Think eating healthy on a budget is impossible? Many people believe that cutting back on food costs
means that you can't buy healthy food anymore.
Some people even convince themselves that healthy weight loss is not possible unless they spend
a lot of money.
But eating healthy on a budget as well as healthy weight loss is not only possible, with a little planning
you can cut food costs and still eat healthy food.
Here are a few tips to make it easier for eating healthy on a budget.
Plan your weekly food menus with healthy eating recipes and make a grocery list with those items
before you shop. This saves you time in the store and can save you a lot of money because you are less
likely to buy on an impulse.
Stock your fridge and cupboards with healthy foods, and to keep costs down, stay away from extras
like soft drinks, chips, baked goods, and other high-calorie items.
Buy more water or milk instead of soft drinks when shopping and you'll save money. You can still
enjoy your favorite soft drinks at a sporting event or night out. For healthy weight loss just make
it a diet soda.
Buy fruits in quantity when they are in season and freeze any extras.
Just wash the fruit well, dry thoroughly, then freeze in plastic zipper bags.
While lean meat and seafood are a great source of protein, they can get expensive. To cut your costs,
use beans as a substitute for meat on a few occasions.
Beans are very economical and makes eating healthy on a budget really simple.
There are several varieties of beans and preparing them in a crock pot and making a salad turns into an easy meal.
Peanut butter is also great for those on a budget and almost everyone likes it.
Use it for sandwiches along with jam instead of expensive lunch meat.
For healthy weight loss try adding sugar free jam because it has a lot fewer calories
and fat than regular jam but still tastes great.
Eat foods that have a high content of water like watermelon, salads and even sugar free
gelatin. They are inexpensive, ideal for healthy weight loss and work perfect for eating healthy on a budget.
It easy to fall into a rut of eating the same unhealthy and expensive foods. But once you take back
control by planning your weekly food menus with healthy eating recipes, you can enjoy a nice variety of meals again.
Eating healthy on a budget can be as simple as just making different choices.
Calculate Body Fat
Would you like to know how to calculate your body fat percentage? When most of us think about about losing weight, the amount of fat you are
carrying around is actually much more important than weight.
If you should be measuring anything, it should be body fat percentage,
not weight. Your weight does not accurately reflect the level of your fitness.
Body fat is measured with what is known as Body Mass Index, or BMI.
A women that is in shape should have a body fat percentage range
from 21% to 31%. If you are in fantastic shape, your body fat percentage
could be as low as 10%.
For men, if you are fit and in shape, your body fat percentage should
be between 14% and 25%. If you are in excellent shape, your body fat
percentage could be as low as 2%.
To calculate your body fat percentage,
Write down how much you weigh - but you have to be honest.
Remember, no one will see this but you.
Multiply your weight by 703.
Write down your height in inches.
Multiply your height inches by itself.
Divide your weight number by your height number.
You now have your BMI.
Here's an example:
Write down how much you weigh - 150 pounds.
Multiply your weight by 703. 150 X 703 = 105,450.
Write down your height in inches - 64 inches.
Multiply your height inches by itself. 64 X 64 = 4,096.
Divide your weight number by your height number. 105,450 / 4,096 = 25.7.
There are other ways to measure your body fat percentage but this will give you a
quick idea of where you are at.
If you are thinking about about losing weight, remember the amount of fat
you are carry around is actually much more important than weight.
If you use the method above to figure out your current body fat percentage, you'll be on
your way to a much healthier fitness plan.
BMI for children and teens is age and sex specific and is often referred to as
BMI-for-age. The Departement of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has BMI-for-age charts and information to determine if your
child or teen is underweight, at a healthy weight, or overweight.
CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend the use of BMI to screen
for overweight in children beginning at 2 years old.
