Eating healthy on a budget

Eating healthily can be very expensive. The specialist ingredients and ‘super foods’, such as raw cacao powder, chia seeds and supergreen powder are very ‘on trend’ and they don’t come cheap. When it comes to nutrition and wellness, it seems that you get what you pay for. But that’s not to say you can’t eat healthy if you’re on a budget.

There are ways you can enjoy all of these nutritious ingredients and the antioxidants they provide without having the financial worry. Below we list five top tips to eating healthy, but keeping it cheap and cheerful.

Tip one: Cook from scratch

It is easy to spend lots of money on the little snacks and treats we munch on through the day. Making your snacks from scratch (in fact, all of your meals!) will save you a lot of money and is a great way to experiment in the kitchen. You never know, you might discover a new favourite recipe!

Tip two: Shop local

Find your local farmer’s market and take a trip down once a week. The produce is much cheaper than in supermarkets – plus, the food is fresh and tastes delicious.

Tip three: Use cheaper cuts

When it comes to meat and fish, we often pick up the fillet, the breast or a sirloin steak. But you can get just as good food out of the cheaper cuts! Instead, try the beef shin or the lamb shoulder. They are really tasty, but don’t cost as much as your usual cuts.

Tip four: Bulk buy

A great way to stock up on nuts, seeds and grains is to buy big packs (1kg for example). These last a long time and are much cheaper than buying the smaller 100g packs you see on the high street. It’s also a good idea to bulk buy the more specialist ingredients you may need – chia seeds, cacao powder and gluten-free flours are a lot cheaper online.

Tip five: Start a supper club

Get your friends together and once a month, instead of eating out, eat at each other’s houses. This is a great opportunity to try out lots of different dishes and test your cooking skills. A supper club can make cooking enjoyable for those who aren’t sure and it will save you lots of money.