Category Archives: Health

Raise the Rates campaigns have been in the news recently. While most of us are fortunate enough to not have to turn to the social safety net, it’s still important to know that healthy living on a budget is entirely possible. Keeping food costs low while looking after health is an essential life skill, but one that few of us are taught at school.

Here are four tips for healthy living on a budget to help your family practice mindful spending while prioritizing health:

1. Plan, Plan, Plan

It can’t be said enough. If you have a plan and stick to it, you can dramatically cut food waste and outlandish expenses.

Start by designating a time, perhaps before grocery shopping, to work out a meal plan for the week ahead. Write down all the groceries you need to meet that meal plan, and any pantry items that need refilling. Head to the store and only get what is on your list.

When planning, opt for meals you can prepare in bulk, such as chilli, soups, casseroles, or curry. This will allow you to take advantage of economy size packs, saving you money while cutting down on food waste. It’s also a big timesaver, as you can freeze extra batches for a quick meal later.

2. Shop the Edges

Hitting the grocery store with a list is one of the best ways to stay healthy on a budget, but it also pays to shop the edges at the store. In most large grocery stores, this means sticking to the fresh food aisles, bulk and dried goods, and the bakery.

If you know your kids get peckish and demanding at the store, plan distractions. This might mean taking a healthy snack for them to eat, or allowing them to listen to music through headphones. Whatever you do, don’t give them their own cart unless you assign them specific items to track down for you. This will also help avoid the middle of the grocery store where the highly processed and packaged foods tend to lay in wait.

3. Build Stronger Communities through Sharing Food

If you’re shopping for just yourself or a small family, it can be hard to take advantage of bulk discounts. You may also find that without careful planning you tend to generate a lot of food waste. One way to tackle both costly problems is to set up a network of friends who share food.

This could mean forming an organized buying club that shops for specific goods at certain times of the year. It could also be a less formal arrangement where you take extra food over to a friend’s place to share when you have it. Or, it could simply be getting together with friends to cook a large, shared meal.

Preparing healthy communal meals can be a fun, social way to avoid the cost and temptation of restaurant fare. Sharing food is also a great way to form close friendships and build stronger communities, allowing everyone’s resources to stretch a little further when times are hard.

4. Pack a Picnic

Piggy-backing on the idea of sharing cooking responsibilities, packing a picnic is another great way to stay healthy on a budget. If you are going for a hike, a stroll in the park, a day at the beach, or even to the movies, packing your own snacks and meals is almost guaranteed to be cheaper and healthier than anything you pick up. Below are some great, healthy options for a picnic:

• Homemade granola bars
• Fruit
• Raw veggies and hummus
• Rice crackers with almond butter and banana slices
• Homemade popcorn with nutritional yeast and olive oil

Whatever you choose to pack, you’ll be avoiding overpriced, heavily salted, fatty, and sugary food that can hurt your health and your bank balance.

Summer eating is all about fresh ingredients and easy-to-make meals. Salads are a refreshing way to appease your appetite on a hot summer day while loading up on fibre and protein.

Protein is a key nutrient for healthy weight management. By including a source of protein, your salad will be a filling, substantial, and energizing meal. Delicious sources of protein that taste great in salads include:

• Beans and lentils
• Fish
• Lean meats
• Quinoa
• Nuts and seeds
• Tofu

The following three salads are tasty, easy to prepare, and pack a protein punch.

1. Salmon Sushi Salad

Perfect for lunch or dinner, this sushi salad combines all your favourite sushi flavours with fresh veggies, rice, and barbequed salmon. Perfect for those hot summer nights!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp wasabi paste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 4 large leaves romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup short grain brown rice, cooked
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced into strips
• ¾ cup English cucumber, thinly sliced into strips
• 2 sheets dried nori, cut into bite-size strips
• 100 g baked or barbecued salmon cut into bite-size pieces

Instructions:

1. Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, wasabi paste, and sesame oil in a small bowl until well combined
2. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, rice, avocado, carrot, cucumber, nori, and salmon
3. Pour the dressing over top and gently toss until combined
4. Enjoy eating with chopsticks.

2. Three Bean Salad

What’s a summer BBQ without a three bean salad? This classic, tangy and sweet salad can be pulled together quickly using pantry staples and a few fresh vegetables. This version uses kidney, garbanzo, and cannellini beans, but any of your favourites will work. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup kidney beans, cooked
• ½ cup garbanzo beans, cooked
• ½ cup cannellini beans, cooked
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• ½ cup celery, diced
• ¼ red onion, diced
• ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup cucumber, diced
• 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt
• Pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, celery, onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and parsley
2. Pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top and toss all ingredients until well combined
3. Salt and pepper to taste

3. Quinoa Tabbouleh

Quinoa is a highly versatile grain that adds just the right amount of crunch to your salad. This quinoa tabbouleh can be enjoyed on its own as a complete source of vegan protein, or served with a side of sliced chicken breast to increase the protein content.

Ingredients:

• 1 firm Roma tomato, finely chopped
• 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled
• 1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp sea salt, ground
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1. Combine tomato, parsley, mint, onion, and cucumber in a large bowl
2. Fold in quinoa
3. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and toss ingredients until thoroughly mixed
4. Allow to sit for a couple of hours before serving

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