Can I afford to eat fruit and vegetables and stay healthy?

With the impact of natural disasters in Australia over the last year, it has certainly taken its toll in hiking up the price of food and our fruit and vegetables, the most commonly talked about being our beloved banana! So, are fruit and vegetables really more expensive than processed foods and how can we still stay healthy and manage our budget to keep on track? Keep reading on to find out how to stay healthy by filling up on top-quality energy from wholesome foods such as fruit and vegetables and avoid empty poor quality nutrition from overly processed foods.

Even though fruit and vegetable prices may have slightly increased recently, when you compare prices per kilogram you will find highly processed, packaged and advertised foods are still more expensive and less healthy than fruit and vegetables. A good way to compare products is to check the price per kilogram of the food you buy. A lot of supermarkets are now displaying 'unit pricing' in the form of price per kilogram or price per 100g. So you can use this to compare different brands of the same product as well as different foods that serve the same purpose. It is obvious to compare the cheapest per weight of a snack food, but how about comparing the cost to something healthier. An example (*taken from ‘The Real Cost of Healthy Food’ report card visit www.gofor2and5.com.au, please note $ can vary in local areas) compares a rolled up fruit bar at $25.80 per kilo to an average of $4.30 per kilo of apples, or another example is potato chips at $19.90 per kilo compared to popcorn kernels at only $3.00 per kilo.

Really, kilo for kilo there’s nothing cheaper than fruit and vegetables, but sometimes we need some help to shop smart and save dollars along the way!

Some top tips to help keep to budget and serve up yummy healthy food!

1. PLAN (yes we have said it before and here we go again!)

Please take the time to plan your weekly menu (take 5 small minutes now, it doesn’t take long) and then write a shopping list…this is a sure way to save both time and money.  If you know what you are going to cook over a week, it is much easier to buy everything you need at the grocery store during one big shop.  Always being prepared will help to avoid the last minute dashes to the corner store where the prices are usually far higher than at the supermarket or at your local fruit and vegetable market.

2. SHOP SMART

Spend a little bit of time looking through supermarket brochures and the Internet to find the bargains and if you can buy cheaper in bulk and freeze! Sometimes we can find fruits and vegetables really cheap or close to ‘best before’ date, so why not buy more of them and freeze them (you can cook them e.g. apples) and put them in individual containers to freeze and use later in baking or making smoothies.

Don’t forget to keep the pantry essentials such as rice, pasta, rolled oats, tinned fish, tomatoes and legumes (e.g. lentils, chickpeas) stocked up as they are great for bulking up meals and can be stored a long time.

Remember, try not to shop when you are hungry to avoid the impulse buy and if you cannot resist then maybe consider online food shopping and get them delivered to the door.

3. BUY IN SEASON

Aim to only buy seasonal fruit and vegetables, as they are generally fresher and more affordable.  There is good reason why grapes are more expensive in winter as they are usually not local but imported and hence come with a hefty price per kilo. If you are not sure what is in season, often food and cooking magazines will have an article on “what’s in season this month” or why not search the Internet. Try to get to your local weekend produce markets whenever possible.  Grab a bargain and again if you have the freezer space buy in bulk and freeze or go later in the day when sellers are trying to clear their stock.

4. BUY LOCAL

Please try and buy local (via markets, independent greengrocers) when you can, not only may it be cheaper but hopefully it is supporting the local farmers. Remember to read in supermarkets and fruit and vegetable shops where the produce is coming from, this can save on food miles and save you dollars. So why not try to buy at markets or independent greengrocers, farmers markets or there are now a few options for home delivered fruit and vegetable produce sourced from local farmers.

5. COOK SMART

So, once you have shopped well and loaded your fridge with fruit and vegetables – now what!

Try to search magazines, the Internet and look for recipes that show a cost per serve and recipes that are loaded with vegetables or fruit. If you are home late and about to pick up the phone to order takeaway, stop and remember there are loads of options of meals that you can make in large amounts and portion out into containers from relatively cheap ingredients e.g. curries, stir-fry’s, pastas. Try a cook up over the weekend and freeze meals for the week.

Rice, pasta, potatoes and fibre-rich legumes (e.g. lentils and cannellini beans) are a nutritious base to meals and can extend dishes such as soups and casseroles.  Try to reduce the portions of more expensive protein sources (meat, fish, chicken) and bulk up the meals with vegetable options.

6. USE UP LEFTOVERS

Make sure you have lots of good containers to store leftovers and use them for lunch the next day or freeze them (remember do not re-freeze if you have already defrosted the meal) for a quick frozen dinner during the week.

Make vegetable stock with any vegetables that are not looking so fresh or anything you know you won’t be able to use before it expires. You can make the stock into a soup or freeze it for risotto or a base for stews later on or you can stew up fruit for a crumble too.

7. FROZEN OR CAN?
Frozen vegetables are excellent quality and can be cheaper and mean you always have some vegetables on hand. 
Also frozen fruit like berries are great for baking, smoothies, cereal, or just a snack on its own and can often be found on special. ‘Cans’ too can be healthy and very convenient to have on hand and are just as healthy as fresh. Make sure you read the label and choose no-added-sugar fruit varieties and no-added-salt vegetables.

8. WHY NOT GROW YOUR OWN?
Got a garden? Great! If not why not try to grow some yourself? Growing your own vegetables is a great way to save money. Even if you cannot manage a vast garden with corn, lettuce, carrots, beans, strawberries and so forth, most people can manage to grow a few herbs in a pot and that can save a lot of money and waste and adds fabulous flavour to dishes!