by Jennifer E. Brown

Created on: June 04, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Eating healthy on a budget is easier than one might think. All it really takes is the skill to read a food label, and once you have that down you'll be all set. The first thing to you want to look for are the calories. This is how much energy you'll get from the food you're eating. How much sugar does it have? The more sugar it has, the less energy you'll have from it. Next, you'll look at fats. Some fat is good for the body, but you want at the trans fats. If the product is low, then it's healthy.

The next thing you should look at is the deity fiber. The average person should have between 20 and 35 grams of fiber a day. If the product has high fiber, it will have low sugar. Protein is important in a meal, and is always on a food label. If the food you're eating is low in protein, then combine it with another food rich in protein. Carbs are also important for energy, but too many of these can lead to weight gain. The last thing to look at are the vitamins and minerals. All that are included will be included in the label, so if you need a specific one, make sure it's included before you buy it.

An important thing to remember is this: NEVER go to the store on an empty stomach. I did this one time away at school and I had an over-flowing cart of groceries. Sure, it filled my cupboards and I lived off of it for a few months. However, it was an expensive bill at the checkout, and I picked up stuff while shopping that "looked good." Had I ate before hand, I might have had a cheaper bill, and might not have bought on impulse. While it's only me at my apartment, whatever I don't eat ends up in the trash by the expiration date. Don't make this mistake unless you really want the food.

One thing you can do to be healthy on a budget is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. These will be cheaper if you grow them in your own garden. In the meantime, you can look for sales on produce. Keep in mind that produce will cheaper when it's in season. During the colder months, the prices soar because stores add the shipping cost into the consumer price. This can hurt your budget if you don't allow much for food. Another option is to buy frozen fruits and vegetables which would last longer, and these prices won't keep changing throughout the year.

If you drink water, then you are cutting out your price of soda. A 24-pack of soda is almost $7 now, and a 20-pack of water is around $4. Just there alone is $3 that you'll save in your budget. If you must have it, though, buy the 6-pack bottles that are smaller. You'll get alot more for your money, and the soda will last a lot longer. Also, if you drink diet soda, then all diet soda has 0g of sugar and 0g of fat. If you must have it, choose it wisely, but only when there's room in your budget.

Whenever you're able to, buy generic foods as opposed to name-brand foods. Compare them both, and find a big jump in the price. I have been buying generic foodstuffs for years now, and am thankful that I am saving so much money. While this is hard where produce is involved, there are generic brands of water. In all the years I have bought generic foods, I haven't been able to tell a taste difference in the foods at all. And here's a retail secret: They are all made by the same manufacturers. I know this from working retail for so many years, and after finding out, I switched over brands. I wish I had kept track of how much money I have saved by now.

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