Ways to feed your family healthily while being on a tight budget

God forbid your financial situation is so bad that you are unable to hold your end up. It can be quite a depressing situation. You will likely go paranoid and start freaking out, taking desperate measures. Your financial situation cannot be a straight line. A sound financial condition reflects your ability to feed your household, arrange the down payment for a mortgage or guaranteed car finance from a direct lender and create a rainy-day fund.

Cutting back on your expenses is the key to getting by when money is tight. You will focus on all the essential costs to hold your end up. Many people think buying on a budget means feeding on potatoes, rice and macaroni, but that is simply a myth. You can still feed your family nutritious food to keep them all healthy. Here is how you can do it:

Figure out how much money you have to spend on food

Determine how much you are left with to spend on food after meeting all your essential expenses. Since you are strapped for cash, discretionary expenses will be off your budget. Prioritise housing expenses and payments of monthly instalment loans with no credit check from a direct lender and then see how much your budget allows for paying on food.

Once you have an idea, you will need to ensure that your meal expenses fit into it. At this moment, you cannot afford to go beyond the set limit.

- You should come up with some meal ideas that fit your budget.

- Watch out for supermarkets that offer food at reduced prices. Comparison-shop between in-store and online prices to get a good bargain.

- You should design a weekly menu to reduce your less reliance on restaurants and takeaways.

- Use up leftovers first before you cook a fresh meal.

Meal planning methods

- Use The Scramble Meal Planning Service that costs a paltry sum in exchange for weekly meal plans all year long and recipes.

- If you want to do it on your own, pick a day each week, most probably Saturdays when you will plan meals for the next week.

- Keep learning new recipes and rotate them so you do not get bored of the same taste.

Save on groceries

A meal plan is not enough to be in control of your food budget. You will also need to find out ways to whittle down food bills.

- You can choose healthy snacks like carrots, celery sticks, low-fat yoghurt, whole-grain crackers and peanut butter.

- You should buy seasonal fruits and vegetables. They cost much lower.

- You should try to shop for groceries on sale. Buy in bulk to save money, but make sure things do not go off before you consume them.

- Compare prices when you come across a scheme like the “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” or “Buy 3 Get 2 Free” scheme. Check the per-unit price before buying.

- Buy generic products. They are much cheaper than branded ones.

- Try to go meatless a few days a week. Make salads and soups.

- Turn leftover into a new meal. Do not waste them.

- Buy frozen or canned fruits and vegetables if you cannot get a fresh one.

Make a shopping list

- Create a list of things you want to buy and stick to that list. Check your refrigerator and cellar for the remaining items.

- Do not shop when you are hungry because you will likely be tempted to buy impulsively.

- You can use coupons to take a bit off the price. Sign up for grocer’s loyalty programmes, provided they help you save some money.

- Do not buy sugary drinks, soda, candies, cookies and other processed snacks that are full of empty calories. Instead, drink water and fruit juice and eat nuts.

- Check the expiration date, especially for meat and dairy. Make sure you will consume them before they expire.

Choose ingredients wisely

You should choose your recipes that involve cheaper ingredients. Food that is made with dairy and meat will cost you a lot of money. Your pocket may not allow you to spend that much on your food bills.

You should not become a vigorous consumer of dairy and meat. They are both rich in protein but seem to cost a small fortune when you are on a budget. You should instead use less expensive protein sources such as beans and legumes. Chickpeas, green beans and tofu will provide your family with adequate protein.

It is likely that your household cannot give up meat and dairy. Use them as a flavour rather than a main ingredient. You should also use frozen vegetables. They are budget-friendly and full of nutrients. In fact, they are richer in nutrients than fresh veggies as they are frozen as soon as harvested.

How to include grains, protein and dairy in your food when you are on a budget

- Make sure half the grains you include in your diet are whole grains. Whole wheat, brown rice, buckwheat, and oatmeal are cheap and make you feel less crave for munching. Check ingredients when you are buying a packaged product.

- Prepare your own popcorn rather than buying from the market. You can save a lot of money.

- Plain cereals are good for your health and can easily fit into your budget. Do not buy breakfast cereals as they are loaded with high sugar.

- Depend on beans, peas and lentils for protein. They are much safer than meat in relation to your health.

- Buy lean meats if you have to such as chicken or turkey. If you love fish, buy canned tuna and salmon. They are quite cheap.

- Eggs are, of course, a good and less expensive source of protein.

Avoid food waste

You will have to reduce the wastage of food if you are on a tight budget. Make sure that you do not buy anything you have at home. Be smart with the quantity of an ingredient you need to cook your meal. For instance, if you have a handful of peas, ask yourself if they will be enough for this week or month. You do not need to buy them if you can make do.

Plan your meals bearing in mind things that will go off faster. You can drastically control the levels of food waste. If leftovers are boring and nobody wants to have them, think of making something out of them. Turning them to good use will keep them from going to the bin.

The bottom line

It can be hard to get by when you are on a tight budget. As you can do nothing about essential expenses, you try to chip away at your food budget. You should not do that because it will cost you in the long run.

There are various ways to keep your food bills low and yet you can have nutritious food. The aforementioned ways can help you feed your family when you are on a tight budget.