How to eat healthy and varied, but not too expensive

What should be a healthy diet

Proper nutrition is not a strict diet with many restrictions. A healthy diet should be balanced, varied and provide the body with all the necessary substances.

WHO recommendsHealthy diet World Health Organization adults follow these rules:

• Eat at least 400 g of fruits and vegetables per day, with the exception of potatoes and other starchy root vegetables.
• Make sure that fats account for no more than 30% of calories consumed per day.
• Eat no more than half a teaspoon of salt per day and limit the amount of sugar in the diet.

Don't forget about protein. By normsMethodological recommendations MP 2.3.1.0253-21 "Norms of physiological needs for energy and nutrients for various groups of the population of the Russian Federation" Rospotrebnadzor, it should account for 12-14% of the daily calorie intake. Their remaining share is covered by carbohydrates.

In order not to get confused, remember that an adult man should receive 75–114 g of protein, 72–127 g of fat, 301–551 g of carbohydrates per day. The norm for women is 60–90 g of protein, 57–100 g of fat, 238–435 g of carbohydrates.

For children, the general recommendations are the same as for adults: more fruits and vegetables, less sugar, salt and fatty foods. The intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates varies depending on age. For example, children older than one year should receive 39–87 g of protein, 44–97 g of fat, and 188–421 g of carbohydrates per day.

It is also worth making sure that the food contains enough fiber: for adults it is 20-25 g per day, for children - 10-22 g.

Where to get the right nutrients

Because of the flashy photos on social networks and advertising, there is a stereotype that a healthy diet is necessarily avocado toast, fresh fruit smoothies, quinoa and grilled salmon. All of these products are useful, of course, but with a limited budget, they will have to find cheaper replacements. We tell you what to pay attention to.

Budget sources of protein

The most expensive sources of protein are seafood, fish and meat. They will have to buy less often. What to take for a replacement? For example, beans. In chickpeas, lentils and beans contained1. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt Nutrition Facts & Calories
2. Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt Nutrition Facts & Calories
3. Beans, kidney, all types, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt Nutrition Facts & Calories lots of protein and choline.

Stock up on inexpensive canned beans or boil them yourself. Add cooked beans and lentils to salads, soups, and stews, or mix with rice and buckwheat for a more nutritious side dish.

Chickpeas are useful for homemade hummus or a healthy dessert, for example brownie or cookies. And don't spill aquafaba bean cooking liquid: use it instead of egg whites for baking and sauces.

Another available source of protein is dairy products and eggs. 100 g of cottage cheese contains 16 g proteinCurd 5%. Calories and nutritional value, in cheese - 21 gCheese. Calories and nutritional value, and in chicken eggs - 6 gEgg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled Nutrition facts & Calories. Buy cheese, yoghurts and cottage cheese without sugar and obscure additives. If you want to save even more, make these products Houses. So you will be completely confident in the composition.

You don't have to give up meat completely. Just choose inexpensive cuts and cuts: instead of chicken or turkey fillets, you can buy wings, drumsticks and thighs, and replace beef tenderloin with flank and shoulder blades. These parts tend to be higher in calories and not as tender, but this problem can be solved. Cut off the fat in advance, beat and marinate the meat so that it is softer, and pick up a light side dish for it.

Instead of already cut chicken, buy a whole carcass - it will be more profitable. Remove the skin and fat, cut off the fillet for the second courses, and boil the broth from the rest. It can be frozen and used as a soup base.

Add offal to the menu more often. Chicken liver is much cheaper than the same fillet, while it contains 25 g proteinChicken, liver, all classes, cooked, pan-fried Nutrition facts & Calories, a lot of iron and selenium, and is prepared in 10 minutes.

In the fish department, pay attention to mackerel. It is much more budgetary than salmon, but protein and omega-3 in it moreFish, mackerel, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat Nutrition facts & Calories. Add pollock, hake and squid to your shopping list - these inexpensive foods are high in protein and low in fat.

budget sources of fat

WHO recommends eating more unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats. The latter are butter, coconut and ghee, fatty meat, cream and lard. And the first ones are found in liquid vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and oily fish.

