Healthy eating on a budget
There is a common misconception that healthy eating is expensive. This doesn’t have to be the case. There are many ways you can save money whilst also eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Try the following practical tips, they’ll help you save on your shopping bill and eat healthily at the same time.
Smart Shopping
- Prepare a shopping list and stick to it
- Plan meals and snacks for the coming week
- Make changes to accommodate in-store specials
- Shop on a full stomach, you buy more food when you’re hungry
- Bulk buy non-perishable items such as rice and pasta
- Bulk buy quantities of meat and freeze
- Choose products that are on special
- Shop around e.g. your local butcher may have cheaper meat and farmers markets may have cheaper (and fresher) fruit and vegetables
- Purchase fresh fruit and vegetables when they are in season, they are generally less expensive and of better quality
- Limit your purchase of “extra” foods such as cakes, biscuits, chips, soft drinks and desserts as they have limited nutritional benefits and are often packed with kilojoules
Meal Ideas - Plan meals in advance
- Avoid buying takeaways as they are generally more expensive
- Base meals and snacks on low GI carbohydrate foods, such as grainy bread, Basmati or Doongara rice and pasta as they are an affordable source of energy and nutrients
- Add inexpensive vegetables to meat-based dishes to decrease the cost and extend the recipe
- Add canned or dried lentils to mince dishes, such as bolognaise and chilli con carne
- Tofu can be an inexpensive protein food for the whole family – use firm tofu to replace meat in stir-frys, curries or even on the BBQ
- Frozen vegetables have a much longer shelf life than fresh vegetables and are just as nutritious as “fresh” vegetables
- Avoid buying meals out of the home – cook in bulk and freeze some leftovers to reheat for a quick lunch or dinner throughout the busy week.
Storage Tips - Store fruit separately at room temperature – if some fruits are ripening quicker than others, storing separately will prevent the rest of the fruit ripening too quickly
- Keep vegetables products intact e.g. a whole capsicum lasts longer than a half
- Store green, leafy and salad vegetables unwashed in the fridge in a crisper or vented plastic bag
- Store onions, potatoes and garlic in a cool, dark, dry and well-ventilated place
- Store bread in the fridge or freezer to prevent it going stale or mouldy - Slice it first and lay flat in a freezer bag.
- Label and then freeze leftovers – be sure to add the date
Taken from Nestlé Australia's website 