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I think that it can sometimes be a common misconception that eating a healthy diet is an extremely expensive way. To some extent, I suppose this could be true if you purchased large quantities of organic meet, superfood and specialist products however, buying natural wholesome ingredients such as: vegetable, grains and pulses can actually turn out to be really affordable; often even more so than eating lots of processed food and meals. Like with most things, the cost of a healthy food shop can vary greatly depending on numerous factors such as: where you shop, the amount of food you’re buying and the types of products you by. Today we wanted to talk about some of the ways that you can stock your fridge and cupboards with a selection of healthy ingredients, whilst still being more friendly on your budget.

Stay simple and seasonal: Healthy eating has now ballooned into a bit of a fashion trend at the moment and whilst this is a wonderful thing, you shouldn’t feel that you need to go out and spend lots of money on every single superfood out there in order to be healthy. My top tip for eating healthy whilst on a budget would be to stick to simple, wholesome ingredients. Lots of seasonal fruits and vegetables, pulses, grains and some good quality protein sources- eggs are a good affordable option. Buying fruits and vegetables that are in season in the UK is a good way to keep costs lower, as it means that they won’t have had to be shipped across the world, which can add extra to the price tag. It’s also nice to buy local produce, as this is often nice and fresh!

Shop around: this one can probably apply to lots of things, but shopping around and finding the most affordable places for all of your different items can be a great idea. Different stores/markets could be better for different products, so take your time and have a look at all of your options. I find this is really important when buying fresh produce like fruits, veggies, fish and meat etc. For example: I find that some shops have a better quality selection of fresh fish, so I like to get that from there and then perhaps my meat from the local butchers.

Visit Markets: Local markets or farms can be a great place to get fruits and vegetables that are organically grown and these can often be lower in price as well. Depending on the markets that you go to, these can be great places to stock up on lots of organic and seasonal produce and they often have some really good deals there too!

Buy in bulk: This option obviously won’t apply to everything, but is great when purchasing things like grains and dried ingredients. We sell lots of our products such as oats and cereals in bulk options as well, which often works out more affordable and means that you’ll have a nice hefty supply in the store cupboard to keep you going for a while!

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Dried over tinned: When buying things like lentils and pulses, opting for the dried option often works out to be a lot more affordable. These do take a little longer to prepare, as you’ll need to soak and cook them, but you get a lot more for you’re money and you could always batch cook a load and then freeze them ready to be defrosted as and when you need them.

Meal planning: This is something that I always tell myself that I’ll do, but somehow don’t really manage to get round to it! Planning your meals is a great way to save on costs, as it allows you to see exactly what you’re going to be eating and when, so you can organise what you’ll be needing to by in the food shop and help to avoid you going overboard and making lots of unnecessary purchases. It’s also a good idea to make big batches of things e.g curries and chillies that can serve more than one meal throughout the week. This is a good thing to do on a Sunday, as you could whip out a few of your favourite cookery books (or take a look at some of our recipes) and choose a few things you’d like to make during the week.

Preparation: This is probably one of the most important tips of all for saving money on food! Being prepared and having meals and snacks with you if you know you’re going to be on the go can be an absolute life saver. Buying snacks and lunch out can work out to be a lot more expensive, so prep something the night before ready for you to grab and go in the morning. Making extras at dinner time is a really easy way to insure that you have something for lunch the next day. You could also whip up a big batch of granola bars or energy balls on a Sunday to have as snacks throughout the week.

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