Hi, and welcome to my Blog. My name is Lela, and I am a part of the Easy Kootenay Teacher Education Program at COTR. I am very passionate about Food and Cooking, and love to make people happy with the food that I create. I know personally, as a college student, how difficult it can be not only to afford to feed yourself, but also to have the time to make the food you want to eat. For that very reason, I plan to base my free inquiry project on creating healthy meals that are also affordable and time-friendly.

“One cannot think well, love well, or sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf

Healthy eating is so important, and healthy budget meals are useful for many families. With food costs rising, it is essential to be able to find budget-friendly meals to support physical and mental well-being while also maintaining enough money to afford living costs. Healthy meals contribute to the growth and learning of children, which makes finding affordable meals significant in supporting a child’s physical and mental well-being. Learning to budget and meal-plan before shopping for food teaches people a good habit of healthy spending and allows families to save money in the long run.

Many challenges can get in the way of healthy eating and budgeting for meal plans. Some potential challenges or road bumps you may find along the way may include:

• Picky Eaters
• Time for Planning
• Cost

I plan to assist with basic healthy meal plans and implement tips for navigating these road bumps.

Nearly 28% of Canadian households experienced food insecurity in 2023 according to Statistics Canada, which only emphasizes the fact that we need to make our best efforts to save money while still eating healthy.

This is a video from March 2025 detailing the inflation rates of groceries. Keep in mind, prices for not only food, but gas and living costs have gone up even further since then.

Thanks for giving this short little blog post a read! I really hope that throughout the process of this inquiry project, I, along with any readers, can gain insight into becoming better at budgeting and food planning.