How To Eat Well On A Budget
Whether you're short on pennies, saving up for something special or just looking to cut down on unnecessary outgoings this month, there's no need to compromise your diet. With a little know-how, resourcefulness and a keen eye for a bargain, you can feast like a queen and still have money to spare. Here are our top 15 tips for eating well on a budget...
rex featuresDraw up a battle plan
It helps to be organised where budgets are concerned, so once you’ve settled on your food allowance, sit down with a pen and paper and dream up your menu for the coming week. We know it’s hard to predict what you’re going to fancy on a cold Wednesday evening or after a Thursday night out with the girls, but planning your meals ahead will help you draw up a shopping list you can stick to and prevent you from buying less healthy foods in a hurry on the way home. It saves time and money in the supermarket too, so it’s a great habit to get into.
rex featuresShop around
Make time to knuckle down to some serious supermarket research. Finding out which shops offer the best prices can save you money, so hop on the internet for a few minutes and sniff out those bargains. Remember that most big chains offer free delivery services, so there’s no need to trawl the isles for beans in ASDA and toilet roll in Tesco. It is also a good idea to scout around your local area – markets and wholefood stores may be kinder to the wallet for fresh fruit, veg and basic ingredients.
istockStock up on basic ingredients
The key to any great kitchen is good, basic ingredients that you can buy in bulk and use to create healthy recipes, even when funds are at their lowest. Pack your shelves with cans of beans (preferably the no-added-sugar variety), wholemeal pasta, brown rice, barley, olive oil, spices and herbs, and you’ll have the basic components to create most meals – just supplement with fruit and veg. Dried wholefoods and frozen foods are often low in price, keep for a long time, and, if you opt for wholemeal and high-antioxidant choices, are packed full of nutrients too.
rex featuresDon’t shop on an empty stomach
How much more delicious do those rows of biscuits, crisps, chocolate bars, and convenience foods seem when your tummy’s rumbling? Stave off a case of hungry shopper and make sure you have a healthy snack – a small packet of almonds, dried fruit, or slice of wholemeal toast – before you hit the supermarket. The extra energy will allow you to focus on the task ahead, and prevent you from making a mad dash for the sugary snacks.
rex featuresCheck your watch
Aim to shop late – you may find you can catch some great end-of-the-day bargains if you pitch up an hour before closing time. Just make sure you check the labels for sell-by dates - they shouldn’t do, but occasionally some items past their best make it to the shelves, so make sure they don’t make it onto yours.
istockCheck the labels
It’s one thing to compare different brands for better value, but don’t forget to scour the labels too. Remember that cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean better for you, and low fat doesn’t always mean low calorie. Opt for products that are lower in saturated fats, sugars and salts – there are plenty of low priced canned and wholegrain foods out there, so there’s no need to compromise your health.
rex featuresBeware of bargains
By-one-get-one-free, two-for-one, value packs…there’s no denying a good bargain can really help lower your shopping bill. But beware – some offers are not what they seem, so make sure you do your maths and work out whether they’re really worth it or not. Choose wisely, too - stick to your shopping list and steer away from foods high in fats or sugar, no matter how tempting the price might be. Also, remember that you can freeze reduced items like bread and keep them until you need them.
istockCheck the unit size matches the price
That bag of pasta may seem like better value for money, but 350 grams of wholemeal goodness isn’t worth the same as 500 grams. Make sure you do your maths, and buy enough to tide you over for a full seven days. It’s true that eating less costs less, but there’s no need to skimp on meals to save cash.
istockCook in bulk
Save yourself precious time and money by cooking enough food to save for another day. Invest in some colourful plastic containers and freezer bags so you can freeze what’s left over to reheat and reuse at a time when you don’t feel like cooking – it’s home-made convenience food, really. Bulk out your dishes too – adding beans, lentils, barley, frozen peas or vegetables to stews, casseroles, soups and chilli can keep you feeling fuller for longer and make your meal last the extra mile.
istockGet creative with leftovers
When the time comes to take that frozen vegetable curry out of the freezer, or yesterday’s chilli out of the fridge, get creative and give it a spruce – there’s no need to eat the same thing two days running, after all. Try stuffing your curry into a wholemeal pita bread with salad or sample that chilli over a small jacket potato. Just remember to consume any refrigerated leftovers within two days, except rice, which you should eat within one. Make sure frozen food is thoroughly defrosted, too, and piping hot before you tuck in.
rex featuresBe resourceful
Got a few black bananas hanging around your fruit bowl, and some milk in need of drinking? Don’t throw it away – try making a nutritional smoothie out of it. The same with wrinkly peppers, and overripe tomatoes – why not make a soup out of them, or blitz them with some basil and garlic for a delicious pasta sauce? Being resourceful and creative with food will help your budget stretch that little bit further.
istockMake your own packed lunches
Forget spending a fortune in cafés, canteens and sandwich shops – why not pack your own? Make use of leftovers for sandwiches, wraps or salads. Putting time aside to make a batch of soup for the week to take to work in a flask, a pasta dish or a stew could save you serious pennies. If you’re on a calorie restricted diet, it may also help you to control your food intake, too – there are, after all, no hidden ingredients in a dish you’ve made yourself.
istockBack away from the takeaways
Seen a buy-one-get-one-free at your local pizza place? Got home late and tempted to order in a Chinese? Back away from the takeaway menu – you could save money and calories by buying the equivalent at a supermarket and building it yourself. Take a few slices of toast, some left over pasta sauce and pile on the cheese and veg for a low-cost, healthy alternative, or stir fry some vegetables, noodles and beans together with your favourite sauce for a Chinese meal that takes around the same time to cook as it does to deliver, and costs half the price. Sorted.
istockBe restaurant-savvy
Watching your food budget in a restaurant can be tricky, but making cost-effective menu choices will help you to stay on track. Think about which dishes offer you the best nutritional value as well as value-for-money – a chunk of wholemeal bread and a bowl of hearty vegetable soup can be one of the lowest cost items on the menu, will fill you up, and may be the healthiest option. Order at least one portion of vegetables – the high fibre content will help to fill you up so you may spend less on other, more expensive foods. Look out for special offers in newspapers and online too – that two-for-one meal deal could slash your bill in half.
rex featuresGet nutrition-wise
The best way eat well on a budget? Learn your food facts. Swotting up on which foods contain which vital vitamins, minerals, essential fats, proteins and wholegrain carbohydrates – and their role in helping your body – will help you to make to make cost-effective and nutrition-savvy choices. Swop out lettuce in a salad for vitamin-rich baby spinach, which you can buy in bulk and use to flesh out other meals like curries and soups. Opt for cheaper frozen berries instead of fresh and stock up on bananas for snack foods. Need somewhere to start?Check out our Eat Yourself Beautiful feature here.
