Budget-friendly
Healty Eating
How to eat smart
Here are some tips to eat better on a budget:
-
Choose fruits and vegetables that are in season, as they are more abundant, fresher and tastier, and therefore cheaper. Out-of-season produce often needs to be imported or grown in greenhouses, which increases the cost.
-
Eat more sources of plant protein, like legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds and some vegetables (like broccoli, potatoes): they are cheap and a great substitute for meat.
-
Buy frozen and dried fruit and vegetables that are cheaper than the fresh ones but still keep their nutrients. They also last longer, so there is a lower chance to waste food.
-
Avoid buying processed foods, as you can achieve the same result spending less money and a little time by making them yourself. For example, already made tomato sauce costs around 40/50 SEK, while buying ingredients to make it at home costs less than a half. On top of that, the one made at home is healthier, as it does not contain preservatives.
Hack your brain
Did you know that the way you eat can affect your performance in school?
There are several fats, vitamins and minerals that help with concentration, memory and tiredness, and are beneficial when studying and just going about your day. Some, like omega-3 and magnesium, can not be produced by the body itself and therefore it is important that you consume food that includes it.
Omega-3
What's good about omega-3 is that it provides normal brain function. It's a type of polyunsaturated fat, it both repairs and builds our cells, so it's not the type that's bad to consume. Omega-3 is in fish that is rich in fat such as herring and salmon and many plant based oils.
B6- and B12-vitamin
B-vitamins such as B6 and B12 help with energy production. In order to get these vitamins remember to eat animal products such as meat, eggs and milk. If you happen to be vegan or vegetarian then you could find B6 in a lot of leaf vegetables, fruits and potatoes, but for B12 there are less alternatives, although milk substitutes like oatmilk, ricemilk and soymilk is quite rich in the vitamin but otherwise supplements are recommended.
Magnesium and Iron
Magnesium and iron are minerals that help with sleep, tiredness and our psychological functions. Magnesium is particularly important for your entire body to work, and some studies have shown that it’s linked to good brain health.
Iron offers oxygen to the body and gives it energy while also making sure your brain works well. Legumes, like peanuts and beans, are a great way to get your magnesium, as well as whole grains, like bread and oats. For Iron, you can eat different types of meat, or dried fruits and nuts. It’s important to get your needed amount of iron, since iron deficiency is not uncommon and can result in tiredness and a weakened immune system.
C- and E-vitamin
Both C vitamin and E vitamin are antioxidants and have been discovered to be beneficial to our cognitive and psychological functions. If you want to give your memory a boost then these are the ones for you.
Citrus fruits are the way to go in order to get your daily intake of C vitamin which can also be found in many vegetables and berries. But remember that if you warm up food containing this vitamin it reduces it so maybe it can be good to just take a salad or drink some juice instead.
E-vitamins are found in different types of plant oil, nuts, seeds, and green vegetables for
example broccoli. If you're not the biggest fan of vegetables and such, then eggs also have a high amount of E-vitamin.
Also remember that not consuming these fats, vitamins and minerals can have real effects, they are important for the body's function and if you don't eat enough of them then that might be a reason for why you aren't performing as well as you would like. A steady nutrient intake will keep you feeling well and healthy.
Refrences:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11200558/
https://www.apoteket.se/kategori/kosttillskott-vitaminer/kosttillskott-for-alla-tillfallen/fokus/
https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/livsmedel-och-innehall/naringsamne/salt-och-mineraler1/magnesium/
https://www.kronansapotek.se/tipsochrad/kost-naring/darfor-ar-det-viktigt-med-omega-3/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7019700/
https://www.apohem.se/tips-rad/mat-recept-naring/magnesium-somn-stress
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/iron
https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/livsmedel-och-innehall/naringsamne/salt-och-mineraler1/jarn/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11200558/#sec3-antioxidants-13-00701
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-Consumer/