September 2020 - Balance8Life

September 23, 2020October 14, 2020

How to Overcome Late Night Cravings

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How to overcome late night cravings, the topic of the day. For days.

But, ohhh the cravings though! The need for a yummy snack at ten PM and then . . . the disappointment the next morning when you step on the scale.

And the vow that last night was the last night.

Again.

How to overcome late night cravings — Photo by Edward Franklin

Why on earth do you keep going around and around, and around . . . ?

Because, emotional eating and stress eating are all about weakness, not logic or strength.

So let’s figure out how to build the foundation to a strong fortress of saying no.

I CAN TELL YOU HOW TO OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF.

RECOGNIZE YOUR EMOTIONS

Once you understand that late night cravings really are just emotions nagging at you, not true hunger, recognizing this is step one.

Emotional eating is using food to make yourself feel better. You are eating to placate emotional needs rather than to satisfy actual real hunger.

Emotional hunger can’t be filled with food. It feels good to eat in the moment, but the feelings that triggered your need to feed your face are still there. The worst part is, you make yourself feel even worse later, because you now feel guilty. It’s a vicious, vicious cycle that only you can stop.

There is a difference in using food occasionally as a reward, or to celebrate. That isn’t bad. When my kids get good grades, sometimes I take them out for vegan ice cream or a rare treat as a reward.

When eating becomes an emotional coping mechanism this is when it is a problem.

Once you recognize that you are eating simply to cope with stress, you can then take step two.

I recommend talking with your doctor and finding a good counselor to help sort out your emotions, if you are unable to do it alone.

DIG DEEP AND DEAL WITH IT

Journaling is somewhat of an old fashioned hobby I suppose. I used to keep a diary when I was younger. Now, with voice text and even with typing, slowing down with a pen and paper gets a little annoying. Buuuutttt . . .

When you slow down, it forces you to process what you are thinking, and in the process of slowing down, you can really start to assess your feelings and figure out the why behind what you are doing.

It also takes up time you would otherwise be eating.

Face your emotions, sort them out, decide what you want to do with them, and confront them.

Once you have done this, you can go about doing other things to fill the void.

A nutrition coach can also help. A nutrition coach is someone that can hold you accountable, as well as help you start new, healthy habits.

MAYBE IT’S NOT EMOTIONS

There are also cravings that can be linked to bad food choices, food sensitivities and lifestyle habits.

“Some foods promote indefinite cravings. Unfulfilled longings or unrest cause cravings.” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine

Doctor Agatha M. Thrash also goes on to say that, “Many individuals who are sensitive to various foods taken even in small quantities get their cravings aroused.

“Sugar is a very common offender in this regard. One innocent appearing teaspoonful can do much damage in the sensitive person.

“Milk and all dairy products represent a common source of cravings.

“Salty foods irritate the stomach lining and produce thirst. Much of the mechanism of cravings is related to unrecognized thirst, causing the individual to try to satisfy his thirst by indulging his craving. If the thirst is eliminated, the craving can be handled with much greater ease.”

Full article here.

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH TEA

Now, I realize this sounds a bit trite and boring.

At night when I want something to snack on, and when I am trying to break a habit of grabbing something to nibble on during a show or while doing something before bed, I make tea.

When you fill the void with something it makes it easier to overcome the craving.

The options for flavors are endless when it comes to tea. Which makes it so fun!

Just be sure your tea is white or red, not black or green. Black and green tea have caffeine in them and aren’t good for late nights.

Rooibos is a South African red tea, and it is full of antioxidants and naturally a bit sweet.

Chamomile tea is also a bit sweet and floral, and a great calming, night time tea.

Sleepytime tea is another great evening tea!

Explore herbal, white and red teas and share with me in the comments below. Tell me what your fave herbal tea is!

When you’re making tea at night, leave out the sugar and milk. Learn to appreciate the pure flavor of the herb. Your waist will thank you later and your guilt will be set free.

For other options, read my article “Five Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water”.

WHAT BETTER WAY TO OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS THAN TO READ A GOOD BOOK!

Nope. Snacking during reading can’t be a thing anymore . . . but make you some tea and find a book that draws you in sooo deeply that you can’t even think about food.

Escape from your stress, drown your emotions in far, far away, and allow yourself to fall asleep dreaming in another world.

