How to Eat Healthy on a Budget: 10 Practical Tips

One of the biggest myths in nutrition is that eating healthy is expensive. With a little planning, you can build nutritious, high-protein meals for less than the cost of takeout. Here's how.

Smart shopping strategies

• Buy staple proteins in bulk (eggs, chicken, canned fish)
• Choose frozen fruits and vegetables — just as nutritious, cheaper and longer-lasting
• Buy rice, oats and beans in large bags
• Shop seasonal produce
• Use store brands over name brands

Cook and prep at home

Restaurant and delivery meals carry a huge markup. Batch-cooking simple meals at home slashes cost and gives you control over ingredients and portions. A few hours of prep covers days of meals.

Cheap, high-protein staples

• Eggs
• Canned tuna and sardines
• Chicken thighs
• Lentils, beans and chickpeas
• Greek yogurt and cottage cheese
• Oats

The takeaway

Buy in bulk, embrace frozen produce, cook at home and lean on cheap protein staples. Eating well on a budget is entirely doable with a bit of planning.