We are all watching our pennies these days and money is likely to get even tighter for many families in the aftermath of the dreadful earthquake that hit Christchurch last month, with speculation about increased taxes and a reduction in working for families tax credits.
When money is tight it does become more difficult to eat healthy foods – with bills, mortgage payments, rent payments and school fees often taking priority, the food budget is the first to get squeezed. Here are a few tips though to help you get through the tough times and feed your family healthy food, even on a very tight budget.
• Fill up on wholegrain carbohydrate foods – pasta is cheap and filling, cook up a large pan and use the rest in a cold salad the next day.
• Have a go at baking your own bread to save a bit of money.
• Buy less meat (making sure it’s lean) and extend with pulses such as baked beans, chick peas, lentils or cannellini beans to make it go further.
• Buy fruits and vegetables that are on special offer from the supermarket or local markets.
• Keep a supply of frozen veg in the freezer. Frozen vegetables are often cheaper and what’s more they are convenient: it’s easy to throw them into a stir-fry or casserole, for example, or to just boil them up and add them to the side of the plate.
• Have a go at growing your own veggies in the garden or in pots on the deck.
• Use the cheaper varieties of fish such as canned tuna, and mix into a pasta bake, lasagne or risotto for a cheap meal.
• Have a vegetarian meal now and again – omelette, egg fried vegetable rice, jacket potatoes filled with baked beans and cheese – these are often a low cost option.
• Get creative with leftover food. Think about whether that bit of leftover meat could be used the next day in a toasted sandwich, stir-fry or risotto, for example. Just remember never to re-heat food more than once and store in the fridge at a safe temperature.
• Always go shopping with a list, and stick to it to avoid impulse buying of things you don’t need.
• Ditch the take-away foods and make your own meals – this is a great way to save a fortune, and your meals will taste better and be healthier too!
• Use tap water instead of bottled water.
• Ditch the unhealthy and unnecessary treat foods such as biscuits, cakes, sweets, chippies and lollies – bake your own healthy alternatives instead.
While it can take a bit of extra time and effort and some careful planning, it’s certainly possible to reduce the food budget while still enjoying a healthy diet. In the meantime, let’s hope the Government find ways to support the economy and provide Christchurch with everything it needs to recover, without pushing families throughout New Zealand who are on a low income into poverty and potential malnutrition.
Amanda Johnson, Registered Dietitian
www.kiwinutrition.co.nz