January is one of those months that seems to go on forever. For many it’s been six long weeks since their last pay day. So, as we head into the last week of this seemingly unending month, our dietitian Sarah Noone has some tips on ways to eat healthily on a shoestring.

Write a shopping list and schedule your trip

Don’t underestimate the humble shopping list, based on a meal plan for the week. Sticking to a list ensures you have everything you need and helps you avoid temptation and wasting money on things you don’t need. Try scheduling your grocery trips around times when shops sell discounted foods; which is usually at the end of a day.

Shop the Seasons

Just as you would dress for the seasons, it is a good idea to eat for the seasons too. Look out for seasonal fruit and vegetables. At the moment its carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, parsnips and turnips. Seasonal vegetables tend to be widely available and cost less. As well as saving money, an extra bonus is that produce tastes much better when it’s in season.

Avoid Food Waste

Make a delicious end of week soup, stew or curry with leftovers or foods that are about to spoil. You can do this with almost anything, from butternut squash to tomatoes to corn or lentils. Additionally, you can avoid food wastage by reorganising your fridge/cupboards and placing the items that need to be used first at the front. You can also freeze your food to make it last longer.

Make a little go a long way

Meat is one of the most expensive food items in your shopping basket, so learning to make a little stretch a long way is a good way to save money. Adding or swapping meat for pulses (beans, lentils and peas) along with vegetables in your meat- based dishes, not only provides you with lots of fibre, vitamins, minerals and protein, but it will also make your food go further, saving you money too.

Shop around

Build your shopping list based on your recipes then look out for discounts and foods that cost less when bought in bulk. Euro stores, large supermarket chains, or even purchasing online can help you to cut the costs.

Recycle and Remix

One great way to save money is by focusing on a couple of key ingredients that can be repurposed into different meals for the week. Take beans, sweet potato, frozen veg, lentils and brown rice for example. These can be remixed into curries, tacos, burritos, soup, or stuffed sweet potato. The possibilities are endless.

For more tips on healthy eating please see here