With winter approaching and the cost-of-living crisis, this can be a very stressful time. However, you can still eat well on a budget. This article is intended to provide solutions with a focus on cheap yet healthy family-friendly meals

Bulk buying/batch cooking.

If you have the storage in your freezer to batch-cook meals this usually leads to saving in the long term. Lentils, beans, pulses, and tins are great to buy in bulk and can be used for many healthy recipes. If you have space in your freezer bulk buying frozen veggies is another way of avoiding food waste and is just as healthy as fresh. Here are a few of my fav recipes to batch cook

*Chilli con Carne

*Lentil and sweet potato curry

*Shepherd's pie

*Spaghetti Bolognese

*Chicken curry

*Stew

*Soup

Add more pulses and veggies to your meals.

Frozen vegetables and pulses are cheap and can be added to curries, stews, and soups to bulk out and reduce the content of meat. Fresh meat and fish can be expensive, however, adding more lentils to your meals will ensure you are getting protein in your meals and will save you money.

Buy frozen

Frozen vegetables are more affordable and convenient as opposed to fresh veggies, which can reduce food waste too. Due to the vegetables being frozen after harvesting, they generally retain more nutrients. In fact, one study showed that freezing vegetables for 2 months did not significantly affect their phytochemical content. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28454976/

Plan your meals:

Before going shopping try to plan your meals to include the above ingredients. Many evening meals if prepared in bulk can then be eaten the following day for lunch, which can also save on money and food waste. Stick to your shopping list to avoid unnecessary buying when at the supermarket.

Buy generic brands:

Most supermarkets offer their own store brand which is more affordable. Be assured to know that all food manufacturers must follow standards to provide safe foods.

Replace meat with other protein sources:

Try replacing 2 or 3 of your weekly meals with vegetarian options which include pulses and beans. For example, lentil curry, three-bean chilli con Carne, and vegetable stews. Beans and lentils are high in protein too.

I hope these tips help, I am sure if you implement one or two of them you will see a positive effect