Eating healthy is not expensive!

"I want to eat healthy, but it is just too expensive", this is something I hear all too often. So in today's post I'm going to show you can cook 5 dinners for a family of 4, save money AND be healthy all at the same time. I'll also be giving you a few money saving tips along the way! So lets do this...

"It is health that is the greatest wealth, not pieces of gold and silver!"

UNHEALTHY vs HEALTHY

Monday!

Burger king - £6.09 per person

4 x Whopper w/ bacon & cheese meal =  £24.36

Homemade burger & fries - £1.66 per person

500g mince = £3.00

4 Wholegrain buns = £1.00

2 Sweet potatoes = £0.90

1 Avocado = £1.00

½ Lettuce = £0.50
1 Onion = £0.25

TOTAL = £6.65

Finely dice the onion and combine with the mince. Season then shape into burgers. Grill until cooked through.
Slice the sweet potatoes into fries and place in a baking tray. Bake for 10-15 mins until crispy.
Place the burger between the wholegrain bun with slices of avocado and lettuce.

Tuesday!

KFC - £4.25 per person

Variety bucket = £16.99

Stuffed chicken w/ rice & veg - £1.86 per person

4 Chicken breasts = £5.00
½ Bag spinach = £0.75
4 Babybel's = £0.64
300g boiled basmati rice = £0.44
400g frozen mixed veg = £0.60

TOTAL = £7.43

Season the chicken breasts and create a slit in the side of each breast. Wrap the Babybel in spinach and place inside the breast. Bake at 180'C for around 20-25mins.
Boil basmati rice and the mixed veg. Serve with the chicken.

Wednesday!

McDonalds - £4.29 per person

4 x Big Mac meals regular = £17.16

Jacket potato w/ tuna and sweetcorn filling - £1.61 per person

4 Sweet potatoes = £1.80
2 Tins of tuna = £2.30
250g Greek yogurt = £1.25
100g Sweetcorn = £0.33
½ Bag spinach = £0.75

TOTAL - £6.43

In a bowl combine your tuna, greek yogurt, lemon juice and sweetcorn. Season.
Bake sweet potatoes.
When cooked, slice open the sweet potato and add your filling. Serve with spinach.

Thursday!

Pizza hut - £6 per person

Large super saver (2 large pizza, 2 sides) = £23.99

Turkey fajitas - £1.79 per person

500g Turkey breasts = £4.00
8 Wholegrain wraps = £1.00
1 Onion = £0.25
1 Bell pepper = £0.50
1 Tbsp tomato puree = £0.04
1 Avocado = £1.00

Total = £6.79

In a pan add diced turkey, onion and bell pepper. Toss. Add tomato puree and season. Serve in a wrap with slices of avocado.

Friday!

Ready meals - £2.88 per person

2 x Chicken curry with rice = £7.00
2 x Beef lasagne = £4.50

TOTAL = £11.50

Chicken escalopes w/ salad and creamy lemon dressing - £1.80 per person

4 Chicken breasts = £5.00
Crispy leaf salad = £1.00
100g Greek yogurt = £0.50
1 Lemon = £0.30
100g Ground oats = £0.20
1 Egg = £0.20

TOTAL = £7.20

Flatten the chicken breasts until a cm thick. Coat in egg and cover in the ground oats. Pan fry on each side or bake for 20 minutes. Serve with your salad.
For the dressing combine greek yogurt with lemon juice to taste. Season.

So as we can see from the above, eating healthy really isn't expensive. These meals are satisfying, nutrient rich, tasty and all cost less than £2 per person. If anything, eating unhealthy is expensive! These meals I have posted are just a handful of home cooked meals that could be made 'on a budget'.


Here's a few tips on how you can save even more money when it comes to your shopping trip;

1) Buy your meat from a butcher.

2) Buy veg from your local market.

3) Buy in bulk.

4) Plan your meals in advance.

5) Know what you need BEFORE you go out shopping.

6) Never shop when hungry.

Now to those who say, well I can't be bothered to go through all the hassle of cooking, I say... PRACTICE! A little planning and preparation will go a long way. Plan and prepare meals, cook in bulk and you will find yourself saving huge amounts of time. The better you become in the kitchen, the less it will seem like a chore and always remember, you can not put a price on good health!

"The groundwork of all happiness, is good health"

So the next time someone says "eating healthy is expensive", make sure you send them this post, because... it's not when you put in a bit of effort. To finish this post I'll leave you with a quote;

"Being fit and healthy isn't a fad or a trend... it's a lifestyle!"

Hadee x

If you make any of these meals, please do tweet me a picture! @GymForWomen

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