Eating Lean & Clean Saves $$

Whoever said that it is expensive to eat healthy couldn't have been trying very hard, in my opinion.  In my experience eating unhealthy crap is expensive!  In more ways than one.  Not only does a unhealthy diet impact your wallet, but it also impacts your health, which impacts your wallet some more.

We pretty much take the lean and clean approach to what we eat.  It makes life pretty darn simple too.  We get lots of good nutrition from all the food groups without much effort or thought.  It just happens.

Lean proteins like legumes, nuts, nut butters, eggs, fish, lean beef and poultry.  Tons of fresh fruits and vegetables and moderate amounts of dairy and fats.  And then there are those dreaded carbohydrates.  

I personally, don't really worry about them that much to be honest.  I am, however, particular about the carbohydrates we consume and keep it as simple and basic as we can.  Potatoes, pasta, rice and whole grain breads are a regular part of our diet and we consume them in moderation. 

We also enjoy sweets.  I find that if I make most of our desserts from scratch, cut back on the amount of sugar I use in a recipe and limit the amount I make, then we do just fine.  This way we are able to enjoy a sweet treat without overdoing it and compromising our health.

I don't buy sodas or juice on a regular basis.  Instead we enjoy them as occasional treats.  We drink A LOT of water, even at restaurants.  We limit dining out and maintaining a tight budget for that helps us keep it limited.

Our current budget stands at $150 per month for food and $50 a month for entertainment, which can be dining out.  So pretty minimal for a family of three, but completely doable.  And we enjoy a good healthy diet with a lot of variety.