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Simply Sarena

Simply Sarena

Home | Toxin Free | Healthy Eating | How To Make Healthy Food More Affordable | Healthy Eating On A Budget

How To Make Healthy Food More Affordable | Healthy Eating On A Budget

Healthy Eating, Toxin Free

When I go to the grocery store, I see people’s carts filled to the brim with junk food. Ice cream, chips, frozen pizza, cookies, packaged snacks…unfortunately, that is what the average American’s cart looks like.

If you are that average American and think there’s not a better option because healthy food is “too expensive”, this post may help you!

If you’re looking at the grocery shelves, the healthier options are generally a higher price however, a little math and a few other tips can really help stretch your grocery budget so the “more expensive” options become more affordable!

1: Buy The Larger Size

This is where some math comes in. My favorite yogurt, Forager’s Organic Dairy-Free Cashew Milk Yogurt is $5.99 at Wegmans for 24oz. If you buy the smaller single serving yogurt cups of the same yogurt at Wegmans, you’d pay $3 more for the same amount of yogurt! This goes for most items I’ve seen. The larger size is usually more bang for your buck!

2: Buy The Store Brand

Most stores have their own line of organic foods which is almost ALWAYS cheaper than mainstream brands. The store’s line is literally the same stuff you’d get from a mainstream brand. At Wegmans (because that’s my go-to grocery store), the Wegmans brand of organic products is always cheaper and you usually get more than mainstream brands.

3: Plan Your Grocery Trip

If you take the time to meal plan, you end up buying less groceries. I’ll use a typical week of my meal planning as an example. If I get a rotisserie chicken, celery, onion, and peppers, I can make fajitas, chicken salad, and buffalo chicken casserole. Each of these meals is enough to feed 2-4 people using 1 chicken, 2 onions, 1 bunch of celery, and 2 green peppers. I’m spending less money on groceries and none of my groceries are going to waste (which is especially important with fresh produce.)

*Also, if you want more meal planning posts, let me know in the comments!

4: Buy Produce In Season and Locally

Produce that is in season and local is always cheaper than out of season and imported. WHen produce is out of season for your area, it has to be imported and the costs of getting the produce from far away are put on the customer. If you’re able to shop at a farmers market, you can get really good prices on local produce! Local produce is also more fresh so it will keep longer and you know exactly where it came from!

5: Stay Away From Packaged Food

The “healthier” version of packaged food is ALWAYS more expensive. Most of the time, it’s not even much healthier to warrant the price. The foods I’m talking about are cereal, granola bars, chips, frozen meals, fruit snacks, protein bars, you get the picture. I rarely recommend eating packaged food and I always recommend making your own snacks! Snacks don’t have to be chips and granola bars…check out THIS POST for better snack ideas (that are also super cheap!)

***We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and other affiliated sites. Please see this blog’s Disclosure for more information.

6: All About The Condiments

When it comes to condiments, in my experience, the healthy version is usually more flavorful! More flavorful means you don’t need to use as much. For example, syrup…I grew up eating Mrs. Butterworths (high fructose corn syrup) and I’d pour a TON on my pancakes. When I started eating real, pure maple syrup, I quickly realized I didn’t need as much because it’s much sweeter! So yes, real maple syrup is more expensive, but it should also last longer because you don’t need as much!

Same goes for salad dressings! Primal Kitchen makes AMAZING salad dressings with so much flavor! They’re definitely more expensive than Kraft salad dressing, but you don’t need to use remotely as much because there is so much more flavor!

7: Spend Money On Food, Save Money On Healthcare Costs

The cost of eating the Standard American Diet is so much higher than your grocery bill. The medical costs associated with a bad diet are astronomical! Spending a little more on healthy, good quality, nutrient dense food can save you thousands in medical costs. I know some people have medical conditions they were born with and will always need medical care, but for your average American, diet plays the biggest role in their health!

