Basics of a Healthy Diet - Healthy Eating on a Budget
Healthy food choices don’t
have to mean a higher grocery bill.
By focusing more on home cooking and ditching the ordering in apps you’ll be saving money in no time. All those Deliveroo fees add up, you know!
Here are some great tips to help you eat well on a budget!
1. Plan Your Meals
Planning is essential so spend a couple of hours over the weekend planning your meals for the upcoming week. Then, make a grocery list of what you need. Check your fridge and cupboards to see what you already have. There may be foods hidden in the back that can be used.
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2. Stick to Your Grocery List
Once you've planned your meals and made your grocery list, stick to it.
It's very easy to get sidetracked when food shopping, which can lead to unintended, expensive and unhealthy purchases.
As a general rule, try to shop the perimeter of the store first. This will make you more likely to fill your cart with whole foods. Whole foods are often less expensive than their processed counterparts.
The middle of the store often contains the most processed and unhealthy foods. If you find yourself in these aisles, look to the top or bottom of the shelves rather than straight ahead. The most expensive items are usually placed at eye level.
And don't go food shopping when you are hungry, you are more to buy something on impulse.
3. Cooking at home is much cheaper than eating out.
Make it a habit to cook at home, rather than eating out at the last minute. Cooking large meals can save you both time and money as leftovers can be used for lunches, in other recipes or frozen in single-portion sizes to be eaten on another day.
Some people find it best to cook for the entire week on the weekends, while others cook one meal at a time. By cooking yourself, you also gain the benefit of knowing exactly what is in your food and leftovers are especially great for people on a budget.
4. Stop Buying Junk Food
Cut out some of the junk food from your diet. You'll be surprised to see how much more you pay for fizzy drinks, crisps, biscuits, microwave meals and processed foods. It is also packed with unhealthy ingredients, so offers little or no nutritional value.
By skipping the processed and unhealthy foods, you can spend more of your budget on higher quality, healthy foods.
5. Shop for Produce That Is in Season
Local produce that is in season is generally cheaper. It is also usually at its peak in both nutrients and flavour. Whereas produce that is not in season has often been transported halfway around the world to get to your store, which is not good for either the environment or your budget.
If you buy more than you need, you can freeze the rest or incorporate it into next week's meal plans.
6. Buy Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh fruits, berries and vegetables are usually in season only a few months per year.
Frozen produce is usually just as nutritious, cheaper, available all year and is usually sold in large bags. Frozen produce is great to use when cooking, making smoothies, or as toppings for oatmeal or yogurt.
And you can just take out only what you're need to use. Reducing produce waste is a great way to save money.
7. Pack Your Lunch
Packing yourself lunch, snacks, drinks and other meals is less expensive and way healthier than eating out. This can save you a lot of money in the long run.
8. Freeze Leftover Bread
Bread is one of the most wasted household foods. Reduce waste by freezing bread, preferably in portions and when it's at its freshest.
And recent research has suggested that freezing and then toasting bread reduces the effect it has on your blood sugar level and turning the starch into resistant starch, this means that your body gets far fewer calories from the bread and feeds your gut bacteria.