can you eat healthily and cheaply??

greenbee

I've always found that the best way to eat cheaply is to eat lots of vegetables (in season), pulses, grains etc. A little meat/fish/tofu/dairy (I'm talking meat or fish twice a week or even less, tofu a couple of times, half a dozen eggs a fortnight, a big pot of yogurt a week), and a couple of portions of fruit a day. Bear in mind I'm catering for one most of the time, so can't bulk buy to save in the same way - I don't buy milk as I don't use it up before it goes off.

If you buy what's in season/on offer and freeze/batch cook & freeze then it's even cheaper.

I've never found eating junk particularly cheap. I had to resort to ready-meals when my kitchen was being redone, and found that the portions were too big, but that the leftovers were unusable.

I sprout seeds and (sometimes) make my own yogurt (if I'm too lazy to go shopping), and attempt to grow the odd tomato & aubergine but am lucky enough to have a good local farm shop, village shop and butcher.

If you avoid waste (e.g. boil chicken so you make a batch of stock at the same time; boil up chicken bones; use left-over veg to make soup etc) and develop your cooking skills so that you have the flexibility to deal with a glut of anything that turns up, eating healthily is probably the cheapest option.

LeeSouthEast

It can definitely be done - as a lot of people have said above. My diet is far better than it was 12 months ago, and I'm spending LESS than I was 12 months ago! (£50 a month now. It wasn't unusual to spend that in one night before, taking into account takeaways, etc.)!

westcoastscot

slightly off topic but would love to have woopsied fruit/veg - my nearest supermarket is 40 miles away - Mr T - and his woopsies this week consisted of raspberries that had been 2.50 punnet or 2 for £4, reduced to £2.05 a punnet!! outrageous - i have relatives living in lincolnshire and they can live for half the price - a combination of more supermarket choice and a proper market.

greenbee

I can never get to supermarkets when things are reduced, but I don't feel I'm missing out. By going to the farm shop and village shop I spend significantly less time wandering around vast air-conditioned warehouses full of food, and don't buy rubbish I don't need. And I do get some real bargains - for example seconds tomatoes at £1 per kilo during tomato season - some I cook in ratatouille with all the other lovely veg available at the time, some I cook into concentrated tomato soup, and others I just throw into the freezer raw to use in cooking.

westcoastscot

sounds great greenbee - we dont have anything like that around here - used to have a farmers' market but it stopped. We do have one local fruit and veg shop, part of the butchers - but very expensive/not great quality.
I grow a lot, so it isnt a problem as such, and shop when i'm in the city, but would love to be able to buy everything locally

Hardup_Hester

It's difficult to get cheap fruit & veg where I am, nearest supermarket is Waitrose, tesco express nearby, but not many whoopsies & never much fruit & veg reduced. Local butchers sell veg, but not cheap & a car is needed to get to any of these, well it is for me, 6 mile round trip carrying heavy bags, no way.
I drink orange juice & have dried fruit on my cereal to get 2 of my 5 a day. Last time I bought bananas they were £1.71 for 4, so too expensive for me to buy regularly. We grow some salad leaves & tomatoes which I have with lunch every day. It's not that difficult, but it is definitely easier round here to buy a mars bar or a packet of crisps than it is fruit & veg.
Hester

freebiequennie

we eat healthily and fairly cheaply, although we could eat cheaper if we want to.

we buy fruit and veg thats on offer such as aldi's super 6 we dont like everything each time but usually like at least 3-4 of them and offer ranges each time from 29-69p depending on what it is - this time peppers have been 49p brought loads and will buy loads at weekend as offer changes and slice and freeze.

asda often do a 50p range of veg and at the mo have onions, cabbage, radishs, little gem lettuces and some £1 lines inc 5kg bag new potatoes and bag of about 8 apples.

we keep an eye out for reduced meat where we can freezer is currently full and will eat a fair bit of that over the next week so wont shop at all.

we dont waste anything, had 2 tablespoons of curry left - put in freezer bag then when did next curry we chucked that in so a bit more was left next time to make one extra portion.

Butterfly_Brain

We go to Aldi as well and if the super six items that are on offer will freeze we buy extra and freeze for later on. This month it has been peppers.
A freezer really is a Godsend when you are on a budget.
We buy Cartons of Orange and Apple juice from Farmfoods (2 for £1) and Milk is £1 for 2 litres.
We have a vegetarian meal at least once a week and eat a lot of eggs and chicken.

Butterfly_Brain

Oh forgot to say we are going blackberrying in the next couple of weeks lovely fresh and free!
Plus our neighbours have kindly allowed us to Scrump their Apple, Cherry and Plum trees, and where my husband works there is a walnut tree - I love it when you can get things for nowt x
A lot of the cherries and apples have been frozen already and I have made 6 jars of plum jam.
Garden veg hasn't done too bad I have Cabbage, Spinach, Courgettes, Tomatoes, lettuce, Cucumber, Potatoes, Runner Beans, Broccoli and Carrots so all in all we have some pretty healthy options on the go.

clutterydrawer

i depends on what you would consider to be cheap.

I spend about £15 per week for one person and eat much more than five fruit and veg per day along with a lot of whole grains and pulses...so my answer to the initial question would be yes, i think you can.