According to McKinsey, nearly half of US consumers reported cutting back on their spending in 2020, and are looking for economical ways to prepare nutritious meals for the family. National Nutrition Month is the perfect time to reevaluate one’s eating habits, especially as more people are eating at home and are spending more time with their family. Nicole Avena, Ph.D., nutrition expert and author of “What to Eat When You Want to Get Pregnant” provides recommendations on ways to obtain essential nutrients and offer budget-friendly tips to curate a balanced, nutritious diet to suit a variety of tastes. Dr. Avena provides the following budget-friendly tips to obtain essential nutrients:
Cook more, eat out less. Ordering takeout comes with steep price markups, delivery fees, and tips whereas buying pre-packaged foods like frozen dinners and packaged pasta can add up when you calculate the cost per serving. Home cooked meals can be prepared healthier and inexpensively. Source a few simple and healthy recipes your family enjoys and save takeout for special occasions.
Look into tasty alternatives. Consuming adequate levels of essential vitamins and nutrients daily is a great way to proactively support unique health needs. If there seems to be an inability to meet daily nutrient requirements or there is a confirmed deficiency, a supplement like vitafusion MultiVites gummy vitamins can be an easy alternative to get a fusion of vitamin A, C, D, E, Biotin, B12, and B6 that you might be missing from diet alone. L’il Critters also makes a great and affordable daily multivitamin for kids.
Expand your palate beyond salads. Eating similar meals day in and day out can be an effective strategy for maintaining long-term weight loss, except this type of diet may have nutritional gaps. Many associates a healthy diet with endless salads, but there are a variety of cuisines that are budget-friendly, flavorful, and nutritious. Mediterranean cuisine has high rates of monounsaturated fats (taken from olive oil and nuts), and Japanese cuisine tends to be rich in fish and fresh vegetables, making it a great option as well.
