With the price of food rising, eating healthily while trying to stick to a budget can be challenging. But with a little planning and some useful tips, buying and preparing delicious healthy food on a budget is not as hard as it may seem.
Follow these top tips for healthy eating on a budget:
- Buy fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season.
- Try frozen or canned vegetables (no added salt) as these may be cheaper than fresh and will keep for longer avoiding food spoiling.
- Try to have at least one vegetarian meal each week using eggs or lentils.
- Buy generic brands (‘no name,’ ‘home brand,’ etc) where possible.
- Add some canned beans, lentils (or other legumes) to mince dishes or stews, to make the meal go further.
- Drink water instead of juice or sweetened drinks – it’s free!
- Stop and think if you really need the novelty packaging. If you don’t need the storage container then try to pick the foods in plain packaging.
- Don’t shop when you are hungry. You are more likely to buy things you don’t need.
- Buy block cheese and grate it yourself.
- Buy all the basic foods such as breads, dairy, fruit, vegetables, cereals and meats first before considering snack foods.
- Freeze leftovers for other meals or lunches.
- Make your own custards and milk-based desserts, using low fat milk and limit the added sugar.
- Plan. Know how you will use what you buy, how much, and when.
- Only buy what you need.
