Healthy eating on a budget

Healthy eating doesn’t require a big budget — it takes a little planning. A friend recently came out with the classic line: “I can’t afford to eat healthily. It’s too expensive.” Frankly, that’s nonsense. In this article, I’ll show you how to put together a day’s worth of food totaling 3000 kcal for under 6 euros. All you need is smart shopping and a freezer.

Why healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive

Start by thinking your meals through. Plan your weekly menu in advance, keep an eye on best-before dates and buy only what helps you reach your goal. Visit the market, shop the special offers and use your freezer. Buy affordable meat in bulk and freeze it in portions, and you won’t waste a euro. This article is written mainly with bodybuilders in mind — which means large quantities — but the same logic applies to anyone who wants to eat more healthily.

Some things do cost more. Protein will always be the most expensive macronutrient. But shop smart and you can keep its cost reasonable, too.

Healthy eating starts with protein

Eggs

One egg provides an average of 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of healthy fats. A carton of eggs costs 1–2 euros. Eggs are nutrient-rich and should be part of the daily diet of anyone who trains.

Meat

Chicken breast costs an average of 5–6 euros per kilo, or under 5 euros on special offer. Buying a whole chicken often works out cheaper — alongside the breast, you get the thighs and wings, which are delicious. If you’re not put off by offal, chicken liver is an inexpensive superfood — it deserves an article of its own. When buying ground meat, look for lean ground meat: it seems more expensive at first, but provides more protein per 100 grams than a standard blend.

Herring

Herring is considerably cheaper than salmon and trout. It’s just as nutritious, providing the omega-3 fatty acids you need at half the price.

Dairy products

200 grams of plain low-fat quark provides 30–36 grams of protein and costs 0.5–0.8 €. Kefir and buttermilk aren’t exactly protein sources (half a liter provides around 15 g of protein, and a pouch costs 50–80 cents), but they keep your gut in good shape — and gut health matters just as much to a bodybuilder as macros.

Healthy eating and inexpensive carbohydrates

Fortunately, carbohydrates are a very inexpensive macronutrient. Rolled oats are a bodybuilder’s breakfast staple — they fill you up and provide lasting energy. Rice and buckwheat are cheap, versatile and good sources of fuel. Potatoes are my undisputed favorite: tasty, filling and just a few cents per serving — cheap with three exclamation marks.

When it comes to vegetables, look out for local produce — beets, cabbage, carrots, onions and cauliflower are affordable all year round. Frozen broccoli and green beans come in bags for one euro. Apples and bananas aren’t expensive; stock up on apples in autumn, when they’re abundant. Freeze berries yourself or buy frozen strawberries. If a relative keeps bees, get yourself one jar of honey.

Fats and supplements

If you eat chicken legs and eggs, you’re already getting a decent amount of fat. It’s also worth keeping extra virgin olive oil (for dressings) and coconut oil (for frying) in your kitchen. The upfront cost may seem high, but they’ll last for months.

For supplements, I’d stick to four things: protein powder, creatine, omega-3 capsules and a multivitamin and mineral supplement. A serving of protein powder often costs less than a pack of quark. After your workout, have 20 grams of protein and, if needed, 50 grams of sugar (dextrose) — a kilo of dextrose costs next to nothing. With these four things, you have everything you need for muscle growth. You just need to man up and train.

Daily meal plan: healthy eating for 5.5 €

These are average prices. Special offers and own-brand products will bring the cost down; big brands and gourmet options will push it up. This isn’t a gourmet menu — just clean food for muscle growth and development.

• Breakfast (oatmeal + eggs): whole-grain oats 100g — 15 cents; 4 eggs — 40 cents; frozen strawberries 50g — 20 cents; honey 15g — 10 cents. Total 0.85 €.
• Lunch (pan-fried chicken, buckwheat, beans): chicken breast 150g — 80 cents; buckwheat 100g — 15 cents; frozen green beans 200g — 40 cents; coconut oil 5g — 10 cents. Total 1.45 €.
• Before your workout (rice pudding with quark and banana): low-fat quark 200g — 70 cents; kefir 200g — 10 cents; rice 50g — 5 cents; banana 100g — 10 cents. Total 0.95 €.
• After your workout (recovery drink): Whey protein powder 25g — 1 €; dextrose 50g — 20 cents; creatine 5g — 25 cents. Total 1.45 €.
• Dinner (meat patties, potatoes, carrot and cabbage salad): lean ground meat 150g — 95 cents; onion 50g — 1 cent; 1 egg — 10 cents; potatoes 400g — 10 cents; carrot 50g — 3 cents; cabbage 100g — 2 cents; coconut oil 5g — 10 cents; extra virgin olive oil 5g — 5 cents. Total 1.35 €.
• 1 g of omega-3 fats with every meal — total 0.5 €.

Daily macros: 3000 kcal, 70 fat, 200 protein, 350 carbohydrate, 50 dietary fiber. The whole day = approx. 5.5 €.

Now try telling me you can’t afford it. One lunch special in town or a meal at McDonald’s and that money is gone — though, honestly, I don’t know if you can even get anything there for that price. A bodybuilder’s diet doesn’t have to cost more than anyone else’s. You have to eat anyway.

Of course, this is just an example and one of many possible options. Your total calorie intake and food preferences are for you to decide. For some, this may be too little food; for others, too much. The point is simple: a tight budget cannot be an obstacle. The only obstacle is in your head.

FAQs about healthy eating on a budget

Is protein powder really necessary?

No. Quark is just as good an option after a workout. But if you do the math, a serving of protein powder often works out cheaper and more convenient than a pack of quark — especially if you don’t have time to prepare food straight after your workout.

How can you save money if you live in the city and don’t have access to food from the countryside?

Your freezer and special offers are your friends. Buy larger quantities of inexpensive meat, divide it into portions and freeze it. Frozen vegetables are often cheaper than fresh ones and just as nutritious.

What’s the cheapest way to get protein?

Eggs and quark. A carton of eggs and a pack of quark will give you several dozen grams of protein for under 2 euros. Liver is also cheap and nutrient-rich — if offal doesn’t put you off.

Be smart and shop wisely. Good luck!

Author: Peep Reinart

Come and train! ArtGym