You don't have to buy expensive olive oil to get healthy fats. Ordinary sunflower has less omega-3, but moreOil, vegetable, industrial, mid‑oleic, sunflower, principal uses frying and salad dressings omega 6 and vitamin E - these substances strengthen the immune system.

Rich in unsaturated fats, magnesium and phosphorus, inexpensive peanuts, walnuts, pumpkin and linseeds. These are good additives for salads, cereals and cottage cheese. Try to make homemade nut butter - It can be put in smoothies and desserts or used as a dip.

Budget sources of carbohydrates

Let's move on to the main source of calories - carbohydrates. They are found in a huge number of products, but are not equally beneficial to the body. To choose the “right” carbohydrates, read the labels and use the 10:1:12 formula. We wrote about it in detail in a separate article.

Cheap whole grains pass the test perfectly: buckwheat, millet, pearl barley and oatmeal. To prevent porridge from getting bored, use various additives: aromatic oil (for example, unrefined sunflower or camelina oil), cheese, herbs, vegetables, soy sauce.

Many carbohydrates are found in bread and pasta. For a healthy diet, products made from ordinary white wheat flour are not suitable. Try replacing them with durum wheat pasta and rye flour pastries with bran and seeds. These foods have more fiber.

Potato and other starchy carbohydrate-rich vegetables are not usually associated with proper nutrition. The reason is the high glycemic index. This means that such foods dramatically raise blood sugar levels and do not give a long-lasting feeling of satiety. But they can also be added to a healthy diet, if you follow these rules: boil and bake vegetables, not fry, cook them with the skin and do not combine them with fatty foods.

When compiling a menu, do not forget that carbohydrates are also found in legumes, nuts, vegetables, fruits and milk.

Budget Sources of Fiber and Vitamins

These substances are found in vegetables and fruits. In the warm season, zucchini, tomatoes and peaches are sold at reasonable prices, but in winter many people cannot afford it. To save money, shop for seasonal items. In the cold months, these are different types of cabbage, carrots, turnips, radishes, beets, persimmons, apples, pears, quinces and citrus fruits.

The set is not the most gourmet, so look at boring products from a different angle and try new recipes. For example, make carrots dessert And Moroccan salad, and from white cabbage - steaks and gratin.

Buy frozen vegetables and berries more often. Useful substances in them not lessVitamin Retention in Eight Fruits and Vegetables: A Comparison of Refrigerated and Frozen Storage / Ali Bouzari, Dirk Holstege, and Diane M. Barrettthan in fresh ones, and the price is lower and does not depend on the season. If you have a dacha, freeze the harvest. Greens and even some vegetables if desired grow all year round in the apartment.

How to create a healthy and inexpensive menu

To spend less on food, you should plan your diet in advance. This will help you throw away less food, avoid overstocking at the store, and control whether the food contains enough of the necessary elements.

If you don't know how to approach menu planning, try using our recommendations.

General Rules and Tips

Consider your routine and lifestyle

Athletes need more high-calorie food. People with a sedentary lifestyle should increase the amount of vegetables in their diet. Larks can’t live without a hearty breakfast, and owls can’t live without a late dinner. So listen to your body's needs when planning your menu.

Collect your favorite recipes in one place

Save them in one folder, transfer them to notes on your phone, or copy them in a notepad in the old fashioned way. If all the dishes are in front of your eyes, the question “What to cook today?” will not lead to a stupor.

Don't skip meals and plan snacks

The feeling of hunger makes you buy extra and not very healthy products. Therefore, eat enough to feel full, take healthy snacks with you and arrange occasional cheat meals. This way you can stick to a healthy diet for a long time and not experience stress.

Use more spices and herbs

If the taste of healthy and inexpensive products seems not very expressive to you, add more spices and herbs to your food. They are inexpensive, but will make the dish much tastier and more aromatic. It is also an additional source of vitamins.

Watch what you throw away

This advice may seem strange, but it works: pay attention to your trash can. Record what, how often, and how much you throw away. The information will help adjust the menu and shopping list.

You can’t overpower a pack of milk before the expiration date - remember that you should take a smaller volume. Bananas are stale - buy fruits that are eaten with pleasure at home in a couple of days. Pour out the leftover soup regularly - cook in a smaller saucepan.

