Many of us feel that eating a healthy diet means expense.

Sure, if we choose to shop at a boutique delicatessen this can definitely be the case. If we go for exotic, unusual or the latest fad we can certainly spend more than we mean to.

‍But, do we bat an eyelid at paying 70-80p for one chocolate bar? Do we agonise over a £19.99 pizza deal? Do we call the bank manager over a crate of beer? Not often. It comes down to choice; choosing to be mindful about putting healthy options in our shopping trolley and our bodies.

For some of us searching the supermarket aisles is draining, confusing and downright annoying. If we also have to make lots of decisions about what is the healthiest and cheapest we can soon become overwhelmed and end up sticking to what we know, our tried and tested favourites – and these are not always the healthiest. The key is to spend a bit of time before we reach the aisle, decide what we want to put in our bodies. Look for recipes you may like to have a go at this month and write a list that keeps the difficult decisions away from the chaos of the supermarket.

Healthier foods can be costly but that depends on what is healthy to you. A costly “healthy diet” may come about when we find the next fad diet to follow and the book says you must buy avocado oil and eat only grass-fed beef that’s been massaged in the fields of Japan.  

But in reality, for most of us a healthier diet means increasing our fruit and vegetable intake and eating less convenience and processed foods.   

Apples, bananas, broccoli, peas, plums, carrots and sweetcorn, these are all one of your 5 a day and accessible all of which we can purchase for under £1. Many supermarkets have weekly offers on fruit and veg for as little as 49p. (Did you know you can compare the price of foods in most supermarkets online?)

You can eat a healthy balanced diet on a budget. Choose where you shop for certain things. Buy frozen vegetables this can minimise waste. Always look down the “reduced” aisle, there are bargains to be had. Prepare your own meals from scratch and make enough to freeze a portion or two. Soon you’ll have a freezer full of convenient meals you made yourself.

Now that sounds healthier.

Find out more about our Adult Weight Management Courses that run out of local Leisure Centres across the County. We incorporate an hour of Nutrition and 30 minutes of optional movement/ exercise with the goal of helping participants lose 5% of their bodyweight over a 10 week period! To qualify for this, residents of East Sussex would need a BMI of 25 or above.