5 steps to cooking healthy food on a budget

• Check out the weekly sales at nearby stores.
• If you're regularly shopping at the same store, become a part of its membership program to get further discounts.
• Download the store's app to check for discounts before you head there or at least before you check out.

Food should not be an awards system where you either "win" or "lose" the right to eat certain dishes. And you shouldn't have to spend money on a pricey cleanse or meal prep system.

Look for ways to make favorite foods more fulfilling and nutrient-dense. Including protein or fiber-rich add-ons to your favorite foods can help make these dishes more nourishing and filling. For protein, beans, tofu, and chicken are tasty, healthy additions. For fiber, carrots or peppers are easy toppings to a lot of dishes.

That way, you don't have to cut something out of your life completely.

Depending on where you get your health tips, you may think that vegetables are only good if they come in a bottle of cold-pressed juice. Of course, different variations may matter to people who want to support certain businesses or have different tastes.

But vegetables are vegetables, no matter what. Anyone who tries to tell you something different is probably selling something. So, if you're hoping to stock up your pantry or fridge with usable vegetables that you can easily add to your meal, don't overlook fruits and vegetables in the canned or frozen section.

Most dietitians will tell you not to go to the grocery store while you're hungry. But you also shouldn't go without a list.

When you shop without a plan, it's really easy to buy more food than you need, or purchase ingredients you already have, leading to waste. Plus, you'll inevitably forget things you do need. Developing a routine to eat healthy and maintain a budget will be easier if you come to the store with an idea of what you're getting and generally how much it will cost.