I would recommend a list of books here, but I write more than read, so I am going to let you list a few for me below in the comments! 🙂

If you prefer to write, like I do, it keeps your hands too busy to eat, and it works as well as reading for those who love to write.

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH CHORES

I doubt there is a person in the world who does not have a tub that could use a scrub, a carpet that couldn’t use a vacuum or some laundry that needs to be folded or ironed.

Evenings are great times to get some small house chores done and curb the appetite at the same time.

Plus, you’re getting yourself off the couch, burning a few calories, and let’s face it, you can get your heart rate up if you’re vacuuming stairs, and also, who doesn’t love a clean house when you go to fix a bowl of granola at breakfast time? Clean dishes anyone?

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH BREAKFAST

If you’re truly in it for the long haul, ready to lose weight, gain self control, eat healthy and feel amazing. . .

Begin with breakfast.

With the right foods, you will notice less cravings.

Typical breakfast foods aren’t actually good for you. (Bacon, grits, white biscuits, donuts, pastries, etc.)

Breakfast needs to be filled with unrefined foods and should equal to a third to a half of your food and take for the entire day.

This results in a sense of well being, which will help with emotional eating!

A good breakfast filled with unrefined, low to no added sugar, and complex carbs, also equals better work performance. This “feeds” your emotions positively by fulfilling the need to feel accomplished.

When I say no added sugar I mean it literally. For example, grapefruit, don’t add sugar to it! Cereal, don’t add honey, sugar or any other sweetener. Add banana or fruit if you want more sweetener. Dried fruit is another way to add sweetness without adding extra sugar.

When your morning starts with a fantastic breakfast, you have less desire to over eat later on in the day and less need to eat between your meals. Which of course leads to better weight control, which results in less emotional eating as well.

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH SLEEP

It’s evening or night time. Go to bed.

As I have mentioned before when talking about weight management and losing weight/belly fat, eating at night adds fuel to your “car” just as you’re about to “park it in the garage.”

These are bad habits that put weight on fast.

I’ve used this scenario before, and I’ll use it again. When you’re about to go on vacation, you pull the car out of the garage and before you leave, what do you do?

You take it to the gas station and fill it up! ALL the way to the top.

Why? Because you don’t want to have to stop any time soon! It is a waste of time. You don’t drive it to the gas station, put $5.00 of gas in, then carry on down the road and do this your entire trip.

Imagine doing this, then arrive at your destination, purely exhausted. Then filing up and parking your car at the hotel.

What kind of logic is this!?

This is what most people do to their bodies. They start off in a hurry, grab a cup of coffee and maybe a pastry or a granola bar and go to work. An hour later, you’re starving but it’s not lunch time. So what do you do? You eat a snack.

This happens all day long until dinner. Then you consume the majority of your calories (or over half of what you should have your entire day) right before bed.

On top of consuming a too big dinner, an hour or two later, late night cravings set in.

This is a very bad habit that adds so much weight to your waist for no good reason.

No matter how much you want to just sit and snack, if it is too tempting, and you know that you’re tired, just go to bed. A good night of sleep on an empty stomach is the best night of sleep you’ll ever have.

MORE RESEROUCES

A healthy lifestyle is all about balance.

Balance8life in motion is simply that.

Balance8life is actively engaging 8 expressions of health to our daily routines for true completion. It will always be in motion, and you will never stay in one place for too long, or the balance will slip away. So don’t get discouraged when you can’t maintain for one day. It is the overall daily routine that makes the balancing act go ’round!

The trick is to learn how to set goals that last. There are steps to setting goals that last, that make all the difference in the world when you are beginning your health journey!

For more on where to start begin your health journey, visit my blog!

And that’s it friends! I love it when the balance8 community shares and invites! Join me on my social media platforms, share my articles and tag me! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

September 16, 2020October 14, 2020

6 Ways to Stay Healthy Naturally

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

There are several ways we can stay healthy naturally, and do our best to keep sickness from entering our homes and bodies. Waiting until you think you might be getting sick is not the time to figure out how to keep from getting sick though.

6 in 10 adults in the US have chronic disease. 4 in 10 adults have 2 or more chronic illnesses.

