Eating Good for Less
A recent study (read here) identified that it cost considerably more money to eat a healthy diet. This is unfair and further proof that the food industry has absolutely no interest in our health and well-being.
Foods that are often on special are those full of ‘rubbish’, devoid of any nutrients and addictive! These products are made so cheaply that they make the companies that produce them millions of pounds even when they are on offer.
However, if you are a little savvy eating healthy doesn’t have to be that expensive.
I shop and cook for a family of four, that’s two adults and two children. As a Nutritionist I am rather particular about the type of food I buy and have a number of foods and household products that I prefer to be organic.
My shopping costs me no more than £80 a week. Here is how I do it!
Each week I have an organic company deliver a vegetable/fruit box – this cost £22.95 (www.riverford.co.uk)
I buy my household products in bulk from the ethical superstore – this cost on average around £5 per week (www.ethicalsuperstore.com)
My weekly shop is done at Lidl and then for all the things I cannot or choose not to get from Lidl I do an online shop from Sainsbury. I usually do an online shop once every 6-8 weeks where I get items such as brown rice, cashew nut butter, kallo stock cubes, spices etc. I spend around £40-£50 in Lidl each week and £60 online every 6-8 weeks.
1) Here are my tips for keeping the costs down whilst still eating a healthy diet:Plan your meals; this is so important as it stops you from wasting food and buying on impulse. Write a meal plan for the week. If you need help you can get 10 weeks of meal plans on my Get Back to You Plan or head over to my website and download my FREE super quick recipes which comes with a meal plan.
2) Include vegetarian meals – it costs a lot less to obtain your protein from vegetarian sources.
3) Bulk up meals using beans, pulses and lentils, I half the amount of mince in recipes and add in some pulses to maintain sufficient protein.
4)Make your own soup, so easy to do and incredibly cheap plus a great way to use up any leftovers and vegetables.
5) Always buy non perishable products that you use regularly when on offer.
6) I can get three meals at least from one whole chicken, we have a roast chicken every week and from the left over’s I make a soup and risotto plus a chicken salad or sandwich if there’s spare.
7) Bake your own snacks from cereal bars to flapjack, especially where the children are concerned – we all know how much money kid snacks costs!
8) Pasta sauce, pesto and hummus are all very cheap to make yourself.
9) Freeze chilli, ripe avocado, ginger and grow herbs – in your garden or on your window cill. You can also freeze herbs.
10) Frozen fruit and vegetables are all nutritionally good.
Let me know how you keep your food costs down while eating a good healthy diet or what you find frustrating about the food industry.
For more information to help you and your family stay healthy, please join my FREE group here.
Julie