10 food saving tips to munch more for less

Saving on food does not necessarily mean that you have to be satisfied with a can of bully beef or two minute noodles for dinner. There are many ways to eat economically and still enjoy a well-balanced meal. Here are 10 practical ways to keep your food budget out of the red:

1) Freeze half of your food
One of the easiest ways to save on food is to cook smart. Cooking larger portions and then freezing the leftovers will give one ready-made meals in an instant without having to buy fresh produce each day.

2) Get creative with canned food
One can make a variety of dishes with canned food. Take canned fish for example. Tuna, salmon or pilchards can utilised in a variety of salads or fish cakes that are mouth watering
Beans can also be utilised to this effect in salads while chick peas can be used for a tasty homemade Moroccan Hummus dip.

3) Eat at your favorite restaurant for less on special night
Most restaurants these days have specials on their signature meals on specific nights. Spur have their Burger Mondays and Panarotti’s have their pizza nights on Thursday’s.

4) Buy meat with the bone on. De-boned is way more expensive
Meat has become ridiculously expensive of late and it can be bought with the bone on at a much cheaper price, as your butcher charges a fee of deboning the meat. The bone also contains more flavour and provides you with the choice of deboning after cooking the meat.

5) Buy in quantity according to your needs
We all have different needs according to our eating habits and body type. Buy perishable foods in smaller quantities to avoid waste and non-perishable items in bulk. Also remember to follow the FIFO (First in first out) rule with perishable food items. This way you can keep track of what you need in your fridge or pantry.

6)Buy whole fruits and vegetables.
It is much cheaper to buy whole fruits and vegetables and to exercise your knife skills than buying pre cut versions. You can save R5 by putting in 5 minutes of effort to cut the produce.

7) Use a microwave.
Microwaves use much less energy than a traditional stovetop and will ensure that there are no nasty burned food, which will also cost you money. Besides, there are a plethora of microwave dishes available that are fast effective and super tasty.

8)Don’t pay for the brand.
Brands are expensive and more often then not those no name brand products do the job in the exact same way. A well known brand of Sugar will taste exactly the same as the lesser known counterpart.

9)Use a list when shopping
This is vital to remember when doing your shopping as it avoids any unnecessary items in your basket or trolley. Focus on what you need from the highest to the lowest priority. If you have a good month you could sneak in something that’s not on the list.

10) Buy in season
Fruits and vegetables bought in season are not only cheaper but have a tendency to taste much better with improved quality. Plan your meals according to the seasonal fruits and vegetables available. There is nothing better than sweet succulent grapes in summer and a hearty bowl of pumpkin in autumn.