Whether or not you shop with that basket or use her recipes, Tanya Haffner, Dietitian, CEO and Founder of MyNutriWeb – The Nutrition Education Hub and Healthy Sustainable Diets Campaigner, has put together some great tips to help you eat well on a budget.
1. Choose whole grain/wholemeal- brown bread, tortilla wraps, rice and pasta when possible
They have more vitamins, minerals and fibre than ‘white grain’ versions and can help you feel fuller for longer. Choose wholemeal alternatives if you already have them in your cupboard.
Mixing white and whole grain products 50/50 is a great way to ease into the taste and texture of whole grain versions if you're not used to them yet.
2. Batch cook when possible
Batch cooking is a great time-saving strategy. Prepare meals in larger portions, freeze leftovers in labelled containers and simply defrost it for quick and effortless meals on busy days. On days off, book in time in the calendar to batch cook. Where possible encourage other family members to join in and make an activity out of it.
Great batch-friendly dishes include:
Chilli or Bolognese: Use the same base for pasta, jacket potatoes or rice.
Soups and stews: Freeze and reheat easily. Stock can be frozen in ice cubes and easily added to soups and other dishes.
Curries: Versatile and even tastier the next day.
3. Freeze leftovers
Freezing leftover food is a great way to reduce food waste and have meals ready for busy times.
What to freeze?
Most fruits and vegetables (except cucumber, lettuce or other products with high water content)
Fresh herbs
Meat and fish
Sauces, such as bolognaise or other pasta sauces
Curries
Pies
Soups and stews
What doesn’t freeze well?
Foods with high water content, like cucumber, lettuce, egg whites
Milky sauces
Cheese
Mayonnaise
Cooked spaghetti or rice
How to defrost food?
Defrost safely: Use refrigeration overnight or a microwave defrost setting. Remember— once food has been defrosted, avoid refreezing it to keep it safe and fresh.
4. Add plant-based protein in your meals
Canned beans, lentils, and chickpeas are affordable, filling, and packed with protein, fibre, iron, and B vitamins. They're also shelf-stable and ready in minutes — a great option that supports your health and your budget.
5. Choose low fat milk and dairy alternatives when possible
Reduced or low fat yoghurt, cheese and milk are as nutritious and tasty as their full fat alternatives, but contain less saturated fatty acids, which increase the risk of developing heart disease.
6. Make sure to store fresh produce appropriately
Fridge-friendly: Broccoli, berries, spinach (in a container with a paper towel), carrots, bell pepper, apples, mushrooms, cucumber, grapes, tortilla wraps (in a closed container or resealable bag)
Room temperature: Tomatoes, bananas, onions, potatoes (keep the last two separate to avoid sprouting), bread - ideally keep it in a bread container, in a cool, dry place
7. Don’t hesitate to use frozen, tinned and canned foods - they are as nutritious as fresh produce, and often cheaper
Both canned and frozen fruits, vegetables, meat or fish can be just as nutritious as their fresh versions. Freezing or canning doesn’t make food less healthy - fruits and vegetables are often frozen during peak season, meaning they can have even more vitamins and minerals than fresh produce harvested out of season.
Products such as tinned beans, tomatoes, and oily fish (e.g., sardines, salmon, mackerel) are cost-effective sources of essential nutrients, including fibre, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids.
8. Learn the difference between the ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ date
This will allow you to limit food waste by helping you identify what’s still safe to eat and what truly needs to be discarded.
Use By: Safety first — don’t eat after this date (especially meat and dairy)
Best Before: This is about quality, not safety. Food is often fine after the best before date — look, smell and/or taste to judge. Best before label is often found on pasta, rice, flour etc.
9. Use leftovers. Don’t bin it — transform it!
Some of the most commonly discarded foods can make a great addition to dozen of meals and snacks, for example:
Stale bread: Bake into croutons, make french toast or blitz into breadcrumbs
Tortilla wraps: Cut into triangles and bake to make nachos, freeze
Leftover vegetables: Make soups, have as a snack, add to wraps, stir-fries, throw into a frittata or egg omelette, freeze
Leftover fruit: Add to porridge, use as pancake topping, add to yoghurt, rice pudding, make smoothies, freeze. Use overripe bananas to make banana pancakes or banana bread.
Rice or pasta: Turn into a salad or fried rice the next day
Yoghurt: Make smoothies, add fruits to make a snack, make salad dressings, add to soups
10. Try preparing some of the food with your children!
Get children involved in age-appropriate meal prep — they’ll learn valuable skills and are more likely to eat what they helped to prepare it. Cooking together can also be a fun activity.
Try making:
Chicken wraps
Banana pancakes
Salads
Porridge