The Art of Healthy Food Shopping

So yesterday I added a new recipe to the recipe section on the site. It was a delicious Jamie Oliver recipe of Monkfish, Spinach and Feta Cheese.

Hubby and I had it on our little date night at home last Saturday and I can’t stop raving about it.

Not only was it one of the nicest fish dishes I’ve had in a while, it was super quick and easy to make AND very inexpensive.

As I’ve been on my ‘work’ travels I’ve been telling my clients all about the yummy dish and how I ended up making it and it made me think I should bring you all in on the action…

And It’s not just the recipe action I’m talking about…

No, No, No.

Today I am going to give you a little insight into healthy eating on a budget.

You see, the two Monk fish steaks we had this week cost just £4.00! I know, great right?

Not just that but Monk fish is low in fat, calories, has a gorgeous meaty texture and provides you with vitamins essential for brain & nerve function (B-6 and B-12)

But Why did I choose Monk fish?

Well it’s all in the
‘ART OF HEALTHY FOOD SHOPPING’
and I’m about to let you in on a few secrets.

I know, you can thank me later…

So here goes, hold on tight, I’ll explain….

I work backwards.

What?! Is that it? What the **** does that mean?

OK, OK, hold tight!

Instead of always making a list of the meals and snacks to eat and then shopping for them (the traditional way to plan and shop a healthy meal plan)

I check out what I can get on offer first.

Hmmm Hmmm. Yep. that’s the key.

Now before I move on, I need to add in a little side note here that I think makes it all a lot easier,

I’m not a supermarket shopper.

I’m an online girl.

Two reasons…

stops me being tempted by the yummy smells they (deliberately) pump through the shop to tease you into buying the naughty stuff
stops me wasting money on things I walk past and think ‘oh that looks nice’ (it’s usually a cleaning product rather than a donut though 😂)

But…did you know…

That online you can still check out the fresh meat, fish and cheese counters?

Oh yes and guess what they have on them?

Great, healthy offers.

So, my first tip in the Art of Shopping for healthy food on a budget is…

Tip No. 1.
Counter Shop.
Check out the fresh food counters first for offers.
As soon as I saw the monkfish on offer, I googled a recipe...et voila, Saturday date night sorted.

Often they offer up a whole side of salmon for £10.00 too. So I buy those and that leads me on to

Tip No. 2
Buy and Freeze.
So I cut the whole side of Salmon into approximately 10 salmon steaks & freeze them, which means each steak is just £1.00. My children love salmon steak, I love it, Mr L loves it and it’s super good for you, so it’s a real winner in my house.

Just check out the yummy inexpensive ways we’ve used our ‘frozen’ salmon….

Salmon Avocado & Spinach Wrap
Red Thai Salmon Curry
Teriyaki Salmon Ramen
Healthy Salmon, Green Vegetables & Puy Lentil Salad

And it’s not just Salmon that’s great for buying and freezing.

We buy frozen berries and some items of frozen veg too.
For example, this super yummy Broccoli & Stilton soup is made using frozen broccoli.

Tip No.3
Stretch it out.
No, not the Yoga sort of stretching, I’m talking about good old left overs.

But not just any old left overs, this is a calculated plan of action.

A healthy eating tip for you to always remember is that the amount of
protein we need on our dinner plate is equivalent in size to the palm of our hand,
carbohydrate is approximately the size of our clenched fist
and
then you can fill the rest of your plate (probably about half of it) with vegetables.

So, when you plan your next Sunday Roast Chicken dinner,

don’t just hope there will be leftovers for a Monday night stir fry, map out the Sunday roast ‘trimmings’ so that there is enough to satisfy you and your brood

and

ensure there is enough left over meat to be able to make something with it the next day.

Here are a couple of my Monday night leftover meal ideas after a Sunday Roast Chicken…

Stir fried Vegetables with Chicken in Oyster Sauce
Thai Green Chicken Soup

Tip No.4
Keep it real
Don’t be tempted by the rows & rows of packaged, processed foods, despite the claims on them. Step well away from it all.
9 times out of 10 they are not great for you.

If keeping your weight down or losing a little body fat is your goal then it’s much easier if you eat real food.

I’m talking meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter, olive oil etc.

You know, the stuff that grazes or that you could pick from the ground or a tree.

Good food is most often simple food.

Real foods fill you up and in doing so you consume less calories than if you opted for the processed packaged options…and quite honestly, they’re cheaper.

So there you have it
just a small handful of little tricks I use to plan & shop for healthy weekly meals in the most cost effective way.

If you have any tips, I’d love to hear them – share them in the comments below.

If you’re unsure where to start still with your healthy meal planning and preparation I can help … take a look at my 28 day Food & Fitness Challenges and keep your eye on the recipe pages on here.

Whatever path you choose towards your wellness way of life
just remember
if you find a way that works for you and your family,
stick with it.

We all try different things in the quest for health and wellness, some only last a little time, others you feel you want to do for your entire lifetime…

That’s my goal for me and for you.

A lifetime of nourishing, delicious, healthy, food we love to eat, no restrictions.