Huffington Post UK UK reports that as if supermarket shopping wasnt stressful enough already, a new study has found that healthy foods cost three times more than less-healthy alternatives. University of Cambridge researchers found that the price of healthier foods including salmon, lean beef mince, fruit and vegetables has risen sharply in the last 10 years. Meanwhile unhealthy food types, such as frozen pizzas and beef burgers, have seen a slower and less dramatic price increase. The Food Doctor says there has never been a better time to make some of the little changes below. Not only will it help to reduce your overall food consumption, but it will also save money on your weekly shop: • Planning your meals for the week can help avoid too much waste. Buying only what you need, means there is not lots left in the fridge that you can no longer use. And buying ingredients that you can use in a number of meals means there won’t be lots of random bits of food left over either. • Using leftovers up by turning them into the next day’s lunch or another meal, and it doesn’t have to take too long. So mashed potato can become bubble and squeak or a fish pie topping. Roast chicken can become a soup or the base of a lovely stock. Pasta, rice or couscous can bulk up a salad, and left over veggies can be added to a soup, casserole, risotto or a pasta sauce. Alternatively, you can freeze most things as a back up for when you don’t feel like cooking. • Get creative in the kitchen by trying out new store cupboard ingredients, such as dried red or green lentils, bulgur wheat, pearl barley or dried chickpeas. This may require a little imagination or planning, but means you can use exactly the right amount you need, meaning very little waste. It will also go towards saving the pennies. Buy what you need rather than lots of spontaneous purchases, or things that you feel like at that moment. Having a list and going when you aren’t hungry are key here, as is will power! • Buying seasonal foods reduces the need for lots of out of season foods that are often flown in from all corners of the world. Whilst they may look appealing, this does little to help sustainability. It can also lead to supermarkets food manufacturers throwing away plenty of foods we don’t even see, as they may not ‘look right’ or the long journey takes its toll and they are not as fresh as we have come to expect. • Grow your own vegetables! This is the easiest way to eat seasonally, reduce your bills and avoid wastage. It doesn’t have to be anything too grand, so start off simple. Potatoes or tomatoes in a grow bag, basil, chives or parsley on a sunny window sill, and carrots, radishes or salad leaves are all easy to grow, don’t need too much space and will taste better than anything you buy from the shops. • If you find you are still wasting a lot of fresh foods, then invest in a composter. This allows you to make use of all that rotting fruit and vegetables in your garden. If this is not up your street, or you don’t have a garden, then many local councils will now pick up food waste along with your weekly rubbish – check your local council website for details.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 13:45:00 +0000
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