by Tina Haapala

Created on: May 23, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

In a world of the burger-for-a-buck, eating healthy and saving money seem like contradicting terms. Our lives are very fast paced, and we're sacrificing quality food for convenience. Busy days make it easy to think a value meal will satisfy our bodies and our budgets. However, the truth is, avoiding fast food is a better value for your wallet and your waistline. If you spend some time preparing your mind and your cupboards for healthy eating, you will begin to develop better eating and budget habits.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

The average supermarket has more than 40,000 items. If you don't know what you really need, that can mean aisles of temptation. By having goals, you are less likely to fall into the convenience food rut. Many people fall into buying prepackaged foods because a plan hasn't been put in place for their weekly meals. Convenience foods tend to be high in sodium, fat, and preservatives. Although they may seem less expensive they are not. Whole foods are not only healthier, they tend to be more satisfying and filling. By eating foods you've prepared, you know first hand that fresh ingredients were used.

At first glance, it is difficult to see the savings in buying individual ingredients. After all, when you are checking out the sale prices of some of the frozen meals, it's hard to pass up a whole meal for only $2, especially when it says right on the box that it is Healthy! And Low fat! AND under 400 calories! But look closer. The meal is about 10 ounces. That may be enough to satisfy you, for a little while, but then it's gone. Say you purchased the ingredients instead. To make a rigatoni with tomato sauce topped with cheese: buy a box of rigatoni pasta for a few bucks, combine it with a sauce you found a recipe for (a few cans of stewed tomatoes, a small can of tomato paste, an onion, and some spices) for about 5 bucks, and some mozzarella cheese for a few more bucks. Yes, your purchase would come to about $10 if you needed to buy everything. However, you would be able to make 8 servings of that same dish for a little over $1 a serving. Take some time before you leave the house to prepare, so you don't fall into buying "the cheap that turns expensive" unhealthy food.

Start at home

First, check what you already have. That frozen spinach hiding behind the ice cream? It's time to use it. Maybe you have a few boxes of penne that have been left alone. You had come across a recipe that calls for fresh spinach and a pasta you've

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