Health On A Shoestring Budget wellness

Being healthy doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg! Here’s how to boost mind and body on a budget…

Low-Cost Eating

Adding more plant protein, such as pulses, to your diet saves money and has been shown to dramatically reduce the risk of cancer. It also helps the environment!

Ready-cooked tinned beans like haricot and cannellini, chickpeas and Puy lentils are inexpensive and can be added to soups, stews, salads, curries and dips. As well as being a cheap source of protein, they are packed with minerals, vitamins, carbohydrate and fibre. Likewise seed “grains” such as quinoa, and some vegetables like kale are mineral and protein rich and excellent for health.

In addition, eat small portions of good quality fish, eggs or meat, which will be full of more nutrients than low quality produce. For instance, pasture-fed cows deliver meat with a better content of essential fatty acids than grain-fed cattle. Cheaper oily fish like mackerel will boost omega-3 intake.

In-season, locally-grown vegetables and fruits are less expensive and more nutritious than imported and out-of-season produce. At this time of year, British cauliflower, spinach, spring greens, rhubarb and purple sprouting broccoli are at their best. Organic produce is more nutritious and isn’t always expensive – organic broccoli from Asda costs £1 and organic carrots are 58p. Reduce cost by buying in bulk and freezing what you don’t eat. A big bag of nuts, such as nutritious organic almonds or h hazels, l i is f far cheaper h than regularly buying small pack kets.