Eat For You Dietitian

Dietitian Approved

Written by Sophia Boothby RD

Have we all asked ourselves and our friends the question, ‘When will prices stop going up?’ One example that I found quite remarkable was the supermarket own brand dog food I used to buy used to be £5 for 12 tins. This went gradually up in price to £9 for 12 tins. This meant quite a steep increase in the amount we were spending on our 2 dogs every month and it doesn’t look like the price will ever go back to what it was so now it’s our new normal. So apart from our family pets, where else can I try to save money on my weekly food shop?

Contents

1. Fruit and vegetables
2. Carbohydrates
3. Beans, pulses, legumes and other protein sources
4. Oils and spreads
5. Fancy Brands and Packaging

Fruit and vegetables

Choose frozen and tinned options so you have your cupboard and freezer staples if keeping up with fresh fruit and vegetables is not achievable.

Often it can be believed that fresh/organic fruits and vegetables are the best source. This isn’t always necessarily true highlighted in this 2017 study. Especially when financially it is difficult to maintain fresh produce in your home then consider what frozen alternatives there could be.

I have always gone for frozen versions of fruit and vegetables. Keeping a stock of sliced peppers, mixed veg, stir fry mix, green beans, peas and sweetcorn, kale, spinach, raspberries and strawberries is super handy!

Carbohydrates

Supermarket own brands of pasta and spaghetti are pennies so why would you pay more for packaging.

I go for supermarket own brands of bread too, aiming to choose wholegrain or seeded wholegrain bread when I can.

Cereals are one of my simple breakfast options (bran flakes topped with raisins) and I’ve noticed that branded options of popular choices like cheerios, weetabix and weetos are about twice the amount of supermarket-own brands. My top tip is trialling the supermarket-own brands which are wheat biscuits or honey hoops at least once. You may not always favour these but when considering a total cost perspective, avoiding the colourful branded cereal boxes can save you quite a bit of £££.

Beans, pulses, legumes and other protein sources

Tins, tins and more tins of chickpeas, mixed beans, red kidney beans, green lentils, black-eyed beans. These can another cupboard staple to add to bolognese, curries, chilli, stews as a great protein source and a extra dietary fibre goodness. If you are new to adding beans and pulses to your diet, do this gradually as they can cause more wind and can be uncomfortable if too much is eaten too quickly. Chew properly!

There is no really getting round the cost of meat and poultry. I aim to buy bigger family packs and portion these accordingly for meals. There are frozen options also available.

Frozen fish fillets – haddock, tuna, salmon are easy to use. I often go for tinned tuna and mackerel in tomato sauce to have available for my lunches.

Other protein sources do include eggs, cheese, nuts and seeds. With nuts and seeds choose mixed variety bags if you can to gain more diverse plant-based fibres that can benefit your gut health.

Oils and spreads

1kcal oil sprays are a popular choice nowadays which can allow you portion control how much oil you’re using in cooking. The good about these is that once you buy one you’re probably using it for ages and ages until it has to be replaced.

There can be fancy oils around such as coconut oil and I don’t want to be against it but I’d rather people use on their hair and bodies if they must than cook with it.

Fancy Brands and Packaging

You may swear by a particular brand of XYZ and the cheaper ones may not compare to it. My question for you, have you tried the other cheaper option?

I often buy the big tub of supermarket-brand instant coffee and I will decant it in the small jar. For a while I had a Nescafe coffee jar (it must’ve been on offer). One day I made my brother-in-law a coffee and when he saw the Nescafe coffee jar he raved at how good his coffee was. A clear example of being blinded by the big brand names.

I guess I am fortunate that my parents taught me these effective ways of steering away from branded foods/drinks as a way of keeping the food shop costs down from a young age. I do think it is a useful tip to keep costs down as when you do compare some of these prices are triple.

Let’s see if you can give it a go this week.