Healthy Eating on a Budget

A couple of weeks ago as part of the Greek Wellness Program, Niki Kubiak, Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist did a great presentation here at Creighton. Here talk was focused on how students can eat healthy on a limited budget. Since you were all not able to come to the presentation I wanted to share some of the great tips that she gave. So the following information comes from two hand-outs that Niki provided during her talk.

Meal Planning Mysteries: The how-to’s of meal planning, preparation and shopping on a budget.

Planning healthy meals on a limited budget and with little time can be daunting. Look at the following four clues to solve the mystery of meal planning.

1. Simplify the number of meals you plan per week by choosing one meal a day to vary. Not all meals need planned. Most people eat the same foods on a day to day basis. This is fine to do as long as the foods are healthy. Simplify it further by planning the entrée only and choosing sides from what foods you already have in your pantry or refrigerator. Baby carrots or canned green beans are great sides!
2. Your schedule must be considered when planning your meals. Make lunch the interesting meal of the day if you have something scheduled every night. Plan quick, easy meals on the nights you have activities, and save the more complicated meals for the weekend or nights you have more time. Be flexible when things come up. Having written down your meals makes it easy to switch them around and helps you avoid the urge to grab something from the closest restaurant.
3. Make a grocery list. Keep an ongoing list of groceries you need on a regular basis and add the ingredients for your planned meals before heading to the grocery store. Try to shop once a week.
4. Stick to the list and fill your cart with foods from the outside sections of the grocery store. The bakery, produce section, dairy aisle and meat department should meet most of your shopping needs if you’re planning healthy meals. You will need to hit the aisles for cereal, sliced breads, pastas, canned goods, oils, baking supplies and spices. Avoid the junk food aisles and more processed, boxed products.

Easy and Quick Meal Ideas
Breakfast: Whole grain cereal with a ½ cup of warmed frozen berries topped with low-fat milk; Oatmeal with varied toppings (brown sugar and ¼ cup pecans, diced fruit and low-fat yogurt, or ¼ cup dried fruit and ¼ cup pecans); Oatmeal-to-go Bars; Fresh fruit; Whole grain frozen waffles topped with applesauce, fruit puree or a small amount of peanut butter; A homemade smoothie or a Dannon or Yoplait yogurt smoothie.

Lunch: Sandwiches and wraps made with lean turkey, ham, roast beef or tuna with light mayo; Canned soups like Healthy Choice or Healthy Request; Starkist Tuna Kits; Granola with diced or dried fruit and low-fat yogurt; Spinach and Pasta Salad; Small bagel with light cream cheese or small amount of peanut butter. Instead of chips use more fruits and veggies, yogurt cups, cottage cheese, pretzels, pita chips or baked chips.

Dinner: Qdoba (at home); Vegetable Stir Fry with Egg Rolls (Asian Sensation vegetable brand) and edamame; Skillet Lasagna; Scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms or salsa with whole grain toast and side of fruit; Microwave a baked potato and top with low-fat canned chili, cheese and sour cream; 5-Minute Southwest Layered Salad; An individual frozen fish fillet (HyVee brand) like tilapia or salmon cooked and placed on a bed of salad with low-fat vinaigrette dressing and a side of crusty bread.

Tips for Making Better Food Choices
1. Choose whole grain products over the more refined breads, pastas and cereals.
2. Browse the Health Market section in your grocery store for new, interesting products to add variety to your cart.
3. Don’t get caught up in expensive supplements. A very healthy, balanced diet can be achieved through food alone even without a perfect diet. A multivitamin is the only supplement I would recommend to compliment a healthy diet.
4. Take time to read food labels. Start by comparing the calories of similar products. As you get more comfortable with that compare other nutrients. It will get easier as you get more familiar with the labels.
5. If your meals come from the cafeteria on a regular basis be selective! There is hidden fat and calories all over the place.

*Choose leaner cuts of meat like baked chicken and fish with no sauces or gravy. Pick steamed vegetables over mashed potatoes and gravy and fill half your plate with those types of vegetables.
*Avoid soda and sugary drinks and choose water with lemon, iced tea or diet soda instead.
*Avoid anything fried.
*The salad bar is your friend IF you go light on the dressing and load up on the vegetables over the mayonnaise based salads.
*Limit dessert or just skip it completely. Dessert is often a habit and habits can be broken.
If you aren’t up for skipping it, take a small portion or split it with a friend.

6. When making sandwich and salad selections avoid bacon, pepperoni and other Italian meats. Instead add a slice of mozzarella cheese and extra vegetables for added crunch.

These ideas seem easy, so why is it so hard?

Think small when setting your nutrition goals. Lifestyle changes take time. They do not occur overnight, and with busy schedules small changes are more attainable and more easily maintained.

Write down your goal after reflecting on what is most important to you right now. The goal or change should be realistic, specific, attainable and measurable. It will take about three weeks for that change to feel more natural. If it is causing you too much stress or effort, the goal is too big. Re-evaluate the change and simplify it even more.

For more ideas and information check out these websites:
www.sparkpeople.com
www.mypyramid.gov
www.kraftfoods.com