What I Can Control: Eating Well Despite Rising Prices

Hello Everyone,

Eating well despite rising prices can seem like an overwhelming, insurmountable feat. Grocery store prices are steadily rising, and eating at restaurants is getting more expensive. Ensuring that we and our loved ones are eating well can be a very stressful goal to navigate. Our minds might be going crazy with how to attain this goal. Well…..let’s slow down and breathe for a moment. While some things like inflation and supply chain issues might be beyond our control, let’s concentrate on what we can control. Repeat after me… I can control how I shop, how I cook, and how I eat (at home and at restaurants). I can control making intentional choices that prioritize my health and nutrition journey without overspending. I can control changing my mindset.

Allow me to share some tidbits below on what we can control regarding eating well despite rising prices.

• Shopping Smart: Eating Well on a Budget

Grocery shopping gives you the most control over your diet and budget. Planning before shopping will help you make the most of your money. Purchase staple ingredients instead of ready to eat or premade foods. Staple ingredients are from scratch or close to from scratch. These foods are some of the most budget friendly and nutrient dense foods. Because of these foods’ nutritional content, they keep your body satisfied for longer periods of time than ready to eat or premade foods. Shop seasonally and locally. Pay attention to which produce items are in season. In season produce is more cost effective and tastier than produce that is not in season. Consider trying store brand items. Granted, some store brand items are a miss. However, some store brand items taste just as good as name brand items. Consider more plant based proteins or stretching meat proteins. For example, you can mix some lentils or oats into your ground beef for meatballs, meatloaf, or tacos.

• Cooking at Home: A Money Saver

Cooking at home gives you the opportunity to be in better control of your health and your budget. You know exactly what is going into your body as well as how much money you have spent. Batch cooking can definitely save you a lot of time and money. Personally, batch cooking really simplifies my nutrition journey. I often see people stress about what they are going to eat from day to day. Batch cooking provides me the peace of knowing what I am going to eat as I navigate my busy day. Keeping a well stocked pantry is also a great way to make cooking at home seamless. There is nothing like opening up your refrigerator and cabinets and being able to whip up something real quick because your kitchen is stocked. If you need help in figuring out how to prepare the ingredients you have at home, check out a cookbook or go online. Lately, I have tried new recipes I got from AI software. I give the software a list of ingredients I have on hand, and it gives me a plethora of recipes and ideas.

• Eating Out Without Overspending

Now I am not going to tell you to never go to a restaurant. I enjoy going to restaurants. Sometimes you do not want to cook. Sometimes you want to have a social experience and catch up with family and friends. Sometimes you are in the mood for a specific item from a restaurant. I completely understand. However, you can have an enjoyable experience without breaking the bank. If the restaurant offers it, get on their email list or follow their social media outlets. They usually offer deals and specials through those mediums. Most restaurants offer enormous portions. Feel free to share the entree with your friend or take half of the entree home with you. If you are being health conscious, look for more healthful options on the menu or ask the restaurant if a certain item can be prepared in a more healthful way.

While rising food costs are stressful and frustrating, we can remind ourselves that we do have control over how and what we eat. We might have to change our grocery list a bit. We may have to shift our priorities and budget differently. We may have to be more mindful of how we shop and eat. We definitely need to change our mindset and be willing to adapt.

What are some ways you have been adjusting to rising food prices? Let me know in the comments!