Heart disease, cancer, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, are some of the top diseases that are the most common.

The biggest cause of these diseases are lifestyle. Lifestyles that regularly use tobacco, excessive alcohol, poor nutrition and are sedentary, are the lifestyles that can cause the above mentioned diseases.

Lifestyle choices effect our health for good and for bad. To try to avoid getting the common cold, the flu, or even more life threatening diseases it is good to follow a healthy lifestyle of wellness.

This is not to say you will never get sick, but the healthier you live your life, the less likely you will be to catch something, or for it to hang around long, if you do!

“Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.” Center for Disease and Control and Prevention.

If we take care of our bodies and keep them in great shape, we are living a lifestyle of health, strength and wellness.

HEALTH BEGINS FROM CHILDHOOD

Mental, physical and spiritual health all starts when we’re kids. How we are raised shapes our future.

When we take control of our own health as adults, or even as teens, we can alter our health destiny by changing how we live our lives, and the lifestyle choices that we make.

One of the top lifestyle choices that can alter our wellness and health is our nutrition.

SET YOUR CHILDREN UP FOR SUCCESS

If you have kids, what are you doing to set your own children up for success with a healthy lifestyle?

Are they eating fruits and vegetables or mostly sweet, fast or fried foods? What are they drinking? Have you been able to get them on an eating schedule loaded with a rainbow of colorful fresh foods?

As a server, I have personally witnessed parents sitting down to eat with their children. I’ve seen these parents order junk for their kids, while they sit there and have a salad.

Children can eat salad, too. If their taste buds are used to good, wholesome food from the very beginning, they will love healthy foods.

I’ve got 5 of my own children, and from the first time they ate food until they were in their pre-teens, they never tasted a soda, any kind of meat, any sort of pastry or pre-packaged food. I made everything from scratch, whole grain and vegan, and that is what they ate, and still prefer. (Mostly).

What is the future of your children? As an adult, what habits will they have developed from childhood?

BREAK THE CYCLE

Parents raise their children the way their parents raise them. It is a cycle that goes on for generations and it can be a set up for success or failure, depending on the habits taught and developed from childhood.

I am extremely blessed. I was raised a vegan and I am 40 now and have never once had meat.

I’m very grateful for how my parents raised me. And I remember as a kid, them catching a lot of flak for it, too. It wasn’t easy! Especially in the 80’s. I had juice on my granola because soy milk wasn’t readily available.

I feel lucky though, because I never had to give up anything on my plate or change my diet to lose weight or combat years of health problems.

My mom set me up for success, and because of her and how I was raised, I have never had to deal with excessive weight or health problems.

This is what we do for our children when we set them up with healthy habits starting at babyhood.

As adults, if we were not raised with good habits, and want to be healthy, we have to change our lifestyle habits and it will not be easy.

I know that not everybody knows what to do or where to start to make lifestyle changes. And that is why I am here. I want to be there for you as you start your healthy lifestyle journey!

(See below for beginners guides on how to start your healthy adventure!)

1. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH WATER

Water cleans us out on the inside. If you leave the inside “unwashed”, the likelihood of getting sick is higher. For best results, drink at least 8-12 glasses of water a day. Not fluids. There is a difference. This needs to be actual water.

Let me just give you a quick example of a few health problems that can be turned around with just 96oz of water in your day: Kidney stones, fatigue, lack of energy, bad breath, poor sleep, urinary tract infection, dry splotchy skin, lackluster hair, sore muscles, muscle cramps, elongated sickness, digestive problems, weight gain, and so many more pain in the butt problems, can be kept at bay simply by drinking plenty of water.

If you think drinking 96oz of water a day is impossible, I’ve got a few tricks for you right here! How to Drink 96oz of Water a Day. And if you don’t like water and can’t stand the taste, here’s a little help with that, too. Five Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water.

I am not a doctor, and of course, as always, if you’re not sure, it never hurts to ask your doctor what he/she advises for your daily water recommendations.

2. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH HERBS

“Herbs such as milk thistle, bilberry, hawthorn, evening primrose oil, garlic, Siberian ginseng and ginkgo are some of the most powerful food grade items medicine has ever seen. These herbs and others are entirely safe and very effective.” Dr. Agatha Thrash M.D. Preventive Medicine.

