If you are broke, the time is really tough for you. You have to think twice before spending, making sure you adhere to the budget after every purchase you make! Living on a budget of about $4 a day is a really big challenge. If your budget is so low, then probably you should tweak your food plan a bit. Consider green vegetables, brown rice or beans.
While doing this though, you shouldn’t compromise on nutrition in any way. When you are desperately trying to stretch a dollar, there are some foods recommended by nutritionists that you should buy from the nearby grocery store. Let us have a look at some of those foods for you:
Brown rice.
Brown rice is replete with vitamins, minerals and various antioxidants which are hugely beneficial to the body. Moreover, the high amount of fiber helps in slowing down the digestion process, making you feel full for a really long time. As said by many a nutrition and food consultants, fiber is the best nutritional component helping you with satiety, or in simple words the feeling of fullness. For all the broke blokes out there, they can be a really important component of your meal as they make up a fulfilling and tasty dish as well.
Beans.
Just like most of the items at a grocery store, buying an item in bulk can save you a lot of money. Beans cost really less, and when they are cooked expand, sometimes up to three times their original volume. They are so “transformatory” that three cups of beans can turn into as much as 9 cups by the end of cooking them. These when spiced up with flavors and various herbs can make a complete meal for you. This can be a highly creative and filling side dish while you are having your meals.
Beans also have high nutritional value. Replete with fiber and protein, they are also low in fat and sodium.
Potatoes.
Contrary to the general opinion, potatoes are every bit nutritious as all other colored vegetables. They are so versatile that they can be cooked with almost anything, in a variety of ways. They contain more than 45% of the daily required intake of Vitamin, 18 percent of the fiber required and also 18 percent of potassium, which is necessary to regulate the blood pressure in the body. Owing to their really low cost, they are one of the cheapest sources of dietary potassium.
Peanut butter.
If protein is your requirement, this is one of the most economic and tasty sources of that. Apart from protein, it is replete with healthy fats, antioxidants and various kinds of minerals. The resveratrol in peanuts, which is also an antioxidant found in red wine, are a really important antioxidant required by the body. Cheap and healthy!
Protein bars.
At a really low cost, they have a lot of protein; just make sure that it isn’t the only diet that you take! People have followed crazy schedules with protein bars, and have just lost their weight, and health as a whole. Make sure you just take this as a snack, once in a while.
The notion that fast food is cheaper than fresh food is seriously flawed. Though it is quicker to prepare, it shouldn’t ever replace the meal containing fruits and vegetables, as it is in the best interests of your health. Health is paramount; choose wisely before you make your purchase! And next time, think before you spend!