Cheap and Healthy Diet Foods for Your New Year Diet

Many people who want to lose weight believe that they cannot afford “diet food”, supplements and nutrition bars. The truth is, you don’t need to buy expensive diet foods and supplements to get healthy and lose those extra pounds. Eating healthy requires a menu full of natural, wholesome and nutritious foods, and you’ll be surprised at how inexpensive many of these foods are when you start buying them regularly. You can find dozens of different types of cheap and healthy diet foods at your regular grocery store, and when you eliminate junk food and other unhealthy foods from your diet, you’ll have plenty of money to put towards your “cleaner”, diet-friendly menu.

Use some of these tips to incorporate cheap and healthy diet foods into your New Year diet:

1. Stock up and freeze fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and fresh or frozen veggies will become a staple of your diet when make your commitment to diet and eat healthy in the New Year. Make sure you eat an assortment of fresh fruits each week, and load up on frozen and fresh vegetables. Vegetables can be incorporated into dozens of different recipes. Use canned, low-sodium versions of many of your favorites if you want to make soups, stews and other tasty entrees.

2. Shop the farmer’s market. You’ll find plenty of cheap and healthy diet foods for your New Year diet at the farmer’s market. Prices at farmer’s markets are usually much lower than the grocery store and you’ll be supporting local farmers in the community with your purchase! This can be a great way to round up the freshest fruits and vegetables of the season.

3. Get your protein fix with chicken, turkey or tuna. Red meat is not only unhealthy, but also expensive! Cheaper and diet-friendly alternatives include chicken, turkey, tuna or even tofu. You can buy chicken and turkey by the pound and freeze it to use as you need it. Tuna and tofu are among the most versatile sources of protein and can be used to make dozens of healthy meals. If you’re on a very tight budget, you can eat eggs for protein. Egg white omelet’s are a tasty, high-protein food that can be part of a complete meal.

4. Switch to low-fat dairy products. Skim milk is usually much cheaper than 2% or whole milk, and will be a healthier choice for you. Low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese and low-fat cottage cheese are also some cheaper and healthy alternatives to full-fat versions. Just remember to purchase larger containers of dairy products, rather than single-serving containers, to save on costs.

5. Grow your own garden. If you have some space to grow your own vegetable or fruit garden, make this the year you commit to planting one! Growing your own fruits and vegetables can be a great way to save money and you’ll always have a fresh stock of cheap and healthy diet foods at your fingertips. Carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries are some of the easiest fruits and vegetables to grow, and you can enjoy these cheap and healthy diet foods on their own, or use them to make delicious meals each season.