Want to eat healthily but struggling to make ends meet? Experts share how to do it and get through the month with a well-stocked freezer and smart shopping.
Some people have to choose between bread for the next day or vegetables for dinner. It’s important to know that healthy eating is mainly about variety, says Lolkje de Vries of the Nutrition Center in an interview with NU.nl.
For a healthy diet, it’s not necessary to throw expensive products in your shopping basket. You can leave pomegranate seeds and kiwis, because an apple or pear is also a good choice.
Choosing between different (expensive) types of pasta can also be skipped. It is better to alternate the cheapest whole wheat version with, for example, brown rice.
Make a shopping list before you go to the store, advises budget coach Carolien Vos of Budgetbuddy. “Put together a menu at the beginning of the week so you can shop more specifically. And most importantly: cook with the season.”
Don’t be tempted by offers
In winter, it is simply more expensive to eat raspberries than in summer. “That’s where I often see it go wrong,” says Vos. “People think ‘I want to eat healthier’ and buy all kinds of expensive vegetables and fruits. While seasonal products are cheaper.”
Furthermore, Vos warns against offers. “That may seem like a good idea and you may quickly think it’s a smart purchase, but that’s not always the case. Fresh healthy food also spoils quite quickly, so you have to take that into account.”
According to Vos, it is mainly about considering whether you really need products. “Sometimes I hear people proudly tell me that they bought avocados on sale. But do you really need them? As far as I’m concerned, that’s not a basic need. So don’t be tempted to buy unnecessary products.”
How to make smarter choices
If you have vegetables left over, know that you can go in different directions with a cauliflower or bag of carrots. “For example, you can make soup and pasta sauce from tomatoes, but they can also be used in salads and on bread.”
Kathelijne Bessems is a University Lecturer in Health Promotion at Maastricht University and wants to help people make smarter choices. That’s why she is also one of the initiators of the Cheap Healthy Food course for people with a low income.
“For example, don’t go for A-brands, but for B-brands. So look down more often when you are standing in front of the shelf. And be aware of the temptations in the supermarket in advance so that you can resist them better. It also helps to do your shopping in different stores. That one cheap supermarket no longer exists.”
Cauliflower every day is not tasty
Portions are often suitable for a family, but not for singles. Several days of cauliflower is then less attractive. Once you are in the kitchen, cook for several days at the same time, she advises.
“By freezing the remaining portions and eating them later, you can still vary.” Eating from the freezer can be a wise move if you have trouble getting through the month. Cooking ahead and freezing food saves unnecessary trips to the supermarket.
According to the Nutrition Center, food stays good in the freezer for a few months to a year. For example, you can store bread for up to one month, fruit for eight to twelve months and vegetables for up to one year.
It is important to blanch them first. That means you cook them briefly before you freeze them. Also good to know: frozen vegetables and fruits are just as healthy as the fresh version.