For more details on why these herbs are so good and how to use them read her article Designer Foods, Herbs & Disease Prevention

When I was in high school, I lived in a dorm, and for some reason this one particular year, I remember getting sick. A lot. Unusually often. One thing that the dean always made for us girls when we got sick was the shot of death. I hated it, but now, I use it for my kids.

It is a combo of grapefruit juice, fresh cloves of garlic, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, honey, and ginger. You blend this up into a shot, and literally shoot it. It burns, but it will take away a sore throat fast.

I grew up on herbs, they do actually work, and a lot of times, in my past experience, are a lot less invasive than going to a doctor and work even better.

It is important to be well educated when using herbs. I suggest doing a lot more reading on the use of herbs if it is something you want to use more of.

3. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH NUTRITION

One of the best ways to stay healthy is to eat a lot of fresh foods. Not just when you’re feeling yucky, and not just here and there. This needs to be a daily habit.

The saying prevention is better than cure is one I take seriously. And nutrition is the best way to put that saying into action.

Green, leafy veggies are on the top of my list, which is why I have “Green Drink Sunday” almost every Sunday! Habits like this make green things easy, fun and tasty. Even when my kids have friends over, they all get green smoothies or juice. It’s just how we roll!

Stay away from sugary foods like pastries, candy, ice cream, sodas, sweet tea, etc. (This doesn’t include fruit).

Sugar kills white blood cells which are our disease fighters. Increase fresh foods like citrus fruits, red and green bell peppers, kale, broccoli, kiwi, pineapple, spinach, etc. because they are high in vitamin C and they also help to increase production of white blood cells.

5. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH SLEEP

Proper sleep is essential to keeping your immune system strong and healthy. As soon as you start having late nights, disrupted sleep schedules, and then over sleeping, you’re creating the perfect playground for viruses to grow.

Getting too much sleep and not enough sleep are equally bad for your body. An adult should get at least 7-9 hours of rest per night.

For more on how to get better sleep, read 8 Steps to Improve Your Quality of Sleep. And, 7 Things That Ruin Your Sleep.

6. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH WEIGHT CONTROL

I realize this is no quick or easy fix, but it has to be done for healths sake.

Weight control goes hand in hand with exercise, nutrition, and wellness. People that are overweight are more likely to have heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and depression. These are some of the very same diseases I listed in the beginning of this article.

Excessive weight causes so many problems. Aside from disease, it is hard on your joints, your mental health, and your ability to enjoy life.

I have written articles specifically to help you begin your weight loss journey. They show you how to lose and maintain weight naturally and healthfully. Here are a couple articles for starters: Lose and Maintain Healthy Weight with Carbs and How to Maintain Healthy Weight After Dieting.

Sometimes weight loss is just something you need a little extra help with, alongside your nutrition and exercise program. I highly recommend the PhysIQ System, in combination with the Nrf2. I am a vegan so I myself won’t use the whey protein in the PhysIQ System package, but you can purchase the Fat Burn and Prebiotic separately and replace the protein with the Nrf2 for a complete package!

7. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH EXERCISE

Getting exercise has to happen. Exercise keeps us younger longer, keeps our weight in check and presents aches and pain. It can also help keeps us healthy from disease, depression, and many other things that nobody should ever have to deal with.

“As exercise is increased, degenerative diseases of all kinds are decreased, life span is extended, various minor infections such as colds are reduced . . .” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine

When you exercise, you’re breathing deeper and this helps to flush out your lungs and helps make you more resistant to respiratory infections. Do this outside and it is a win-win!

Exercise also increases white blood cells. Remember earlier how I said white blood cells are our disease fighters?

Exercise balances out our hormones. Including stress hormones. Stress makes us more susceptible to disease. So exercising brings us to a better, balanced state.

Below are some resources for beginners on how to change your lifestyle to one of wellness and health.

Beginners Guide to Healthy Living

Beginners Guide to Weight Lifting and Gym Life

What is a Vegan

5 Meals Under 500 Calories

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

I don’t know about you, but math really isn’t my thing, and neither is counting calories. But for those of you who are looking for low calorie foods and meals, I have picked some of our top family favorite 5 meals under 500 calories for you to enjoy!

