Healthy Eating Without Breaking the Budget

Do you find yourself headed to the shops daily or second daily to replenish food stocks, are you losing track of how much you are spending or choosing unhealthy choices more often because you believe eating healthy is more expensive? Here are our tips to get yourself back on track

• Save you receipts for a week and have a look at how much you spend on each category:

-Meats/alternatives

-Dairy/alternatives

-Fruit and veg

-Fats and oils

-Extras

Use this to prioritise your budget (see the next step)

• Have a Budget (generally weekly) keep a small amount spare for forgotten items or emergencies.

-Allocate 60% of budget to foods you should eat most of: veggies, fruit, and wholegrains

-Allocate 30% of budget to moderate food groups: meat/chicken/fish, dairy/alternatives, nuts, eggs,

-Allocate 10% of budget on foods you should eat in smallest amounts: fats, oils and extras such as packaged snacks

• Have a well-stocked pantry with “essentials” and replenish these regularly and they run out. We have written a pantry essentials checklist, check it out here https://ingrainednutrition.com.au/pantry-freezer-essentials-checklist/

• Plan your shop

Spend 10 minutes before going shopping looking at what needs to be replenished and preparing some meals for the week. Be realistic about your week, lifestyle, and cooking enthusiasm. Plan for busier evenings and plan more complex dishes on days where you may have more time.

Other Tips for Success

• Buy seasonally, shop around at your local fruit and veg market, then go to Aldi then bigger supermarket chains.
• Check out online or catalogues for weekly specials
• Use versatile ingredients and vegetables that can be used for multiple meals: we like zucchini, carrot, spinach, capsicum, broccoli (but really you can use any)
• Click and collect can help preventing additional purchases and you can keep an eye on your budget as you go
• Use supermarket reward systems, these can provide extra discounts
• Buy marked down produce and meat and freeze this if not using immediately
• Always have a supply of frozen vegetables, yes they are just as good nutritionally.
• Utilise leftovers, cook in bulk for busier days to prevent sneaky drive-throughs
• Bulk out mixed dishes with lentils or beans to stretch them further
• Utilise cheaper proteins 1-2 x a week such as egg, tinned fish, chickpeas, lentils