DASH Diet on a Budget – Overview
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive; the same holds for a DASH diet on a budget.
Now, talking about the DASH (Dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet, the focus has to be on ‘eating right’.
Furthermore, the same diet must be affordable and not exceed the budget.
Let’s look at some handy tips and tricks that make the DASH diet on a budget possible for every human being.
Handy tips to accommodate a DASH diet on a budget
Plan your snacks and meals in advance
Plan and decide what food items would come as a part of the menu for the coming week.
This way, you can easily prepare the grocery list without exceeding your budget. Doing that, keep checking all the available offers on offline and online stores dealing in the same items.
Always opt for unprocessed food items.
Seasonal and non-processed foods are way cheaper than processed alternatives. The reason behind this is its wide availability and low demand.
Hence, opting for the same can make you save some good money during your grocery shopping.
Go for bulk grocery shopping.
Go for bulk buying, especially meat, pasta, canned goods, and rice. You can easily stockpile the same goods if their shelf life is good enough for the whole week.
Conversely, you can simultaneously take advantage of various promotions and offers to save some good money.
Purchase from the local farmers and vegetable sellers
If you purchase from a local farmer, you can grab some high-quality foodstuff at dirt-cheap prices.
The reason behind this is the elimination of the cost paid to the middleman who takes the same food item to the big branded grocery store.
Start cooking at home.
Home-cooked food is reasonably cost-effective, and you can save a lot of money that can be spent on other necessities.
The Dash diet plan below is prepared considering budget limitations. If you’d like to see the standard version of it, check out the Dash diet meal plan.
Weekly sample planner for DASH diet on a budget
Day 1.
Breakfast- 1 serving each of pineapple, coconut muffins, fruit smoothie, and scrambled eggs
Lunch- 1 serving of carrot & cheddar sandwich with 1 serving of pineapple slices
Dinner- 1 serving each of grilled herbs, turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and green beans
Day 2.
Breakfast- 1 serving of soaked oatmeal with ripe pear and 1 tbsp of raw honey
Lunch- 2 servings of homemade turkey dunkers with 1 serving of apple slices
Dinner- 1 serving of spaghetti with meat sauce and 1 serving of Ceaser salad
Day 3.
Breakfast- 1 serving of non-fat Greek yogurt with banana splits and 2 hard-boiled easy to peel eggs
Lunch- 1 serving of spaghetti with meat sauce with raw veggies with ranch dip
Dinner- 1 serving of French toast casserole with 1 serving each of nitrate-free sausage links and fruit salad bowl
Day 4.
DASH diet on a budget – Egg salad sandwich
Breakfast- 1 serving of French toast casserole with 1 serving each of nitrate-free sausage links and fruit salad bowl
Lunch- 2 servings of egg salad sandwich with 1 serving of cultured pickles
Dinner- 1 serving of shepherd’s pie with 1 serving of garden salad
Day 5.
Breakfast- 1 serving of nuts with pumpkin bread with 2 over-easy eggs and 1 bowl of fruit smoothie
Lunch- 1 serving of strawberry and cream cheese rollups with 1 serving of crispy nuts and dried fruits
Dinner- 1 serving of baked COD with escarole & lemon with 1 serving of wild rice and fudgy brownies
Day 6.
Breakfast- 2 servings of blender waffles with 1 serving of nitrate-free bacon and 1 cup of mixed berries.
Lunch-2 servings of turkey and apple quesadillas with 1 serving of Caribbean carrot salad
Dinner- 1 serving of Italian sausage and white bean soup with 1 serving of sourdough rolls with butter
Day 7.
Breakfast- 1 serving of open-face waffle sandwiches with 1 cup of fruit smoothie
Lunch- 1 serving of Italian sausage and white bean soup with 1 serving of sourdough rolls with butter
Dinner- 2 servings of chicken & veggies with dumplings and 1 serving of mesclun salad
Summing it up
DASH diet on a budget is relatively easy and you have to keep a tab on your spending while shopping for your favorite food items at the grocery store.
Also, consult your physician or health specialist before starting this diet plan.
See Also