With financial living costs rising, it can be tempting to scrimp on healthy food. But you don’t always have to choose unhealthy foods to save money. With planning and preparation, you can still have healthy foods available for the family, and investing in your health saves medical costs. Some of the top tips for eating healthily on a budget are explored below.
General tips:
- Weekly meal plan - plan your meals and snacks for the week and stick to it. Freeze leftovers for other meals or lunches.
- Shopping list - making a list to match what is in your meal plan will prevent wastage and make sure you don’t get distracted with impulse purchases. Also, cross reference what is already in your fridge and cupboard, so you don’t have double-ups.
- Don’t shop when you’re hungry - as that will lead to unplanned purchases.
- Buy fruit and vegetables in season - these will be the most affordable as they are in high supply. They will also taste better as picked and sold more quickly, so will be fresher. Check seasonal produce guides.
- Consider using home or generic brands.
- Shop at farmer’s markets - you can get the freshest produce, much of which is organic, at lower or matched prices. Plus, you are supporting farmers and the local economy.
- Stick to the five food groups - Vegetables/legumes, whole grain cereal products, dairy (milk/yoghurt/cheese) and alternatives, fruit, proteins (lean meats, poultry, fish, nuts, seeds, and legumes/beans). The more processed a food is , the more it costs to buy. For example:
Potatoes
- Fresh potatoes $2-3/kg
- Frozen chips $4.50/kg
- Ready-made potato salad $10/kg
- Take away hot chips $29.50/kg
1. Substitute ingredients when cooking:
- Add extra lentils or beans and reduce the amount of meat to cut costs
- Buying dried rather than tinned legumes is cheaper
- Eggs can add protein and are often cheaper than meat
2. Cooking in bulk:
Prepping extra meals and freezing them means you are less likely to spend money on expensive takeaways when you are time-poor. Things like the sauce for Bolognese, lasagne, stews, curries, casseroles and soups can add lots of vegetables and whole grains.
3. Flavouring:
Use herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger, Chinese five spice, cumin, coriander seed, garlic, onion or fresh herbs like rosemary and basil from your garden. Using dried herbs and spices is much cheaper than buying ready-made stir-fry sauce mixes, pasta sauces, etc. It is also healthier as there is less salt and sugar when you use your own seasonings.
4. Use the cheaper cuts:
- Shop for meats at the end of the day. Supermarkets often discount meats near use by about 4-5 pm.
- Red meats - cheaper cuts such as blade/chuck/round steak and pork leg meat lend themselves to slow cooking. Which will help with the meal preparation for freezing meals ahead of time too. Plus, slow cooking breaks down the collagenous material adding extra taste depth and nutrients.
- Chicken - the darker cuts are slightly higher in calories and fat but are also richer in vitamins and minerals. They are also often cheaper than the ever-popular white chicken breast but still versatile in recipes.
5. Avoid food waste:
- When fruit and vegetables in the crisper are looking a bit sad, don’t throw them away.
- Leftover vegetables can go in a frittata or stir fry.
- Fruit can be peeled, roasted, dried, cut up, and frozen for smoothies or cooking.
Key takeaway messages:
- Planning and preparation saves money
- Buy seasonal and as unprocessed as possible
- Substitute meat for lentils, beans, eggs
- Use herbs and spices for flavour
- Shop the cuts of meat for the best deals
- Use up all your fruit and vegetables with no waste
