High cost of healthy diet

[itsme123]

Started at Slimming World and because of the high price of vegetables, meat and fish, my shopping cost me £20 more!

 

[noblehead]

That's a lot, would you not normally buy vegetables, meat and fish?

 

[Simon84]

give lidl or aldi a go

 

[RosieLKH]

In supermarkets I always shop the reduced sections for my fresh food and love the challenge of making meals from scratch according to the bargains I find. We've always cooked from fresh and never get ready meals or take-aways. Now we are lucky to live near a small town which has a butcher, baker and great veg shop. It's like going back in time to do our shopping!

 

[poohtiggy]

Get yourself off to your nearest Aldi their vegetables are cheaper than anywhere and every week they have an offer of six fruit and veg 29/59p each A couple of weeks ago I picked up cauli tomatoes iceburg lettuce and spring onions for 29p each. They are always cheaper than the big four supermarkets and Every bit as good quality. I can recommend their chicken, lamb mince, salmon, cheeses and cold meats

 

[itsme123]

give lidl or aldi a go

I will, thanks Simon!

 

[itsme123]

Thanks everyone, I will head for Aldi next week!

 

[Nidge247]

@itsme123

I can also vouch for Aldi fresh foods - great quality and last much longer than some of the larger supermarkets. When I went lchf I was worried about affording it, but in actual fact since switching my supermarket shop, I genuinely save about 40% on what I used to spend, so it's been a win-win for us.
Lidl is also good for freshness, but for us I find Aldi wins on price and choice. Lidl does stock more of the brands you recognise, but very few of the 'unknowns' have failed to deliver on reflection.

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

@itsme123 Don't forget eggs. Free on SW, low carb and inexpensive.

 

[azure]

I often find my local greengrocer much cheaper for fruit and veg. Nice and local too

When I see the price of good food being higher, I try to think of it not as healthy food being expensive but as unhealthy food being unnaturally cheap : D

 

[tim2000s]

The local market is also a good place to go. The one near us has veg everyday and is usually very cheap. Buy stuff you can chop up and freeze and it lasts longer too.

 

[Scimama]

Hi @itsme123 as already mentioned aldi/lidl and many supermarkets do veg of the week which can be a great deal.

But don't forget about frozen veg, these are usually cheaper than fresh and have more vitamins and minerals because they are frozen before the veg deteriorates, some of the veg in the shops looks like its been there for weeks.

Frozen veg is handy to have in for quick easy meal, like cauliflower for mash, peppers for chilli, stir fry etc


I don't eat meat or fish, but family do and there are cheaper cuts of meat or fish that aren't as common so are cheaper, have a look on counters or in local butcher or fishmonger if you have one. Or buy in bulk and freeze when they are on special offer.

 

[noblehead]

Lidl is also good for freshness, but for us I find Aldi wins on price and choice. Lidl does stock more of the brands you recognise, but very few of the 'unknowns' have failed to deliver on reflection.

Likewise @Nidge247

Find Aldi far better on quality and price, sometimes we have found that the fresh veg from Lidl doesn't last very long and goes bad.

 

[Larissima]

Excellent advice on this thread about finding better value fresh food. I'd just like to add that paying more for real food (as opposed to manufactured frankenfoods) is worth it for all the benefits to my current and future health (and my family's).

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

Another moneysaving tip from me is to take all the Slimming World literature and run! This will save you a few quid a week on club fees that you can spend on healthy food. You will get all the dietary support you need here or on minimins.

 

[Stallen]

Since ditching starchy carbs the money saved on those easily cover what I spend on Green veg I also shop around the reduced section often pick up green veg for pennies, yesterday I spent less than a pound on 8 bags of kale, watercress, rocket, spinach and mixed salads, I've blitzed them in my nutibullet and frozen them ready for use.

 

[paula.nolan42]

Just don't forget the code to figure out the Use By date for Lidl & Aldi

But I find its the additional costs, like water, I wash all the plastic trays that the veg comes in and this adds to the water bill.

 

[RosieLKH]

Oh yes. I've just stocked up on half price fresh mackerel from my local supermarket. It's gone straight into the freezer to be used as and when in fabulous Keralan fish curries - made with lovely coconut and tamarind - yummy!

 

[tim2000s]

Asda do an ugly box of veg, which is £3.50 and contains the stuff that normally gets chopped up and stuck in frozen veg. Not lookers, but if you are cooking it, who cares?

 

[RosieLKH]

We grow a small amount of veg in our garden. It is often mishapen, but always gorgeous. I can't understand how the obsession with pretty veg has grown over the years. It always looked unatural to me, but then I don't adhere to use by dates, nor will I use anything that suggests it is an anti-bacterial cleaner.