There are more than 5 meals under 500 calories that you can make and enjoy with your fam, but I’m going to keep it simple and introduce just 5 to you today!

500 calorie meals — Photo by Caitlin Greene

Keep in mind that, if you are eating whole foods, plenty of fruits, veggies, (raw and cooked) and legumes, nuts and seeds, there is not really any need to count calories. Your calorie intake will be just right if you eat the right foods and don’t over eat.

Eating too fast, eating too much and eating too often are where your calories will start to add up. Also, keep it simple. The trick to keeping your calories down are keeping it real simple.

PANCAKES

Every Sunday morning, it is tradition for us to have pancakes. I make them from whole wheat flour, and everybody has about 1-3 each. I make about 12, which allows for 2 per person.

 2 homemade pancakes equals 217 calories!

That leaves plenty of room for your favorite vegan (or nut) butter and fruit, or 100% pure maple syrup topping. Our favorite is all natural peanut butter and applesauce. I also like to slice up bananas, add ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, chia seeds and walnuts. This of course is going to up your calorie and fat intake, but for a breakfast, it is not so bad. You want your highest calorie meal (or your “biggest meal”) at breakfast anyway. So go ahead and add the nuts, seeds and fruit! You’ll be full nice and long, and snacking won’t even cross your mind!

The trick to low calorie, vegan, pancake meals is making them at home, from scratch. My recipe makes 12 pancakes, and that’s 217 calories and 30.3g of carbs per serving (2 pancakes). (More for recipe info below!)

I know – it seems odd. But trust me, pancakes can be one of the most fat-free-est foods you’ll ever enjoy and not even know it’s fat free-ish! You can even omit the oil and you won’t notice. I do it sometimes when I’m out and don’t feel like going to the grocery store. Some foods do taste awful when you omit oil, but pancakes can really taste great without. It cuts down on fat, plus, it’s less expensive, and so . . . why not?

For more on what a vegan is, go here! (But wait until you’re finished reading). 🙂

POTATOES

Oh my goodness, the biggest myth ever, potatoes make you fat. Guys, no. Nope, potatoes are not fattening. Get that out of your head. They taste delicious, stop depriving your body of this amazing food!

This is one of our favorite meals under 500 calories.

Here’s the breakdown in your potato:

Calories: 87.
Water: 77%
Protein: 1.9 grams.
Carbs: 20.1 grams.
Sugar: 0.9 grams.
Fiber: 1.8 grams.
Fat: 0.1 grams.

Did you see all that fat? (I’m still looking).

The reason potatoes are known to be fattening is because most people fry them (French fries) add loads of sour cream, butter, bacon, and other fattening toppings.

Another trick to making your potato extra nutritious is to scrub all that dirt off, and eat the skin. The skin is where most of your nutrients are, so if you peel it, you’re missing out on loads of good stuff!

We top our potatoes with vegan butter, salt and pepper. Sometimes we buy vegan sour cream, but that is more of a “treat”. I grew up with extra virgin olive oil in a small hand held bottle. We used as our topping, still do most of the time. That and salt is great. Not much else is needed. But, if you’re looking for a loaded experience, steam some broccoli, or make a homemade, cashew nut gravy. Obviously the potato itself is under 100 calories, so you’ve got room to explore your with healthy toppings.

Just remember that your sauces and butters are where your fat and calories add up.

meals under 500 calories — Photo by Nick Bratanek

QUINOA

There are 222 calories in 1 cup of cooked quinoa. When I make it, I don’t cook it with butter, only salt and water. I have made casseroles with it by adding mushrooms, onions, and other veggies. (Pinterest is great for finding quinoa casserole recipes). With being such a low calorie food, you’ve got room to explore your options. Serve it with a sweet potato and broccoli. I prefer my quinoa with tofu or beans, just so I have something relatively dense to “hold me over” for the next 5 hours (or my next meal).

Fun fact: Did you know that quinoa is actually a seed? And, did you know that it is a complete –vegan– protein? This basically means that it contains all of the nine essential amino acids required to build and repair protein tissues in the body.

To put your mind at ease, having a complete protein in one meal is not necessary, so don’t run out and buy it for the sake of having complete protein.

If you eat enough calories from a healthy meal with plenty of variety throughout your day, (even if your calories come only from plant-based foods) you will get enough diversity to make up for the essential amino acids within a day. So fret not if your other proteins aren’t complete.

