Health within budget!
The Challenge of Budget Management
Managing a budget isn't an easy game; you might have heard this statement. And it's a fact that the inflation rate is making the middle class fall into a poor category. Instead of investing in business, people are trying to live hand to mouth. What steps can be done to minimize the budget while eating well?
Prioritizing Health with Oils and Ghee
The foremost priority is health, so don't compromise on this by purchasing low-quality oil or ghee. Low-saturated oil is called ghee in our sector, which is often used to make brown bread or sweets. But their higher quantity can disturb your cardiac health too. So buy a quality product but use it in the least quantity. Why I am saying this is because in our region people don't like gravy which isn't floating in oil. So instead of greasing your heart with oil, use it in minimal amounts.
Weekly Menu Management
So let's talk about weekly management and shuffling the menu to a healthy menu; this is my inherited menu. Lol, my mother adds all these bits into her weekly chart of cooking.
Preferring White Meat
Preferring white meat over red meat, as it has richer nutrient content. Preferably it has less health risks as they may be solid particles which can cause kidney stones later. Chicken or turkey, they can be eaten once a week no matter if you add rice or combine with veggies. Don't forget to cook them well; I restrict myself as poultry animals have less benefits due to artificial feeds.
Considering White Rice
White rice, because of its arsenic content, one must think wisely to eat them. I am not saying restrict yourself from them as they have a big following but to a minimal range.
Emphasizing Vegetables
Veggies can't be ignored as they are only healthy things which aren't banned by doctors hehe; you will listen everyone will emphasize on eating leafy vegetables. So eat as much green things as you want as these are seasonal.
Adding Desserts
Adding some desserts in the weekly menu hehe; of course your body needs that sugar content to run the glucose cycle. Again the repetition of term, anything white is toxic if it's sugar, rice or white flour. They don't have a direct impact but later they will prove lethal to some extent.
Affordability and Simple Meals
Now if you look at the affordability rate, not all of the menu can be followed; sometimes you have to live on bread and butter. In our region pickles can satisfy your hunger pangs too, so you must add something which can relieve your hunger when there is nothing available at home.
Kitchen Management Knowledge
One must have knowledge about kitchen management as once a thing bought at a low price must be saved ingeniously for later use too.
For instance, you know the hacks how you can save veggies or how you are gonna increase the shelf life of fruits. Once you are going to master this art, simply your budget will be managed. Like tomatoes can be used in a frozen state while making gravy; in the same way zip locks can save your energy and time. When meat comes into your home, divide it into 3 pieces: minced meat for patties, smaller bits of boneless for gravy, and the third one having bones for rice. Think if your milk can't be used for tea if it gets pasteurized, how you are gonna make yogurt or butter from it.
Smart Grocery Shopping
Do your work and analysis on the market if you are going for groceries; instead of filling your kitchen with expensive stuff, buy things when they are available at low price and store them. You can eat everything of your choice but remember your management can save your budget which can be later invested into something more useful. Stay healthy, as a wise mind nourishes into a healthy body.
Haha... Loved the article. Then again if it was me and I was trying to slash every penny from the budget I'd make far deeper cuts.
I absolutely agree that you should make sure you aim for nutrition because without nutrition your body degrades and that is far more expensive than any short term savings on food!
Meat: White meat VS Red meat? Yup. I do that. In Canada ground turkey is about 80% cheaper than beef. Having said that different cuts of meat cost different amounts. Premium beef cuts? $70HBD/kg while ground turkey is under $2HBD?kg. Guess what, both are good protein sources.
Oils: Use less is #1 goal but also look at the oils carefully. Olive oil is super expensive here. Canola oil is super cheap. Palm oil isn't even available. You need omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fats so if you can find a way to get them in an oil that makes things taste better. Go for it. Just watch the amounts.
White stuff: Sugar, rice, potato, etc. Use carefully but a little can go a long way.
