Great Cheaper Health Food Hunt

MSE_Martin

What's it about?

Whether you've managed to stick to your New Year's Resolutions or simply just like to keep yourself healthy day to day, it's often hard to find health food (and drink) at a price to suit your budget. So I thought I'd tap MoneySavers' wealth of knowledge to share tips on finding cheaper sources of health food.

Whether it's buying fresh fruit and veg from your local market rather than the supermarket or where to find cheap vitamins or healthy snacks, share your ideas. Or if you have special dietary requirements - diabetes, wheat intolerence, nut allergy - where's a good place to stock up?

What to do?

Please click reply to let other MoneySavers know your tips and suggestions

[threadbanner]box[/threadbanner]

nir_mk

1) walk past Julian Graves, every month or two they have "everything half-price" sale for a day or two: time to stock up on raw nuts and seeds (and maybe dried fruit?)

2) If you're after vitamins or omega-3 supplements, keep tabs on Holland and Barrett (by walking past or through their website) they rotate their sales every 3 or 4 weeks. The website always tells you the last date of the current sale, these items are on sale one month in every 2 or 3 so not long to wait. Same applies for their own-brand Whey Powder.

3) End-of-day reductions at supermarkets are the cheapest way to buy fruit and veg. If you haven't got the patience to wait those out the next best price is frozen veg at ASDA/NETTO.

4) For small amounts of beans it can be cheaper to buy tins (for example 5 tins of chick peas for £1 at ASDA) for larger quantities buy a 2kg bag of dried beans (ASDA/TESCO) cook, divide into portions and freeze.

SallyD

I try my best to eat a healthily vegetarian diet, no eggs or fish. Don't be fooled by the fruit/nut bars found in "Health Shops" full of sugar or all those low fat pies and ready mades that have a heck of a lot of nasties in them. Instead, pay a few pence more and buy freshly made ones in places like Haelem Centre in Crouch End/ Fresh n Wild, that if you don't make them yourself. I also try and shop in the small continental grocers for fresh veg and fruit. This week Aldi have boxes of 500g boxes of red seedless grapes. Gone through 3 boxes and not found a mouldy one yet, six red apples ,6 oranges,pack of french beans and bag of spuds all at 49 a pack. Mangoe in Lidl 23p. :T This could be an interesting thread.

sue-y

Been mentioned by others countless times before but buy pulses, rice and the like in bulk at asian and chinese supermarkets. Herbs and spices at asian supermarkets are miles cheaper, and usually fresher.

If you see an unmissable deal on fruit or veg buy and freeze. Sometimes frozen or tinned produce are at brilliant value and the freezing/canning process preserves the nutritional value. Good for singletons like me who has watched good food disintegrate before their very eyes :eek: . Not very MSE!

Although Delia backs canned meat I'm not so sure, but if I see a good offer on I might be tempted .

StripyPixieSocks

Health Food Supplements / Vitamins etc.

I have bought form this place for a couple of years now... BRILLIANT prices (check it out compared to Holland & Barrett :eek:) and wonderfully fast delivery

http://www.healthspan.co.uk/default.aspx

pensioner_margaret

If you are buying those expensive probiotic drinks - read on
It is easy to make your own using Kefir grains.
Google 'kefir' and learn all about it.

I had c-diff many years ago and when it comes to gut health, I know what works

chivas

nir_mk, I didn't know you could freeze chickpeas!

So if I soaked and boiled a massive vat of them I could freeze some? I prefer them done the manual way, but never actually do it as it takes soooooo looooong...

trickypockets

Don't buy dried fruit and nuts in small bags in supermarkets. Holland & Barrett are usually a lot cheaper and they often have really good offers.

dcf

I've just looked at H&B prices for brazils and walnuts and they're quite a lot more than at Tesco. In my local Tesco they sell nuts in various parts of the store at various prices - those in the cooking ingredients section always seem to be cheapest.

liam8282

http://www.healthydirect.com/

That is the best site I have found for all your vitamins & supplements, way cheaper than any H&B, plus free delivery on all UK orders.

lexa34

liam8282 wrote: »

http://www.healthydirect.com/

You can go through topcashback.co.uk for these guys too to get...cashback!