Healthy eating on a budget for families doesn't have to be difficult. A few simple tricks and tips will ensure the whole family can eat well without breaking the bank.
Commissioned post.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive. Just by spending a little time planning meals, you can cut down your costs and save money each week. Shopping smart and buying with savvy also helps you to cook family meals that are filling, tasty and inexpensive. Often healthy eating on a budget for families is easier than you think.
I've teamed up for another year as an ambassador for Organix as part of their No Junk Journey campaign, which highlights the importance of healthy eating for children.
8 Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget
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- Make a weekly meal plan - A little forward planning at the weekend means that you can draw up your shopping list for the week and stick to it. You'll also save time by not having to make daily trips to the shops (with temptations to buy unhealthy treats).
- Check your cupboards - I'm doing this right now. I've gone through my cupboards and I'm making it a mission to use it all up. Those forgotten bags of quinoa or rice are being worked into meal plans. I'm using up the HUGE amount of tinned tomatoes I had and finally getting through all the red lentils I forgot about. This is saving a lot of money and stops tins and packages from going to waste by passing their use by dates before I notice them lurking in the cupboards.
- Cook from scratch - It's cheaper to cook from scratch rather than buy pre-prepared food, plus you know what's going into the dish and can make sure it's healthy. Don't worry about everything being made completely from scratch, a few healthy 'cheat' ingredients are very useful and can make life a lot easier.
- Use more pulses - beans, lentils and peas are a budget-friendly way to bulk out meals and add extra goodness. They're also a great meat-alternative, and going veggie is a fantastic way to slash the family shopping budget.
- Love your leftovers - Whether you freeze leftovers or turn them into a new meal the next day, be sure that you don't let them go to waste. Serve up smaller portions as it's better to have seconds than have to scrape plates of untouched food into the compost bin.
- Cook in bulk - If you're making a red lentil dhal or Spanish beans with tomatoes, double the portion and have it for lunch the next day or pop it into the freezer for another day.
- Store well - make fresh foods last longer by storing it in the right place. Some foods, like potatoes and onions, are best kept out of the fridge.
- Know your dates - Check use by dates to make sure that you use food before it goes off. The average national household wastes a horrifying 20% of the food the buy. 'Sell by' dates are just a guide, so use your senses to check for freshness. Though 'use by' dates on fresh food should be followed more carefully.
More ways to encourage kids to eat healthy without breaking the bank:
There are plenty of other tips for getting kids to eat healthy food so it doesn't go to waste.
I have a wavy knife that I picked up cheaply in a pound shop. Simply cutting carrots, potatoes or other healthy foods into a different shape is often enough to get them to eat it. Plus, playing with their food, like the photo, makes them far more inclined to eat their veggies!
We always keep frozen fruit on hand in the freezer. It's inexpensive to buy, or easy to freeze when it's abundant and in season. We love it whizzed into smoothies, on top of porridge or turned into a healthier crumble.
We also keep a plate of veggies and fruit (mostly veggies!) on the table at lunch and dinner. The whole family picks at it and eat what we like, then the leftovers get wrapped and put into the fridge until the next meal. It also means that the fridge always has a plate of healthy snacks in case anyone gets peckish. I usually buy fruit and veg at our local greengrocer, so it's an inexpensive, and healthy, way for us all to fill up.
Reduced Aisle Bargains
Another great way to save money and get some healthy bargains is to check out the reduced aisle. My greengrocer sells massive bags of bananas each morning that are a bit brown. Over-ripe to some, but to me they're perfect. I unpeel them all, chop them up and save them in the freezer for smoothies or whizzing into banana 'ice cream'.
What are your best tips for healthy eating on a budget? Let me know in the comments!
Disclosure: This post is part of my ongoing campaign with Organix as part of the No Junk Journey. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to mess up my kitchen and write Veggie Desserts – Healthy Food and Lifestyle. All images, except Organix's are courtesy of Pixabay.
Brandie
Excellent post! I'm always looking for way to feed my family without spending a fortune.
Jacqueline Meldrum
Great tips Katherine. I am going to try harder this year. I really believe making a meal plan is the first step. It means you go to shop with a plan and are less likely to overshop and have leftovers.
Margaret Gallagher
Perfect trying to instil this message in my neice -due to start her weaning journey with esmay -ill be reading all your advice
Sylvia
Great tips! I've been doing meal planning for a while now and when it comes to groceries I like to shop around 🙂
lisa
This is perfect. I keep a calender in my kitchen and write down all the use by dates for my meat on it as I'm putting it away. Makes it SO much easier to keep track. This is really handy, thanks xxx
Janice
I need to do the cupboard thing and also eat some of the food in the freezer. Some great tips there, it's easy to get stuck doing the same things and sometimes we need a shake up!
Sharon @ Bit of the Good Stuff
Great tips Kate! I would definitely recommend meal planning as a way to reduce impulse purchases and cut down on food waste. Also, I find cooking from scratch so much cheaper than buying read-prepared food. Dishes like Dal cost literally pence to make (home made chapattis too!).
By the way, I LOVE your crinkle carrots! I've been wanting one of those crinkle cutting tools for ages, and have searched everywhere to no avail. Where did you purchase yours?
Amy
There are some really good ideas here! I have just started meal planning, and working leftovers into that meal plan for lunches the next day. It is working really well, and I am really looking forward to lunches again! The flower veggie is a brilliant idea.
Kate Hackworthy
I love how meal planning and using leftovers makes lunches so much better as well. Instead of a boring sandwich you get a nice healthy meal!
Claire
Great tips for healthy eating. It's so important. Love that Organix is behind this.
Kate Hackworthy
It really is important! I hope you can make use of some of the tips!
Camilla Hawkins
Love the veggie flower, visual tricks are always great for making kids eat their food. I remember putting my daughter's name on a pie she'd told me she wouldn't be eating, the lettering worked a treat and she ate the pie all up! Lots of great tips here, thanks for linking to my tips:-)
Kate Hackworthy
Great idea about the pie! Kids love personalised things, so I imagine personalised food will go down a treat!