Recently I came across a very inspiring video online. The video addressed positive and negative body images and how this impacts women. I realize body image issues affect men as well, but women in general struggle daily with feelings about their appearance. Our culture places such a strong emphasis on how we look. We often neglect our overall health in favor of losing a few pounds in a dangerous way.

Believe it or not, potatoes are not the diet enemy. Especially when you’re broke, like me. Potatoes are our friends. One medium-sized potato holds around 160 calories and includes 28% of your daily vitamin C, 27% of your daily vitamin B6 and 26% of your daily Potassium. That’s more than the celebrated banana.   You can get your bikini body and enjoy potatoes at the same time!

Now that we’ve put aside some of your potato fears, you may be wondering, “Well just how am I supposed to eat the potato?” Obviously french fries are not your best choice. But if you’re like me – a regular human being who craves french fries – go out and buy a big brand of the store-brand frozen french fries and throw those puppies in the oven. Stick to the recommended portion size (15 fries) and you can have your fries for about 120 calories.

It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Lunch was ages ago. Dinner is light years away. Your body is weak and your stomach sounds like a rumbling volcano. You find yourself wandering to the break room to stare at the vending machine stocked with fatty treats for outrageous prices. But you’re counting calories! You’re trying not to spend all your money on snack foods! What can you do?

The best option for snacking while on a diet is fresh fruit or vegetables. A quick snack that packs protein, like a serving of your favorite lean lunch meat, can help you refocus. A tall glass of water also helps to curb rumbling tummies. But every once in a while you just want something salty, crunchy and just plain “snacky.”

As a stay-at-home mom with three children that are home schooled, it is important that we streamline our day-to-day activities such as chores, school and meals. The easiest way for our family to operate is to plan a two-week menu, based on my husband’s pay schedule and plan our grocery list accordingly. This saves us a lot of money because our purchases are planned and we rarely go out to eat or buy convenience foods because our meals are planned ahead of time. This helps me to keep my calorie intake low because I make most of our meals and I can control my portion sizes and the ingredients I use.

There are plenty of websites that offer valuable tips and advice for menu planning as well as some great print-outs to help you get started organizing your meals and saving you money! Some of my favorite sites include:

Soups are a fantastic way to cut calories and save money. A large bowl of chicken or vegetable-based broth is very satisfying. Making your own soup at home will help you cut costs, sodium and calories.

The following recipe is a favorite in our home. Chicken quarters are very affordable. We buy the large 10 pound bags for less than $10. We then use the chicken quarters in a variety of recipes to get the most bang for our buck.

Are you ready to rethink your lunch? The statistics for a typical fast-food lunch are horrifying both for the calorie-conscious and the budget-savvy. A standard cheeseburger costs $2.00 and packs a whopping 600 calories. Next to order: the ever-popular French fries for $1.00 and 300 calories. To finish this meal, you’ll want a soda which will cost around $1.50 and add an additional 200 calories.

You’ve just spent over four dollars on 1100 calories.

With a little preparation over the weekend, you can pack a low-calorie, nutritious and tasty lunch for a fraction of the cost of that greasy monstrosity of a meal.

Your first thought may be to pack a sandwich. You’ll definitely be saving money, but you may be sacrificing taste and nutrition. The humble sandwich can often carry approximately 360 calories when made with two slices of bread (140 calories), one slice of cheese (80 calories), one serving of deli-sliced lunch meat (90 calories), one tablespoon of mayonnaise (50 calories). This option is indeed low-calorie, but it can often leave you feeling hungry.