Eat well on a budget

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We all know how important it is to eat well and have a highly nutritious diet, but doing that a budget doesn’t always seem possible.

We have had a look at how you can eat well and save pounds on your waistline and shopping bill.

Have a plan
Boring, maybe. Effective, definitely. Having a weekly meal plan means no last-minute microwave meals or takeaways because there is nothing in the cupboard. You can cover breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day of the week and will find that in no time at all you will no longer reach for the crisps when you come home from a hard day at work because you don’t know what to eat.

Buy what you need
Doing a ‘big shop’ might not be helping your quest to be healthy or to save money. Buy what you need for the next few days, then that is what you have to eat meaning you will have less waste. You might also find shopping online, using the cheaper and free delivery slots, helps you stop going buying the BOGOF offers you don ‘t need instead stock up on cans and other non perishable items that can be cheaper when bought in bulk.

Shop late in the day
You will be amazed at the fresh produce that is reduced at the end of the day to ensure it sells. Bananas, fish, meat, yogurt and bread are all up for grabs at a knock down price so be savvy and save money.

Freezer happy
Freeze any unused food, batch make curries and pasta sauces and if you aren’t going to eat something before (see above) the ‘best before’ – freeze it.

Buy frozen
Speaking of frozen food, you will find you waste less if you go for these options in the supermarket. Frozen fruit and vegetables are just as good for you than the fresh varieties as they are picked at the peak of freshness and frozen to seal in their nutrients. You will find many frozen fruit and vegetables come pre-chopped, ready to use and in handy portion sizes which not only help you eat sensibly but also save waste.

Don’t be a brand snob
Yes, the big brands have a good reputation but things like tinned tomatoes and sweetcorn, cereals and nuts will taste just as good whether they are the supermarket’s own option or the shiny famous choice. Go on, give it a go.

Be pulse happy
Beans, lentils and chickpeas are some super cheap but also packed with fibre, vitamins and are low-fat too. Using them to replace mince or chicken in meals like chilli con carne or chicken curry and you instantly have a cheaper, healthier and even tastier option.

Buy meat for less
If you spend longer cooking your meat, you can go for cheaper cuts like braising steak, shin or shoulder. Putting these in a slow cooker with hearty vegetables and stock is a great tasting meal at a good cost and if there are leftovers, have them for lunch the next day.

Cook from scratch
Forget creamy sauces and salt rich dressings and instead prepare your food from scratch. Social media has a wealth of great recipes that are easy to follow and as you tuck in you know exactly what you are eating.

Think about what you drink
With the new sugar tax now launched, there is one more reason to cut out the nutritious poor fizzy drinks from your diet. Water with lemon and cucumber is a great hydrator, smoothies offer a fruity punch and green tea is a sensible coffee swap.

Eating the healthy way doesn’t have to cost the earth but it certainly can help save some money.

Team Pure-Beauty

How to keep up the good work after Dry January

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If you were one of the thousands who made it through Dry January without a drink, congratulations.

The temptation to make up for lost time might cross your mind, but Long Islands Ice Teas all night long, might not be the best idea for your head, you waistline or your pocket.

What we are say is, you don’t need to give up booze altogether, but there are many benefits of cutting down how much you drink. In the short-term you will feel fresher when you wake up in the morning, have more energy, enjoy clearer skin and even lose those stubborn extra pounds.

Over time you will find that consuming less alcohol will have so many plus sides you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

Improved mood
There is no doubt that drinking can make you feel depressed and hangovers often make you feel down in the dumps anxious and so cutting back could really make you feel happier.

Better sleep
Drinking can really disrupt your sleep patterns and prevent you from getting the good quality sleep that keeps you healthy. Cutting down on alcohol should help you feel rested when you wake up and drink free days will really improve your sleep.

Improved behaviour
Judgement and behaviour often go out of the window, especially when you’ve had one too many. Irrational and aggressive behaviour easily happens after a big night out and memory loss only make things worse the next day. Go easy on the beers and even offer to be the designated driver every now and again and lay off the booze altogether.

Better health
You might think that a regular drink helps you relax and unwind, but the reality is it can play havoc with your immune system and internal organs, so don’t over do it or you could pay the price with colds and infections.

With all of this said, we have had a look at how to keep your drinking at a sensible level all year round, rather than for just one month.

Make a plan
Make a decision about how much you are going to each week, set a limit and write it done.

Budget for It
Don’t forget that booze costs pounds, so just be aware of what you are spending on drinking each week and pair that up with your plan.

Do it together
If you tend to drink with work colleagues, family members, your partner or friends, let them know your new drinking intentions and see if they want to put a limit on things too.

One step at a time
We aren’t saying give up the juice right this minute, but if you make small changes every week, you will soon find you are drinking less and loving the benefits.

Go Small
Yes, BOGOF offers and happy hours are fun, but they can be your ruin. Go for singles over doubles, have a bottle of beer rather than a pint and don’t go large when it comes to the size of your wine glass.

Swap it for water
To get ahead of the game, before your first alcoholic drink and between each subsequent one, have a glass of water.

Alcohol free days
Try to have several drink free days each week and see how you sleep and if your mood improves when you swap a G&T for a cup of tea.

See the savings
Put the money you save on drink each week into a jar and treat yourself to a spa day, new haircut or those shoes you have always wanted at the end of the year.

Most of all, enjoy a happier, healthier, wealthier you.

Team Pure-Beauty