Last Updated on 18th August 2021 by Charlie Walsh
The first thing you will need to do is formulate a plan and stick to it! Pick out some healthy recipes, research where best place to purchase the raw ingredients and get down to business. If you think you are too busy, this isn’t the case we can always make time for things that are important to us.
Meal prep can take a few hours, cooking from scratch is both fulfilling and ensures you know exactly what is going into your food. By purchasing certain long life items in bulk you may be able to save money so we would advise this.
Depending on your plans for the week you will be looking at cooking between 5-7 healthy nutritious meals, for those of you with a little extra time why not cook some healthy snacks too?
Cheap healthy ingredients
Canned Fish
We know what you are thinking – food from a “can” but canned fish does actually have a lot of benefits and most importantly it can be cheaper than, and as healthy as fresh seafood. Fish, in general, is a fantastic source of protein, selenium, and full of omega-3 fatty acids.
Eggs
Eggs are widely known as one of the kings of the healthy food world. An egg is the source of almost everything you need to survive! You can buy 15 eggs for around 2 pounds (around $2.50) and make a lot of different dishes. One regular sized egg contains 6 grams of protein! Eggs also provide a major source of vitamins that you will need to function properly during the day. Additionally, eggs are one of the best sources of choline and that takes care of your brain’s functionality.
Chicken breast
This is the best meat you can eat when you are on a budget. One single chicken breast has 26 grams of protein, necessary amino acids, minerals, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium and selenium. Chicken is one of cheapest types of meat and will help you to take care of your overall health too. Chicken is said to help reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is cheap and contains a lot of necessary vitamins and nutrients. A whole tub of cottage cheese provides a whopping 28 grams of protein! It is a very good option for those who are active because cottage cheese contains calcium and phosphorus, which play an important role in bone health.
Bagged Spinach
Everybody knows that spinach is healthy, especially for your eyes. Almost every grocery store sells spinach and it usually costs around 2 pounds ($2.50). So, why are those green leaves so healthy? Spinach provides vitamin K, which takes care of your blood, bone health and reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. What is more, spinach provides what are known as “eye vitamins” and immune-boosting vitamin A, vitamin C, foliate.
Canned Tomatoes, and tomatoes in general
Tomatoes are probably the most popular vegetable in the world. Nearly everyone likes tomato sauce, salads, and tomato soup! You can normally buy 3 cans of tomatoes for around a pound! Tomatoes are full of vitamin C. They also provide B, A, E and K vitamin as well as minerals. When your diet is packed full of tomatoes, it can help with reducing LDL cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Tomatoes are also known for being a source of lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant that reduces inflammation, protect cells from getting old and damaged. Why canned tomatoes? They last longer, cost less and are available all year round.
Brown Rice
Brown rice is healthy and cheap food that gives you tonnes of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Brown rice consists mostly of carbohydrates, where you can find 4 grams of fibre per cup, B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese. Eating brown rice helps with reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Bananas
Bananas are cheap and are full of fibre that makes you feel full and aides your digestion. Bananas provide vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and manganese. A banana can be a great healthy snack option for those of us with busy schedules!
Frozen Berries
There is little to no difference between frozen and fresh berries, but the frozen ones you can eat all year round! They are full of natural antioxidants that make your skin glow and look younger. Berries can help prevent you from getting heart disease, Alzheimer’s and certain types of cancer. Frozen berries are full of vitamin C, K and manganese.
Here how to eat a healthy meal for under a fiver!
Egg, broccoli and tomato salad.
For a quick, easy and healthy recipe!
Boil 3 eggs (Hard Boiled). Boil broccoli to make it softer. Cut the eggs in halves, add broccoli florets and a few chopped tomatoes. Add some salt and pepper and a spoon of natural yoghurt. Enjoy!
Brown rice with canned tuna and sweet corn.
Boil a bag of brown rice with a bit of salt. When the rice is ready put it into the bowl. Add a can of tuna in oil and can of sweet corn. You can also add some herbs if you like or a spoon of tomato paste.
Cottage cheese with oats.
Prep a cup of cottage cheese mixed with some oats and leave it for overnight in the fridge. Next morning, add to your cottage cheese with oats to some defrosted berries and sliced banana.
Courgette hash.
You’ll need approximately 4 courgettes. Grate them with the skin on (it needs to be rinsed before) and add a spoonful of flour and 2 eggs. Mix it together and fry it in a frying pan. The best oil to fry with is olive oil. Fry on both of sides until its golden in colour. For additional flavour you can eat it with natural yogurt.
