How to eat healthy on a budget?!

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  • whiskey9890
    whiskey9890 Posts: 652 Member
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    if you have a morrisons near you try them for fresh meats and fish, their fish is really good value and the meat is on a par with other places but they often do different cuts or pre marinaded pieces for a bit of a difference, plus they also do a lot of the fruit and veg loose rather than pre packed i used to always shop at tesco but have started to switch to morrisons and asda is getting a look in now as well
  • fitnessjch
    fitnessjch Posts: 449 Member
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    Where abouts in the UK do you live? If there is a Wing Yip near you or a chinese supermarket, they do frozen chicken really cheap, as well as other meats, and you can just take 1 per day out of the freezer the night before and boil or grill
  • jmikels67
    jmikels67 Posts: 116
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    I'm not sure where you live but perhaps going to a cheaper store like Aldi's or Save-A-Lot? They have healthy stuff just like regular grocery stores, but much cheaper.

    Amen to that! Our Save A Lot closed recently (so sad), but love them and Aldi! I can leave Aldi with an overflowing cart (including meat) for $100.00!
  • Sarahdangerfox
    Sarahdangerfox Posts: 38
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    Eggs are a great, cheap protein. Cabbage is nutritious, filling and super flexible. I love making veggie soups with chicken or beef boullion (extra cheap), lots of cabbage, whatever veggies are on sale (squash, broccoli and cauliflower are great in here) or a packet of frozen veg, which is almost always cheaper. Quick and inexpensive. Cabbage is also great when mixed in with tuna to stretch it and give a bit of crunch.
  • katee_x
    katee_x Posts: 5
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    Quorn! Its really good for you, low in calories and saturated fat! Also its not very exspensive...
  • jmgj27
    jmgj27 Posts: 531 Member
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    I eat a lot of baked potatoes with bacon, onion, mushrooms, cheese, tuna etc. Although pasta is cheap I generally steer clear of it because I find it difficult not to make too much! I also do peppers stuffed with rice and tomatoes and anything else you have in the fridge. Same goes for mushrooms.

    I buy packs of chicken drumsticks from Sainsburys and Waitrose so they must have them in Tesco too. You can get 8/9 drumsticks for about £3.00 which can last 2 or 3 meals depending on how piggy you're feeling! Also, buying offcuts of meat from a local butcher is often much cheaper than going to the supermarket if you have the option. I also buy stuff from the local fruit and veg stall because it's also much cheaper than the supermarket. Good luck though! (Oh - and Iceland is perfectly fine for basics like milk and tinned stuff and is very cheap).
  • Thamantha
    Thamantha Posts: 102 Member
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    I have a friend who will buy a whole chicken, and then she cuts into into the portion sizes needed for different meals and freezes the portions. She uses what is left for making stock and soups. I'm vegetarian, so i have never tried it, but it is said to be much cheaper than buying individual bits of chicken.

    My main tips for eating on a budget:
    - Cook vast quantities and freeze a few portions for later
    - Check out the supermarkets late in the evening for reduced price veg
    - Make a (weekly) meal plan, so you know exactly how much you need to buy and then use that as your shopping list and stick to it!
    - Try to use the supermarkets own brand where possible. It is trial and error to find out which of these are just as good, and which are not, but i was pleasantly surprised how much cheaper it made my shopping.
    - Compare the price per gram on everything. Sometime the packet of 6 tomatoes are more expensive than buying 6 tomatoes loose and vice versa.
    - Some things are easier to make from scratch, but not actually cheaper. A simple calculation will tell you the cost of the ingredients combined. I will make bread and muffins from scratch but biscuits can be bought more cheaply than i could make them


    If you are really keen and you have a few meals you eat regularly then calculate the cost of those meals and see if you can substitute in cheaper ingredients or smaller amounts of some ingredients.
  • PandaFit450
    PandaFit450 Posts: 626 Member
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    I live in the UK, and shop in Tesco... I tried to plan my meals for the week, and its so much easier to eat unhealthy stuff!

    I swapped from shopping in Tesco's to Lidl & Aldi. My shopping bills went down immediately and the quality of the food went up too. They always have great offers, especially on fruit & veg.

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