The global recession has sent everything including food prices skyrocketing, while salaries have remained stagnant and in some cases been lost altogether. While much of the discussion about the recession has been in economic terms there is an equally serious nutritional impact that has been overlooked. The United Nations has been particularly concerned and vocal about the rising food prices and the effect of the global financial crisis on the hunger and malnutrition targets of the Millennium Development Goals It is very concerned about the rising poverty, unemployment, lowering food quality and the likely impact on women and children in particular, and the long term negative impact of malnutrition.
At my house we’ve seen our monthly food bill more than double and we, like you have had to make adjustments to suit. Unfortunately as I listen to a lot of my friends the adjustments that they are making are not in their long term benefit, because good nutrition is taking a back seat, to saving enough money to meet other financial commitments, when it really doesn’t have to. All it takes is a little creativity.
There is a way to both save money and ensure your nutritional needs are met. It just takes a little bit of planning, but once that is done it should be smooth sailing after that. The first thing you need to do is take an inventory of the food you buy that you don’t consume and end up throwing away. You don’t need to buy these any more. From now on your shopping list will be based on what you actually NEED.
What are your dietary needs? Do you have a caloric target for each day? How many meals is it divided into, and what are the constituents of each of those meals. Once you’ve done that you can plan each meal, for each day of the week. My meal plan is attached to my fridge and tells me what I’m having for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and as snacks in between. All together it amounts to 2000 calories a day, for five days a week. I give myself the freedom to indulge and exercise a little “dietary independence” on weekends, but I am still careful of what I eat and how much.
Be sure to plan for the amounts of EVERYTHING, down to the ingredients, that you will need for the week, or month, depending on how often you shop or plan to shop.
Write everything down. Planning your meals this way will ensure you make healthier choices, removes the pressure of thinking up meals everyday, and will help you save money by purchasing only the foods and ingredients you absolutely need. That sort of plan also allows you the flexibility of taking meals and snacks to wok and translates into savings from not eating out. It also helps keep you disciplined at the supermarket. So make a shopping list and stick to it. It will help you avoid any impulse buying, but you should also keep a sharp eye out for any bargains or special offers.
Also know where you’re getting what. It used to annoy me that my wife didn’t get everything at the one supermarket when they were so clearly available, but I’ve since discovered that some items may be cheaper elsewhere and perhaps even of better quality, so in addition to knowing what you need to get you need to decide where you’re going to get it and don’t be afraid to haggle or negotiate. My wife and mother in law are masters at it. They make sure they get the best quality for the best price.
A little trick I’ve learned from doing public relations for a supermarket, is that they often put the more expensive products at eye level, so don’t be afraid to bend over and get the cheaper brand. Cheaper is not always inferior. And beware of special offers designed to get near expiry products off the shelf. Always check the dates and decide whether you’re really saving in the long run.
Meats are expensive, so consider not eating as much and maybe cutting them out for two or three days a week and substituting them with other sources of protein like rice and peas for example or bread with peanut butter. Corn plus legumes; whole grain pasta with peas and almonds are all good combinations and alternative sources of protein.
Make sure that your meals, however many you consume in the day, have all the recommended food groups. Consider cutting salt and sugar out of your diet. I cut sugar out at my house and I haven’t missed it yet. Consume more fruits and vegetables and more fibre, and cut down or eliminate the processed foods and drinks. Avoid the animal fats and oils. You’ll be amazed at how much money you save by just doing that! It’s good for your financial health and good for your physical and psychological health too. Instead of cooking separate foods, try mixing things up a little more, and cooking or baking multiple items at once. Try a good one pot. It will save cooking time and cooking gas. A canister of gas lasts months at my house, sometimes up to five months.
Once you’ve done your shopping keep your receipts and review how much you spent and how, and see how else you can save next time around. It’s also a good guide to your overall budgeting because then you know exactly how much you need to set aside for meals every month and to make sure you eat healthy, inspite of the recession.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR; Kendal Burton is a Certified Personal Trainer & Sports Nutrition Specialist. For more health and fitness tips “friend” us on Facebook, or join our free fitness community. If you have any questions, or a topic you’d like us to address email us at
mail@edgepersonalfitness.com
If you’re having trouble sleeping, you may interested to
know that your insomnia may have more to do with what you do before getting
into bed than anything that happens once you’re in there. Sleep is as important
to your overall health as nutrition and exercise. In
fact recent research has shown that sleep plays
an important role
in weight loss.
