Helpful hints for family life Feed your family healthily for less

With the cost of living crisis causing many of us to tighten our purse strings, a dietician suggests how to eat healthily on a budget.

Obesity levels among children are soaring, and more of them are getting diagnosed with type 2 diabetes – and the cost of living crisis could make it worse in the future, Diabetes UK has warned. Healthier diets could help reduce obesity in children, and feeding a family nutritious food doesn’t have to be expensive, stresses Aisling Pigott, registered dietitian and British Dietetic Association spokesperson.

Here are Pigott’s tips on how to eat well for less..

Fruit and veg don’t have to be fresh

If fresh fruit and veg seem a bit pricey these days, go for frozen or tinned versions. They’re often cheaper, and are just as nutritious – sometimes even more so, says Pigott.

Look for food packed with fibre

The more fibre we eat, the fuller we feel – with Pigott saying: ‘Fibre in food makes it more satisfying, so we’re less likely to overeat.’

Fibre can be found in frozen and tinned veg, and you can choose cheaper wholegrain options where possible, like wholegrain bread, rice and pasta.

Swap in a fibre-filled cheap breakfast cereal

‘A really simple change people can make is at breakfast, when children often eat highsugar breakfast cereals,’ says Pigott. ‘They can often be changed for cheaper, high-fibre options, which can contain two or three times the amount of fibre, and much less sugar.’

Get children involved in choosing food

It’s no use buying cheaper healthy food if your kids won’t eat it, so Pigott suggests parents get children involved in helping choose food at the supermarket – challenging them to find the cheapest options of the nutritious foods they’ll eat.