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Are you ready to do some bargain hunting?
The rising cost of living has been grim news for months now, and it seems like it’s not getting better any time soon, with December setting record breaking inflation figures for the prices of our food shops. On top of rising food costs, we’ve had to cope with the hike in energy bills and the general cost of living crisis over the – already pretty stressful – Christmas period.
Hitting a record high, UK food price inflation reached 13.3% in December, causing the prices of essentials and cupboard staples, like pasta and tinned food, to shoot up. But it’s not just the price of basics piling the pressure on our shopping bills.
Fresh foods that had the highest increase in prices, with the British Retail Consortium trade body warning that the figure ‘is the highest inflation rate in the fresh food category on record’.
This rise in food prices is mainly down to the high cost of animal feed, fertiliser, and energy across the world. According to Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, higher food and energy prices, along with the arrival of Christmas spending bills, mean shoppers will have less to spend on non-essential items in the near-future.
And as we settle into 2023, many of us will be reevaluating our habits including our shopping, spending and eating habits. Even if you heartily reject the pressure to ‘transform’ your body or lifestyle in January (and we applaud you if so), it’s totally natural to want to embrace a healthier, fresher diet after the ‘cut-me-open-and-I-bleed-cheese’ December indulgence.
These record-breaking rises will add more pressure on households looking to save money while trying to eat healthy and look after their bodies at the same time. No mean feat for those on lower – and even middle – incomes.
With fresh foods and cupboard staples – usually some of the more inexpensive items – listed as those causing the most stress on our wallets, shoppers will find it difficult to find budget-friendly, nutrient dense foods to fit into their diets.
Short answer: there’s not an easy one. As things stand, it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing a drop in the prices of our kitchen favourites any time soon.
But, after speaking to some of our most knowledgable and savvy nutrition pros, we’ve uncovered some new shopping, cooking and food storage hacks.
We like to think of them as the new cost of living-friendly rules for savvy shopping and eating healthy on a budget.
You know, literally.
‘Usually, the cheaper options are not always positioned at eye-level,’ says Tai Ibitoye, registered dietitian. ‘So it is worth checking the bottom or top shelves.’
Obviously, many of us have busy lives and don’t always have time to be walking round the supermarket searching high and low for the most affordable products. Luckily, there’s also a way to quickly hunt for the best deals when online food shopping.
‘In some supermarket websites, you can refine the search to display food items from “low to high” prices and opt for the cheapest options,’ says Tai.
According to Tai, bulk ordering online can also be a good option as you can buy larger quantities of cupboard staples such as rice or pasta at cheaper prices.
When it comes to eating healthy for less, it really does pay to be basic.
‘Dried lentils may sound boring,’ admits Azmina Govindji, award-winning dietitian and author of Vegan Savvy: An expert’s Guide to Nutrition on a Plant-based Diet.
But, she insists, they’re a great staple that can be used in many amazing meals. ‘Simply use them as a basis for soup, stews or dhals,’ she recommends – ‘they’ll give you a protein and fibre hit.’
According to Azmina, focusing on what you can buy rather than what you can’t might just be the key to conjuring up some great new recipes.
‘Two slices of bread and a couple of eggs can cost you less than a pound, yet they make a delicious light lunch when you transform them into eggy Indian-style bread with seeds,’ explains Azmina. ‘You can use the cheapest bread or even stale bread.’
Azmina also recommends keeping various seeds and grains in the kitchen cupboards if you can as they are ‘a simple way to bring crunch, colour and nutrition.’
If there was ever a time to enter your ‘own brand’ era, it’s now.
‘Go for supermarket own brand items. The least expensive will be those with a “value” or “essential” or “basic” label,’ says Azmina.
Downshifting is Martin Lewis-approved shopping challenge that can help you resist the presentation and descriptions of luxury, branded items.
The next time you shop, try swapping items to just one brand level lower and see if you can taste a difference. If you can’t see a noticeable difference, why pay for the more expensive version?
And don’t worry, Azmina assures us that a branded label doesn’t mean you’ll be skimping out on certain health benefits either.
‘Nutritionally, they’re likely to be very close to the more expensive versions,’ she explains.
One nutritional goal that’s worth shooting for – whatever your age, stage or wellness goal – is eating a diet that that’s varied.
‘Variety in the diet is important because the greater diversity of whole foods you consume, the greater the spread of nutrients you’ll be supplying your system with,’ explains Tai.
As for what ‘varied’ looks like, various leading dieticians and gut health specialists – including Dr Megan Rossi AKA The Gut Health Doctor and Profressor Tim Spector – advise shooting for 30 different plant foods per week.
Of course, buying more foods – to access that variety – can be extra challenging as prices continue to rise.
However, Tai suggests transforming novel dishes with staple ingredients. ‘The aim is to buy key cupboard essentials (rice, bread, beans or other types of pulses, milk, etc) and find ways to make the most out of them.’
