Tips for Eating Healthy Inexpensively

To remain healthy or to fight a disease such as diabetes, you need to follow a superior nutritional diet program and eat lots of healthy foods: Carbs for energy, vitamins, minerals and fiber; Proteins to build & maintain muscle; Fats to help to burn fat; and, Water for hydration & recovery.

Unfortunately, the rising food prices can make it challenging to eat healthy and remain within budget, especially since your paycheck is probably not rising as fast.  However, the following tips will help you eat healthy and remain within budget.

1. Buy Whole Foods. Unprocessed foods are cheaper and more nutritious than processed foods. They also give you total control over the ingredients. Avoid anything that comes from a box 90% of the time.

• Carbs. Vegetables (i.e. broccoli, spinach, cabbage, celery, lettuce), whole fruits (i.e. apples, bananas, berries, pears), beans, organic brown rice, oats, sweet potatoes ...
• Proteins.  Chicken breast, turkey breast, miso, tempeh, canned tuna, canned wild salmon, bison, venison, organic beef, calves' liver, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, organic eggs, raw milk, almond milk, whey ...
• Fats. Ev olive oil, ev coconut oil, flax seeds, organic butter, mixed nuts, fish oil ...

2. Buy Cheap Proteins. Eating lean protein with each meal helps with blood glucose stabilization and fat loss since  protein has a higher thermogenic effect than other foods. Keep the steaks &  for special occasions. Buy organic eggs, wild salmon, tuna, chicken/turkey breast, tofu, miso, cottage cheese, calves liver, whey, mackerel  ... 

3. Buy Frozen Veggies & Fruits. Frozen veggies are just as fresh as fresh veggies, plus, they don't spoil. Unfreeze berries and eat warm with cottage cheese. Put frozen spinach in a colander the night before to prepare a meal the next day. Also try frozen beans & broccoli. 

4. Buy Generic Food and Store brands. Raw foods like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, Omega-3 eggs, cottage cheese, frozen fruits, and frozen veggies taste just like the brand name foods. But they'll save you money on packaging & advertising.

5. Buy Supplements. They're cheap and make your life easier, however whole food is better. You can use supplements, but make sure the bulk of your diet consists of whole, unprocessed foods.

• Multi-vitamins. Vitamin deficiency is common, but avoid synthetic vitamins such as One-A-Day, Centrum, etc.
• Fish Oil. Cheaper than fish. 1 tsp Carlson Fish Oil is 1600mg Omega-3.
• Wheat grass, Chlorella, Spirulina. Easy ways to get plant protein.
• Flaxseed. Versatile super food.
• Herbal tinctures. Easier for your body to absorb.
• Whey. Cheapest protein you'll find.

6. Buy in Bulk. Especially when you have promos running. Foods like pasta, rice and oats are easy to stockpile. If they're on sale, buy as much as you can afford & store to last you until the next sale.

More ideas.

• Side of (Organic) Beef or Bison. Not necessarily cheaper, but you have better quality meat.
  
• Supplements. You often get free shipping and discounts when buying in bulk. Make a 4 month order for you, friends & family and split the costs.
• Frozen Fruits & Veggies. Saves money, saves times and nutrient dense. Buy mixed berries, spinach, broccoli, beans, Brussels sprouts, etc.

7. Buy In Season Fruits & Veggies. Food grown in season tastes better and is cheaper. Root vegetables in the Winter. Apples & squash in the Fall. Broccoli & berries in the Summer.

8. Buy Calorie Dense Foods. Vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, legumes, organic whole grains, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat pasta & oats are filling, healthy and easy to stockpile.

9a. Buy Discounted Meat. Grocery stores often discount meats by up to 70% as they approach expiration date. Buy several pounds and store in your freezer.

9b. Eat Less Meat. This will dramatically reduce your grocery bill! And, you'll feel lighter!

10. Buy From Local Farmers or Farmer's markets. They aren't always cheaper, but you get tastier & better quality food and they often give you free stuff when you buy a lot. Find local farmers in your area.

