APRIL ‘22 Health & Wellbeing Blog! Healthy Eating on a Budget!

Healthy Eating on a Budget!

Healthy Breakfast – 45p 

Healthy Dinner – 95p 

Is it possible to eat healthily on a budget?

Absolutely! And I will show you how.

In these tough times with inflation rising and subsequently the price of food rising, it is a great idea to plan & prep your meals in advance to make the budget stretch way further and with no waste. I hate waste, who doesn’t!

If you are already saying ‘I don’t have the time to prep meals’ or ‘I only have time to grab a sandwich from the shop at work’ then I will prove how much time AND money you can save with prepping in advance.

Having a meal prepped and ready to go by cooking in batches saves on having to prep and cook each individual meal, which I guarantee takes longer over the week. I am always on the go, working, training, studying etc and simply do not have the time to cook every single night and all the cleaning that goes with it. I need something I can grab out of the fridge and then it’s either a quick blast in the microwave or ready to go as is. It will also save having the oven on every night if cooking in batches, and with the current energy prices this adds up considerably.

All of the below foods are derived from the current prices at Aldi and therefore all calculations based from today’s price as I am typing this blog. I do sometimes shop elsewhere (as you can see in the photo) but only when convenience calls and I need to grab some essentials without driving to Aldi.

This month I will show you 2 typical recipes that I have frequently and how easy and cheap they are to make.

Both of these meal ideas are nutritious, healthy and under 500 Calories!

Let’s start with Breakfast…………..for only 45p!

Here is my typical breakfast I have probably 6 out of 7 days, you will need the following ingredients;

50g Porridge Oats 5p (£1 for a 1kg bag of Oats)
150ml Milk of your choice 20p (60p for 1 Pint of Semi-Skimmed milk)
1 Banana 20p
1 Pinch of Cinnamon (optional)

Overnight Oats

Place 50g of your Oats in a suitable container, I have added a sprinkle of Cinnamon to mine.

Oats are full of fibre, antioxidants, great for the gut and lowers blood sugar levels!

Add approximately 150ml of milk of your choice, add more if you like it smoother or less if you like it thicker.

Bananas are loaded with Potassium & Manganese

Slice the Banana and place over the top of the Porridge

Voila! Breakfast is served and with no prep time at all, just grab and go in the morning.

The Oats will soak the milk overnight so you can eat this cold or heat it a little, your choice.

I add Peanut Butter or chopped nuts occasionally too, get creative!

CARBS          PROTEIN          FAT          CALORIES
67.5g                  13g                 7.1g                 367

Now for a Dinner/Tea Option…………..for only 95p!

Here is a typical Dinner/Tea I have very often, this will give you lots of protein, healthy vegetables and a starchy carb, you will need the following ingredients;

100g Mixed Frozen Veg 5p (70p for a 1kg bag of Mixed Veg)
125g Microwave Rice (1/2 a Pouch) 20p (35p for a Full Pouch)
Chicken Thigh Fillet 70p (£3.25 for 600g)

Chicken, Rice & Veg Bowl

Cook the Chicken Thighs however you prefer them, personally I lay a whole pack out on a baking tray, season with Salt, Pepper and any other spices/herbs you like. Cook until the Chicken is fully cooked throughout with a nice browned colour on top.

Allow these to cool down fully.

Mix 100g of the frozen Veg with the Rice and place this into a suitable, microwaveable tub.

Half a Rice Pouch between 2 tubs, or more if you are prepping for a few days or more.

Add 100g of Mixed Veg to each tub, season with Salt & Pepper to your preferred taste.

Once the Chicken is cool, simply lay this on top of the Rice & Veg and your dish is ready to be placed in the Fridge, easy right!!!

Add a sauce of your choice, I love to use various Chilli Sauces but Teriyaki also works great!

CARBS          PROTEIN          FAT          CALORIES
48g                 29.9g             10.9g                424

I would love to hear some of your meal prep ideas, please comment if you would like to share these, I am always on the look-out for new ideas!

I hope you gained some benefit from this blog and I look forward to engaging with you all throughout 2022.

Coach Sean