Many of you have mentioned to me that you want to eat healthier, but to do so costs too much. While some health foods can cost more, having a healthy, balanced diet doesn’t have to be expensive and can actually save you money in the long run as you will be fitter, healthier and have less problems associated with a poor diet. So here are 7 things I do to keep on budget.

1) CUT OUT THE JUNK FOOD
Things like sweets & crisps give little nutritional value and will be unlikely to fill you up. So you eat more of them and the costs add up (as well as the calories)!

2) BUY FROZEN VEG & FRUIT
Frozen fruit & veg can be as good or even better than the fresh produce in stores because it is normally frozen at source (locking in all those vitamins and minerals!), whereas the fresh produce may have been sitting there for over a week. Plus they can be kept longer and are normally cheaper.

3) DRINK TAP WATER
We should be drinking at least 1-2 litres of water a day (and that is before we replace water lost through exercise). Sodas and flavoured waters are loaded with added sugar and also cost a lot. For flavoured water try adding a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon. If your tap water isn't the best you can buy a water filter which will be cheaper than buying bottled water.

4) BUY DISCOUNTED ITEMS IN BULK AND FREEZE THEM
Stores will have sales on items at different times but not always when you need it! However if meat or vegetables are discounted buy them in bulk and freeze them for later use. Otherwise for foods that won’t go off (such as rice, pasta or quinoa) you can easily store it for the future.

5) PREPARE YOUR OWN MEALS
The biggest cost saver! Firstly by preparing your meals you know exactly what is in it and how healthy it is. Secondly it is a lot cheaper to make yourself a packed lunch everyday than popping down the store to buy a ready made sandwich.

6) BUY LOOSE FRUIT & VEG
Check the unit price (price/kg) of products to compare. Generally loose fruit and vegetables are cheaper than those in packets.

7) PLAN BEFORE YOU BUY & NEVER SHOP ON EMPTY STOMACH
Plan out a weekly meal list so you know exactly what you need to buy. Also make sure you eat before going to the supermarket! This will stop you picking up all the snacks and impulse buys as you are shopping purely because you are hungry!

If any of you have any other great tips share them here : - )