save time, prevent forgetting anything and you will more likely buy healthier products. Avoid doing your groceries with an empty stomach because those are the times your mind is the most vulnerable to the temptations set by processed and unhealthy convenience food.

Prepare the meals of next few days at once

Even though many people enjoys cooking, only few want to spend time in the kitchen every day after work and other daily routines. Save your time, money and nerves by preparing larger amounts of food at once.