Tag Archives: Food

6 Clever Tips to Buy Healthy Food on a Budget

Date : Apr 28, 2020

Author : DR Armed Zayed

When you are trying to eat healthily, most of your budget will go on food. In fact, Americans spend 9.7% of their entire paycheck on food, statistics show.

But, what if we told you that it is possible to spend far less on healthy food if you know the right tricks?

That’s right, healthy food doesn’t have to break the bank. There are plenty of tactics you can use to save money and keep your body in tip-top shape. Here we will show you exactly how to make it possible. These are a few options you might want to try.

Get Fruits and Veggies in Season, and Freeze Them

The price for fresh produce can add up pretty quickly. Off-season products cost a lot more. That’s why Natalie Rizzo, a nutritional expert, suggests you buy berries, watermelon, or corn in the summer. They will be much cheaper even than apples. Since the market will be stocked on watermelon in the summer, they will be more affordable to get. So, you might want to buy whatever you need in bulk and freeze them for later.

Get Your Hands on Beans

Beans are rich in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, but they are also very inexpensive to get. Regardless of whether you pick canned or dried beans, you can save a lot of money and still get plenty of protein and iron. They will make an excellent addition to your meals.

Collect Coupons and Look for Special Sales

Coupons for fresh fruits and veggies do exist. They may be a little trickier to get, but once you get the hang of couponing, you’ll be on the right track. Check the newspaper, apply for a newsletter, etc. If you like to save some time, check the sale signs in the supermarket you go to. Sometimes fruits and veggies in bulk go on sale. So, always keep an eye out for discounts.

Skip the Organic

While organic food is excellent for avoiding pesticides, it is the most expensive food to get. You will be spending a lot more money and you won’t be able to afford anything else. Instead, it might be a good idea to have a chat with a local farmer. Ask them if they have a product they can bargain for.

You Don’t Need Dressing

There is no need to spend big on salad dressings. There is a much cheaper way you can get a similar result. All you have to do is mix some spices, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil, and you will get a mouth-watering salad. The best thing about it is, you’ve made it from scratch and you didn’t have to spend half of what you initially would.

Make Meat a Treat

One of the most costly parts of buying food is stocking up on meat. Yes, it is good for the body when eaten in moderate amounts, but if you want to save a few bucks, it’s better to make it a rare treat. Instead, opt for legumes, eggs, and beans. They are packed with protein and don’t cost as much. If you do want to get some meat, it’s a good idea to look for the tougher cuts, suggests the NHS. They are a little bit on the cheaper side.

Conclusion

There is no need to go over your budget to eat good food. As long as you know what can make the cut, you’ll always make it work. Of course, you can give yourself a “cheat day”, from time to time, and enjoy a nice treat. Besides, we all deserve a little pampering once in a while.

How The Plant-Based Food Industry Reached $5 Billion

Date : Mar 08, 2020

Author : DR Armed Zayed

Categories : Articles, Business News, Health Care

A lot of great things happened back in 2019. More people than ever voted in elections, there has been great progress in the fight against malaria in Asia, the rates of STDs in the United States have been declining, and more people have chosen solar energy as their primary energy source. And these are only some of the examples that we could think of.

One of the best things that could have to happen for the plant-based food industry is it reaching the $5 billion mark. It seems that the popular vegan, vegetarian, keto, and paleo diets have done their thing for the plant-based food industry, and we have a clear view of what that means.

How did the plant-based food industry grow to $5 billion?

A plant-based diet is any diet that consists of foods that are derived from plant sources. The list includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, etc. including a long list of plant-based dairy products, meats, and milk that have been developed over the years. The development of these products has promoted the growth of the plant-based food industry and restraunts serving vegan dishes.

Vegan plant-based food.

According to the data that has been released by the trade group called Plant-Based Food Association (PBFA) and the advocacy group called The Good Food Institute (GFI), the plant-based food industry managed to beat its 2018 mark. Back in 2018, the plant-based food industry was worth approximately $4.5 billion. Things changed, and in 2019, its worth increased from $4.5 billion to amazing $5 billion!

The retail sales of the plant-based food industry have grown an amazing 11.4 percent in the last year. If you are wondering how amazing these number actually are, let us inform you of the total U.S retail food market growth, that seems to only have grown 2.2 percent in dollar sales in the last year.

It seems that the plant-based food industry continues to grow and expand over the years. Over the last two years, it has grown up to 29 percent, and it does not seem to want to give up, according to the new 2019 data. The plant-based food industry has continuous growth, and it is predicted to continue growing in the following years as well. For example, the plant-based meat industry is expected to reach and surpass the $1 billion mark by 2020!

What has contributed the most to the growth of the plant-based food industry seems to be the plant-based milk followed by the plant-based meats and dairy products? For example, the sales of plant-based milk, such as almond and oat milk, which more and more people tend to add to their coffees and cereal instead of cow milk, have grown 5 percent over the past year. Now, the plant-based milk makes up to 14 percent of the entire milk category.

This is certainly a good thing, thinking about all of the health benefits that come from eating more unprocessed, whole foods such as fresh fruits and veggies instead of eating processed, junk food all year long. One of the main reasons it seems that veganism is a growing trend. More and more people decide to do this radical change in their lives and turn to eat a plant-based diet only, excluding any use of dairy products and meat. There are also many people who are trying to lose weight or simply live a better and healthier life by relying on diet plans such as the famous keto diet or the Paleo diet. A major part of these diet plans revolves around eating plant-based foods because of its low-calorie and nutrient-dense nature.

References

https://www.forksoverknives.com/plant-based-primer-beginners-guide-starting-plant-based-diet/

https://plantbasedfoods.org/plant-based-foods-retail-sales-data-2020/

https://www.pymnts.com/news/retail/2020/sales-of-plant-based-foods-hit-5b/

https://www.gfi.org/blog-spins-data-release-2020

https://vegnews.com/2020/3/vegan-food-industry-is-now-worth-5-billion