Eating Cleaner on a Budget

One of the things I hear most from people when we talk about eating clean or healthy is, “but I can’t afford to eat healthily!”

I honestly used to think the same way, but now I know that everything is doable on a budget - you just have to prioritize and do a little research! Below are a few of my favourite ways to eat clean on a budget. 

Use Your Freezer

There are so many great foods that freeze so well! When I stock up on our favourite staples, I always consider how well it keeps. Since there are only two of us, our freezer gets a lot of use. Some favourites to stock in there are spinach, kale, tofu, beans, nuts(!), and tomatoes.

Plan Ahead

Make a meal plan to most effectively use your groceries.

Eat less meat/Be a vegetarian

We choose to not eat any meat at all and it has cut down on our grocery bill. Yes, while there are meat substitutes out there that are wildly expensive, we choose to greatly limit these as well and opt for making it from scratch or only having it once in a blue moon (a.k.a. When there is a crazy sale). Most meat substitutes found in stores are highly processed and full of sodium anyway, and aren’t the best for you!

Consider a Homemade Pantry

Pancake mixes, cake mixes, canned beans….all of these things and more you can do yourself! It’s actually simple, takes the same amount of time as it would to go to the store and buy them, and is much better for both your wallet and your body! One cookbook I use that helps me greatly is The Homemade Vegan Pantry. I love all of the ideas in it and adapt them for my own use.

Save Your Scraps 

Don’t waste those onion skins and celery and carrot ends! Collect them and store them in your freezer and make a simple vegetable broth (that can also be frozen, by the way!). That saves on having to buy veggie stock.

Reusable Water Bottles

If drinking more water is in your cleaner eating plan, skip buying the bottled water and the extra sugar and calories from bottled juices and invest in a good quality reusable water bottle. Pay next to nothing and stay hydrated - it’s a no-brainer and a win-win.

Shop in Season and Locally

Start paying attention to what is in season for cheaper produce. Shopping locally will not only give you a great deal but also help your local farms and community! Your freezer comes in handy for this as well - so much produce, depending on what you want to do with it later - can be frozen until you're ready for it. That way, it doesn't go to waste.

Skip Organic Produce in Some Cases

If you've ever heard of the dirty dozen then you'll know that there are some foods that you can skip in the organic section, and some you probably shouldn't. Your decision!

Try Store Brands

So many grocery stores offer high-quality organic food for less [enter applause]! 

Don't Forget Apps!

Using apps to save me money has really paid off over the last few years - no pun intended! One of my favourite rebate apps for grocery shopping is Ibotta and I love it! By the way: Use my referral link to download Ibotta and get a $10 welcome bonus!

Eating clean doesn't have to make you go broke by any means! With a little extra effort, you can make your dollars stretch!

“Eating clean on a budget is easier than you thought!”

TWEET IT!!

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How do you eat clean on a budget?

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Women of Intention Week Two: Intentional Eating

Welcome to week two of the series, Women of Intention! Over the next fifteen weeks, Maple Alps will feature a woman who will talk about intentionality in specific areas in her life. We are all so glad you've decided to stop by! For more information, and a list of topics, visit our introduction post HERE. 

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This week's Intentional Woman:

Today we meet Mandi from Nosh and Nurture: a mama-to-be with a passion for nutrition!

I am so excited to share her interview with all of you today! She will be sharing her thoughts and experience living and maintaining a life of intentional health, specifically regarding what we eat. 

Once you're done reading, be sure to not only check out her blog, but share your thoughts (and if you want, the post too!).

Find Mandi on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Tell us a bit about yourself: What are you passions, work and interests?

I adore travel! My biggest passion is just seeking new adventures with my husband and seeing the beautiful world God created. I also love cooking, helping people lead healthier lives and reading real books and magazines. My work is also a passion of mine. I am a professional journalist and a certified nutritionist. By day I am the managing editor for Basic Magazine, and nights and weekends I am running my nutrition business N³ and my blog, www.NoshandNurture.com where I help clients and readers create healthy, well rounded lives through food, fitness and overall wellness.

As someone who didn’t always eat a healthy diet, and as a personal nutritionist, how have you seen the negative effects of not being intentional about what we eat?