For me personally, I choose to invest in my health by spending more to eat foods that are nutrient dense and high quality and I choose to avoid SAD foods. I spend next to nothing on healthcare costs and prescription medications. I don’t take any prescriptions. Also, my parents who are in their 60’s don’t take any prescriptions either and their healthcare costs are next to nothing as well. A good quality, clean diet is SO important!

8: Grow Your Own Food

If you’re really ambitious, the absolute CHEAPEST way to eat is to grow your own food! #goals

Once you get your garden started, you have fresh fruits and veggies all season!

What are some of your favorite healthy eating on a budget tips? Let me know in the comments!

September 8, 2022 · Leave a Comment

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HI EVERYONE!

I’m Sarena


I’m a Northern Virginia based Integrative Nutrition Coach, a Toxin Free Lifestyle enthusiast, a dancer, and a dog mom to my sweet girl, Miss Cammie.

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simply.sarena

Flea and Tick medication is so toxic to your fur b Flea and Tick medication is so toxic to your fur baby! But fleas and ticks are also horrible for them as well…so what option is there??

I like to use Wondercide on my dog in flea and tick season. Wondercide is low tox and is safe for your pup and you!

The only downside to Wondercide in my opinion is you have to be DILIGENT about applying it. 

My routine for Miss Cammie this summer is the flea and tick collar every time we go outside, the spray once a day, and the spot on after every bath.

Have you ever thought about natural flea and tick prevention?? Let me know! ⬇️

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#dogmom #naturaldogproducts #nontoxicdogproducts #wondercide #fleaandtickprevention #lowtoxdogproducts #healthypet #healthypets #healthydogsarehappydogs #lowtoxliving #lowtoxfamily #lowtoxlife #lowtoxlifestyle
I can literally make multiple meals with these 5 f I can literally make multiple meals with these 5 foods! They’re always great to have on hand when I don’t know what to eat.

For example, I’ll make a smoothie with the frozen fruits and veggies with some eggs for breakfast.

I have oatmeal as a bedtime snack with frozen blueberries.

I can make rice, a salad, and a few eggs for dinner.

What do you always have in your kitchen??

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#healthyfood #healthykitchen #mealprep #healthymealprep #nutritioncoach #healthcoachlife #kitchenstaples #pantrystaples #eatwellbewell #eatwellfeelwell #fillingfoods #healthyeatinghabits #nutritiontips #healthydiets #healthandwellnesstips #healthandwellnessjourney #healthandwellnesscoach
I’ve seen so many toxin free people tell others I’ve seen so many toxin free people tell others to look out for ethoxylated ingredients but no one ever says exactly what ingredients people should be looking out for!

Here is a list of common ethoxylated ingredients I’ve seen on ingredient labels for cosmetics. This is not every single ethoxylated ingredient, but these ones are super common.

Swipe to the last slide for a list of companies that do not use these ingredients in their products! 

Save this list for later!

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#ethoxylatedingredients #toxicingredients #avoid #ingredientlabels #toxinfree #toxinfreeliving #lowtox #lowtoxliving #lowtoxmakeup #lowtoxlife #cleanmakeup #crunchi #100percentpure #zuzuluxe #hancosmetics #toxinfreemakeup #toxinfreeskincare
Women use makeup everyday and use so many differen Women use makeup everyday and use so many different products. Unfortunately, most makeup does contain hormone disrupting chemicals 😩 

While switching your makeup won’t get rid of ALL your hormone issues on its own, it’s an important step to take to help regulate and balance your hormones.

Most hormone disrupting chemicals mimic estrogen. Too much estrogen can cause…
-mood swings 
-heavy periods
-period cramps
-migraines
-weight issues 
& more

My FAVORITE makeup brand that does not contain any hormone disrupting chemicals is Crunchi Cosmetics! There are other brands that are clean too…there is absolutely no reason to use toxic makeup products anymore!

If you want to make the switch to makeup that won’t mess up your hormones, DM me for a link for $10 OFF clean makeup! 

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Is this time change effecting anyone else horribly Is this time change effecting anyone else horribly this week?? My sleep schedule is so thrown off! 

