Healthy eating on a budget

Contrary to popular belief, healthy foods are not always expensive

If you have a famiJy to feed, balancing your monthly grocery bud get can sometimes be a challenge. W ith the price of food soaring and healthy foods seeming to be even more expensive, it can be a month ly str uggle to eat balanced meals w ithin the means. Bur sometimes careful p lanning does help you to save money. Here are some tips.

Plan your g rocery list

Plan your meals a week ahead and then prepare your shopping list. The fewer trips you make to the supermarket, d1e less like ly you are to be rem p ted to buy e." tta smff. AJso try to organise your shopping Jisr according ro the aisles in your local grocery store to avoid unnecessary moving around the aisles, wasting time and buying unnecessary t hings.

Avoid shopping on an empty stomach. Eat well before you shop. This prevents you from buying foods not on your list just because you're hungry.

Be supermarket savvy and watch out for specials. Look at the latest catalogues before making your sh opping list.

Use coupons i f you have some. But, avoid buying LUl.Oecessat-y items just because you have a coupon or it is on spec ial.

Try to shop alone and leave d1e kids at home if they are o ld enough, or there is someone to take care of them. Shopping alone reduces unnecessary purchasing.

Generic brands

Buy generic brands or local score b rands for foods like rice, pasta, eggs, milk, cottage cheese and frozen fruits and veggies. They are just like brand nam e foods once you get used to the rnste, but they'JJ save you heaps of money. Try nor be taken in by the fancy packaging as this m ight cost you more money, and some of the foods in plain packing might be better.

Shop smart

Buy in- season fruits and vegetab les Food grown in- season tastes better and is cheaper.

Also compare prices of frozen or canned fruits an d veggies as sometimes these are cheape r and are a c9nvenient alternative when yo u 're short on time. They are just as nutritious as the fresh variety, so be sure to keep some on hand in t he freezer.

Co mpare prices of simil ar products by comparing the Lrnit prices. The unit price will tell you how mud1 an item costs pe r

100 grams or per p iece or litre, which helps to better compare simiJar products.

Seafood doesn't have to be expensive. Try buying canned mna, sal m on, or sardinesthey store well and are a low cost option.

Substitute ingrediems and u se lentils and beans as a source of protein as these are l ess expens ive d1an meat.

Buy b lock cheese and g rate i t yourself.

Eggs are affordable, and versatile and can be used in any meal.

Contrary to popul ar belief, healthy foods are not always e.'l:pens ive. A bowl of oats for breakfast will cost you less than a muesli bar full of sugar, or a muffin.

Try and buy low Gl carbohydrates, even if these are sometimes a b i t expensive, as these fill you Ltp and you stay fuller for longer These might n irn out to be cheaper than processed foods and you end up eati n g small er portions

Bulk buy and cook

Buy in bulk especiaJJ y when t here are promotions and specials

Foods like pasta, rice and oats are easy to stock as these do nor spoil quickly. If they're o n sale, buy as much as you can afford and score.

To lower meat costs, buy the fami ly-sized o r value pack and make srnal l packs and freeze wh at you don't use.

You can cook extra serves and freeze these in co small batc hes. This can save you a lot of money and time when you need to have meals in a lmrry and prevent you fro m spending money on takeaways.

Limit takeaways and pre-packaged foods

Although takeaway food or ready meals can be convenient, d1ere's no doubt that home cooking is the cheaper option - p lus i t's usua lly healthier tbo

Preparing and ta king your food with you is much d1eaper t han buying from school canteens or shops.

Limit junk foods

Try to limit junk foods a nd drinks to spe cial occasio n s an d small amounts.

Drink water instead of juice or s,veetened drinks, it's free and has no kilojoules.

Buy all the basic foods such as breads, dafry, fruit, vegetabl es, cereals and meats first before considering snack foods, lollies, sweetened drinks or otber treats, which he lps to keep your trolley full of healthy foods.

If you would really like to have treat foods, buy the smallest amount thatwilJ satisfy you.

Maintain a kitchen garden

1'1aintain a small kitchen garden o r , if you have space, i n your backyard, an d grow some vegetables. This saves you money and adds fres hn ess a nd flavour to your meals.

You can also grow some herbs and veggies in containers or small pots on your balcony or terrace.

With a litde planning and awareness we can save a lot of money as well as enjoy a healthy diet.