1. Plant a Garden - I love to eat salads and knowing the tomatoes came from my garden made it all the more delicious!
I always wanted to have my own vegetable garden, so last year, my husband helped dig the spot and plant the veggies. We were so excited to watch our tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers grow! We had 2 different kinds of tomatoes and they were DELICIOUS! I don't really eat peppers, but they were used in somethings my hubby cooked. The cucumbers never really got to where they could be eaten, but they were cute when they were trying to grow!
Growing your own garden is cheap and takes nothing besides time and space. It gives you a good feeling to know that they were grown without pesticides or other chemicals.
2. Use Veggies instead of meat - Using veggies or using less meat in a recipe is a great way to make a meal healthier. Veggie Lasagna instead of meat Lasagna. Veggies instead of sausage or meatballs in spaghetti sauce.
3. Buy Organic Milk - Organic milk tastes better than original milk. I purchase a half gallon of Fat Free Horizon Organic Omega 3 with DHA, it's so much healthier than Borden or any other milk! I love cereal in the mornings, and now I know that along with my healthy cereal, I've taken an extra step in being healthy with the milk.
4. Use Whole Wheat Pasta - there's not a big difference in taste between whole wheat pasta and regular pasta. I myself prefer Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta. It's a healthier option for white pasta. We eat Spaghetti at least twice a week, Ronzoni tastes great with spaghetti sauce or mixed with broccolli and other veggies and a little olive oil for a liter dish.
5. Use Brown Rice - Brown rice is a little different from white rice, but I've recently started to use it. This week, we had it with Red Beans and Green Beans, Potatoes and Sausage and it was DELICIOUS! Not a big difference, it's just that brown rice seems to be lighter. It's much healthier and will help with weight loss!
6. Drink Water - Drinking water is MUCH healthier than any other beverage and is totally frugal.
7. Cut back on the salt - We don't purchase regular salt any more. We get "Lite Salt" from McCormick. Cost is about $2, but it's much healthier for you especially if you have to watch your salt intake.
8. Use Dark Chocolate instead of Milk Chocolate - Dark Chocolate is high in antioxidants and health fats! It's healthier for people with heart conditions and High Blood Pressure, so next time you want chocolate, grab DARK chocolate instead of milk chocolate
9. Make homemade Pizzas - Purchase flour tortillas, cheese, make your own pizza sauce, and top with grilled veggies, chicken or turkey ground meat for a healthy pizza.
10. Substitute Beans for Meat - My husband likes beef and bean burritos, but to be frugal, I use bean and cheese. He does get his beef and bean when I can afford the beef. I add black olives too sometimes. Beans contain a lot of fiber, are low in fat, and are much less expensive than meats.
These are just a few tips to help make your favorite meals healthier. My personal favorite is the homemade pizzas!! Here's one more tip, grilled chicken or fish is much healthier than fried it helps cut the fats which is good for weight loss!
What are some ways you make meal time healthier?
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and WeightWatchers SmartOnes blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