Another simple and relatively inexpensive way to add variety to your diet is to include more herbs and spices in your meals – you can buy (fresh is always best – store in the freezer to avoid waste) or even grow them yourself.
‘It also helps that spices and herbs count towards your 30 plant points a week which is good for the gut,’ says Tai. [editoriallinks id=’d4c098a0-2b55-417c-b09e-c4e726fb6931′ align=’left’][/editoriallinks]
While you may notice your go-to cans of chickpeas or kidney beans have increased in price, they’re still worth stocking up on.
‘Canned foods typically remain much cheaper than fresh or even frozen options,’ explains Azmina. ‘Plus, they’re convenient – no need to soak your lentils or beans – and have a long shelf life.’
In Azmina’s recent book, Vegan Savvy: An expert’s Guide to Nutrition on a Plant-based Diet, she shares surprising – and cheap – ways that those avoiding animal foods can check off their nutritional needs.
‘Cost-effective basic foods like canned chickpeas are an amazing way to get selenium; a couple of slices of white bread (yes, white!) is a source of calcium; fortified breakfast cereals, including own brand varieties can give you iron.’
Porridge oats are a staple item that are actually more versatile than many of us realise.
‘Porridge oats can be used as a coating on frozen fish – just blitz the oats in a food processor, add a few dried herbs and then smother on top of inexpensive fish fillets like coley, and grill or shallow fry.’
Not only does this save money on purchasing more expensive items such as proper breadcrumbs but oats also have great health benefits. ‘Oats add fibre and help to manage your blood cholesterol,’ explains Azmina.
She also suggests using rice as a handy cupboard essential which can be used in a variety of meals.
‘Rice swells when cooked so a small amount can be the basis of a satisfying meal. Simply add some frozen vegetables and spices and you could have yourself a vegetable pilau dish that cooks effortlessly in the microwave.’
Smart women know when it’s yellow sticker o’clock.
Usually at the end of the day, supermarkets reduce the prices of products which are going out of date and need to be used up. According to Tai, this is a great way of grabbing a bargain on products which are slightly more expensive.
‘There is no harm in asking a member of staff at the supermarket for food reduction times and shopping then for reduced priced food items,’ she suggests. ‘You can use it within the specified date or freeze it for later.’
Meal prep: it’s not just a smart shout for helping you save time (and avoid grabbing a ready meal after a bad day), it can help you save £££, too.
‘Within the Rhitrition clinic, especially at this time of year, we see lots of clients who are looking for more affordable ways to help them lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight in the long term,’ says registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert.
‘Frozen items, such as meat or fish, tend to be cheaper than most fresh produce so these are a great option if you’re looking to save some money.’
‘The freezer may also come in useful when bulk cooking meals, as you can save any leftovers as individual portions to eat at a later date, which helps save time and money too!’
One of Azmina’s top tips is freezing bread. ‘Studies show that freezing and then toasting white bread is more favourable than toasting white bread from fresh,’ Azmina says.
‘Freezing alters the structure and lowers the glycaemic index of the bread,’ Azmina explains. ‘This helps your blood glucose go up and down more slowly, which can keep your energy levels steady. And it improves your body’s sensitivity to insulin, particularly important for people with diabetes.’
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According to Azmina, another great way of saving money is by freezing cheese.
‘Buy slabs of cheese when on special offer, then either put them straight into the freezer or grate it and freeze it in one thin layer. It’s then easy to break off how much you need so you don’t waste it.’
Seriously cool tips.
An evergreen one, this – but it bears repeating. Especially in January, and especially when peoples’ budgets are even more stretched than normal.
That’s because many trending diets and hacks could end up running up high costs while also compromising people’s nutrition, explains Tai – offering the TikTok famous fruitarian diet as an example.
‘Even though it is important to include fruits in our diet, it is not a good idea for this to be only our source of nutrition,’ she explains. ‘It is very restrictive and likely to be low in vital nutrients like protein, fat, B vitamins, vitamin D, iron and calcium. And, what’s more, fresh fruit is extremely expensive.’
Another trending eating regimen Tai warns could harm both our health and budgets (not to mention the planet) is the meat diet.
‘This is a current TikTok trend where individuals are only consuming red meat, salt and water,’ explains Tai.
‘Meat products are generally among the expensive food items in the supermarket. Also, regularly and excessively consuming red meat in the diet is not good for general health as they tend to be high in saturated fat and can also increase risk of bowel cancer.’
Remember: the healthiest diet is one based on a mix of all the major food groups (carbs and fats included) and includes an abundance of plants. If a plan centres around one particular food? Avoid.
Here’s hoping these tips help you be your healthiest self this January and beyond – whilst keeping your finances in as healthy-as-possible place too.
Got any more to add? We’d love to hear from you.
