by Luke Bawden

Created on: February 06, 2011

Eating healthy is in essence a commitment to ramp up your skills in the kitchen. Nutritious cooking on a budget starts with a mint-deluxe shopping list coupled with tasty recipes. Buying fruit and veg in season will insure fresh produce oozing goodness.

On a tight budget affords little room for lazy convenience shopping so investigate suppliers and look at buying direct from growers and wholesalers. Low GI is good for slow energy release keeping the family fuller longer so brown grainy breads, brown rice and porridge for breakfast. Milk can be a large cost so try black tea and coffee and water the milk down for baking.

Dried beans are superb for optimum health and are full of fibre. Soak most of them overnight then boil till tender. Great added into casseroles, curries and soups. Soups and casseroles are a great way to use up left-overs so make it and freeze some to bring out on a lean week.

Read the specials pages and stock up on the expensive items when offered at bargain prices. This is where a deep freeze pays for its self in quick time. Sometimes cook twice as much so providing cheap lunch-time treats. Prior planning prevents cornflakes on toast for 10 weeks every year.

Eating whole unprocessed food is a recipe for good health however making it tasty requires some educated creative flair. So start stocking up on spices, herbs, oils, sauces. Buying one a week means soon the pantry self dedicated to flavour enhancing will compliment your endeavours. Read recipes to get a feel for what will spice up the ingredients left in the fridge when their pre-payday challenged.

Going without meat a few days a week is good for the wallet and good for the colon. Try a new veg each week and mix up their colours. Stir-fry’s are great and well worth serving up so practice a few on the guests. As you’re talking about the meal gather a few of your friends’ recipes. Fried rice is great when cooked with brown rice and added egg delivers one of nature’s most balanced proteins.

Learning to cook on a budget can be fun. The thing to remember is that cheap food need not reflect its price. Once the family starts to get weaned of high flavoured pre-packaged fair there taste buds will come to the party and there is nothing like hunger to install appreciation of the meal provided. If eating on a budget were given as a prescription the world would be a healthier place.

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