Addiction takes over all life skills. Many people don’t realize how intimately addiction weaves its way into their lives until they start living life and doing things sober. Budgeting, grocery shopping, meal planning, cooking- health, wellness, and nutrition is not often a focus for people who are completely overwhelmed by their chemical addiction to drugs and alcohol. Rather than be focused on the future of their lives they are instead focused on the instant gratification they need to fill their most basic needs, the first of which, is meeting their need of intoxication. Learning self-care and self-efficacy in recovery means learning how to take care of the mind and the body. Health and wellness includes diet and nutrition, which are essential to recovery. The mind needs the body and vice versa. Both the mind and the body need the various vitamins and nutrients which are critical for healthy functioning. As the mind is reprogrammed for health it needs nutrients which can only be found in food, like Omega-3 fatty acids. As the body is healing, it needs proteins, vitamins, fats, minerals, and energy to repair. Meeting the needs of the body during sober living can be a challenge due to finances. Some people are able to find high paying jobs and return to a career. Other people choose to start small with simple obs so as not to get overwhelmed by returning to work. Budgeting for meals, planning meals, and scheduling meals is easy with the right tools. Here are some tips and techniques for making sure you still have a balanced health and diet, while continuing to balance your checkbook:

Try to avoid food delivery apps: While it might seem like a convenience to not have to cook, shop, prepare food, and while it is certainly a convenience to have your hunger met ahead of time, the extra fees add up quickly. It’s better to prepare ahead of time and make sure you have what you need to meet your hunger needs. If you’re determined to have someone else make your food for you, you can order pickup or take out instead of delivery.

Go to farmer’s markets at the end of the day: Farmers markets are bustling from when they open to just before they close. The farmers and vendors are there from the early hours of the morning, exhausted by the time they have to break down. At the end of their day, they are in need of meeting some sales numbers but also selling their time-sensitive produce before putting it through another trip. Your selections might be more slim but you’re also likely to get fresh, and often organic, produce for cheaper.

Download a budgeting app to track your food spending: Apps like Mint allow you to set up categories to track where you spend money on food. You can set goals and see how much you spend over your goals on eating out and groceries.

Become a recipe nerd: Nothing inspires you more than finding a recipe that seems easy, delicious, and affordable. Plenty of apps allow you to save recipes, create a shopping budget and even create a shopping list.

Cook ahead of time: Eating out at restaurants all the time can be expensive. Cooking ahead of time plans your meals, guarantees leftovers, and will likely leave you extra ingredients for further cooking as well.

At Oceanfront Recovery, we believe that when you change your story, you can change your life. Our treatment facility offers a full range of residential treatment options building an individualized plan of care to help you regain your independence. For information, call us today: 877.279.1777