Her Unique Glow

1) MAKE A PLAN

Making a weekly meal plan is a great way to note exactly what you’re going to eat throughout the week. Get everyone in the household involved and go through what you’re planning on having for breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the week as well as any snacks or indulgences you might want. Not only will this help when it comes to writing up your shopping list, but you’ll also be less likely to go off plan and buy things you don’t necessarily need. You’ll also have an opportunity to look at the bigger picture and notice if you’re planning for healthy balanced meals throughout the week and what needs tweaking before you settle on the final plan.

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2) MAKE A LIST

Once you have made your plan, it’s time to write a shopping list. Go through all the meals, snacks and treats you have planned for your week and write down everything you will need. When you have a shopping list, you’re more likely to get when you need and prevent yourself from getting more or extra foods while you’re out and about. Commit yourself to that list and make a promise to yourself that you won’t stray from what is on there. To make sure you don’t stray from the list, make sure you don’t do your food shop on an empty stomach as you’ll be more likely to get items that weren’t on your list – every little thing adds up! Finally, when it comes to your list, make one big list for the week and try and get everything you need in that one shop. Allow yourself an extra shop half way through the week to stock up on more fresh produce if you have run out, but nothing more.

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3) STICK TO THE SUPERMARKET’S PERIMETER

When you do your food shop, make sure to stick to the outer skirts of the supermarket. The outer perimeter is where all the fresh produce sits. Most the time, the inner isles of the supermarket house the pre-packaged, processed foods that aren’t so healthy or good for us. Occasionally you may need to venture there for canned or frozen foods but try to stay away from these isles as much as possible when cleaning up your diet. When you stick to the outer skirts of the supermarket, you’re more likely to buy the fresh produce and avoid the temptation of the chocolates, crisps, biscuits and cereal bars that you find in the centre of the supermarket. Think – out of sight, out of mind! Not only will buying those foods add pennies to your weekly shop, but they’ll also derail your efforts of eating healthy. If you’ve planned your meals and food for the week, buying anything extra will only lead to food wastage and therefore money down the drain (or in the bin in this case).

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4) SHOP FOR LOCAL AND SEASONAL

Try and eat in season whenever possible. Not only is the nutrient profile of in-season produce higher, but it will also help to save those pennies! Fruits and vegetables do add up when it comes to the check out, but making sure you’re buying those that are in season will help reduce that cost as they are more affordable than the produce that has been grown out of season. It’s a great idea to even bulk buy these items and store them in the freezer so you don’t have to buy them out of season at a later date. Local produce is also cheaper as it hasn’t had to travel to far. If you’re lucky to have a local farmer’s market near by then make the most of it! The in season produce from a local farmer will most likely be even cheaper than what you would find in a supermarket!

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5) BUY WHOLE FOODS

This is about buying foods in their whole form. Opt for whole fruits and vegetables in the fresh produce section as these are generally cheaper than buying the pre-prepared or pre-washed items. The same goes for meat produce if that’s what you choose to eat – buying the whole fillet of fish or meat is much cheaper than buying pre-prepared packets. The fuller the form of the food you’re buying, the cheaper it generally is in the long run. This goes for pre-packaged meals as well. Although they may seem cheaper when buying one or two, you could save a lot of money in the long run if you were to buy the whole foods and make your own version at home in bulk.

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6) BUY CANNED FOODS

Although fresh is best, buying canned foods shouldn’t be something to turn your nose up at! They can be a lot cheaper than buying fresh food but still as nutritious, healthy and good for you. It just depends on what you buy and what it’s canned in. When buying canned foods, make sure you check what that food is canned in. For example: Look at the salt, oil and sugar content. Tinned tuna is great to buy, but check it’s stored in a low-salt brine and not vegetable oils. When it comes to fruit, there’s no harm in buying tinned fruit but check it’s stored in water and not sugar syrups. Some of my favourite tinned produce to buy includes beans, pulses, lentils, legumes and chickpeas.

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7) BUY FROZEN FOODS

Frozen foods again can be cheaper than buying fresh foods and it doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t as good or as healthy for you. In fact, sometimes opting for frozen fruits, such as berries, can be more nutritious as they are picked fresh and frozen straight away rather than sitting on the supermarket shelves for days on end. Once again, just check how they have been stored and whether anything has been added to them. Most of the time frozen fruit and veg have been pre-prepared for you which even makes meal times to much quicker and more convenient.

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8) BUY IN BULK

Although buying in bulk might initially cost a bit more than buying what you need, it can lead to saving in the long-term. Look out for any offers on the produce you intend to buy and make the most of them when you can! You can always freeze fresh produce to avoid it going off until you’re ready to use it. When the time comes to use or eat it, you will love not having to continuously add it to your shopping list, saving you money in the long run. Great things to buy in bulk are things like almond milk, coconut water, pantry staples such as flour, sweeteners, oils and even fresh produce such as fruits, vegetables and meats that you can store in the freezer. Remember to also stock up on in season fresh fruits and vegetables and store them in the freezer!

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9) OPT FOR PLANT BASED PROTEINS

Whether you choose to eat meat or not, plant based proteins are generally a lot cheaper than buying animal proteins. Lentils, pulses, beans and soy products are great alternatives and will help save those pennies when it comes to your weekly shop, especially if you opt for canned produce such as canned lentils, beans or pulses. If you do choose to eat fish or meat but are looking to save money, try having 2 or 3 meat free days a week and see if you notice a difference on how much you spend per week on food – you might surprise yourself!

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10) BATCH COOK

As well as buying in bulk, cooking in bulk can also save a lot of money when it comes to eating healthier. I’m a huge fan of cook once, eat twice as it’s a great time-saver tip but it’s also a fantastic way to avoid spending too much on your weekly shop. Whether you’re cooking for one or more, make a larger batch of food that you can store and keep in your freezer for a later date. You’re less likely to have any waste (and wasted food means wasted money) and you’ll end up saving money through bulk buying and then bulk cooking. It’s been proven to show that cooking larger quantities of food is considerably cheaper than making smaller quantities. So even if you’re cooking for one, make the entire recipe and freeze it in portions ready for later. You’ll also be more likely to eat nutritious meals throughout the week.

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