11. Buy Everything from 1 Place. Time is money and fuel is expensive. Stop shopping for sales going to 10 different places. Find 1 or 2 places that get you cheap prices for most foods you need and buy everything there.

12. Drink Filtered Water.  Get a $30 water filter from one of the online shopping networks such as HSN or QVC -- these filters last 10 years and only take 30 seconds to install by connecting to your kitchen faucet. Or, get a Brita filter to filter your tap water. It's cheaper than bottled water, soda or orange juice. One $8 filter cleans 40 gallons water and makes it taste a lot better.

13. Clip Coupons. Invest $2 in your Sunday paper or print the coupons from a grocery coupon guide.

14. Get The Customer Card. Many grocery stores hold sales for customer card holders only. Some cards save AND give you money, like gift certificates once you've spent a fixed amount. Signing up takes 5 minutes and is free.

15. Check the Unit Price. Big packages are often cheaper than small ones. Sometimes 2 small boxes are cheaper than 1 big one although there's more packaging.

16. Eat Less Total Calories. This will save you money and improve your health.

17. Avoid Impulse Buying. "Failing to plan is planning to fail". The best way to avoid impulse buying is to prepare yourself before you go grocery-shopping by putting together a grocery list.

• Make a List and Stick to It. Plan your meals ahead, including portion size. List all foods you need for the next 7 to 14 days. Go to the grocery store, get what's on your list and get out.
• Eat Before You Go Shopping. This prevents buying foods not on your list because you're hungry. Eat a solid meal before going grocery shopping.
• Shop Alone. Prevents impulse buying from wife/husband and/or kids. Leave them home. Take them to more fun places when you get back.

18. Stop Buying Food Outside. Preparing your own food gives you total control over the ingredients and is cheaper than buying food at work/school.

• Take Food with You. Food containers for work/school, protein shake, for the gym, bag of nuts when you go to the movies; use Ziploc bags, Tupperware ...
• Eat Before Leaving Home. Eat breakfast, eat before going grocery-shopping, eat before going out with friends/family ... 

19. Prepare Your Own Food. Cook all your meals for the day on waking up or before going to bed. It takes 30-40mins, saves you stress about what you'll be eating the rest of the day and you eat healthy while saving money.

• Stop Buying Processed Food. Buy fresh and frozen vegetables & fruits, buy whole oats instead of cereals, make home made protein bars, home made tomato sauce, home made pizza, ...
• Keep it Simple. Make double portions, take leftovers with you, use cans of tuna & mackerel, rice & pasta, frozen veggies, ...
• Learn to Cook from Scratch. Learn to work with spices & herbs. Try the recipes on this website. Invest in a cookbook like the 3-in-1 Death to Diabetes Cookbook -- it's not just for diabetics.

20. Grow Your Own Food. Cheaper than frozen, tastes better and you control what you put on them to keep bugs off. Plant your own trees that grow berries, walnuts & apples. Buy chickens for free eggs & meat. More ideas include:

• Square-Foot Gardening. Build a raised bed and divide it into sections of 1 square foot.
• Container Gardening. Grow vegetables in containers on your balcony or doorstep.
• Rent Garden Plots. If you don't have a yard, some cities rent garden plots. Just Google rent garden plots in your state.

Eating Healthy Foods Is Not Expensive!

Despite what you've heard, it does not cost more to eat healthy -- especially if you transition to a plant-based nutritional program such as the Death to Diabetes Super Meal Model. This kind of plant-based nutritional program avoids the high costs associated with eating excess animal meat, which is one of the most expensive items in the grocery store. In addition, if you avoid the high costs associated with eating out, you can actually save money by eating healthier!

Also, you will save even more money because you'll be able to avoid thousands of dollars of medical expenses for prescription drugs, OTC drugs, doctor visits, hospital stays, and surgeries. Most people discount this as savings because most people don't expect that they're going to spend thousands of dollars on medical expenses.

