Are You Using The Recession As An Excuse To Eat Bad Foods? 12 Quick Tips To Eat Right

Quite a few people are blaming a poor diet on a bad economy. They believe that the recession is preventing them from eating right because food costs are high and that it’s difficult to shop healthy in this type of situation. Eating healthy for many has become a very low priority in the face of increasing financial stress.

While this attitude is understandable, it’s ultimately self-defeating. A poor diet contributes to poor health and with so much bad news everywhere it’s vital for people to continue taking care of themselves lest they make a bad situation worse. A bad diet can lead to cardiovascular disease, obesity, strokes, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, strokes etc. while also putting a person at risk of getting cancer. Cardiovascular disease has been the number one killer in the US for decades. Obesity puts people at great risk for getting heart disease and this situation has come about only because most Americans don’t eat fruits and vegetables regularly. A study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) called the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Study in 2005 revealed that fewer than one in three people ate fruits more than twice a day with less than one third eating vegetables three or more times a day. Heart disease claimed 451,326 lives in 2004.

You are putting yourself and your family at increased risk of getting heart disease and a whole host of other illnesses when you eat an unhealthy diet. It’s very possible to eat nutritionally sound food even on a tight budget. Here are some tips to help you eat right even in a recession

1) Substitute snacks like fries, chips and chocolate with fruits.

2) Cook meals from scratch instead of going in for frozen dinners. Processed foods can contain high levels of sugar, salt and fat.

3) If you find it too expensive to buy fresh foods, buy tinned or frozen veggies and fruits.

4) Plan your meals well ahead to avoid impulse buying or throwing last-minute meals together.

5) Reduce the amount of salt you use. That’s good for the heart.

6) Cook double the amount or prepare large batches of food and freeze what you don’t need. You can reheat these for a quick and healthy meal.

7) Buy starchy foods in bulk and when shopping at the grocery store look for food at cheap prices instead of being focused only on getting the biggest discounts.

8) Don’t waste food, use perishable items before they expire and make use of leftovers creatively.

9) You can save on food costs when you buy fruits and vegetables that are in season.

10) Replace white bread and white flour with whole meal or multi-grain bread and whole meal flour.

11) Try to buy reduced fat and low salt versions of the foods you normally get.

12) You can save costs on fresh produce by signing up for a CSA (community-supported agriculture) program that allows you to pay for vegetables in advance and obtain them directly from a farmer. You can get fresher and tastier foods for a lot less. Check out http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ to find a farm close to you.

Don’t skimp on food and eat an unhealthy diet. This lays the foundation for severe health and financial problems later on. It is possible to eat healthy with a little care, effort and creativity.