NUTRITION - Simple hacks to cut your grocery bill in half

(Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart or TuneIn)

Summary - 

Eating healthy can be costly, I’m the first to admit that but if there is anything I’ve learnt from COVID-19, it is how to continue to eat healthy whilst also prioritising a strict food budget. In this episode, I’m sharing how as a family of four, we’ve been able to reduce the amount we spend on good-quality food. 

Things I Mention - 

  • How chemotherapy completed the transformed the way we think about food

  • Why switching to a 3 week meal plan has been a game-changer for my family

  • How I find the time to prepare and eat healthy lunches whilst being a stay-at-home Mum and running my own business 

PLUS, a few simple hacks to dramatically reduce the amount you spend on meat & fresh produce. 

Links & Helpful Resources - 

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my practical tips & tricks and if you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a rating and a review? Thanks!

Eating healthy can be costly, I'm the first to admit that and I do truly believe that eating foods that focus on quality is the most expensive choice. Our friends are usually shocked when they find out how much we spend on groceries each week but for us, nutrition is a priority. I live by the saying that I'd rather spend money on quality food now, then have to pay for the consequences later! We actually spend a lot more money these days on groceries after Simon was diagnosed with cancer. I can tell you first-hand that food is the best way to reverse the effects of chemotherapy however it is not cheap! 

To add to this and given the situation the world is currently in, if I had to choose just one thing that COVID-19 taught me, it is the importance of prioritising health whilst also prioritising a strict food budget. Which got me thinking … can you be healthy and save money on groceries? Well, it turns out you can because I made it my goal during isolation to find out how and that’s what this episode is all about - simple hacks that will help to cut your grocery bill in half. As a family of four, this is how we’ve reduced the amount of money we spend on good- quality food - 

#MEATFREEMONDAY

If you watch my Instagram stories, you'll know that my family and I like to eat a plant-based meal for dinner mpst Monday Nights. Not only is reducing our consumption of meat, great for overall health but it's great on our wallets too. Since Simon’s diagnosis, we are now quite, for want of a better word … anal about the type and quality of meat that we eat so we choose to buy grass-fed, antibiotic & hormone free meat and this comes with a hefty price tag. Also, according to The Blue Zones eating less meat has been proven to help you live longer. Now, if that doesn’t sway you, I don’t know what will! 

Quit Buying Ready-Made Solutions

We all know that the cost of convenience comes with just that … it comes at a cost!! I recently discovered that the cost of some of the foods that we eat very regularly but I tend to buy already  pre-made and ready to go, were really ramping up our food bill. If you eat some of the same foods on high rotation, it pays to put a little effort in and do some of the work yourself. This is especially true when it comes to things like instant oats, pre-packaged rice & soups, frozen fruits and granola/ muesli. 

Plan A Weekly Meal Plan And Repeat This

This has been the biggest game-changer for my family and honestly, I wish I did this years ago. I've been writing out a weekly meal plan for as long as I can remember but I’ve always changed the meals each week. These days though, I like to do a 3-week rotation. This means that I'll write out all of my breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks for an entire week and then I'll repeat this meal plan for 3 weeks in total. I'm not set on 3 weeks but through trial and error, I've found 2 weeks to be a little too short for any significant financial gains and after 4 weeks, I start to get sick of the same meals on rotation so 3 weeks is the sweet spot for me. 

Eat Leftovers For Lunch Every Day

I get a lot of messages asking how I find the time to prepare and eat healthy lunches whilst being a stay at home Mum and running a business and the answer is simple - I have leftovers for lunch almost every single day including the weekends (unless I have lunch plans). Aside from it being both time & cost-effective, the other benefit is that it usually means I hit the recommended 2 fruits/ 5 veg per day which I always aim to do.

Prepare Fruit & Veg

This is my least favourite hack but it works. Instead of unpacking all of our fruit & veg right away, I usually spend a good 30mins doing some prep work which makes our fresh produce last a lot longer. This includes washing & cutting up things such as celery & fruit for school lunches, washing kale leaves, scrubbing potato skins etc. I've also found that the kids tend to eat more fruit & veg if this has been done as it's a lot quicker for me just to grab & go.

Keep A List Of What’s In The Freezer

I've lost count of how many times I've made bulk meals to store in the freezer only to forget about them which is such a waste of time & money. Nowadays before I place something in the freezer, I write a list of what I've made and how long it can stay in the freezer before it spoils.

Keep Comfort Foods Around

Of course, we all have days when you just can't be bothered and all you feel like eating is a big bowl of comfort food. For me, this is usually a rich spaghetti bolognese. If I can't be bothered making it though, I'll look elsewhere which let’s face it, means ordering takeaway and therefore spending more money. To combat this, keep a few comfort meals in the freezer and don't forget to put them on your freezer list. 

Buy Meat In Bulk

Lastly, If you eat meat, one of the best things I think you can do to reduce the cost of your weekly spend is to buy your meat in bulk. This works really well if you then go and follow my hack about repeating weekly meal plans because you can effectively buy 3 weeks worth of meat at once. 

So despite cancer and COVID-19 leaving a lot of devastation in their trail, I can also see some real positives that have completely changed the way we do things as a family, including our attitude to food & how we buy our groceries long-term and for that I’m really grateful. Sometimes you need bad things to happen to inspire you to change and grow and that couldn’t be more true for me and my family these last few years.

Elisha CasagrandeBrisbane Personal Trainer, Brisbane Health Coach, FEEL BE LOOK, Womens Confidence, Confidence, IIN Health Coach, Healthy Eating, Budget Meals, Groceries, #MEATFREEMONDAY, Buying In Bulk, Meal Planning