How To Be Healthy When You’re Broke

What’s The Solution?

To be honest, we don’t know what the solution is. The problem of unhealthy living being fuelled by poverty is a complex one, and it’s not something that can be fixed overnight. It’s not just about habits and ingrained behaviours, it’s also about misconceptions and harsh judgements.

So in the meantime we encourage you to be more open to understanding that not everyone will have the same struggles as you, and it’s not productive to judge others just because their lifestyle doesn’t align with yours.

Smart ideas to Cook Healthily and Greenly

Although we don’t have a solution, we do have some interesting ideas about how you can approach a healthier lifestyle when you and your family have little money to spare.

Farmers Markets

Take the most advantage of farmers markets, if there are any in your area, by going on the last day of the week within an hour of closing. At this time most of the produce is heavily discounted and (although it might be a little damaged) perfect for a household on a budget.

Cook Smart

If you’re time-poor and you’re only able to afford the cheapest meats the smartest thing you can do is invest in a slow cooker. These appliances are available from Kmart for less than $40 and they can turn the toughest meat into a delicious dinner. They’re also so easy to use, and make it straightforward to cook a nutritious meal any day of the week.

Plan On Specials

Meal planning is usually done before shopping takes place, but if you’re broke you can save money by planning your meals around what is already on special at your local grocery stores. For example, if tomatoes are heavily discounted buy several kilos and make pasta sauce that can be frozen and used later on down the track.

Bulk Buy Non-Perishables

There are some things that are smart to buy in bulk, and when you have the money to do so non-perishables are a smart choice. Things like grains, canned goods, beans and even tuna will last for ages and if you have space to store them they’re a good idea for budget restricted healthy eating.

Budget can at times crimp our appetite for healthy living. But it all begins by a simple choice: to be healthy when you’re broke or not.

What are your smart ways in cooking healthy food on a budget?