Beat any January blues with nutritious tasty food on a budget. Here are some tips about buying, preparing and eating nutritious food on a budget.

Waste nothing: Buy foods that you will eat. Planning meals in advance avoids wastage. Search online for discounts and vouchers before you go shopping.

Buy frozen fruit and vegetables: There is less preparation time involved when using frozen fruit and vegetables. Frozen fruit and vegetables come pre-chopped. Frozen fruit and vegetables are often a cheaper option. Remember to avoid using those with added fat, sugar or salt.

Eat more vegetables: Meat and fish are generally the most expensive ingredients of a meal. Add more vegetables to dishes. Eat a few vegetarian meals per week which helps keep costs down.

Eggs are a good meat substitute, they are cheap,  nutritious and high in protein i.e. vegetable omelette, vegetarian quiche and even scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast.

Cook Using Pulses: Peas, beans and lentils are cheap vegetables. Pulses are low in calories and fat. Pulses are full of fibre, minerals and vitamins. Pulses can be used in main meals to replace some of the meat, for example chilli con carne with kidney beans.

Buy Chicken Whole: My husband is always saying this and practices this regularly. From a whole chicken you get two breasts, wings, thighs and drumsticks. These portions can be frozen separately. The carcass can also be used when making stock and soups.

Compare pre-packed fruit and vegetables prices with loose: Fruit and vegetables can be more expensive when pre-packed. Check the price per kilo. Pre-packed fruit and vegetables are not always the freshest.

Supermarkets discount fresh items towards the end of the day. Reduced foods to clear can save lots of money. Remember to check the best before and use by dates.

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