Groceries on a budget

Why increase access to nutrition education? An individual’s nutrition habits depend on their environment, culture, finances, social interactions, systemic issues within healthcare, and more. Due to these obstacles, we believe making it easier for people to incorporate heart-healthy nutrition habits is crucial. Today, we’ll address things from the financial perspective.

The cost of living has skyrocketed, and prices for nearly everything we consume have gone up. As a result, our grocery bills have, too.

Depending on your circumstances, this can be merely inconvenient or completely life-altering. The former can look like choosing between eating out with friends or cooking at home. Unfortunately, the latter can mean cutting the grocery budget to prioritize other living costs. Of course, there are also the outliers and the individuals who will fall somewhere in between.

Helpful budget-grocery guidelines to follow

1. You don’t have to buy organic. While there are benefits to buying organic, if you’re on a budget, you can make swaps that are still great for your gut and overall health.

2. Canned food is ≠ unhealthy. Canned tomatoes, beans, and other vegetables can be incredible alternatives to fresh vegetables. They also have the bonus of keeping for longer.

3. Keep your mind open to making swaps. By learning to cook with different spices, you can make foods you aren’t used to eating taste good.

Budget-friendly faves from the Treeo team

• Canned beans (we love how diverse chickpeas are)

• Potatoes (we don’t mean deep-frying them or soaking them in oil)

• Rice (white rice is just fine)

Ways to use these 3 staples:

• Canned beans/chickpeas

  • Blended into hummus and topped with spices

  • Combining them with fragrant spices, garlic, ginger, onion, and tomato to make flavorful curries

  • Chickpeas sprinkled with spices and mixed in a bit of oil, tossed in the oven, and enjoyed as a crunchy alternative to chips or other store-bought snacks

• Potatoes

  • Boiling, then smashing potatoes before baking them to create crispy bites

  • Potato-lentil stews, soups, or daal

  • Herby potato salad that you can try this May!

• Rice

  • Eaten with curries or with daal to add extra calories

  • An “everything bowl” with spiced rice as the base, potatoes, and lentils piled on top, and any veggie you have on hand as the topping

  • Southwest rice salad with canned corn and spices, peppers, black beans, and spritzed with lime

More is coming from us on how to remix these ingredients, add spices, and create delicious meals that lower your heart disease risk. When you sign up, your team can cater your plan to incorporate cultural and/or budget-friendly recipes.