Veggies: Great stuff but watch nutritional content to cost and make sure you know what vitamins are in each type of veggie so you can get the most nutrition for the least price.
Rice: Watch the starches and get the least expensive on. In Canada rice is common and considered cheap but honestly? Oats, flour, and corn flour are usually less expensive. So sourdough bread can fill the carb role at a cheaper price than rice.
But you forgot to mention: BEANS!
You need some meat for B12 but most of my protein I try to get from beans and quinoa (vegetarian sources). They are less expensive which is great. However, they also are dried so if I get a bag on sale (like my 25kg bag of Quinoa) I can keep it for a very very long time. Half the price of even the cheapest meat and no fridge required.
Side note: Oats and Soy can be turned into milk... So if your milk budget is tight there is a vegan alternative. BUT make it at home. Buying soy milk in the store is super expensive. Making it at home super cheap. At least in Canada. $5.65 for 4L of milk but making soya milk? About $0.90 for 4L.
Storage: You mentioned freezing tomatoes. Great idea. However, I find that drying is a one time energy expenditure and keeps for a very long time. Canning another one time effort for long term storage. Pickling (like making kimchi, saurkraut, etc) another way to buy fresh in season and save for a long time to come. Every thing that doesn't have to be in the fridge or freezer is less money you spend on electricity.
Which brings up: Avoiding waste.
Did you know that some parts of fruits and vegetables are often thrown away when they don't have to?
Did you know Carrot tops are edible?
Did you know that Banana peel is edible?
How about the Soya pulp after making soy milk?
All edible.
Any food you throw away is just wasted nutrition so learn what you can use and save money.
....
Or maybe I'm just really really cheap hahaha
thanks for the post :)
@topcomment curate
Thanks! I wrote it about a month ago (it was sitting in my drafts), but adding AI-generated images took me over 2-3 hours. Making my content visually appealing is one of my favorite parts. I hope you enjoyed the images too!
Your comment reminded me of your old budget-hacks community, such nostalgia! Maybe you can keep the spirit alive by cross-posting budget tips like this one.
Absolutely, oil can be a silent health killer. After my dad’s stroke, I’ve become very conscious about health and cooking oils. I also help care for him sometimes. Since we’re on the topic of health, three of my family members are currently ill with dengue fever. Please keep them in your prayers.
We buy groceries at the Navy market since my dad’s in the Navy. Prices are subsidized, and the quality is high. I think they’ve already done the math you mentioned to keep costs low. I’ll pay closer attention next time and might even write a new post about it. It's an interesting maths or should I say science!
Haha, you spilled the beans on that one!
I had no idea! It’s crazy that people throw them out, such a waste!
Thank you for your thoughtful comment! I skipped responding to a few of your points, but I learned from them too. Your insights are valuable for all my blog readers.
Your reply is upvoted by @topcomment; a manual curation service that rewards meaningful and engaging comments.
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Yup, take notes hehe
Really it's hard to manage the kitchen within the budget and especially add a healthy diet but yes we add because of our health.... Besides all these nutritional foods you should add fruit in your kitchen too 😉
!PIZZA
I’ve been focusing on preparing and storing meals, but I overlooked mentioning fruits and freshly made juices. From my perspective, making juice on the spot is more beneficial than preparing and storing it long-term. You’re right, fruits are crucial. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, helping reduce medical bills. I didn’t include fruits earlier because I was caught up in meal prep details, and their simplicity seemed obvious, so I skipped them.
Focusing on other meals is good too at least you're focusing on having a healthy diet 😉
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It's everywhere. Isn't it? No matter what country you're in.
In Bharat 🇮🇳, we have BigBasket - Swiggy - BlinkIt for grocery. Do you have something similar in your country?
Pandamart, Krave Mart, Naheed, 24Seven, Metro, ChaseValue
I am from Karachi city so I have more options but people in other areas might not have reliable options. Some stores only cover Karachi.