How to eat healthy on a budget

It's no secret that fruits and vegetables are the key to a healthier lifestyle. Lack of fruits and veggies is associated with a number of different diseases, including type 2 diabetes and obesity. Unfortunately, fresh fruits and vegetables often hit people in the wallet, and often prices them out of healthy eating.

If you're a poor college student or struggling to make ends meet, you may be wondering how you can get more healthy foods in your diet while still adopting that healthy lifestyle. Here are a couple of tips experts recommend.

Plan your meals

As much as 50% of food gets wasted. This is industry wide, but it's no secret that a significant amount of food in the fridge goes to waste as well. Plan your meals carefully so that your food stays fresh and you use all of it. If you're careful to avoid food waste, you'll cut costs by not throwing away your hard earned cash.

Buy in season

Tomatoes are more expensive in the winter because they have to either be imported from across the globe, or grown in a hot house. It costs more to ship produce in this way, which means you'll pay more during these times.

Take advantage of sales

Sometimes, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables go on sale. When this happens, buy as much as you can and use them until the next sale. Frozen, canned, and dried vegetables are all great options for long term storage, and won't go bad quickly like fresh fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables can be expensive, but if you plan ahead you can end up saving money while still being healthy. If you've wanted to adopt a healthier lifestyle but couldn't afford it, these smart tips can really help you save.