There’s a misconception out there that eating healthy is excessively more expensive than eating processed boxed, canned, and bagged foods. Eating healthy seems like a great idea in theory but unrealistic for “the average person.” It’s time to bust this myth and give you 3 tangible steps to make the transition from eating processed food to eating healthy (in an affordable way to boot!).

First, the expense myth

There have been several studies on what the cost difference is between eating processed food with coupons versus eating a diet based on fresh produce, healthy fats, protein, and whole grains, and the price difference is just $1.50 more per day.

That’s it!!! That’s one less venti frappuccino a week or eating in 2 more times per month. That’s it! Totally doable and truly not that expensive.

THE CAVEAT

There is a learning curve to shopping and cooking differently and it can be significantly more expensive during this phase. It also takes more mental effort. You have to try new recipes and often new foods (which is intimidating), you have to look for said recipes, and then buy new ingredients you don’t typically have on hand which means venturing into new areas of the grocery store.

This is a very real struggle and a huge roadblock. Has it been for you? It was for me in the beginning! I spent way too much money shopping at Whole Foods and trying complex recipes.

3 TIPS TO HELP MAKE THE TRANSITION EASIER

#1 Add Fresh Produce In

Step one is to not completely overhaul your diet (unless you have an acute issue that requires a therapeutic diet). Instead,

• Add half a plate of roasted vegetables to your slice of pizza and eat the vegetables first.
• Eat a cup of berries with half of that chocolate bar.
• Sub your bagel with cream cheese with a filling green smoothie (you can get recipes in my breakfast guide if you haven’t downloaded it yet).

I have had clients lose 15 pounds in 3 months by doing this. It truly is effective.

#2 Test out new recipes on the weekends

I strongly advise against trying new recipes during the week when you’re working and have a crazy life. New recipes take more mental energy and if they don’t turn out tasty, are extra disappointing and frustrating. This is counterproductive.

If a recipe turns out amazing, make a recipe card, and add it to your favorite meals rotation.

#3 Find healthier versions of your favorite foods

This is a big one. You can’t just remove foods without replacing them. If there’s a void it’s nature to fill that void. If you don’t have a replacement you’ll go right back to your old habits and foods. This is a huge part of successful lifestyle changes and a large component of my coaching programs.

So instead of saying, oh I can’t have pizza. Let’s find the healthiest version possible that you still enjoy.

WANT EXPERT HELP?

These tips will most definitely positively impact your health. However, figuring it all out on your own is exhausting and expensive. You definitely can with persistent effort. No doubt about it. It took me about 3 years to figure it out. If you don’t want it to take that long, want to cut the cost and learning curve, I would love to partner with you through my Meal Planning Made Easy program. It’s $69 for 4 weeks of done-for-you healthy, flavorful and simple meals (you won’t be eating the same thing for 5 days straight. I hate that crap.) that include shopping lists and 56 recipes total, plus my healthy eating shortcut guide, meal planning webinar, and more. All designed to make the transition to eating healthy affordable and simple.

Here’s what one new client had to say about the meal plans:

My goal is to help you make it work. I hope you found these tips helpful and please know that I’m here if you want expert guidance that does all the hard work for you.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MY MEAL PLANNING MADE SIMPLE PROGRAM HERE.