By Carin Clegg – Accredited Practising Dietitian, BSc Nutrition (Hons)
There is a myth that eating a healthy diet is expensive however we have known for some time that if you take into account multiple factors this is far from true.
Eating healthy has been shown to reduce the likelihood and duration of colds and flus as well as prevent and reduce our risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer to name a few. This means that and if you eat a healthy diet you would not be needing to take time off work for illness and spend money on doctor visits, tests and medications for years to come.
Eating a healthy diet means you do not need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on vitamin, mineral or herbal supplementation each year, you get what you need from eating a range of foods.
Unfortunately eating a sensible healthy diet does not ‘sell’. Beware of the multi–billion dollar fad diet industry marketing to you. Avoid fad diet books, pills and shakes etc that promise miracle or quick results. In fact most people, 80–90%, that lose weight quickly with these methods put even more weight back on and the experience leads to more of a negative impact to health and well being.
Here are some things you can do to help you cut costs on your food budget.
At the shops
- Choose healthy everyday foods from the 5 food groups: wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, meat/meat alternatives, dairy/dairy alternatives and healthy fats/oils
- Choose whole foods in order to cook from scratch. Your knife skills will improve over time, you may even get more creative in the kitchen and you will not be spending extra money on pre–chopped vegetables and pre–made foods like pre–prepared meals, sauces, dressings and marinades
- Limit your purchasing of sometimes foods to only special occasions. These are high in sugar, fat and are of little nutritional value
- Make a list and stick to it. Plan what foods your family will eat for meals and snacks
- Avoid going shopping hungry to avoid impulse buying. We know that when we are hungry our self control part of brain does not function well and will be actively seeking out those high fat, high sugar foods for fast energy with little nutrition. Eating a sensible snack before shopping like a piece of fruit will definitely help the hip pocket in more ways than one.
In the kitchen
- Avoid food waste:
- Do not peel vegetables
- Portion food out carefully when cooking and serving to avoid overeating and plan to eat leftovers
- Make sure your fridge and veggie storage area is the right temperature and getting the appropriate amount of air ventilation by adjusting the vents.
Opt for home cooked rather than buy take away or eat out:
- Cook extra to have leftovers the next day, have some quick and easy meal written on a list on the fridge to remind you
- Some ideas include baked beans on toast, Spanish omelette or frittata, boiled egg salad with bread, 2 minute noodles with frozen veg and tofu, vermicelli noodle salad with a can of beans
- Have some healthy meals that you have cooked frozen ready for times you do not have time to cook. Good options include fried rice, bolognaise sauce, soup or a casserole
- Get all members of the household involved with some of the food prep so many hands make light work and even the kids learn the very important life skills of cooking a balanced meal. Perhaps allocate one person to cook each day of the week.
In the garden
There are many things you can grow that will make meals more interesting and cheaper than purchasing from the shops Some easy to grow foods include:
- Herbs – parsley, oregano, basil, chives, rosemary, coriander, lemongrass, sage, mint
- Vegetables – shallots, lettuce, spinach, snow peas, choko, sweet potato
- Fruit – berries like raspberries, blueberries or perhaps a mulberry tree, grapes, avocado, nut trees
- Edible flowers can be used for flavour or decorating instead of sugar coated decoration – nasturtiums, violets, rose or marigold petals and any herb flowers
- Tea – peppermint, camomile, lemon verbena.
Carin Clegg is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, (BSc Nutrition, Hons) and a Personal Trainer (Cert III, IV in Fitness) who is the Director of Bright Diets. Carin loves helping people be clever about their eating so they can feel happy, healthy and vibrant, living life to the fullest. Carin specialises in paediatric nutrition, food allergies and intolerances and intellectual disability (ASD, ADHD). Carin Clegg Ph: 0407 492 278. Online: www.brightdiets.com.au Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrightDiets