There was a heart wrenching story on the Today Programme* yesterday morning about undernourished families and their approaches to food purchasing. One mother of two, who was struggling with costs, said that she was on her fifth day without eating anything at all. She said that all the food she could afford to buy was going directly to her children. She couldn’t afford to buy food for herself. I find it profoundly sad that a mother should have to forgo food anywhere in the world- and I find it particularly devastating that it happens in a country with the means to keep everyone well-fed.
In the middle of the interview, this woman made a statement that really stood out for me; she said that she only has a budget of £15 a week to spend on food. This is clearly a meager amount for a woman and two young children; however, it really made me think that with a bit of nutritional knowledge, she could stretch her funds further and have enough to feed her children and herself. I should note that I am not in any way suggesting that she doesn’t need more money- I’m suggesting that we would all be better off with a bit more general knowledge about healthy food staples, budgeted shopping and healthy cooking techniques.
Widening this out from the struggles of people in impoverished economic situations, I’ve heard so many people say: “I would eat healthily, but I can’t afford to.” Healthy eating shouldn’t be a privilege for the wealthy- it must be a right for everyone, since it is integral to our health, wellness and… well, our lives really!
If you read my blog, you know that I am a fan of practical, safe and effective approaches to health, nutrition and fitness. I don’t believe that you have to eat expensive exotic goji berries to be healthy (take a look at my superfoods post), and with a bit of knowledge and information, most of us can afford to include lots of healthy staples in our diets.
To start out, here’s a list of some healthy and cheap staples below. I would love to hear all of your ideas, and to add them to the list!
- Dried pulses and beans
- Add boiling water and a bag will last for ages!
- e.g. 500g of lentils (10 + servings) is about £1 (or $1.57)
- Tinned/canned items
- Try for options that don’t have added salt or sugar
- e.g. a can of tomatoes (2 servings) is about 30p (or 47 cents)
- Frozen veg and fruit
- All the nutrients when frozen at source, at much lower prices
- e.g. a kilo of frozen peas (10 + servings) is about £1 ($1.57)
- Bulk grains (brown rice, quinoa, couscous, millet, barley, etc)
- The healthiest source of carbs, and a low cost set of items
- e.g. a kilo of brown rice (7+ servings) is £1.79 ($2.80)
- Whole wheat pasta
- Again, a great source of carbs, and very economical
- e.g. 500g of whole wheat penne is £1.55 ($2.40)
- Eggs
- A great source of protein
- Large eggs- about 20p each (30 cents)
To remain healthy and ensure you’re getting all your required micro-nutrients, you should rotate through various grains, veg and pulses. Clearly, fresh produce, meat (depending on your diet) and spices to keep meals tasting good would all be desired additions to this list.
Here’s a sample meal plan for three people for a week, with a total budget of £14.78
Note that this is based on an extremely minimal budget, so these are selected based on value and a balanced nutrient content, rather than fancy tastes!
7 x breakfast for 3 people: Porridge oats cooked with bananas and tea = £3.36
- Porridge oats: £1 (20 servings)
- Bananas: £0.77 (7 fair trade; 1/3 per bowl)
- Milk: £0.89 (2 pints /1.1 litres)
- Water
- Tea: 0.70p (40 bags fair trade red label)
2 x lunch for 3 people: Whole wheat tuna sandwich = £2.60
- Whole wheat bread £0.50 (22 slices- 10 left over)
- Tuna £1.38 (1/3 can per sandwich)
- Mayonnaise £0.40 (jar)
- Red onions £0.32 (2 onions)
5 x lunch for 3 people: Vegetable bulgar salad = £3.63
- Bulgar £0.99 (loads left over)
- Stir fry veg £1.45 (650g bag)
- Garlic £0.30 (whole bulb)
- Balsamic salad dressing £0.89 (jar)
4 x dinner for 3 people: Cowboy chili = £2.22
- Kidney beans £0.36 (3 basic cans)
- Chopped tomatoes £0.93 (3 basic cans)
- Onions £0.30 (2 onions)
- Bulgar £0 (from lunch salads)
- Garlic £0 (from lunch salads)
- Chili powder £0.63 (jar)
3 x dinner for 3 people: Whole wheat veggie pasta = £2.68
- Whole wheat pasta £0.95 (500g)
- Onions £0.30 (2 onions)
- Courgette/zuchini £0.36 (2)
- Mushrooms £0.45 (15)
- Chopped tomatoes £0.62 (2 cans)
- Garlic £0 (see lunch salad)
- Chili powder £0 (see chili)
Snack = £0.29
- Whole what bread £0 (see sandwich lunch)
- Mixed fruit jam £0.29
All costs are taken from http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk and are based on Sainsbury’s prices.
Of course, there are also general strategies to healthy eating on a budget, such as using coupons, finding your store’s produce markdown section, growing your own veg/ spices/ herbs and meal planning.