CHILI

Sadly, I rarely make chili anymore. My boyfriend is allergic to nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant). I tend to cook for the whole family at once, and don’t really enjoy spending extra time that isn’t necessary in the kitchen. So I don’t make chili much. But, it used to be one of our staples in our home.

My recipe is from scratch, and 168 calories for 1 bowl of chili. That also leaves plenty of room for a veggie and some fresh homemade cornbread! Delish!

This chili is made from the dry beans, with onion, garlic, tomatoes and peppers and plenty of herbs and spices. You won’t miss the meat, and don’t forget, don’t top it with any sort of fattening cream or sauce. Cilantro or parsley, and some cornbread crumbs are all you need for great flavor.

FRUIT

Yes, this is another one of our “meals” under 500 calories. I wouldn’t even bother counting calories here. Just eat up. Fruit has so many great things for your body, your body will thank you for it.

I know this isn’t a traditional meal, but for us, it is our dinner. We often eat fruit soup, fruit salad, or just a variety of fruits cut up as our “dinner”. Remember, dinner (or the last meal of your day) should not be a big meal, nor should it be a high protein high calorie meal.

Fruit is mostly water, so it doesn’t take your body hours to digest it like proteins and fats.

And that’s it folks! If you want any of my recipes, just give me a shout out and I’ll send them your way! You know where to find me . . . But if you don’t, I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

September 2, 2020October 14, 2020

How to be Vegan on a Budget

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

Have you ever wondered how you can possibly be a vegan on a budget? Or be a vegan on a budget and still feed a large family? The fake meats, cheeses and other vegan foods are so expensive!

Let me show you how I have fed my family of 7 on $600.-800. month. You can seriously save money on a vegan diet.

vegan diet on a budget for a large family — Photo by Khamkeo Vilaysing

NUTRITION SHOULD ALWAYS BE IMPORTANT EVEN ON A BUDGET

Nutrition shouldn’t suffer when you’re low on cash, but often it is one of the first things to go.

For example, let’s say you’re grocery shopping. . . buying jelly and peanut butter. Sounds simple. You have options. Too many options if you live in the US. Jelly can range from under a dollar to ten bucks, depending on where you’re shopping. So, on a budget, what do reach for? The 97 cent squeeze bottle of strawberry jelly, of course.

Here’s where things fall apart. Your jelly isn’t made of real fruit, real sugar, real colors, real flavors, or real . . . anything. You’re buying a 97 cent bottle of fake food. It is better for your health to completely omit jelly, than to buy a 97 cent bottle of counterfeit food. (Or just make it a peanut butter and banana sandwich). 🙂

Part of being healthy is eating healthy. Part of being vegan, is to be healthy. But, not everybody is rich, and not everyone can afford to buy pre-made vegan mayo, meat substitutes, 7-grain bread, vegan, frozen pizzas and Kashi ready-made vegan bowls.

If you are unfamiliar with what a vegan even is, and are just now learning, please check out my blog post “What is a Vegan?”

When you are on a budget, and especially with a large family, you have to get basic with your nutrition.

Vegan on a budget — Photo by Alyson McPhee

LEARN TO COOK FROM SCRATCH

If you don’t know how to cook, learn. It is not really impossible. It is just like any other type of hobby or skill, it takes time, you’ll burn yourself and your biscuits, but in the end, there are too many YouTube videos and Pinterest tutorials for the, “I can’t cook” excuse to be a valid excuse for years and years. You may never be a chef or a genius in the kitchen, but even those who hate cooking can cook some pretty tasty, basic, vegan food.

Cooking from scratch opens doors to all sorts of inexpensive.

I made a meal for 8 people the other day with $30. I also got food for a group of 20 people and fed them all on $49. worth of groceries.

When you cook, the trick to “inexpensive” is to utilize (brown) rice, beans, and potatoes, etc. These items are not expensive, are filling, wholesome, and can be used for a base in a lot of recipes.

Fresh foods are good for you and should be eaten daily, but go sparingly if you’re trying to feed a large family on a budget. Carrots, cabbage, spinach, collards, and veggies/fruits in season are the best way to go when cooking with fresh foods on a budget.

