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Health and Fitness Tips

Eat Right and Save for the Holidays

Though body-sculpting and fitness are definitely healthy habits, they can also get expensive: For men, eating protein-rich meals 4 - 6 times a day can easily add up to hundreds of dollars each month. Here are some practical ideas to slash your grocery budget yet still allow you to eat right and maximize the effects of your training.

The most obvious culprit of an inflated food budget is convenience. For example, an egg bagel with cream cheese will run you about $3.90 at you favorite morning breakfast stop. Buying the exact same ingredients from the grocery store and making the breakfast at home costs far less, $1.30 to be exact. You are paying $2.60 for convenience each day.

A packet of maple and brown sugar oatmeal cost $.50. Go for a serving of Quaker 1-minute Oats mixed with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and you'll spend only $.17.

To start saving, bring the canister of oatmeal to work rather than the packets. Invest in a six-pack of bagels and cream cheese, and save time and cash from your daily breakfast stop. And coffee - if you can't brew it at home, switching to regular coffee instead of a cappuccino or latte can save big bucks, not to mention calories.

Saving on your basic staples can also help. Meat, a body-sculptors staple, is one of the most costly items at the grocery store. To save, skip USDA Prime and Choice ratings and go for USDA Select (marinate the meat to keep it tender). A whole chicken costs much less than packaged skinless chicken breasts and allows you to enjoy different parts of the bird.

Farmer's markets often sell eggs for less than commercial stores. If you'll use them, buy the 18-pack rather than a dozen or six-pack. Raw eggs keep in the fridge for about 5 weeks, hard-cooked eggs for about a week. An excellent source of protein, eggs are a great tasting food that is healthy and economical.

If you want to buy nectarines and cherries in December, you'll be paying top dollar - but a huge bag of Red Delicious apples may run you just $2. Go for produce that's on sale and in season to save big money at the grocery store.

Coupons are the way to save on bread and cereal. So scour the Sunday paper, go online, or watch for sales at the grocery store for great deals. Consider buying generic or when a brand you like goes on sale for a great price, stock-up. When bread goes on sale, but extra loaves and freeze them.

Finally, shop around to find the better deal, because grocery stores do differ in pricing. Saving money at the grocery stores and on your daily eating habits is a great way to offset holiday expenses.

Rick Gusler is a certified personal trainer and diet nutritionist who serves his clients through Gusler Body Sculpting Fitness Center in central Denver. To schedule a free consultation, or to learn more about the Gusler method of body sculpting, spin yoga, or Rick's Boot Camp, please contact him at 303.860.7131 or online at www.guslerbodysculpting.com.

Gusler Body Sculpting Fitness Center, LLC
459 Acoma Street · Denver, Colorado 80204 · 303-860-7131
Hours: Monday-Friday: 6am-8pm · Saturday: Closed · Sunday: Closed