I’m realizing more than ever how important it is to get the day started right! My morning routine really sets the tone for the rest of my day! 

It effects my mood, my energy, and even how I feel about myself!

If you need a better morning routine, try incorporating some of these healthy morning habits into your routine! 

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#morningroutine #morninghabits #morningperson #startthedayright #healthyhabits #healthymornings #healthcoach #healthandwellnessjourney #healthandwellnesstips #wellnesstips #healthylivingjourney #healthylivingmovement
It’s always a good day for tea at The Greenbrier It’s always a good day for tea at The Greenbrier! 🍵💕 

I obviously couldn’t miss tea time since I clearly have a tea addiction. And of course I had to show up in some new sustainable fashion!

If you’ve seen my stories recently, I’m done and I mean DONE with fast fashion. Check out my fashion highlight for more deets, but in a nutshell, fast fashion is full of toxic chemicals, plastics, unethical workplaces for workers, and soooo much waste!

I have vowed to myself to stop buying fast fashion and only purchase new items from sustainable, ethical, plastic free companies OR purchase second hand items to cut down on waste.

The dress I’m wearing was originally $218 and I found it new with tags Thredup for $20! 

Let me know where you like to find sustainable clothing! ⬇️

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#sustainable #sustainablefashion #sustainableclothing #thredup #sailtosable #thegreenbrier #thegreenbrierresort #teatime #teatime🍵 #secondhandfashion #secondhandclothes #secondhandfirst #sustainablestyle #ecofriendlyliving #ecofriendlyclothing
Clothing has a huge impact on the environment and Clothing has a huge impact on the environment and our health! I am officially done buying fast fashion clothing. There are other ethical, environmentally friendly, and toxin free clothing options!

Swipe through for more info! Also, these are obviously not the only organic and sustainable companies out there 😅 Just a good place to start on your ethical, eco-friendly clothing journey! 

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#toxinfreeclothing #sustainableclothingbrands #ecofriendlyclothing #fastfashionsucks #fastfashion #fastfashiondetox #fastfashionkills #ethicalclothing #thredup #poshmark #swapclothing #secondhandclothing #toxinfreelifestyle #lowtoxliving #lowtoxlife #2023fashion #fashionfacts #organicfashion
I literally eat this breakfast EVERYDAY! I did a I literally eat this breakfast EVERYDAY!

I did a whole other reel on lemon water, so check out my page to see why it’s so good for you!

My green smoothie is loaded with fruits and veggies so I get a great dose of vitamins, fiber, and healthy fats!

Eggs are PACKED with nutritional value! They’ve got protein, healthy fats, B12, iron, and more! They help you stay full and give you energy. 

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#healthybreakfast #healthybreakfastideas #nutritioncoach #whatieat #greensmoothies #healthysmoothie #goodfood #healthydietfood #healthyfoodreel #healthyfood #foodismedicine #healthylifestyle #healthylifehappylife #healthylifestyletips #healthyeatingtips #breakfastideas #holistichealth #holistichealthcoach #holisticnutrition #holisticliving
I keep seeing Seint all over social media so I wan I keep seeing Seint all over social media so I wanted to do some digging on their products!

I love the idea of an all in one compact that you can customize to your preferences.

In my opinion, convenience isn’t worth it if the ingredients are toxic! 

Seint uses multiple petroleum based ingredients which can cause c**cer.

Their products also contain phenoxyethanol which is a combination of corrosive phenol with c**cerous ethylene oxide, talc which is usually contaminated with asbestos, and lake dyes which can also lead to c**cer. 

They also don’t do third party testing for heavy metals which means their products could be contaminated with dangerous heavy metals like arsenic and lead! 

There are much better cosmetics options out there that don’t put your health at risk! Personally, I LOVE Crunchi cosmetics. Crunchi uses ecofriendly packaging, ecocert minerals, and their formulas are completely toxin free! 

Shop my favorite toxin free products at the link in my bio 🛍

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