Why do we LOVE what’s worst for us?
Every week when I get the grocery ads in the mail, it takes me probably 5 minutes to identify the BEST deals for my own family and everything goes in the trash.
Aside from typing up the ad for the blog…. thinking about what WE are going to purchase is relatively effortless on our part… but that is due in part to having trained our brain. I can say David is EXACTLY a replica of me so he does the SAME thing.
There is NO denying that people gravitate towards the food that is cheap – after all, almost every coupon we clip out there from our inserts is for something that might not be the MOST healthy.
There is NO denying that the craving to buy cheap food that might not be the MOST healthy is the result of very powerful, physiological reactions… that’s the intent of manufacturers – right?
Many of our favorite Supermarket snacks are made of the perfect amounts of sugar, and fats, and soybean oil (even corn syrup) to make us crave more… but if you are one of MANY that are looking to make better choices for your family in 2016, then you will want to take the following tips to help you make better choices.
So let me just state this fact now: No, you probably won’t be able to get things for close to free. Eating better is a lifestyle change – you must WANT to improve. You must KNOW WHY you need to improve. You must be willing to pay more for better food.
If you can’t see that, or don’t want to see that, you might as well just pass over the rest of this post- because I certainly don’t need to get an email that I’m a frugal blogger that shouldn’t be promoting food that will cost you more. We DO post a variety of deals on our site, but it’s in your best interest to choose those that fit best for your situation and family.
1. Make the Vow to Switch to ONE Organic Item each Week
Yes, it WILL cost more. But your health is worth it – and the health of your kids is too.
Since many of us are on a budget, it’s hard to make a complete switch. So try for ONE item at a time – if that means writing down ALL those things your family eats the most, then that’s how it’ll work for you.
For us, those items were Bread, Milk, Eggs, Meat, and Produce.
Shop at Costco – you’ll be able to score many of these items for just pennies more per ounce. Work on transitioning your finances to allow that extra wiggle room – in the meantime, stop buying the packaged processed items to allow yourself that money to be re-routed to a better place.
2. Bypass those Items with 5 or more Ingredients
Be a Label Reader. I’m a CRAZY label reader. I’m that lady that reads labels on her vitamins – I’m THAT extreme. If there are more than a handful of ingredients, you can guarantee that it is NOT something that needs to go in your cart.
Avoid those impulse buys – many of which are empty of calories and nutritional value anyways.
3. Learn How to Cook Yourself
Stop relying on packaged items for convenience – if you are in LOVE with Pillsbury Biscuits, ditch them to the curb and find a recipe that will allow you to make your own biscuits for a fraction of the cost… better ingredients and one less trip to the store (and coupon to clip.
They taste just as good if not better if you do them on your own and there are plenty of recipes OUT there that you can use that are just as efficient as driving to the store to buy a can.
4. Break your Routine
Instead of being pre-accustomed to picking up a $5 pizza on your way home, pick up Bell Peppers at the Market instead. Whip up some rice when you get home and make Stuffed Peppers (with Meat OR Meatless…) — cut the peppers the LONG way and you have 2 meals per pepper, and options for tomorrow for work lunch.
And your gut will thank you the next morning!
Keep healthy foods stocked in your fridge- your kids are more likely to eat them IF you keep them within reach. Our kids go crazy for apples so we keep those and carrot sticks, as well as Red Peppers, sliced in the fridge. They devour.
5. Know your Weaknesses
Chocolate is MY weakness; and as much as I LOVE it, I just cannot possibly keep it in the house. Kids don’t need it either, so we just don’t buy it. Unless it’s the holidays and we are making cookies for neighbors, you won’t find chocolate.
If you know that you have a sweet tooth, OR you have an addiction to soda (even diet), avoid buying it altogether. Try not to keep it in the house. It’s easier to avoid those items when they aren’t in easy reach.
6. Be Knowledgeable
Most people don’t have a clue what is in their food… I’m not sure if it’s just lack of knowledge, or just unwillingness to believe – or perhaps many don’t realize the power OF the food they eat. In any case, one of the BEST ways to KNOW what you are eating is to learn… be aware.
Be open to accepting that most of your food is highly modified.
Be willing to make a shift.
It all starts with recognizing, after that it takes your willingness to get better.
It’s also just as important to know why those items are so overly promoted in grocery ads, and why we see them plastered all over billboards, commercials and in print magazines.
Thankfully there are many documentaries you can watch ~ some of which are on Netflix… here are just a few. But there are MANY others, too!
Sheryl, the title of this entry is:
“6 Ways to Avoid the Temptation of Buying Healthy Food”. I know you meant to say “Unhealthy Food”.