How to Stay Healthy on a Budget & Break Bad Shopping Habits!

Lets face it eating healthy food is easier when you've got lots of money to spend. In the UK we often see reports about how low income families are more at risk of being obese than the middle-classes, however this seems to be a typically western thing due to the availability of cheap frozen pizzas and the like - after all you don't see many poor fat people in China where the staple food is rice. Jamie Oliver's crusades to get 'ornery' people eating nutritious, home-cooked food are a reminder of just how much we Brits have come to rely on pre-packed food - cheap or otherwise which often contains higher salt content, added fats and a whole host of dodgy additives.

At some point though, we have to take responsibility for feeding ourselves properly making excuses about how fruit is expensive or how time is too short. With some simple rules of thumb, eating good food on a budget can be easier and quicker than you think. Here are some solutions to common excuses:

"I can't be bothered!"

The first step to eating healthily on a budget is to motivate yourself. Consider the following:

• How much money would you save in a month, or to put it another way, what would you spend the money on instead?!
• How would it feel to have more energy, better skin, be more physically fit?
• What is the real value of the food you buy to your body? A pack of biscuits may be cheap but they're wasted calories and have little or no nutritional value.
• How can you make eating fun? Get creative in the kitchen, see it as a new project and reward yourself for learning new cheap and healthy recipes. Eating well on a budget can be a game.

"I don't have the time!"

So buying a pre-packed meal from Marks & Spencer is quick, but your options are limited to what they have available, plus its an expensive way to eat on a regular basis. It doesn't have to be time-consuming to cook, why not try the following...

• Shop online! It beats wandering around the supermarket after work with a host of busy and stressed people, plus you can compare prices on mysupermarket.co.uk to save money.
• Cook in bulk and freeze portions so that you can simply take your dinner out of the freezer when you're too tired to cook a full meal. This is also a great cheap lunch option. Put aside a day or two a week to cook a big meal that you can freeze, if you don't have at least one night a week free then you're working too hard!
• Build up your own personal dinner list, a sort of cache of your favourite simple meals that you can refer to when you've run out of inspiration!

"I can't cook!"

Everyone can cook if they try - really!

• First stop is get someone to teach you (it's much better than poring over a book), ask your mum how she makes your favourite dinners or maybe you have a firend who's cooking rivals Delia's. Experiment yourself and you'll find you get more aware of what flavours go together.
• Learn some 'one-pan' recipes. There are loads of recipe books dedicated to simple cooking, buy a copy or see if you can find one in the library.

"Fruit and veg is too expensive"

As a rule it's expensive to buy your fruit and veggies from the grocery section at the supermarket. Of course, keep an eye out for offers, but otherwise try the following:

• Buy frozen or canned fruit and vegetables. Greens, like peas, broccoli, spinach and sprouts are always pretty good from frozen, and much cheaper. Plus you cut down on wastage because they don't go off as quickly and it's always in the freezer if you need to rustle up something quickly! Canned fruit is great with puddings, or mixed into yoghurt for breakfast, so stock up!
• Buy in season, locally sourced food. If you are lucky enough to live near to a market, use it. You can buy the quantity you prefer, prices are lower and often produce is fresher. Plus if you go later on in the day, sellers often have stock to get rid of so you might get some real bargains. If you want to know what's in season now, visit eat the seasons.

Of course there are the other rules of thumb, that can help you to cut down on buying rubbish. For example make sure you eat something before you go to the supermarket (shopping on an empty tummy means a very full trolly!), or go home before you go out to the supermarket, check your cupboards and make a list. Often you'll find you have key ingredients already or something that needs using up. And if you're trying to eat healthily on a budget, use starchy foods like sweet potatoes or rice to bulk up your meals. They're cheap, filling and if you choose wholegrains, good for you too. Forget Atkins, carbs rule!

So armed with these tips, and a little planning you can look forward to a thinner waistline and a fatter purse in 2009!