From kombucha to green juice, un-roasted almonds and blueberries, shopping for health foods is an expensive process.
But there is a way to be healthy and live off just $50 of groceries per week.
Speaking to FEMAIL, dietitian Lyndi Cohen shared her top tips and her shopping list for preparing a week’s worth of meals for just $50.
‘It’s a complete myth that a healthy diet costs a fortune,’ Lyndi told Daily Mail Australia. ‘Simple tricks will save you loads on your grocery bill, while helping you to eat healthier.’
Dietitian Lyndi Cohen (pictured) shared with FEMAIL how it is possible to be healthy and spend just $50 in the supermarket for a week of food – she shared her grocery list with FEMAIL
‘It’s a myth that a healthy diet costs a fortune,’ Lyndi (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia. ‘Simple tricks will save you loads on your grocery bill, while helping you eat healthier’
Speaking about her shopping list, Lyndi said it all starts with legumes:
‘Legumes are by far the the healthiest and most cost-effective food,’ she said. ‘Chickpeas and red lentils are great things to include in your shop.
‘A packet of 375 grams of red lentils will set me back $2.30, but with a few herbs and spices and served with brown rice, the packet will feed me countless nutritious meals.’
Lyndi said brown rice is also a brilliant healthy wholegrain that will help keep you fuller for longer.
‘Carrots are always on my shopping list, as they’re loaded with vitamin A and C, essential for healthy skin, hair and eyes,’ Lyndi added. ‘I chop carrots into everything from bolognese to soups and grated into salads – it’s a cheap vegetable that goes the distance.’
Other veggies include tinned tomatoes, mushrooms and iceberg lettuce.
Meanwhile, she will always round out a health food shop with the likes of eggs, milk, apples, Greek yoghurt, tuna, oats and beef mince:
‘One kilogram of beef mince will provide at least two meals for a family of four if you stretch it out,’ Lyndi said.
‘When I make mince meat, I add two chopped onions, 400 grams of blended mushrooms and often add grated zucchini. By adding in twice as much veg as meat, I’m stretching my grocery bill even further.’
Lyndi added that while it can be tough to eat healthily on a tight budget – as ‘junk food is still so affordable’ – she said it it possible, and often embracing certain tips and tricks can really help you save.
Lyndi said that legumes (pictured in meals) are a great way to stretch your budget further, as they fill you up and work well in salads, casseroles, soups and stews
When it comes to tips and tricks, small things like buying in bulk and sometimes opting for frozen food over fresh can really help (stock image)
When it comes to tips and tricks, small things like buying in bulk and sometimes opting for frozen food over fresh can really help.
‘One thing that I like to do is create an “eat now” tray in the fridge,’ Lyndi said. ‘Place any food that’s close to going bad in the tray, and each time you open the fridge, use this food first. Make an omelette, salad or freeze it.’
She also recommends freezing leftover herbs in an ice tray in olive oil, so that they’re in perfect portion sizes to get out when you next need them.
‘I accidentally kill almost every plant I have but rosemary and mint are resilient and hardy,’ Lyndi said.
‘Grow your own herbs and start with these in a little pot directly in the sun. Stop spending $5 on a bunch of herbs (only to have one half of the herbs get funky in your fridge).’
The dietitian said you can freeze herbs in olive oil in ice trays (left) in order to have handy perfect portion-sized amounts – or grow your own (right) to save money and throwing them out
The dietitian said getting into the habit of meal prepping and freezing and buying what you like when it’s on special in bulk and then freezing some of it is also a good plan.
‘When there is a tray of fruit or a bundle of veggies, buy up big,’ Lyndi said.
‘Cook it up and freeze in portion-sized containers (so you don’t have to defrost the whole thing).’
Shopping seasonally and looking out for store deals can also help to cut costs.
To read more from Lyndi Cohen, you can visit her website here. You can also find out about her Keep It Real program here.