Eat well, for less
Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you feel your best and doesn’t have to be expensive.
Check out our five top tips for eating well on a budget:
- Write a shopping list - before you shop for food, write down an idea of what meals you want to eat throughout the week and what essential items you need. This will help you to focus and only buy what you need
- Don’t waste anything - if you’ve only got a few things left in the cupboards or fridge and aren’t sure what to cook, you can type an ingredient into the Love Food Hate Waste website (external link) and find a simple recipe
- Buy cheaper brands - think you can tell the difference between a supermarket’s own baked beans and the premium brand? Give it a go, save some pennies and you might be surprised!
- Cook from scratch - ready meals and takeaways are pricier and can have hidden sugars. Fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables are generally cheaper and you can control what’s going into your meal
- Stock up your cupboard - having things like tinned chopped tomatoes and pulses such as lentils or chickpeas in your cupboard are great for making curries and stews, and are also some of the cheapest items on the supermarket shelf.
Family friendly cooking
If you have children, get them used to eating the same meals as you instead of relying on expensive pre-prepared food.
You can blend or chop up their food depending on their age, just be careful not to add any salt or too much spice.
You'll find hundreds of ideas for family-friendly recipes by visiting:
Head over to our Family Tent for information on toddler recipes and weaning.
Healthy sweet treats
Struggle to shake off your craving for something sweet in between meals?
If you’re trying to lose weight or want to feel healthier and need an alternative to crisps and sweets to keep you full, here are some quick and cheap ideas for healthy snacks to get you through the day:
- A whole piece of fruit - handy to have when you’re on the go
- Nuts - a small handful or 30g is the recommended serving
- Greek yogurt with berries - feels like a dessert!
- Rice cakes - explore sweet or savoury toppings from tuna to peanut butter
- Square of dark chocolate - a treat to curb your chocolate craving
- Vegetable sticks - try them with hummus for a filling snack.
Visit Change4Life for more healthy snack ideas.
Making healthier choices - Alcohol
Drinking too much can have an impact on your life in many ways. It’s easy for the number of units you are consuming within a week to add up.
Healthy Routes will work with you to reduce your weekly alcohol intake and we offer individual, confidential, practical information and support. This includes:
- Support and advice to develop a Personal Health Plan with achievable goals
- Practical guidance on recommended daily alcohol intake amounts
- Information on alcohol units within various drinks
- Free appointments at community venues across the borough
- Referral to more specialist support if you need it.
Contact Healthy Routes on 01942 836 967 or complete a Healthy Routes self-referral form.
Check your drinking (external link) and calculate your units (external link) on Alcohol Change UK.