# Healthy Eating
## September 23rd, 2020
- So, Georgia Tech has a lot of health initiatives going on on campus, as one of them we're going to tell you how you can stay healthy on a budget - hooray!
- Nutrition is a HUGE deal, and can make help your overall long-term health significantly. Some quick tips:
- Be mindful
- Do meal planning!
- Use a grocery list and a budget
- Consider cost vs convenience - oftentimes, more convenient options are more expensive
- You might've seen "MyPlate.gov," when grains/vegetables should be ~50% of our diet, fruits and proteins should make up a little less of our diet, and then calcium-rich foods (like dairy) should be an important but smaller extra component
- Some tips for fruits and veggies:
- Buy produce by the bag (its cheaper!), and make sure to buy enough for the whole week but NOT so much that we end up throwing food out
- Remember, though, that bagged produce is convenient, but costs extra
- Buy foods that are in season, but don't forget that frozen fruits and veggies still have lots of nutrients adn can last for months!
- Similarly, if you know how, freezing or canning fresh
- If you DO get canned food, make sure to get fruits that are packed in juice instead of syrup and are low in sodium
- Now, whole grains are a big source of carbohydrates, a source of energy for our brain, and help with serotonin production, so don't skip it!
- Old-fashioned, non-instant oats/rice are a big source of whole grains, and day-old bakery breads are often discounted but still good to eat
- Buying cereal/rice/pasta in bulk and storing them in airtight containers will save you money in the long run
- Whole grains have a lot of filling fiber, which means that they'll fill you up more than refined grains, and so you can use less of them for the same meal
- Proteins are the building blocks of our body, so they're important!
- Buying raw meats and seasoning them on your own is cheaper than buying them pre-cooked; using canned fish and meats for some dishes, too, are still healthy but
- For vegetarians (or just those looking to diversify their diet), don't forget about eggs, beans, and nuts!
- We'd recommend using less meat in soups and stews and instead focusing on these plant-based protein sources to keep healthy
- Finally, for calcium-rich foods, you can definitely go with dairy products like cheese, yogurt, and milk, but you can also get calcium from leafy greens like lettuce
- Buying yogurt in bulk and blocks of cheese (rather than pre-shredded cheese) tends to be cheaper and lets you control your portion sizes
- You can use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for most recipes, which can help save you money
- So, those are the food groups we need to worry about; let's now talk about what strategies you should be thinking of when you're actually shopping
- First, see what you already have in your pantry, write down what you need, and make a list of what you want to get
- Before you shop, also,
- Make sure to research the cost of different brands of the foods you want, since many are of similar quality despite differences in price
- When you do start shopping, try to avoid pre-prepared items; these are convenient, but often more expensive, so prepare 30-60 minutes per day for cooking and preparing food
- When you're shopping, too, be aware that groceries are smart when it comes to marketing and will put their most profit-heavy foods at eye level, which aren't necessarily the healthiest of cheapest
- Buy nutrient-rich foods that give you the nutrients you need; don't buy much "soul food" that might taste good but isn't actually healthy
- When it comes to organic produce, buy them for ones that you consume the skin IF you can afford them (since it makes a larger difference for those ones, by pulling pesticides out of the equation), but non-organic produce is still healthy
- Finally, take advantage of coupons and sales when they're available
- Here's a few apps and resources to look at when planning recipes or making grocery lists
- Allrecipes has a TON of recipes with ratings all available for free
- Budget Bytes is a website that has a lot of low-cost recipes
- Epicurious has many cooking tips
- There are many 5-ingredient or low-cost cookbooks out there; Jamie Oliver's cookbook is one we'd recommend
- Pinterest will let you search for recipes based on the ingredients you have available
- Klemis Kitchen is an on-campus resource that can help students who are financially struggling to get food for free
- Here's a few foods we'd ESPECIALLY recommend getting, since they're versatile and nutrient-packed
- Sweet potatoes (rich in fiber and vitamin A, long shelf life)
- Spinach/kale (rich in vitamin A/C and iron; frozen is good, too!)
- Oatmeal (used in many recipes and a quick breakfast, rich in fiber)
- Brown/wild rice (pretty cheap, long shelf life, rich in B vitamins)
- Beans/lentils (fresh or canned, rich in fiber and protein)
- Peanut Butter (lots of protein, fiber, and healthy fat, cheap and long-lasting)
- Eggs (MANY recipes, decent shelf life, good source of protein)
- So, what can you make with these ingredients? Here are some ideas!
- Scrambled eggs with spinach on whole-grain toast
- Peanut butter and fruit sandwich
- Brown rice and beans with tomato and cheese
- Oatmeal and peanut butter with frozen berries
- Stir fires with brown rice, frozen vegetables, and tofu
- Whole grain pasta with tomatoes and beans/chickpeas
- "Whole grain pasta is a good way to go if you want to be healthy, with a lot more fiber"
- Cheese and spinach quesadilla
- "...use a whole grain tortilla, if you can"
- Vegetarian chili with beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, etc.
- Black bean tacos with spinach
- Curries (ALL THE CURRIES)
- ...but they won't tell us what to make it with
- Tortilla "pizzas"
- Smoothies with yogurt/milk, frozen fruit, and oats
- Beans and tomatoes with frozen spinach and spices
- Breakfast burritos with eggs, beans, tomatoes, spinach, and plain Greek yogurt
- Loaded sweet tomatoes with eggs, veggies, etc.
- Ramen with spinach, eggs, tofu, and vegetables
- So, that's a lot of ideas, but what other ways can we save money?
- Buy long-lasting foods in bulk whenever possible
- Whenever non-perishables are on sale, get them!
- "DON'T just eat so much of a food that you get sick of it, thought"
- Cook in bulk - "you're already cooking, so you might as well get some extra meals out of it and freeze the leftovers"
- Track how much you eat out and how large the portions are
- "Not only is eating out expensive, but restaurants often give you a TON of food that you might want to split into 2 meals"
- Drinking your own water and making your own coffee
- Be aware of "hunger cues" - "if you're not hungry, don't eat just because you're bored or having a stressful day!"
- To make eating on a budget more fun, don't forget that you don't have to eat alone!
- If it's safe, try having friends over for dinner or having a potluck
- You can also split the cost of groceries with your roommates and cook with all of them, too!
- You can and should try to be sustainable, too; bring your own reusable bags, don't use the plastic vegetable bags if you can wash the foods later, buy in bulk and skip small packages, etc.
- Let's briefly talk about exercise, too, which help both our physical AND mental health
- You should be doing either 75 intense or 150 non-intense minutes of cardio per week
- You should also be doing strength training for EACH muscle group in your body at least once a week
- Make sure to stretch to improve your strength/flexibility and avoid injuries
- "And remember...have fun with this!"
- You could walk, run, or hike, you could go swimming, you could go to the gym, you could do online exercise groups, or you could incorporate exercise into your "activities of daily living," like parking farther away from the store or walking instead of taking the bus to class
- So, hopefully that's helpful! Thanks!