How to eat healthy on a budget
How to eat healthy on a budget
The cost of living is a very real concern for many people at the moment and looking after yourself is as important as ever. The good news I have some simple cost-effective ways in which you can include nourishing and wholesome food in your meals, as well as making sure your meals are sustaining you for longer, plus tricks to bulk meals up and make them go further and also reduce waste!
As always, having a varied diet, primarily based on wholefoods, with healthy fats and minimal amounts of highly processed foods is ideal to support mental and physical wellbeing. Having plenty of veggies and some fruit, for example, supports a healthy gut microbiome, reduces the risk of depression and protects against chronic diseases.
Reduce waste = save money:
Plan your meals so you know what you actually need
Store your fruit and vegetables correctly
Onions and potatoes should be stored separately or they make each other sprout
Keep your bananas away from other fruit if you want to stop other fruit ripening too quickly
Apples keep 8 times longer in the fridge
Don't throw it out!
Look to revive or give your fruit and vegetables more life:
You can bring broccoli and many other veggies back to life by chopping off the end and putting it in water
When fruit/veg is near the end of its life, freeze it. You can freeze it as it is or cook it (steam, stew or preserve)
Use odds and ends in a stir fry, frittata, salad or casserole
Use old fruit (or veg such as carrot, pumpkin and courgette) in baking or smoothies
Grow your own!
This can be a great way to help reduce food costs if you have the capacity to manage a garden or just a few pots with some greens and herbs. For tips and tricks on starting your own garden, visit Tui Garden's website here.
Buy in season and make the most of specials
Frozen is just as good as fresh and there is a huge range available these days
Try some of these ideas to eat well for less:
Make a recipe with tofu
Tofu is a great source of protein and a surprisingly good way to get calcium too! It is really affordable and very versatile - check out what to do with tofu here.
Add pulses, eg, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans to a mince or meat dish
Pulses are super affordable and incredibly nutritious! They are packed with fibre, low GI and a good way to get protein without costing a fortune.
Make a batch of homemade slaw for a week of healthy eating
Cabbage and carrots are often cheap to make the base for homemade slaw you can have with lunch and add to dinner all week! Store shredded cabbage and grated carrot separately in food bags or containers with a few sheets of paper towel in each to maximise the shelf life. Mix together before serving or packing your lunch for the day.
Bring your own snacks to work, or take prepared snacks out with you at the weekend
Prepacked snacks are expensive and the packaging is often not the best for the planet either, so making your own for the weekdays and weekends is a great idea.
Have oats for breakfast
Oats are only approx 20c for ½ cup – super cheap and very nutritious! If you like a hot breakfast, go for porridge, if you prefer cold, try overnight oats.
Do a batch of baking
Time to get the wooden spoon out! Why not make a batch of healthy homemade muffins or a slice for morning snacks or lunch box fillers?
Make extra dinner and take it for lunch
Commit to taking leftovers for lunch to save time and money.
Make a meal using lentils
You can make a meal from lentils that is super tasty, like this Lentil, Pumpkin and Spinach Rice
Sort out your fridge and pantry
One more way to reduce food waste and save money!
Have a meal with mussels
Mussels are incredibly nutritious; they’re a great way to get protein, iron, zinc, omega 3, selenium and more! (If you are vegetarian or don’t eat seafood, go for another egg, tofu or pulse-based meal.)
Explore the frozen veggie section and try something you haven’t had before
Edamame beans? Frozen spinach? Mixed stir fry? There is a huge range of available.
Have an egg-based meal for dinner!
As the saying goes, when there is an egg in the house, there is a meal in the house! They are so good for you and really versatile – omelettes, frittatas, tarts… the options are endless!
>> Download my FREE resource to stick on your fridge so you can keep these ideas handy: Eat well for less
Try some of these cheaper recipe ideas:
Lentil Wraps
