The cost of food undoubtedly plays an important role in an individual’s food choice. Especially when there is little budget. Although a balanced and varied diet generally costs a little more, it is still possible to cook tasty and healthy food on a limited budget. It’s just a matter of knowing how.
Composition and preparation
The gap between rich and poor is increasing. In Western society, poverty is usually the result of various factors. It not only affects people who have been poor from generation to generation, but also increasingly affects the long-term unemployed, single parents, the sick, pensioners and the disabled.
Those who have to make do on a limited income often cut back on food, because people are convinced that purchasing healthy food is not feasible. Yet the problem is not so much in the purchase of food , but rather in its composition and preparation.
Energydence foods
Sugar and fat-free foods are generally cheaper. The disadvantage is that these products usually provide a lot of energy but relatively few essential nutrients. Consuming too large amounts can lead to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Nutrient dense foods
Vegetables, fruit, lean meats and fish provide many essential nutrients per energy value and are therefore preferred. The disadvantage is that these products cost more.
Skills
Want to cook tasty and healthy food with less? It is possible, because healthy food can be composed of more budget-friendly foods and certainly does not require any special culinary skills. There are plenty of simple recipes that are quick to prepare, tasty and cheap. With a good cookbook and the right foods, one can get started.
Products such as liver, dried legumes, nuts and canned fish are cheap but score lower in terms of taste and variety. However, they can be seasoned, but it is a matter of knowing how. By taking a few cooking lessons, you will quickly learn how to do this. Demonstrations and the Internet also provide not only more knowledge but also important skills.
Budget-friendly and healthy
Prepared products and ready meals are usually more expensive than fresh basic foods. Peeling and preparing potatoes yourself is much cheaper than puree powders. Those who spend less on ready-made snacks and/or ready-made meals can spend more on healthy basic products such as vegetables and fruit.
- Look and compare: branded products are more expensive and not always of better quality than cheaper products. Products in special shapes, in attractive and eye-catching packaging or with extra additives are also more expensive and do not always provide more essential nutrients. Also compare the price per kilogram or liter, because pre-packed products are often more expensive than when you buy them in bulk. For example, a liter carton of yogurt can be cheaper than six or eight jars. Buying in bulk is more interesting, provided that you can store everything optimally and you do not run the risk of having to throw things away due to a “too short” expiration date. So don’t buy more than you need. Products that are on store shelves at eye level are often more expensive than products that are lower.
- A balanced and varied diet provides all the necessary nutrients. Enriched products that are a lot more expensive are unnecessary. They may be useful for certain target groups, such as the elderly and people recovering from illness, but are not essential for good nutrition and cannot make up for a poorly composed diet.
- Purchase fruit and vegetables: choose seasonal products that are in large supply. Then the price is the lowest. By freezing these you have variety all year round. Take the amount of waste into account when calculating the price per kilogram. If you don’t go to the market until after noon, there are often bargains to be had. Under the motto “everything has to go”, market vendors sometimes offer fruit and vegetables at low prices. Frozen and canned vegetables are good alternatives. They are quick and easy to prepare, tastefully nutritious and easy to dose. They also no longer need to be cleaned, so there is no waste.
- One hundred grams of meat or fish per day is sufficient. That’s all it takes. Vary with lean meats that are also available in small portions. Chicken, organ meats, canned fish and eggs offer good nutritional quality at a reasonable price.
- Properly stored leftovers can be recombined in different ways the next day. Use your own imagination. Example: soup can be prepared with leftovers of different vegetables. You can make a delicious potato salad with cold potatoes and for dessert you can prepare a fruit salad or fruit compote with overripe fruit.
- Planning: draw up a weekly menu, so you have to go to the store less and you are less tempted to buy more than you planned. Good planning also allows for better variation and to alternate more expensive menus with cheaper ones. Preferably do your shopping without children. They often insist on unnecessary purchases. Also don’t go shopping on an empty stomach, because the temptation to buy things you don’t need is much greater.