Traditional logic says that you can’t have it all. According to the Project Triangle concept in engineering, you can choose to have something fast, cheap or good – but you can only pick two. If you want something done cheap and fast then it will probably suck. If you want something good and cheap then it certainly won’t be fast. If you want something done well and fast then rest assured that you will pay a lot for it.
However, when it comes to your diet, can you have it all? Can your diet be cheap, convenient, and healthy? The answer is up to you.
If you approach your daily caloric intake with little planning, then the above concept will certainly apply. If you pick up your food at a restaurant, then you’ll definitely only be able to meet two of the criteria. I’ve had some delicious and healthy meals at restaurants, but I’ve paid for each and every one of them. Similarly, I’ve had some cheap and healthy meals but they were anything but convenient. There isn’t exactly a fast food restaurant that offers delicious grilled tilapia with steamed veggies that I know of.
The only way I know how to meet each of the three requirements is to plan your meals ahead of time and shop accordingly. Personally, I am terrible at this. I’m a very lazy/spontaneous person when it comes to meal planning. However, this is one of the many areas that my wife excels at. Lately, we have been trying to plan our meals a week ahead. This means that when we go to the grocery store we pick up everything we need for dinners that week. Neither of us are gourmet cooks, so we usually try to get easy things to prepare. And of course, when you cook your own meals, you can make them as healthy as you want. Eating in is almost always more healthy than going to a restaurant where portion sizes, hidden ingredients and side items can quickly chip away at the low-cal meal you had intended to get.
So what do you think? Have you found a better way to maintain a cheap, convenient, and healthy diet?
(photo by I Love Egg)