But, it's that kind of thinking that has led some people to end up in bankruptcy or homeless -- because of unplanned medical expenses. It's a little known secret that the Number 1 reason for bankruptcy in the United States is due to medical expenses! Many people are just one major disease or one major surgery away from bankruptcy or being homeless.

In addition, eating healthy reduces the amount of time you spend on sick days away from work. Staying healthy and being reliable such that you don't miss a lot of work may help you stay employed. Given today's economic climate, this cannot be overlooked as an important benefit of eating healthy.

Of course, you will spend a few extra dollars during the first couple of months because you need to stock your cupboards, refrigerator and freezer with certain healthy foods that tend to be more expensive than the less healthy versions, i.e. organic vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, wild salmon, organic spices, extra virgin coconut oil, Omega-3 organic eggs, free-range chicken, organic brown rice, sprouted grain bread. However, as explained on this web page and in the Death to Diabetes Cookbook, there are many ways to save money when purchasing healthier foods.

For example, some of the ways to save your money and reduce your grocery bill include the following: buy in bulk, buy locally, shop online at various discount stores, buy inexpensive super foods such as beans, prepare soups & stews. Prepare meals that will “stretch” expensive food items, i.e. stews, casseroles,
stir‐fried dishes.

Additional ways to reduce your grocery bill include the following:

-- Stay on the perimeter of the store, away from the aisles that contain mostly processed foods.
-- Buy store brands if cheaper.
-- Find and compare unit prices listed on shelves to get the best price.
-- Purchase some items in bulk or as family packs which usually cost less.

-- Choose fresh fruits and vegetables in season; buy canned vegetables with less salt.
-- Buy frozen vegetables, avoid frozen dinners.-- Avoid pre‐cut fruits and vegetables, individual cups of yogurt, and instant rice and hot cereal are convenient, but usually cost more than those that require a bit more prep time.

-- Buy healthy low-cost items, which are available all year. These items include:
    -- Protein — beans (garbanzo, black, cannellini)
    -- Vegetables — greens, carrots, potatoes
    -- Fruit — apples, bananas, pears

-- Start a garden — in the yard or a pot on the deck — for fresh, inexpensive, flavorful additions to meals. Herbs, cucumbers, peppers, or tomatoes are good options for beginners. Browse through a local library or online for more information on starting a garden. 

Why People Don't Eat Healthy Foods

 Website Reference: http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Meal_Planning_to_Reverse_Di.html

The term "meal planning" sounds boring, but proper meal planning is one of the key enablers for diabetics to eat healthy and be successful with controlling and reversing their Type 2 diabetes. 

So, why don't diabetics (and non-diabetics for that matter) do a better job at meal planning and following a healthy diet? 

There are 8 major reasons why most people (including diabetics) don't do a better job at planning their meals and following a healthy diet:

 1. Time/Convenience: Most people feel that they don't have the time to go grocery-shopping and prepare healthy meals every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also, it's a lot more convenient to just stop by McDonald''s or KFC on the way home from work or just call and order a pizza. 

2. Motivation: Most of us are not motivated to eat healthy --- until one day we find ourselves diagnosed with a disease such as diabetes, or, we become severely overweight or obese; or, we have a wake-up call due to a heart attack.


3. Cost: Some people tend to believe that it cost more to eat healthy foods. Nothing could be further from the truth! Especially if you take into account the amount of money that is saved from prescription drugs, hospital stays, and surgeries.

4. Taste/Addiction: Most people love the taste of processed foods, fast food and junk food. This is due to the chemicals added to these foods that cause us to crave these foods. In other words, we become addicted to these foods (chemicals)!

5. Stress: Stress from work, finances, family problems, and life in general leads many of us to seek comfort in a bowl of ice cream or a plate of mashed potatoes or mac 'n cheese.

