Daily hacks: How to eat healthy on a tight budget

Eating healthy and clean doesn't have to be expensive. Here are some tips to help you eat healthy.

Saving money using a piggy bank. Picture: iStock

The cost of living continues to increase, and this means that buying your usual monthly groceries may be a challenge.

Everyone knows that eating clean and heathy can be quite costly, but with these tips and tricks from The Association for Dietetics in South Africa, you can find ways to cut costs when doing your groceries and maintain a healthy eating lifestyle on a tight budget.

Do not cut back on fruits and vegetables

When buying fresh produce, make sure that you are buying fruits and vegetables that are in season. Always buy your fresh produce whole, because it is much cheaper than buying fruits and vegetables that have already been cut and prepared.

Another great plan to save money on fresh produce would be to buy fruits and vegetables in bulk, which can then be shared amongst a group of friends, family or neighbours.

To completely cut down costs on buying fruits and vegetables, simply grow them yourself in your backyard.

food — *A salad filled with delicious fresh vegetables. Picture: iStock*

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Get wise about grains and cereals

When shopping for grains and cereals, make sure that you focus on fibre-rich whole-grains such as whole-wheat bread and brown rice, because they keep you fuller for longer and also supply you with essential nutrients.

Your favourite ready-to-eat box cereals can be very expensive, so consider changing your breakfast choices to oats or mealie meal porridge which have more essential nutrients and will keep you full for a longer period of time.

budget — *Oat flakes, seeds and bran in spoons. Picture: iStock*

Expand your sources of protein

Allocate a day or two in the week where you and your loved ones prepare and enjoy meat-free meals that are jam packed with plant-based proteins such as soya, beans and lentils.

If fresh fish is not available or is out of your budget, then be creative and consider preparing yummy dishes with tuna, tinned pilchards or sardines as a substitute.

To save some money on milk, try refilling your milk bottles with milk that has been packaged in plastic sachets as it is often cheaper than buying milk in cartons or bottles.

Use fats sparingly

The price of cooking oil has sky-rocketed, and it is no longer feasible to buy cooking oil regularly. Say goodbye to frying most of your foods, and explore other budget friendly ways to prepare food such as steaming, boiling or grilling.