How to eat well on a budget

Affordable and healthy should’t be that hard to find. We show you a few tricks to help you eat a balanced diet without spending lavishly.

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Welcome !

Here, we share lots of tips on how you can save money when you go shopping and still eat healthily. We’ll also share simple recipes made with just five ingredients, and give you advice on leftovers and food storage. Have fun !

It’s best not to go shopping aimlessly or when hungry.

Shop smart

Empty fridge, empty pantry, it’s time to go shopping! What do you do first? If you head out without thinking twice, you risk coming back with big piles of food. It costs money and it’s hard to use it all up before it goes off.

Having a list will make things easier, so don’t go to the supermarket wondering if there was still some tomato sauce or pasta in your cupboard. On grocery day, make a note of what you’ll be using/eating over the next few days.

Avoid going shopping without a plan or while you’re hungry.

Shopping list and weekly planning

You could save lots of time by writing up a menu for the week in advance: what do you want to cook this week and what ingredients do you need for these? Also check your fridge and pantry: you might find something that won’t keep for long and think about what you could make with it.

Make a list of all the food items you’ll need. That way you won’t forget anything in the shopping rush, and will only buy what you really need.

Today, you can also find many great apps that can replace the shopping list!

Lead me not into temptation

The supermarket is full of yummy things! It can be hard to resist. Tip: Do your shopping on a full stomach. If you’re hungry, you might put more calories in the trolley than originally planned.

Tip: It’s better to take a basket than a large shopping trolley – because too much space can tempt you to buy more.

But it’s a bargain!

“Buy one, get one free” –  you’ve probably heard this advertising slogan in the shops. But buying more is only worth it if the product has a long shelf life or if you can freeze it.

You often have to look harder for the real deal: The expensive products are usually at eye level, while the cheaper ones are “hidden” at the top or bottom of the shelf. So bending or stretching is not just for when exercise!

Do the maths

In the case of some food items, we may get the impression that they are very inexpensive. We recommend that you compare different products. Look at the small plates on the shelf in front of the products, they indicate the unit price in kilos, grams or litres. Quite often, it turns out that a bargain is not a bargain after all, if you factor in the quantity.

Seasonal, regional and whenever possible, unprocessed

Highly processed foods such as convenience foods are not healthy, they often contain a lot of sugar, unsaturated fats, salt, additives – and calories. Opt for fresh and unprocessed products instead.

Fruit and vegetables are cheap and healthy, especially if you buy locally and seasonally. A seasonal calendar will tell you which vegetables and fruits are currently available.

Also, there isn’t really any need for costly kids’ food, you could just cook something healthy and tasty for the whole family instead. You can find a few recipe ideas below.

Give a chance to some less popular vegetables such as parsnips and chard!

Grocery shopping done – what now?

You can be the king/queen of groceries, but that’s all worthless if the food spoils due to improper storage. When unpacking the shopping bags, the first thing is to put the food in the fridge.

Meat and fish belong at the bottom, dairy products on top and cheese and all the rest come on top. Your fridge should have a special vegetable compartment for fruit and vegetables.

Vegetables such as aubergines, tomatoes and courgettes and fruit such as apples, pineapples, bananas, oranges and other citrus fruits may be stored at room temperature. Potatoes, onions and garlic prefer dark, ventilated conditions.

Some fruits and vegetables also freeze well (wash them first and chop them if necessary. To preserve colour and vitamins, you can blanch the veggies beforehand).

Frozen vegetables keep for three to twelve months

Foods with a longer shelf life go into the pantry. White bread lasts up to three days in a bread container, and up to nine days in the case of rye and seedy bread. If you have bought more bread than you will use in that time, put it in a freezer bag and freeze it, it will keep for up to three months.

Important: Make sure to seal open packages well or to pour the contents into tightly sealed containers.

Healthy snacks

The chocolate bar looks tempting, but it contains plenty of calories, and when it becomes a daily afternoon snack, it’s also not for free.

Apples, bananas or nuts are much better for cravings in between meals. You’ll soon notice that they give you energy for longer than the sweets.

Cooking at home saves money

When you’re in a hurry, it’s easy to reach for convenience food. But this is neither healthy nor necessarily cheaper than cooking up something yourself. Pasta, rice and potatoes are very cheap even in organic quality, and so are vegetables.

Because you don’t usually eat the whole pasta package, but only one or two handfuls. If you choose local and seasonal vegetables, you can save even more. And you get a meal that is really tasty and healthy too. Even if you need a few extra minutes to prepare it.

Try creating your own recipes!

What to do with leftovers?

Sometimes there are leftovers – and that is much too good to throw away. You can use pasta from the day before to make a casserole or pasta salad, or simply fry the pasta.

Stale bread gets a second chance in an Italian bread salad: You need half a baguette (you can also try it with other bread), which you cut into chunks, 100 grams of rocket, 120 grams of cherry tomatoes, 20 millilitres of light balsamic vinegar, rosemary and 50 grams of Parmesan.

How to make it: Heat the oil and rosemary in a pan and add the bread. In the meantime, wash and chop the rocket, halve the tomatoes and place them in a bowl. Season with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the bread chunks and mix well, finally grate the Parmesan cheese on top.

The result is delicious !

If you have leftover vegetables, you can make a stew – just chop everything up and cook with some vegetable stock. Just use your imagination.

Leftovers are perfect for when you’re feeling creative. Think of something! Omelettes, salads and stews are delicious, but you can also puree some vegetables and make a great soup.

Simple recipes with just a handful of ingredients

Even if you’re short on time, you don’t have to resort to convenience foods. We’ll share a few recipes with you that require only five to six ingredients and are quick to make.

Pasta aglio olio Pollo

You only need 20 minutes for this pasta dish with chicken. Ingredients for one person: 125 grams of spaghetti, 65 grams of chicken breast, one clove of garlic, one stalk of basil, six tablespoons of olive oil, one teaspoon of chilli flakes and a few pinches of salt.

Here’s how: Bring water to the boil in a large pot, add salt and the pasta (cook until al dente).

Meanwhile, cut the meat into strips, peel and chop the garlic, wash and pluck the basil. Heat the olive oil in a pot, stir-fry the meat over a high heat for one minute, add the salt.

Lower the heat, then add the garlic and chilli and fry over a medium heat for another minute. Drain the pasta and add to the chicken in the pot with the basil. Mix well.

Cream of fennel soup with watercress

It only takes a few minutes. Ingredients: one fennel bulb, four small potatoes, one bowl of watercress, 400 ml vegetable stock, salt/pepper. How to prepare it: Cut the fennel and potatoes into small pieces and boil them in the stock in a pot until soft. Puree everything, season with salt and pepper, finally add watercress and puree again.

You can also grow your own watercress! It thrives in the kitchen window.

Cooking in a healthy and budget-friendly way is not that difficult

You see, there are countless ways to cook wholesome food without spending a lot of money. Besides, you reduce food waste because you only buy what you need and use leftovers. Not to mention all the lovely meals you’ll enjoy !