Is It Really Possible To Eat Healthy Without Spending A Lot Of Money? This Professional Chef Thinks So, And Here Are Their Tips For How You Can Do This
Many people believe that in order to eat healthily, you need to shell out a significant amount of money to do so.
I mean, there’s a reason why Whole Foods pretty quickly was given the nickname “Whole Paycheck.”
If you thought eating well without spending a lot of money was out of reach, you need to hear from this professional chef who shared a very eye-opening post on Reddit.
In their post, this chef, who goes by the name Aichliss, dished out their tips on how you can actually do this, and it’s not only completely doable but realistic to put into practice.
Aichliss broke down their advice into food categories, which included legumes, grains and cereals, fruits and vegetables, proteins, and anything that doesn’t fall into those categories.
Aichliss started out by recommending you buy dried legumes such as beans and lentils, since they are so cheap and they don’t really go bad if you properly store them in your kitchen.
This chef then suggested exploring African and Middle Eastern cooking to get a feel for all the unique things you can do with legumes.
Moving on to grains and cereals, Aichliss pointed out that flour, rice, and barley fall under this category and all make for great staples in your meal making.
Aichliss did say to stay away from quinoa and other things deemed “superfoods” because of their inflated prices.
Drobot Dean – stock.adobe.com
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
Next, fruits and vegetables. Onions, potatoes, and tomatoes are exceptionally versatile in the kitchen, and are worth stocking up on.
One hack you probably haven’t heard of though is shopping for frozen fruits and vegetables.
“Grab that bag of frozen berries or peas and throw ‘em in anything that warrants it,” Aichliss explained.
“Technology for frozen produce has improved dramatically in the last few decades, and we should capitalize on that.”
Meat is the fourth category, and this chef recommends buying cuts of meat that are minimally processed for maximum savings.
“Whole chickens, meat on the bone, and ground meats are your best friends,” Aichliss said.
“Go to butcher shops, if you can. Freezing meat is fine, but try to avoid buying pre-made frozen protein options. Get raw product and do the work yourself to save a LOT of cash and get better food out of it.”
“MEAT IS A LUXURY, NOT AN ESSENTIAL. I say this because in modern western culture eating meat everyday is seen as normal. This is an oddity when we examine all of human history, and this notion should be abandoned if we’re trying to live more affordably.”
“Meat is grossly overrepresented in most diets, and you should always ask if you could cut your portion of meat down in exchange for more vegetables and grains.”
As for “everything else?” Aichliss pointed out that ramen, junk food, and TV dinners are, yes, cheap, but not good for you at all.
Alcohol and cheese are luxury products according to Aichliss, and as for coffee? Sure, it is a luxury too if you buy it out at a store, so this chef suggests learning how to make your favorite coffee drink in the comfort of your home since it’s much more affordable.
What do you think? Have you tried any of these tips or do you have some of your own when it comes to eating healthy in an affordable way?
You can check out the original post from Aichliss on Reddit here.
More About:Human Interest