How to eat well on a budget

Are you finding it hard to eat healthily on a budget? These ideas will help you eat well and spend less:
1. Plan ahead, write a shopping list, and avoid impulse purchases.
2. Cut food waste by eating dinner leftovers for lunch or freezing for the following week.
3. Look out for weekly fruit and vegetable deals at superstores, markets and local shops.
4. Cut your meat and swap for pulses (beans, lentils and peas) and vegetables. For example, when making spaghetti Bolognese, replace the ground beef with canned chickpeas, lentils, or kidneys beans, and add frozen vegetables.
5. Use leftover vegetables from dinner to make soup for lunch the next day: simply pop in a pan with a stock-cube, cover with water, and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes, then blend or eat it chunky with some whole-grain or seeded bread.
6. Try superstore value brands, which often taste just as good for a lower price.
7. Try canned or frozen fruit and vegetables. Buy fruit in natural juices or water instead of in syrup when you can to avoid extra calories.
8. Rely less upon processed meats and other foods and cook from scratch. Look at the resource list (turn over) for where to find easy, healthy low-cost recipes.
9. Ask members of staff at local supermarkets for fresh food reduction times to grab a bargain. Use within date or freeze for later.
10. Buy some dried herbs and spices — for example, chili powder, paprika and mixed Italian herbs — which are not expensive and add great flavor to simple homemade dishes.
Source: The Association of UK Dieticians: bda.uk.com