The learning process has been amazingly eye opening and astonishing to me. I think the biggest shocker was that I thought I did always eat healthy. I was never a soda drinker or fast food eater, but what I once thought was healthy, when I really went back and read the labels, I realized how clueless I was. It's become a mission of mine to not only tell people what they should be eating, but TEACH them how to research what's really in their food and dig deeper to learn about the food industry in America. Because, it's not all unicorns and rainbows. Far from it, and it's up to us to be proactive and keep a healthy food source available to our children and grandchildren.

I love how on your blog you talk about clean eating as a way of serving God. How does this translate into being intentional about what you eat and put into your body?

When I got sick in 2011, and my body started to break down before I even hit thirty, the only person I could turn to was God. Inflammation, pain, allergies, anxiety and extreme fatigue took me down when I was just a newlywed and I fell to my knees crying to Him many times as I was passed from Dr. to Dr. being prescribed medication I didn't want to take and felt I shouldn't take. God led me to answers I never would have thought to seek on my own. Natural remedies, supplements, naturopaths and healthy food options that reversed SO many of my symptoms. His blessings gave me my life back, I owe Him my life and in that I honour Him through taking care of this body. And I hope to encourage others to do the same.

How else does your mindfulness translate into your every-day activities and work?

I start my day intentionally by sitting at the breakfast table before turning on the computer or my phone and I do my devotions. I pray over my food and all I'm thankful for. I give Him my day and my work. I pray over my husband, those on my prayer list and our soon to be baby and it helps me focus my "why" on Him each day. My blog came from His path for me, my background before getting sick was very different. I was a touring pop recording artist with a record deal and just not living a healthy lifestyle. He's led me to so much better, His dreams became my new dreams and I adore this path and helping others find their health.

What would you say to encourage someone who is struggling with intentionality in this area of their life?

That it's all about baby steps. That there are days I still struggle or forget who to look to. It's in our nature, we are human. Extend to yourself grace, and keep a journal. Keeping a journal or a planner helps to keep me organized and reminds me when I get off track. Take time in your day, even if it's 10 minutes to try to connect to your why. Be it through prayer, meditation, or taking a quick walk just to center yourself and find quiet to refresh.

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What about you? Do you eat, or strive to eat intentionally? Why don't you tell us about it in the comments, or connect with us on social media?

(Don't forget to use the hashtag #WomenOfIntention16 so no one misses it!)

Women of Intention

I am so excited to introduce you to the new series, "Women of Intention!" Maple Alps is a faith-based lifestyle blog focused on living intentionally, simply and content. The goal is to present these principles to our readers in a practical way. 

Over the next fifteen weeks (check every Monday morning!), Maple Alps will feature a woman who will talk about intentionality in specific areas in her life. These areas will include faith, relationships, lifestyle, finances and health (scroll to the bottom to see a complete list).

It has been so exciting getting to know the amazing women being interviewed, and I hope you will be as inspired and motivated by their stories and insights as I have been.

We want to grow the community of intentionality. Please feel free to add and share throughout the next fifteen weeks as we explore the topics being discussed. You can do this through commenting on the interview posts, or engaging and sharing via social media - commenting or posting! We would love to see how you're finding intentionality in your lives. Go ahead and use the hashtag #WomenOfIntention16 on your tweets or posts to make sure everyone sees it and can be inspired too :)

Keep up with the posts every Monday morning, or keep checking back to this post, where I will list the links are they are posted. Please note, that order of topics is subject to change.

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Week One: Faith

Week Two: Clean Eating

Week Three: Romantic Relationships

 Week Four: Family

Week Five: Motherhood

Week Six: Fitness

Week Seven: Simple Living

Week Eight: Faith

Week Nine: Friendships

Week Ten: Simple Living

Week Eleven: Mental Health

Week Twelve: Finances

Week Thirteen: Cross-generational Relationships/Mentorship

Week Fourteen: Health

Week Fifteen: Biblical Womanhood

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Are you practicing intentionality in your life, or striving for it? Were you especially inspired a featured blogger? Are you excited for this series? Why don't you tell us and everyone you know about it? There are likely many readers who share the same thoughts.

Tweet about it, post on Instagram or Facebook - wherever you want - and use the hashtag #WomenOfIntention16 to interact with the small community of like-minded readers! I know that everyone involved would love to hear from you!