by Silva Payne

Created on: May 25, 2009   Last Updated: May 17, 2010

There are a few very simple ways for the whole family to eat healthy on a limited budget. Preparation of food and storage both have to be taken into account, as well as a little extra time spent on grocery shopping. The other key consideration is to keep the family busy. Sitting around watching television or playing computer games is a temptation to snack on sweet and savoury foods that are not necessary to the diet and cost considerably more than meal ingredients.

Meal planning, at least basic ideas for meals during the week, is crucial to managing a food budget. Knowing the meals you will be likely to make helps you buy just the ingredients you need. Buying random ingredients with no basic plan of how to use them will result in foods spoiling and being thrown away instead of being consumed. Money spent on items that never get used is an extravagance that your budget cannot cope with.

Meal plans should include a variety of different flavours, textures and combinations to keep the family interested, even if you are using the same basic ingredients two or three times a week. Ground beef can be used in many different recipes with added flavours to create spicy or rich dishes. If you cannot afford to buy specifically lean mince, try cooking the raw meat in a little water first and then drain off the excess fats before you continue the recipe.

Purchasing foods that are in season is almost always cheaper than buying hothouse grown fruits and vegetables. Put your freezer to good use to store foods that are perishable but cheap. You can blanch and freeze most vegetables, and fruit can be frozen fresh by laying out on a large tray in the freezer and then bagging once frozen. Alternatively, you can try cooking the fruit first and then freezing in plastic tubs to use later in pies or puddings.

Jams, pickles and chutneys are all great ways of preserving seasonal foods for later use, and they make great budget gifts too! Avoid buying vegetables that have been canned, as these usually have excess water, salt and sometimes sugar added to them. The healthier option is to buy pre-frozen vegetables, as these lose very little of their nutrients and have no added anything.

Processed foods cost more than the individual ingredients. It may be quicker and simpler to use packets of dried-mix for sauces, soups and puddings, but they will almost certainly have high levels or sugar and salt in them. A better investment is a good cookery book with simple recipes and clear step by step photographs. You may have to slightly alter your busy daily schedule in order to spend a little more time in preparation, but in theory you will live longer to fit everything in that way. Eat fresh as often as you can; raw vegetables and fruit are the ultimate snack foods.

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