Veg on a budget
Can veg be part of our diet if your budget is tight? Absolutely! While it may require a little effort and planning, we have gathered tips from our experts that are as simple and achievable as possible.
Can I afford veg?
Let’s save some money…
When your food budget is stretched, adding anything in, especially something that might be rejected, can be a daunting task. Eating more veg can cost more, but in the long run can actually save you money, as well as improving the health of your family. Here’s a few tips.
Get Free Fruit & Veg!
Over 200,000 low-income families with young children and pregnant women are losing out on Healthy Start payments toward free fruit, veg, milk and vitamins in 2023 with 1/3 of all eligible households not signed up.
The Healthy Start scheme provides fruit, vegetables, vitamins and milk for young families on low incomes, and could have helped many more with the current cost of living crisis.
Making the most of Healthy Start vouchers could be the single most beneficial thing you can do to add veg to your family’s budget, so check and see if you are eligible and cash in on them soon!
Use Frozen and Tinned Veg
Frozen and tinned veg is usually cheaper than fresh, and almost always means less food is wasted too. Veg frozen at peak ripeness means nutrients are locked in, and since they are usually pre-prepped, there is little work for you to do. Frozen also allows you to use small amounts while trying to introduce new veg so less is wasted. Hugh-Fearnley-Whittingstall and Charlotte Radcliffe RNtr. unlock the power of frozen veg.
Jamie's £1 Wonders
Looking for recipes that won’t blow your budget? Jamie Oliver’s £1 Wonders recipe collection has something for everyone. Featuring Jamie’s tried-and-tested recipes for quick roasts, satisfying stews and tasty pastas, these meals all come in at less than £1 a portion and are sure to become your new family favourites.
Meal Planning and Batch Cooking
Planning meals and making a shopping list based on those meals means nothing goes to waste as you are buying only what you need. Batch cooking may sound daunting, but can be as simple as just doubling one of your favourite family meals and saving one in the fridge or freezer for a later date, saving you money and time.
Storing Veg More Effectively
Storing the veg correctly and making good use of it is also key. Making sure to keep most root veg in cupboards, tomatoes and most fruits at room temperature, keeping cut carrots in water in the fridge or wrapping celery in tin foil to keep in the fridge for weeks can mean less waste and more veg eaten. Making good use of leftovers to ensure it ends up in bellies, not bins, can save you money, too! Registered nutritionist Charlotte Radcliffe shares her tips…
Reducing Food Waste
The less food you waste, the more money you save! By storing your veg properly, meal planning to make sure you buy what you need, and using only what you need with frozen or loose veg, you should hopefully be reducing food waste and saving money, but if you are still finding yourself throwing food away, keep a paper and pen near the bin and jot down what you are finding yourself chucking over the course of a week or even month. This will allow you to be sure of what is not getting eaten, and means you can either stop buying those bits, or find better ways of storing, cooking or prepping them that will result in those things being eaten!
Eco-chef Tom Hunt also shows you how to prep your veg to minimise waste.
Make meals go further
Using beans & pulses to replace some or all of the meat and fish in your favourite meals is one of the quickest, easiest ways to save money (plus, it adds a portion of veg!). Lentils, chickpeas and many different types of beans are high in protein and fill bellies, meaning you still are getting a healthy, satisfying dinner for everyone for a fraction of the cost. If your family aren’t sold, start slowly, replacing just a small amount of the meat/fish and slowly increasing the pulses and decreasing the main protein over time. Check out our simple guide to saving money by making your meals go further from brilliant nutrionists Zoe Griffith RNtr.
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