6. Knowledge/Awareness: Some people don't know how to plan and prepare healthy meals on a daily basis for their family; and, stay within a budget. We're not consciously aware of how we're influenced by the media to eat fast food and junk food. TV commercials have brainwashed us to eat fast foods and, by default, we ignore healthy foods. When was the last time you saw a TV commercial about broccoli? Ironically, TV tells you to eat fast food; and, then, when you get ill from all the years of ingesting the chemicals from the fast food, TV commercials then tell you to get a drug for your indigestion, constipation, headache, etc. Hello! When are we going to wake up?

7. Diet Complexity: Most diets are complex and difficult to follow and stick with -- since most diet programs are about rules, deprivation, calorie restriction and calorie counting. This leads to anxiety, frustration, and anger. Plus, in the long run, diets just don't work.

8. Access/Availability: Some of us, depending on where we live, don't have access to healthy and fresh foods.

But the good news is that the Death to Diabetes Super Meal Nutritional Program addresses all of these issues. This program does this by utilizing the following well-structured easy-to-follow Meal Plate that doesn't require any calorie counting.

 Note: For more information, refer to the Death to Diabetes Cookbook, and 90-Day Meal Planning Charts.

Diabetes Meal Plan Low-Carb Dinner Options

Low-Carb Dinner Meal Planning Options to Help Reverse Your Diabetes
Fish is a healthy low-carb dinner option because it supplies your body with protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which support brain and heart function. Make five-spice wild salmon on a bed of spinach with finely grated lime peel, fresh lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, finely chopped fresh ginger, Chinese five-spice powder, sugar substitute, salmon steaks, fresh baby spinach leaves and pressed garlic. This salmon dinner contains just 5 g carbohydrate and supplies 24 g protein.

Lean meats, such as sirloin steak, turkey breast, ham, duck and chicken are excellent low-fat, low-carb options for the main dish at dinner. Fish is another healthy option and the fat in fish has essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which support heart health.

Steak au poivre is a tasty dinner option you can prepare at home, that only contains 7g of fat, 8g of carbohydrates and provides 21 g of protein. The ingredients for this warm, diet-friendly dinner include crushed garlic, crushed peppercorns, beef tenderloin steak that is trimmed of all visible fat, olive oil cooking spray, chopped onion, strips of bell peppers, minced garlic, beef-flavored bouillon granules, ground paprika and fat-free evaporated milk for a saucy finish when mixed with water, bouillon granules, paprika and peppercorns.

Another option is to make tacos by wrapping broiled, extra lean ground beef mixed with chili powder and chopped garlic in leaves of romaine lettuce. Top with a few slices of avocado for 4 g of carbohydrates and less than 1 g of sugar.

Another low-carb, low-sugar option is a thinly pounded chicken breast wrapped around 1 oz. of soft goat cheese and chopped chives. Serve with 10 asparagus spears for 2.5 g of carbohydrates and only trace amounts of sugar. If you need a quick option, simply broil any fish, poultry or lean meat and have it with 1 to 2 cups of green beans, sautéed bok choy, steamed cauliflower or mixed greens for 10 g or less of carbs and 5 g or less of sugar.

Note: If you want more ideas for meal planning including what to do if you travel a lot, get the Death to Diabetes Cookbook along with the 90-Day Meal Planning Charts.  Besides providing lots of recipes, there are many ideas and suggestions for what to do when traveling, as well as how to prepare quick and easy meals.

Diabetes Meal Plan: Low-Carb Breakfast Options

Low-Carb Breakfast Meal Planning Options to Help Reverse Your Diabetes
Eggs are a smart breakfast choice on low carbohydrate diets, because they are carb-free and low in fat. If you want a fat-free option, use liquid egg whites. You can incorporate lean ham or turkey bacon into your breakfast, which provides protein without much fat.

An asparagus omelet with goat cheese is a healthy breakfast option you can make at home that only contains 6 g carbohydrates and 9 g of fat. This recipe calls for liquid egg whites, eggs, fat-free milk, chopped scallions, chopped fresh thyme leaves, chopped parsley, salt, ground black pepper, 
asparagus, crumbled low-fat goat cheese and chives for garnish. You can substitute the goat cheese for fat-free cheddar cheese if you wish to further reduce the fat content.

