Optimal nutrition is different for everyone based on their goals and their health but, generally, it means meeting your nutritional requirements through eating a balanced and varied diet.
Fresh produce is normally a huge part of this, but inflation and weather-related supply chain issues are making it a lot more expensive right now. There are so many cheap food options lining the supermarket shelves, but they often offer little in terms of nutrient density. That said, it’s still possible to meet your nutrient requirements and reduce your risk of chronic disease on a budget – it might just require a little more planning.
Where you can save on your food budget
Learning to cook is a key skill when you’re trying to eat healthy on a budget. Preparing your own meals is much cheaper than buying nutritious food out and about. A café salad might be $20, but a similar one prepared at home could be a fraction of the cost. The only way to learn how to cook is to practise, and there are plenty of free online videos and resources that can help guide the way.
Buying home-brand products is another way to save, especially on basics like rolled oats, rice and pasta that offer the same nutrition profile as their branded equivalent. You can even swap your fresh milk for long-life milk, which is cheaper, lasts longer, and has the same nutritional content.
Canned and frozen vs fresh food
Frozen or canned foods are a great way to save money, both at the checkout and at home by reducing food waste. Throwing out food because it’s expiring or going bad not only harms the environment – it also means losing dollars from your pocket.
As well as staying good for longer, most frozen and canned foods are also comparable from a nutritional point of view – and, at times, even healthier. Because they’re snap frozen, vegetables in the freezer section essentially retain the amount of nutrients and antioxidants they had when they were picked. An apple, meanwhile, can be in the supermarket for a month before you buy it, being exposed to heat and light, which can degrade nutrients. When buying frozen veggies, there’s no need to go for brand names – the nutritional content is the same across similar products.
For canned veggies, be mindful to read the label so you can avoid added salt and, depending on the brand, added sugar. Similarly, if you’re buying canned fruit, buy the one in juice instead of sugary syrups. If you’re concerned about microplastics, look out for BPA-free cans.
Be mindful of what you eat
A healthy diet can bolster your immune system and help protect you against bugs like the flu and is great for your overall health.
If you’re an AIA Vitality member, it’s a good idea to take stock of your weekly diet to ensure you’re getting the most out of your meals. Try taking the AIA Vitality Age Assessment – Nutrition Assessment in the app. It takes around 5 minutes to complete and you can earn up to 750 AIA Vitality Points per membership year, which goes towards increasing your AIA Vitality Status.
Cost effective ways to eat fresh
One of the challenges of relying entirely on canned and frozen produce is the lack of variety available. If you’re only eating frozen peas and corn, you’ll only get the nutrients available in those vegetables, and you’ll be missing out on others that play important roles in our health. Texture, flavour and palatability also play a part, and fresh produce will almost always win out here.
If you can continue to afford fresh produce, buy it. Not only to help our growers and farmers, but also to get the nutritional variety your body needs.
There are ways to do this on the cheap. For starters, get familiar with what’s in season. Prices fluctuate based on when and where produce is grown, and sometimes there’s an abundance of a product, which drives down prices. Just look at avocadoes over the past few years, which have ranged from $1–$8.
You can also create meals around what’s on special that week. Many grocery stores have a section with further reduced products that are about to go bad. These can be used in creative ways. For example, a sad-looking bunch of spinach can be frozen and added to soup or smoothies. Apples can be stewed and eaten with porridge in the morning.
With a little bit of awareness and planning, you can certainly prioritise nutrition and health on a budget.
