1) Buy Frozen Fruits and Vegetables: 

People may argue that fresh fruit and vegetables are better for you than frozen and that they contain more vitamins and minerals. This maybe the case when eaten soon after they have been picked, but often by the time it has been purchased it may have been sat in storage for a few days.  Once purchased the chances are it will sit in the fridge for a couple of days before being eaten. Frozen fruits/veg however tend to be frozen within hours of being picked which prevents them from spoiling and locks in their nutritional value. Frozen is also a better option not only because it is cheaper, but it won’t go off like fresh fruit and veg, so you won’t waste money throwing it away when it goes off before you have eaten it.

2) Oats for Breakfast:

Oats are extremely cheap and are a great way to start the day. They release their energy slowly so with keep you fuelled throughout the morning. They are also a great source of fibre and other nutrients such as magnesium, phosphorus, thiamine and manganese. As well as being cheap and highly nutritious, oats are extremely versatile as you can add loads off different toppings and ingredients including berries nuts, yogurtand honey. Mixing it up with different trimmings will stop the humble oat becoming boring.

3) Buy cheaper cuts of Meat:

Eating steaks and chicken breasts everyday is going to make your diet very expensive. Swapping these more expensive cuts for more cost effective options such as beef mince and chicken thighs is a great way to save some money. However if you’re not careful buying these cheaper cuts can lead to an increase in fat and calorie intake. To easily prevent this, when buying mince look for those labelled lean mince or 5/10% fat and when buying chicken thighs try to trim away any excess fat before cooking.

4) Try Vegetarian Meals:

Vegetarian meals are both highly nutritious and cheap to make. Using tinned butter beans and chickpeas as a substitute for meat in curry’s or stews is very economical. Eating beans and chickpeas will also provide you with a good serving of protein as well as fibre and other nutrients including folate and vitamin B6. The fact they are canned means that they will keep for a long time and are less likely to be wasted.

5) Be Prepared:

Buying pre-prepared meals or sandwiches everyday is an easy way of increasing your daily expenses. Spending around £5 a day on your lunch will mean you have spent £25 by the end of the working week. This expense could easily be halved by planning meals and cooking them from scratch. Cooking meals from scratch with whole foods is also going to provide a lot more nutrients then a ‘meal deal’ from your local supermarket.