Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget
Keeping the freezer and the pantry stocked is a bit challenging these days. Shopping in the time of the COVID-19 outbreak requires a strategy and a bit of creativity.
It also requires a bit more budget than it once did. “As Americans stock up on groceries during the coronavirus outbreak, wholesale and commodity prices of common staples like wheat and flour, rice, eggs and orange juice have skyrocketed; the uptick in demand is putting pressure on American supply chains and squeezing margins at grocery stores” explains Forbes staff writer Sarah Hansen.
Eating good, healthy meals is still possible; consider these tips for eating healthy on a budget.
Breakfast Basics:
Talk to your Visiting Angels Caregiver as you plan your grocery list and your meals for each week. Your caregiver can prepare healthy meals for you and offer advice as you prepare your grocery list.
Try to think in meals and think about foods that are basic, versatile and have a long shelf life. Think about staples, and aim to keep them in supply. This way, you know that your nutritional needs will be covered, even if there are some items that you’re unable to get for a stretch. 
For example, oatmeal is a healthy breakfast that has a long shelf life. Bread can be hit or miss these days; sometimes the stores don’t have a robust supply. While buying dry cereal can be a good option, it has to be eaten pretty quickly once it’s opened. Oatmeal is affordable, healthy and it has a long shelf life. That makes it a good pantry anchor.
Eggs have been more expensive than usual, but they’re still an affordable, healthy food. In many stores, there is now a limit to how many eggs can be purchased at once. They are a good breakfast staple to grab, whenever you get the chance.
Always defer to your doctor’s advice about your particular situation, but as far as eggs and cholesterol, the advice about eggs has become increasingly positive. Registered Dietician Kathleen M. Zelman, writing for Healthline, explains that “’good’ cholesterol, called HDL, seems to go up in people who have three or more eggs a day. Of course, LDL, the ‘bad’ type, goes up, too. But the individual pieces of each get bigger. That makes it harder for the bad stuff to hurt you and easier for the good stuff to clear it away.”
In addition to raw eggs, consider buying precooked hardboiled eggs. These are an affordable protein source and a delicious, healthy breakfast.
Fruit canned in water or juice is another dimension of a good go-to breakfast. It’s affordable, easy to store and healthy.
Lunch Basics:
You can’t go wrong with tuna when you’re looking for a cheap, healthy lunch. While bread may be hard to keep on hand, you may consider crackers or romaine lettuce to enjoy with your lunch. Tofu also makes for an affordable, tasty lunch. It’s affordable by the pound, easy to store and it stays usable for a long time in the fridge. Just make sure to check the expiration date. Dress your tofu up with some light soy sauce or teriyaki and you can make a quick stir fry with frozen vegetables and brown rice. Like canned fruit, frozen vegetables are a healthy option. It’s a good strategy to stock up on both.
Brown rice is, likewise, an important staple. Registered Dietician Julian Kubala explains: “Brown rice is highly nutritious, providing the body with a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.”
Dinner Basics:
While the meat supply has been a bit hit or miss at the grocery store recently, some go-to items are usually in stock and make a good, affordable dinner. While chicken breast can be pricey, if you use it well, you can stretch it far. For example, you can poach a couple of chicken breasts and make three meals out of it - a chicken salad (with your romaine), a stir fry (with your brown rice and frozen veggies) and a simple chicken soup (just toss in some noodles, broth and veggies). In the same way, a pound of ground beef or pork can yield about nine meatballs. Add a couple to some chicken broth, throw in a handful of orzo, some frozen carrots and a sprinkle of parmesan for simple Italian wedding soup. Take the rest of your meatballs and add them to a jarred spaghetti sauce for a meatball sub or a pasta dinner.
When it comes to keeping yourself well fed during the COVID-19 outbreak, it pays to be organized and creative.