Introduction
Managing finances as a university student can be quite challenging. Not a cent can be spent in vain, when tuition fees, transportation and daily expenses are all factored in. Good health is also essential to being able to concentrate and have vitality to study. This is the very message that hit me while I was in my second year of college, I had a plan to change my diet, but I wanted to stick with the same monthly budget. The first goal became a complete kitchen makeover on a tight budget.
Finding Affordable and Healthy Options
Initially I thought a healthy diet might cost more money than usual. But upon checking my spending, I found out that I was actually spending a lot more on packaged snacks and food deliveries than on fresh vegetables. So, I began looking for an affordable choice.
During a visit to the kirana store near me, I found a number of vegetables that were quite cheap. One vegetable that I liked was lady finger because it was cheap, easy to prepare, and at the same time, very nutritious. After that time, it has been consistently in my shopping list every week.
I adopted a habit of purchasing rice, lentils, and vegetables that are in season in small quantities. In this way, I managed to waste less food, and at the same time to maintain a balance of my diet. If I needed fresh food, I found it at the local kirana store for better prices than the big food stores.
Simple Meals That Fit My Budget
Thanks to my kitchen reorganization, I found cooking quite straightforward. I began to prepare plain food which took less of my time and required less ingredients. One of the first simple dishes I made was stir-fried lady finger with chapati which I still make quite often. It adequately satisfied hunger and was both healthy and affordable.
On some other occasions, I would use lady finger with dal, while at times I cooked different kinds of light sabzi. Such minor alterations kept me away from the boredom of eating the same thing all the time without increasing costs.
Over time, I noticed a positive change in my overall health. I was more active in lectures, and had less of a budget for junk food. The kirana store near me continued to be my go-to place for fresh vegetables, including lady finger and other essentials.
Conclusion
It is possible to eat well without spending too much. As a student with a tight monthly budget you have to stick to a balanced diet. Because of following my routine, the biggest shift in my cooking life was I used affordable ingredients from the pantry, instead of buying new or expensive ingredients. For this reason, the vegetables I selected, and the smart shopping plan have enabled me to eat a diverse diet without going over my budget. Even now, lady finger remains a simple reminder that healthy eating does not necessarily entail a heavy financial burden.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
