It's time to discard once and for all the myth that you can't eat healthy and stick to a strict budget at the same time. With a few simple dietary changes and a positive attitude, you will find your kitchen filled with wholesome foods that didn't cost an arm and a leg to procure. If you keep your eyes open, you'll even be able to find healthy delivery food that costs less than you might think and doesn't come loaded with the salt and sugars of typical canned offerings. Read on for the skinny on keeping healthy and on budget.

1. Hit the Trough

Avoid sodas and sugary juices as much as possible. Choose water instead, adding flavorings if you absolutely can't stomach the plain taste of the tap. Depending on how frequently you buy single-serve drinks out of vending machines or at the grocery store, you could save quite a bit of money each month by resisting temptation.

2. Stay In Season

Whoever said that you can't predict the weather is wrong in one key regard: fruit seasons never vary. Fresh produce should be a cornerstone of any healthy diet, but it can be expensive when it's not in season. Watch local produce prices every time you set foot in the grocery store and pounce on deals like there's no tomorrow. As a rule, citrus fruits are cheaper during the winter, berries ripen in the late spring and summer, and squashes last through the fall.

3. Cook Ahead

Preparing your own meals isn't just less expensive than eating out every night. It's also fun! If you are really feeling adventurous one night, cook an extra-large meal and divide it into smaller portions that can be easily refrigerated. You will save money by buying your raw ingredients in bulk and solve the problem of what to eat for lunch the rest of the week.

4. Build a Portfolio

Even if you have no ambition to pursue a career as a chef, making a portfolio of your favorite dishes will save you time, stress, and money down the road. Every time you cook something tasty and cheap, even if you lifted it straight from a cookbook, write down how to make it and save the recipe in a safe place. Eventually, you will have a robust-enough repertoire to be able to cook whatever you need on demand, virtually eliminating that all-too-common uncertainty about what to do for dinner.

5. Order In

Even the most energetic of frugal cooks have their down days. If you can't be bothered to make yourself and your family a wholesome meal from scratch one night, search your local cadre of delivery restaurants that offer healthy, reasonably-priced food. Most pizza places now offer gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly options, loading their pies with vitamin-rich goodness. Likewise, plenty of sub shops now deliver veggie-laden sandwiches. Just do your body a favor and skip the cold cuts.

Eating healthy on a budget doesn't have to be a chore. For starters, get your produce purchases in line with the growing season, cook larger meals that can be refrigerated or frozen for later consumption, and make a list of inexpensive delivery restaurants that serve wholesome eats. More importantly, never stop coming up with new ways to stretch your budget and expand your tastebuds' horizons.

Blogger Renee Varney contributes at Delivery.com, a site she loves using to order Pizza Delivery.