Recession Proof Your Diet

Everyone is feeling the pain of job cuts. Making cutbacks on lots of things is more important in these tough times. So is there a way to still eat right without going over budget? I have found a way. Almost everywhere I know of you have a way to access coupons. Each Sunday I go buy a paper. The 2.00 I spend is made up for by the savings I find. You would be amazed how much money you really can save on everyday items. Shopping at a different store can also help. I have several options available near me, but I have found the cheapest overall is Wal-Mart. They carry just as much of the organic products as every one else, and everything in their stores is at a lower cost. Local farmers markets are also a great way to save on produce. If you have a meat processor nearby, be sure to call them and see if they sell retail. You can typically save anywhere from a few cents to several dollars a pound on the same quality of meats you would buy at a chain store. While it may not seem as convenient to drive a few more miles to go to these stores, the money saved tends to make up for it. I moved several months ago and a trip to town is now a 10 mile drive for me. I try to get to all my stores in one trip. I start at the farthest and work my way back towards home. Before I leave I look in my cabinets, make a list, and look through all my coupons. I make notes on the list in regards to the coupon so I know how many I need to buy. When I get to the store I compare everything. Some stores list price per ounce ect. right on the shelf so you know what is your best buy. Certain snack foods I will only buy if I have a coupon, I buy generic when I can, and freeze all my meats. I buy in bulk, separate the package into meal size portions, and freeze them. You don't need a vacuum sealer, or some other high tech food saving storage. A good selection of freezer bags saves space as well as money. Many stores also have specials on items close to their sell date. You can get bread and meats at a greatly reduced price. You just need to use it or freeze it by the date. Rolls are wonderful for this. You can get a bag of fresh dinner rolls, and place enough for a meal into freezer bags. Then when you are ready to use them it takes a short time to defrost. If you plan meals in advance, you can easily have the things you need thawed before you get home. I take these out prior to leaving for work in the morning, so they are ready when I make home in the evening. Healthy eating does not have to break the bank. Simply changing the way you shop can make all the difference in the world.

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How your friends and family may be killing your diet....

Many of us already know what I'm about to talk about, but few of us know what to do about it. A good friend of mine made the simplest comment the other day, but I've been mulling it over ever since. She said "It's so hard to eat right when everyone around you is eating the wrong stuff." Now she is not heavy by any means, but in the last year she has put on 20lbs she would rather not have. I am sure her situation is very similar to many other people out there. She has 2 children, a husband, and works full time and goes to college at night. Her job and home life are the reason she gives for her weight gain. She explained to me that with a 8 and 9 yr old in the house, at times it's easier to pick something up on the way home from her night classes. So fast food is often on the menu. Her husbands hours vary at times so he is on occasion not home at dinner time. Quick fix meals, microwave stuff ect. Her job is in an office full of other people who often have lunch together. They either order in, pizza, subs, ect. Or a large group gets together to go eat at a nearby Mexican place. So, between being extremely busy, having children whom are used to fast food, and the people at work eating junk all the time, she has a very hard time making good choices for her meals. This also had me thinking back to my days of working away from home, each place we would order in from had a $15 - $25 min. for delivery. Now if you are really just wanting a sandwich, you would run around and collect orders from everyone. Needless to say, we ate a ton of pizza, chinese, and on ocassion Jason's Deli. Location made a difference as well, only 3 places were within delivery range for us. Making terrible choices is so much easier when everyone around you is eating things like pizza. Willpower is an amazing thing, but I love pizza and a salad just dosn't compare. So, how do we fix these delicious downfalls? Try these suggestions:

1. Find another person at work who is dieting as well, go have lunch with them
   
2. If you must eat fast food, take advantage of the "better" choices they offer. Have a salad instead of fries. Bottle water instead of soda. Grilled chicken instead of fried.
   
3. Take healthy snacks with you, keep them in an easy to see place so you will be less tempted to get a candy bar from the vending machine.
   
4. Make a goal to cut out 1 bad food each day. Slowly increase this until you are no longer eating any junk.

Other people eating badly is not always so easy to fix. Schools offer junk for lunch. Pack a lunch for your child. If they love PB & J, pack that with an apple. A small change will not shock them so badly, and they may not even notice. Add extra veggies to your meals. Trust me, people will notice. My husband has recently started eating better. I didn't do anything but mention it to him. He works on the road 14 days at a time, but he said he has been eating at Subway and getting salads more often than before. He has almost completely cut out hamburgers from his diet. Our house is packed with fresh fruits and veggies. He went and bought celery and oranges the other night for snacks. Hmmm. I thought I was going to have to force this stuff down his throat. All I had to do was change what I have in my house, and not eat junk in front of him. Now I still like the occassional burger, but only about once a month. Just like my freind said, It's hard to make good choices when everyone around is making bad ones. I guess it goes the same for good choices. If people see you eating good for you food, it just may make them take a second look at that plate of nachos they just ordered.