Sample healthy menu for the week

If ideas for healthy and inexpensive dishes do not come to mind right now, go to "There is time» - dozens of simple recipes are collected there. Of the most interesting, we have compiled a menu for the week. It is designed for those who have time to cook. If this is not about you, choose and combine any positions you like.

Monday

For breakfast, try the unusual chocolate chickpea waffles. You can supplement them with natural yogurt or seasonal fruits. For lunch, bake fish in foil and cook porridge with vegetables for it, and for dinner - light chicken soup with egg and corn. For a snack, opt for a smoothie, which can be made from inexpensive frozen berries.

• Chocolate PP chickpea wafers →
• Pollock baked in foil →
• Millet porridge on the water with vegetables →
• Chicken Soup with Corn and Egg →
• Smoothie with cranberries and Greek yogurt →

Tuesday

Add a poached egg and cheese to a regular breakfast oatmeal for a full-fledged hearty meal. For lunch, bake chicken hearts, as a side dish there will be rice and beans. In the evening, prepare a simple salad of chicken, carrots and orange, and for a snack, chop fresh vegetables and make hummus.

• Oatmeal with cheese and poached egg →
• Shish kebab from chicken hearts in the oven →
• Boiled rice with beans →
• Salad with orange and chicken →
• Carrot hummus →

Wednesday

A simple breakfast idea is an omelette. Cook it in the oven with vegetables (frozen will work too). For lunch, make a tender fish soufflé and beetroot salad - you can cook it in advance and store it in the refrigerator. For dinner - a simple salad with squid and vegetables. You can have a snack with homemade sweets made from dried fruits and nuts without sugar.

• Broccoli omelette in the oven →
• Fish soufflé →
• Simple Beetroot Salad with Bryndza →
• Simple salad with squid and vegetables →
• Candies made from dried apples and nuts →

Thursday

Bake a lazy pita pie with cottage cheese. It is good both hot and cold - suitable for breakfast and dinner. For lunch, a hearty soup with liver and lentils, and for a snack, healthy vegetable chips. And if in the evening you don’t feel like eating the same thing as in the morning, make cabbage rolls with rice and mushrooms. They can be served with yogurt or low-fat sour cream.

• Super simple lavash pie with cottage cheese →
• Soup with chicken liver and lentils →
• Chips from beets and carrots →
• Lean cabbage rolls with mushrooms →

Friday

If you don’t feel like eating porridge often, make quick oatmeal pancakes out of cereal. You can wrap both sweet and savory fillings in them. For lunch, try chicken meatballs in the most delicate sauce and baked cabbage. In order not to be bored without sweets, cook apples with cottage cheese for dinner. Any variety and not the most presentable fruits are suitable for the dish. For a snack - crispy chickpeas with spices. You can take it with you or add it to salads and soups instead of crackers.

• Oatmeal with fruits and berries →
• Chicken meatballs in light yogurt sauce →
• Roasted Cabbage with Garlic →
• Baked apples with cottage cheese →
• Crispy Baked Chickpeas →

Saturday

On weekends, you can spend more time preparing breakfast. For example, make granola baskets, fill them with yogurt, soft cottage cheese, and seasonal fruits. But the idea for lunch, on the contrary, is very simple - meat and frozen vegetables are cooked in one pan. For dinner, try a light cauliflower salad (you can replace the sour cream in the dressing with less-fat yogurt). For a snack, make spicy Georgian pkhali from beets.

• Granola baskets with yogurt →
• Chicken fillet with vegetables in a pan →
• Cauliflower Salad with Cucumbers and Eggs →
• Beet pkhali →

Sunday

Another unusual breakfast option is the Pulyar air omelette. It can be served with fresh vegetables and cheese. For lunch - stewed mackerel and a side dish of boiled rice, which will be ideally combined with a thick tomato sauce. For dinner - juicy homemade sausages and spicy pumpkin. And for a snack, bake a healthy carrot cake.

• Omelet "Pulyar" →
• Mackerel stewed with vegetables →
• Chicken PP-sausages →
• Pumpkin baked in the oven with chili →
• Carrot PP‑cake →