BUYING IN BULK IS EASIER ON THE BUDGET

There are a few things that are best bought in bulk. Wheat, oats, cashews, other nuts, and seeds are best bought in large quantities. It cuts down on cost in the long run, and provide less trips to the grocery store.

A 50LB bag of wheat can cost you $50. – $85 bucks, but if you make 2-5 loaves of bread a week, that one bag of wheat should last you 3-4 months. This also depends on how much baking your’e doing in regards to other things that use flour. But, you’re probably paying less than a dollar for a loaf of bread that is fresh, homemade and taste better than any loaf of bread you could ever buy on a shelf. (You can buy nearly brand new bread machines from goodwill for 6 bucks and it’ll do all the hard work for you!)

Same goes for oats. I make granola about once a week at most, sometimes every other week. We eat granola regularly for breakfasts. I usually buy a 25lb bag of quick oats and sometimes a 25lb bag of rolled oats, and my oats will last me 4 months. A times I only get one 25lb bag and that bag still lasts forever! But buy granola at Whole Foods, or another grocery store, and you’re looking at maybe two bowls of granola for ten bucks? Try feeding a large family on that and you’ll go broke in a week!

Here are some must-have items that make cooking from scratch and using bulk foods, much easier:  A blender  Wheat grinder    Bread machine  Crock pot/Instapot or Slow cooker.   Food processor

MONEY SAVING TIP: Believe it or not, scratch cooking isn’t as popular and therefore these expensive items can be purchased at a second hand store, typically brand new/never used, for under 20 bucks! So look there before you go to Amazon and spend $100-250. on each item!

A VEGAN ON A BUDGET HAS TO SIMPLIFY

Your meals don’t need a lot of variety to be healthy or even taste good.

Choose 3 items for a meal. Your main dish, (lasagna, beans and rice, potatoes, etc.) a fresh food, and a cooked or steamed vegetable. That is it. Choose vegetables and fruits that are in season, (corn on the cob in season is $0.25 a piece in the summer!) and you can feed a large family of 7 plus people on ten bucks.

When you bake muffins, cut the sugar and make it less of a dessert and more of a main meal. Make a quadruple batch, and cut up a bunch of oranges and you’re set for one meal. All you need for breakfast is a bunch of muffins and a fresh fruit. If my kids are still hungry, I always have granola in the cupboard. This might cost you $5-10 bucks, max.

Simplifying what is served saves so much money. I always cut corners on appetizers and desserts. This also helps with portion control and weight control, as well as money control.

Nobody needs dessert. Nobody needs an "appetizer".

What you need is your main dish, your fresh food and a cooked or steamed veggie. Maybe add a slice of bread, but that’s a complete meal. And that meal should feed the family of 7+ easily on $5-15.

CUT THE GREASE AND CUT THE COST

Vegetable, coconut, olive, peanut and other oils are expensive and unnecessary. I don’t like my food to taste bland, so I don’t omit when I know it’ll change the flavor extensively.

Sautéd veggies in water not only cuts on cost, but cuts on trans fat and weight gain. For healths sake, no sautéing should ever be done in oil, and frying should just never happen. Ever. So making the change from sautéing in oil to water sautéing could save your life and your budget. Make up for the flavor change with herbs. Allow time for your taste buds to change. It can and will happen.

Pancakes, waffles, muffins, some cakes, biscuits, and similar items can be made substituting applesauce and water instead of oil and milk, and the taste doesn’t suffer, and you’ve just cut down significantly on your budget. When I am trying to save money (or milk) I use water in place of milk, pretty much always. And honestly, it’s more of a mental thing than a taste thing anyway. Water doesn’t make pancakes, muffins or biscuits taste much different. In fact, usually when I don’t say anything, the fam prefers how biscuits turn out best with water.

Go here for more on how to lose and maintain healthy weight.

DON’T DRINK AWAY YOUR CASH

Juice, milk, and other beverages are just a waste of your health, teeth and money, and what I call a “treat”.

In our house, we drink water. Always. That’s it. I buy a filter and use water from the tap. We save the environment by cutting out plastic and our health by hydrating strictly with water form the tap in a nifty filter pitcher.