It makes me sad to think that people are going hungry through a lack of information about cheap and healthy foods. It makes me wonder whether we should include practical nutrition, budgeting and food preparation in schools, so that we’re prepared to eat well and stay healthy, no matter our budgets or circumstances.
I would love to hear your thoughts!
* This seems to be the week of the Radio 4 Today Programme responses. What can I say? I’m a fan 
What are your strategies for healthy eating on a budget?
Do you have any great recipes for cheap meals? I found a site called Great Little Ideas on the web, which has loads of cheap recipe ideas
Should food shopping and meal planning be included in school curriculum?
Do you disagree- is healthy eating expensive?
Photo credits: strawberry field by Christa Richert, coins by sufinawaz, veg market by OBMonkey
Super interesting! I think healthy eating can be more expensive, but depending on what you buy, it doesn’t necessarily have to be
Thanks! Yes, smart choices are definitely doable with a bit of planning!
I find this fascinating and sad. It is terrible to think that there are people struggling so much. But my mind definitely starts to consider what food choices I would make in this position. I think you hit the nail on the head with nutrition and meal planning being important part or education. There is definitely a lack of knowledge about what is healthy and how we should be fueling our bodies.
I think poor eating is really easy, cheap, accessible and better advertised then healthy eating. Healthy eating can be expensive if you are not careful or worried about it. You are right there are some wonderful food choices/ staples that are really inexpensive.
I’m so eager to try your recipes! If nothing else it will help the bank balance! You’re right it doesn’t have to be expensive to eat well. Education and public health campaigns could go a long way.
I definitely agree about your point on advertising. Shops and food producers make more money out of selling prepared foods with fillers than they do out of fresh ingredients, so they’re definitely marketing those front and centre! Yes- I think more education and public health information would be great.
I think healthy ingredients and fresh ingredients are a lot more expensive. It always perplexes me. It’s far more expensive to buy a weeks worth of shopping to prepare fresh ingredients for healthier balanced meals than it is buy a weeks worth of easy ‘bung in the oven’ food like two for one pizzas, burgers, ready meals, chicken nuggets, chips etc. Its little wonder we have obecity problems with our youngsters, with little time for parents and a lack of knowledge its easier and cheaper to feed their children on the above foods. Unfortunately for the parent you described in the program its an extreme case, but its no surprise that standards are slipping. Rock on radio4!
haha- another radio 4 fan!
Ready meal deals are definitely a false economy, but shops manage to make them very tempting! I suppose part of the cost of fresh foods is the fact that they’re perishable, with a short shelf life. Your point about obesity and youngsters is another interesting one!
They have a campaign over here in Australia to raise awareness and money for families like the one you described. I’m not sure of the group that runs it but basically people commit to living off $2 a day for a week and get people to sponsor them. As a breast feeding mom I’ve not participated but one of my girlfriends did and I sponsored her – she said it was an amazing experience and so sad to realise that there are people out there trying to feed themselves on that kind of budget !
My favourite budget meal is tuna pasta bake. I cook the pasta then layer in tuna and celery (you could use any vegetables you like or that were cheap), I sprinkle a little cheese across the top to give it a bit of a crunchy top and pour over a basic white sauce with some lemon juice added. Then pop it in the oven for about 1/2 an hour till the top is crispy. Flavoured tunas such as lemon and pepper or lime add a nice twist to change the taste.
Wow, what a challenge. We’re so fortunate not to have to do that every week. It would take so much planning and forethought to make sure you don’t go days without any food at all. That must be an excellent way to raise awareness about the issue as well.
Thanks for the pasta bake recipe- definitely sounds like a cheap and tasty one!
These are AWESOME tips!!! It’s sad when people think they “can’t” eat healthy because it’s so expensive. But it really doesn’t have to be!
Thank you!
Absolutely- a range of good old fashioned veg, whole grains and pulses are healthy without the fancy prices.
Great post! Healthy eating really isn’t as complicated or expensive as people like to make out, and you have illustrated that so well.
Thanks Sarah! I’m glad you agree
I lived for two years in New York City on $5.00 a week. I helped countless others eat healthier during that time. I think eating junk is the most expensive way to go. Eating healthy is by far the cheapest way. the old adage, ” An oz of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, may be true in some respects but I find ” An oz of prevention is more than worth pounds of cure” I used to be sick every other week because of my body not making gamma globulin. Now I have not missed a day of work, from being sick, for over 25 years. My push-ups have gone from 55-60 pushups in a minute to over 90. My endurance and energy is beyond my own expectations. I love healthy eating, the idea of which has changed, over time. But life is exciting as I find new limits to my body.
Wow- what a feat to spend $5 a week! Congratulations on reaching a fantastic level of fitness- I agree, it is very exciting!