Another alternative for breakfast is to make homemade sausage by blending together raw, extra lean turkey with 1 tsp. of fennel seeds, a dash of salt, black pepper and 1 tsp. of Italian seasoning. Cook on the stove-top or under the broiler and serve with a low-carb wheat wrap for a breakfast with 11 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of sugar.

Yogurt with Berries: A healthful low-carb breakfast can include fruit, and berries are a solid choice because they are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Choose plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt and add your own fresh or frozen berries to avoid the added sugar found in flavored yogurts. Strawberries, raspberries and cranberries all have around 2 g of carbs per quarter-cup serving.

English Breakfast: A traditional English breakfast includes fried eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled mushroom and tomato, baked beans and fried bread, according to Project Britain. You can turn this into a healthy, filling, low-carb feast by omitting the toast and replacing it with extra tomato and mushroom. If you are concerned about fat, swap bacon for turkey bacon and substitute a veggie sausage for meat sausages.

Baked Apple with Cottage Cheese: Apples are low-calorie and may help protect against heart disease and promote digestive health, according to the University of Illinois, and a baked apple makes a simple, nutritious hot breakfast. You should always eat apples with the skin on to get the maximum amount of fiber, which will help you feel full for longer, and to take advantage of most of the apple's vitamin C content, which is just under the skin. Try topping your apple with low-fat cottage cheese and a sprinkling of cinnamon to add calcium, protein and vitamins A and D to your breakfast.

Note: If you want more ideas for meal planning including what to do if you travel a lot, get the Death to Diabetes Cookbook along with the 90-Day Meal Planning Charts.  Besides providing lots of recipes, there are many ideas and suggestions for what to do when traveling, as well as how to prepare quick and easy meals.

Meal Planning to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

Meal planning is one of the key enablers for diabetics to be successful with controlling and reversing their diabetes. Unfortunately, many diabetics don't perform meal planning because they think it's boring, they think it's time-consuming, or they don't know how to properly meal plan -- especially to improve their diabetes and their overall health. Plus, meal planning is a lot more difficult if you travel a lot.

Proper meal planning is all about organization, planning, and good recipes!

From the Author: Mr. McCulley admits that it was very intimidating when he realized everything that he would have to do to manage his diabetes. Trying to navigate through the various activities every day was very intimidating and confusing at times. There was a lot to remember: from pricking his finger 6-8 times a day, to recording the blood glucose readings, analyzing the readings, injecting himself with insulin 4 times a day, taking other medications (i.e. Coumadin, Lipitor), planning meals, preparing the meals, shopping for groceries, making doctor appointments, recordkeeping, and finding time to exercise.

Mr. McCulley was surprised to discover that there was no structured, systematic step-by-step process that would guide him through managing his diabetes on a daily basis, including how to do meal planning -- something he took for granted before he got sick. As a result, once he got well and wrote the book, he decided to develop a set of meal planning diagrams, charts  and journal templates that would make it easier for diabetics to perform proper meal planning.

For example, the 90-Day Meal Planning Charts provide a specific menu of meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner) for 90 days in chart format. The meal plan is laid out in a structured table for ease of use to support your meal planning. The 90-Day meal planner is divided into 3 phases for a more effective meal plan based on your blood glucose readings and health needs.

In addition, the author expanded his Death to Diabetes cookbook to demonstrate that meal planning is not boring and it's not time-consuming. In fact, proper meal planning will save time and will save money, and can even be enjoyable.

Key aspects of proper meal planning include:

• How to shop for groceries
• How to read food labels
• How to select the proper foods
• When to shop for groceries and why
• How to save time and money when grocery-shopping

Another key enabler is meal preparation. Once you purchase the proper foods, it's very important that you know how to prepare the meals such that you obtain maximum nutrition from the meals. For example, if you overcook the vegetables, then, you destroy many of the key nutrients that your body needs to fight the diabetes.

