Eating healthy, nutritional foods doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. As long as you know what you’re looking for, you can simplify your shopping list, and stick within your budget.
The following 5 ways to eat well on a budget have helped me cook and enjoy healthy, nutritional meals while keeping the cost down.
1. Write a Shopping List
The very first thing I do before I go to the shop to buy food, is I flick through some recipe books, jot down the dishes I want to make that week and create a weekly meal plan. This may seem a bit over the top, but actually, spending just 20 minutes a week will save you having to last minute panic buy food after work, and gives you more time to better spend your evenings. Writing a shopping list is a fantastic way for you to figure out exactly what ingredients you need for the week. This method encourages you to spend exactly what you need, and highlights where you can stock up on staple ingredients that you can use again and again.
Tip: When you flick through recipes, jot down the book, page number, blog or website so you don’t waste time later trying to find it again!
2. Cook Meals With Simple Ingredients
Have you looked at a recipe you’d love to make, but then scanned the ingredients list only to see products you’ve never heard of (and know you’ll never use again!). It can be enough to put you off even attempting to make the recipe.
Choosing recipes that use simple, basic ingredients will help you to keep your costs low. In England, we have SO much choice and variety when it comes to staple ingredients. Almost every corner shop, garage and supermarket stocks at least a few different brands for those willing to pay extra, an average amount and for those on a tighter budget. Picking recipes that use simple ingredients will not only give you flexibility in your spending, but also mean you can stock up or pop to the nearest shop without worrying.
3. Pick Loose Fruit and Vegetables
Do you usually pick up the bunch of bananas in a plastic bag instead of the loose ones? The pre-packed bananas tend to be advertised as a low-cost product, making us automatically think we are saving money. In fact, the loose bananas can actually cost you half the price! Today, I picked up a bunch of 4 bananas at just 53p in Tescos! It’s worth checking the offers available and see if buying loose fruit and vegetables is actually better for your wallet.
An added bonus here, is also far less packaging! Most fruits and vegetables are perfectly fine to eat after being washed thoroughly. Picking loose fresh foods will not only help your bank balance, but will help make a positive change to the environment too by using less plastic waste.
4. Double Up The Meals
When I was saving to travel to Australia, I would cook twice as much so that I had a delicious, healthy meal for lunch the next day. Now this doesn’t have to mean that you have EXACTLY the same dish. You could cook a chilli con carne on a Monday for example, while baking a sweet potato in the oven at the same time. This potato could then be filled with the chilli mix and a green salad ready for lunch on the Tuesday! This is a great option to use up the chilli, while prepping your lunches for the next day – saving you valuable time in the morning!
5. Buy More Frozen Food
I LOVE vegetables. But even I can’t munch my way through a crate of fresh veg before it goes off. Stock up on frozen peas, broccoli, carrots, sliced peppers and even chopped onions and garlic if you have the room in your freezer! This is a brilliant way for you to still enjoy foods packed with plenty of nutritional goodness, without wasting leftover fresh food or time spent chopping.
I hope you’ll now be inspired to rethink your weekly food shopping and start to get excited about how you can better use the money you’ll now save in the future! Already budgeting? Share in the comments below how you eat well for less!