On special occasions, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays or movie nights, we’ll buy a bubbly drink or I’ll make apple cider, but typically, we don’t drink anything with our meals anyway. If we do, it is water.

Drinking with your meals isn’t good for your digestive system. Juice and other drinks aren’t a “need”. They are simply a “want” that the budget doesn’t need to suffer from.

PASS ON THE SUGAR

Sugar is expensive, especially when you buy organic, raw, cane sugar like I do. (Which is the healthiest option for baking). There are few things that really don’t need sugar at all. Experiment with this and save money. A few things I have added and omitted sugar in, are waffles, pancakes and cornbread. Muffins you can cut back on, but they are tricky and it takes a little tweaking. But pancakes don’t need sugar, and cornbread doesn’t need much (if any) either. Same goes for bread. I make 5 loaves of bread with less than a cup of sugar.

Sugar in excess will put weight on you, so for weight management, leave the sugar out where it is not a “need”.

TO BE A VEGAN ON A BUDGET, PASS ON SNACKS

Snacking adds a significant amount of calories to your daily diet and weight to your hips. They are generally pretty expensive and generally non-nutritious

and full of preservatives. So, leave those for the weekend. Or for holidays.

At our house, we have “snack night” every Saturday night. That is our tradition and has been for years. It is the only night we ever have chips, crackers, and other snack-like foods. If I am not careful, I can drop a hundred bucks on snacks for one night!

Eat your meals at regular times and fill up on whole foods and complex carbs. Don’t snack between. You’ll save money and extra weight.

For more info on how cutting down on snacks helps reduce belly fat, read my article, How to Reduce Belly Fat Naturally!

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NEED AND A WANT

When grocery shopping, cooking and feeding your family, keep in mind that there are wants and there are needs, and often the expensive things tend to be wants. Expensive things are either salty, sweet, fast or unhealthy. So use these items for special occasions.

For more on how a vegan diet is the best diet for weight control and health, read Why is the Vegan Diet one of the Best Diets?

CONDIMENTS, CREAMS, CHEESES, AND TOPPINGS

Mayonnaise, butter, nut butters, cheeses, dressings, dips, whip creams, and other extras are very fattening and expensive. I used to make my own mayo, mustard and ketchup. I still make my own whip cream. Dips we just don’t use. For two reasons, one, I don’t make appetizer, and second, we just aren’t used to it so it’s not something we miss. It saves so much time in the kitchen, money in the pocket and fat on the body.

STORE BRANDS, COUPONS, BUY ONE GET ONE

Look for store brands instead of name brand labels, it saves a lot of money. Just be careful when buying store brands. Read the ingredients. Sometimes store brands aren’t even real foods. Often these brands also have high fructose corn syrup added. I pretty much know what does and doesn’t have added sugars and salts in it, and this is something you learn as you go.

Coupons can save you about $20. a trip. Look for coupons in your junk mail (I know this isn’t food, but get toothpaste and deodorant coupons in my junk all the time).

At my grocery store, they often have buy one get one free, so I always look for these items, and I tend not to buy them when they aren’t having the special. Most likely, it’ll happen “tomorrow.”

DON’T GO SHOPPING WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY

I think we all probably know this but here’s a reminder, don’t go shopping when you’re hungry! You are more likely to buy something fast, something expensive, and something unhealthy.

For more help on how to grocery shop for healthy food, check out my blog post How to Grocery Shop for Healthy Food.

PLANT A GARDEN

If you live in the country, plant a garden. I used to have 2 raised beds. It was a small enough garden that it was easy to manage and not too much of a headache to weed, but big enough that I had plenty of squash, cucumbers, herbs, and most used in-seasonal veggies, for free.

If you have a garden your spending is going to go down significantly. Fresh food costs the most on my grocery shopping trip. I usually spend anywhere from $40-$75 on fresh food per week. When I have a garden that drops significantly!

As a side note, gardening is fantastic for several other things, too. One is earthing, which has shown to improve sleep. I write all about that, here. 🙂

I would love to hear how you have become a vegan and are doing it on a budget! 🙂 Or maybe how you want to and your ideas on how you plan to make it work.

If you have any questions, I would be glad to answer to the best of my ability! And if I don’t have the answer, I’ll either find the answer or someone else that can give you an answer. So please don’t hesitate to ask! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.