Key aspects of proper meal preparation include:

• The best oils for salads, cooking, etc.
• How to prepare super meals
• How to prepare quick meals that are healthy
• How to prepare snacks that are healthy
• How to prepare quick lunches
• How to prepare vegetables
• How to prepare vegetable soups
• How to prepare stir-frys
• What herbs/spices to use with what foods
• How to transform comfort foods into healthier foods
• How to transform your favorite meals and desserts into healthier meals
• How to reduce the fat and sugar in your meals but keep the meals tasty

Super Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners for Reversing Diabetes

Super Meal Breakfast              

• 1½ to 2 cups steamed broccoli (or spinach)
• Omega-3 organic egg or 3 oz. canned wild salmon
• 1 to 1½ Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 16 to 24 oz. filtered water 
• 1 to 2 cups raw vegetable juice (optional)
• Optional: Add 1 scoop of super greens powder (e.g. chlorella/spirulina, wheat/barley grass) to a glass of water, raw juice or low-sodium V-8 juice.

Super Meal Breakfast Options:

• If you really don't like the idea of eating broccoli or any steamed vegetable for breakfast, don't worry!
• There are many other options, i.e. spinach omelet, green smoothie, stir-fry, or a tall glass of raw juice (or V-8 juice) with 3 oz. canned wild salmon or an egg on the side.

Super Meal Lunch

• A small salad (with Romaine lettuce, baby spinach, sprouts, onion, garlic, celery, cucumber, tomato, tuna, boiled egg, olive oil, apple cider vinegar)
• Or,  a bean salad or bean soup
• Or, a turkey sandwich on sprouted grain bread with Romaine lettuce, tomato, celery,  boiled egg, lite mayo
• A glass of filtered water
• Optional: Add 1-2 tsp. chlorella/spirulina to your water

Super Meal Lunch Options:

• Legume-based salads: three-bean, chickpea, lentil, or black bean salads
• Garden salad with lemon juice, vinaigrette dressing, or teriyaki sauce, garlic, herbs & spices
• Soups: mixed vegetable, black bean, vegetarian chili, spinach lentil, minestrone, split pea, etc.
• Smoothie: avocado, almond milk, blueberries, spinach leaves, cinnamon
• Optional: Add 1-2 tsp. chlorella/spirulina to your smoothie
• Turkey or chicken sandwich with sprouted grain bread, lettuce, tomato, lite mayo or mustard veggies

Super Meal Dinner

• 1 cup steamed Brussels sprouts and 2 cups steamed broccoli
• 5 oz. baked skinless chicken breast
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 24 oz. filtered water
• 1-2 cups raw vegetable juice
• Optional: Add 1-2 tsp. chlorella/spirulina to your water or juice 
• Optional Dinner: a raw salad that contains the aforementioned foods with Romaine lettuce, ground salba seed and organic salad dressing, garlic, other herbs & spices

Super Meal Dinner Options:

• Black beans or vegetarian baked beans, with organic brown rice, garlic
• Chili: homemade, or vegetarian boxed or canned versions
• Veggie lasagna: Low-fat tofu replaces the ricotta cheese, layered with grilled veggies
• Vegetable stir-fry: vegetables seasoned with herbs and spices or low-fat stir-fry sauce and served over whole grain pasta, beans, or rice

Super Meal Snack

• An apple (or other whole fruit)
• A handful of walnuts/almonds
• A glass of filtered water
• Optional: Add 1-2 tsp. chlorella/spirulina to your water

Super Meal Snack Options:

• Whole fruit with walnuts
• Carrot, celery, or other vegetables with low-fat hummus
• Air-popped popcorn, with walnuts/almonds
• Fruit smoothie

Note: For hundreds of super meals, snacks, appetizers, desserts, food tips, and meal planning ideas, get the 3-in-1 Death to Diabetes Cookbook.