A nutritious diet and a healthy bank account can be difficult to balance. These five tips can help keep your healthy eating on track, without blowing out your budget.
Embrace frozen produce
Most people believe frozen produce loses a significant amount of its nutritional value; however, this is not necessarily true. Fruit and vegetables lose nutrients as they get older, and while it’s true that freezing produce diminishes its nutritional value, this is quite often balanced out by how quickly the produce is frozen after it is harvested. For example, a frozen strawberry you buy might have been frozen the same day it was picked, whereas other strawberries bought from a supermarket may be several days old by the time you eat them, thus losing their nutritional edge, so to speak.
So, by buying frozen produce you can shave plenty off your grocery bill. You can also buy produce while it is on sale and freeze it for later use – there being no bigger waste of money than fresh fruit and vegetables that end up in the bin. If you are going to freeze your own, try to do it as quickly as possible so you keep all those healthy nutrients. Seal them well to prevent freezer burn.
Plan in conjunction with weekly specials
Check what’s on special before you head out shopping and plan your meals around discounted items. This way, rather than being tempted by unnecessary discounted items, you can take advantage and save on your meals.
Buy in bulk
Living on a budget can make you feel guilty for spending money. But if something is on sale and you know you’ll use it in the future, then spending more now can save you even more later down the track.
Repurpose your leftovers
Cooking large meals and portioning them out can save you a lot on your shopping, but it can also get boring very quickly. Why not have a look at this nifty infographic from Cooksmarts for some creative ways to spice up your leftovers.
Eat with friends or family
Cooking for more people means less money and effort per portion. Why not ask a friend if they’d be willing to come over for a homecooked meal, and then next week host you and return the favour?
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