Tips to Live a Healthier Lifestyle for Less +Recipe: Arroz Mamposteao

Leading your family to have a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be as expensive as it seems. In fact, there are plenty of ways to stay healthy and fit without breaking the bank. Today at Healthy Rican we show you how.

Dine Out Less
The cost of eating out can really add up fast. A great way to lower your costs is by eating out less often or choosing restaurants with reasonable prices. If you do decide to dine out from time to time, look for places with special discounts or promotions that will save you some cash while still enjoying delicious food.

Check out our tips to eat at home for less below:

Invest in Your Kitchen
While this might not be an option or feasible for many, it’s worth considering as a future goal. Investing in kitchen renovations can be a significant catalyst if you're striving to adopt healthier eating habits. Having a well-designed, efficient kitchen space can encourage home cooking, enabling you to have more control over your ingredients and portions. This can lead to improved nutrition and overall health. Moreover, kitchen upgrades are one of the top considerations for potential home buyers. Therefore, if you're contemplating selling your house in the near future, a renovated kitchen can significantly enhance your property's value and appeal to buyers. It's a win-win scenario that promotes both health and financial benefits.
When considering renovations, it’s a good idea to start with the appliances. Updating old appliances and adding a range hood above the cook surface is a great starting point. The range hood will also help keep your kitchen clean. Also consider more aesthetic upgrades such as new floors, countertops, and cabinets.

Start a Meal Plan
Planning your meals ahead of time will save you time and money. It also prevents overspending on groceries and takeout. To start, make a list of the meals you want to cook throughout the week. Then, write a grocery list of the ingredients you need. This way, you only buy what you need and avoid impulse purchases or wasted food.
It’s also a good idea to purchase staples like rice, lentils, beans, and spices in bulk so that they last longer and don’t cost as much when bought individually. Purchasing groceries in bulk will save you a lot of money in the long run. When shopping at stores like Costco or Sam’s Club, you can usually find good deals on items like frozen fruits and vegetables, proteins like chicken breasts or fish filets, whole grains like quinoa or oats, nuts, seeds, canned tomatoes, and more. Plus, it’s more convenient than running back and forth to the store every other day. But make sure you are able to consume them within a few days before items go bad or start tasting funny.

Do Home Workouts
Going to the gym can be expensive but luckily, there are plenty of free workout options at home. There are many apps available that provide free guided workouts, such as yoga classes or high-intensity interval training exercises. And if space allows it, invest in basic fitness equipment like dumbbells or resistance bands for an affordable way to create an effective home gym setup.

Clean Your Home Regularly
Cleaning your home and doing chores like vacuuming and dusting reduce allergens in the home. Invest in basic cleaning supplies like mops, brooms, sponges, and disinfectants, as well as an air purifier. Use natural products like baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice, as they're inexpensive and can be just as effective as store-bought cleaners — not to mention healthier and less harmful.

To reduce the amount of time spent on cleaning, create a weekly routine that can be followed so you can stay on top of it. Tackle one room at a time — this will make the process feel less overwhelming and allow you to give your house a thorough clean without taking too much time and effort.

Make Health a Side Business
Lastly, why not parlay this knowledge of healthy living into a food-based side business? Educating others on how they, too, can live a healthy lifestyle without busting their budgets could be very rewarding financially as well as personally. It also gives more people access to better health outcomes, which is always worth investing in.

It's tricky when you're trying to keep a healthy lifestyle going for your family but are working on a limited budget. Fortunately, if you follow these tips, you can live an active life while staying within your budget. Further, by sharing this newfound knowledge with others through a side business, it will provide financial rewards and help others achieve better health outcomes.

If you are interested in becoming a Certified Health Coach, I personally loved the experience at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Find out more here: https://geti.in/465xv9b

Find your Tribe
Seek for accountability and support. It is proven that we achieve better results when we surround ourselves with like minded people. Grab a friend, your spouse, or even your kids and encourage them to cook, go for a walk, or have a dance party in your living room.

Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be boring, or feel like a chore. It should be fun and empowering. And what better way than to share it with loved ones. For extra help, find yourself a Certified Health Coach that can help and guide you along the way.

Tips to Eat at Home for Less

• Set up a budget for consuming more meals at home. As mentioned above, start meal planning.
• Choose fresh produce that is in season. Buying from local farmers markets can save you some cash when buying produce. Plus it ensures you are consuming whole foods throughout the day.
• Choose one day to plan your meals, go shopping and meal prep. Start by choosing your meals. What will you eat each day? Break it down per meal and snacks. This also helps stay on track with a healthier lifestyle. Make sure to include all food groups including whole grains, protein, plenty of vegetables with each meal, and a variety of fruits throughout the day.
• Choose foods and recipes that are easy to prepare. Examples: Rice, potatoes, roasts, crockpot soups and stews. Search on pinterest and blogs for easy recipes to make throughout the week.

Here’s my favorite meal plan:

• Breakfast Options:
  Yogurt bowls: includes yogurt, fresh fruit, organic granola, nuts and seeds.
• Overnight oats
  Prepare a batch of whole grain muffins packed with nuts and paired with fresh fruit.
• Hard boiled eggs.

All of these options can be easily prepared on a Sunday and ready for the week ahead.

Lunch and Dinner Options:

• One pan, chicken, veggies and potatoes.
• Crockpot recipes like chili, chicken soup and more.
• Prepare a batch of ground meat and save for dinners throughout the week. Examples: tacos, meat sauce for pasta, etc.
• Prepare a large batch of white rice to use for dinner, then use the leftovers for fried rice or Puerto Rican “arroz mamposteao”.

For lunch and dinners, I try to incorporate one pan meals along with baking, roasting and slow cooking. Most lunches are leftovers from the night before. Nothing gets wasted in my house.

Here’s a quick recipe for my “arroz mamposteao”