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13/06/14
Posted by Katie oGrady

5 a day the affordable way – Sally Temple

Eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day is vital for boosting immunity and supporting digestion and it also makes your food look appealing and taste delicious too.

Many of my clients are looking for ways to ensure that their family eat a delicious variety of fruits and vegetables but find that it is becoming increasingly expensive.  In fact a recently published article suggests that as many as 25% of Brits find it too expensive to eat healthily.  But does it really need to be so expensive? I think there are lots of ways to ensure that fruit and vegetables remain the staple of everyone’s diet.  Here are a few of my favourites…

  1. Buy frozen – you can get a vast range of frozen fruits and vegetables at a great price.  You also get less waste and they cook in a quicker time (so saving on cooking costs)
  2. Buy at the market – especially towards the end of the day when they are selling off bags and bowls for very little.
  3. Try a budget supermarket – their fresh produce often costs a lot less
  4. Enjoy your greens – Spring greens, kale and cabbage are often very affordable.  Stir them into any stew, soup or stir fry for a great health hit at a low price.  You can also whizz them up and stir into a pasta sauce if your little ones don’t like eating big pieces of greens.
  5. Avoid waste.  Use up remnants of vegetables in a curry (cook with a curry paste and tin of toms), stew with red lentils and a tin of tomatoes or stock (great budget dinner) or cut up small and turn into a veggie chilli.
  6. Planning ahead can be a great way of only buying what you need, reducing waste and therefore cost.
  7. Go foraging – berries, plums, apples and herbs are often in abundance around our fields and hedgerows.  Take your children on an outdoor adventure to gather some food.  Can be lots of fun – but make sure you know what you are picking!
  8. Grow your own.  For the cost of a packet of seeds you can get a great return, or you could put some fruit plants in the garden – if you ask around you can often get cuttings of currant bushes, raspberry’s or strawberry runners for free.  Herbs are good from cuttings too.