Tuesday's Tip

The tip for today is healthy eating. I find eating healthy and proper portions is a money saver. It is good for you too. A rule I try to follow for meals is to think of the plate of food as a whole. One-fourth of it should be your meats or proteins. Another one-fourth should be your starches (i.e. breads, grains, potatoes). The remaining half should be vegetables. This allows for the servings from each of the food groups to be met. You can find out about those here.


Another thing with portions is the size not just ratio. You might follow the ratio but that 8 ounce-serving of steak is not the proper portion size. 3 ounces or about the size of a deck of cards is the proper portion size for meats or meat substitutes. Other proper portion sizes for food:


How does this help save money? Simple. You eat more of the foods that have fiber like your vegetables and fruits. Fiber helps you in many ways. One is making you feel full longer since it is not digested as quickly. Selecting whole grains for the starch portion (1/4) is a good source of fiber too. When you do not over-eat, you are not only healthier for it, but you do not consume as much. That means you do not need to buy as much. Buying healthier foods and cutting back or eliminating empty calorie, non-nutritional foods will help the budget.


I like sweets once-in-awhile, but they are not a main staple in my home. That includes chips, soda, sugary snacks and the like. I do not need the temptation, and my children do not need them for their growing bodies (up not out).