Food prices are putting further pressure on household budgets, especially for Australians on the lowest incomes.
To save money on your weekly groceries, consider adding five staple foods to your shopping basket: eggs, oats, carrots, UHT milk and apples. These foods rate highly on the Nutritious Food Index and cost, making them great value for money when buying nutritious foods.
Buying these items in bulk helps keep more expensive, less nutritious foods out of your cart, and having them stocked at home means fewer trips to the grocery store, saving you money on gas and time.
1. Eggs
Eggs are great value at about AUD6 per dozen (50 cents each).
Prices for meat, poultry and fish vary depending on the cut and type, ranging from $12 per kilo for minced meat, $12-20 per kilo for chicken, and $20-50 for steaks and fish. The cheapest cuts will cost you $2-3 per serving, but two eggs will cost you $1 per serving.
Substituting egg dishes for red meat dishes can save you a lot of money. Try some of the egg recipes on the No Money No Time website, such as fritters, omelettes and fried rice. These recipes will also help you use up other ingredients in your pantry, fridge or crisper.
Eggs are a good source of protein and also contain choline, lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamins A, B2, B12, D, E, folate, and the minerals iron, zinc, iodine and selenium.
For those concerned about whether eggs will raise their cholesterol levels, a recent review of research concludes that eating up to one egg a day is likely not to have a negative effect on overall disease risk.
2. Rolled oats
Prices for rolled oats vary widely, from around $2 per kilogram for “own brand” to as much as $9 for premium varieties.
Oatmeal is really versatile: for breakfast, you can make porridge, overnight oats, or homemade muesli or granola.
Oats can be used as a pastry substitute in a quick and easy quiche base, or crushed in a food processor and used as a breadcrumb substitute.
For dessert, it can be served on top of a comforting apple crumble.
Oats are not just for porridge. RDNE Stock Project/Pexels
Oats are a whole grain, meaning they retain all parts of the original grain, including the germ, bran and outer layer, making them high in fiber and nutrients.
Oats are rich in beta-glucan, a soluble dietary fiber that lowers blood cholesterol levels by binding with bile acids in the intestine, preventing them from being converted into LDL (bad) cholesterol.
It also contains B vitamins such as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), pantothenic acid (B5) and folic acid (B9), as well as vitamin E and minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
3. Carrots
At about $2.50 per kilo, it’s hard to find a better deal than a bag of carrots. They keep for a long time in the fridge and can be eaten raw, as carrot sticks, with carrot dip, or baked as carrot veggie “chips.”
Try adding grated carrots to salad rolls or burgers, or mix them into grated cheese to top dishes like tacos, pasta, pizza, and even mac and cheese.
Other uses include soups, carrot mash, roasted carrots, or sweeter versions like carrot muffins or bliss balls.
Carrots are rich in the carotenoids alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which are converted into vitamin A in the body and used to produce antibodies and maintain healthy function of the eyes, skin, lungs and intestines.
4. Long-life skim milk
Long-life skim milk costs about $1.60 per liter.
Milk is essential for delicious dishes like quiche and cauliflower cheese. Gaëlle Marcel/Unsplash
Some fresh varieties are about the same price, but the value of long-life milk is that you can store it in your cupboard so it never runs out and has a longer shelf life.
Milk is great for making smoothies and is an essential ingredient in a variety of dishes, from quiche to cauliflower cheese to lemon pudding.
Milk contains protein, calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and vitamins A, B2, and B12.
Studies have shown that regular consumption of milk reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer.
5. Apple
A bag of apples costs about $4 or 60 cents each, and a large can of stewed apples costs $4 to $5.
Apples are a great on-the-go snack: add them to porridge, eat them with pork, or toss them in coleslaw or apple crumble.
Apples contain dietary fiber, pectin, vitamins B6 and C, and the minerals potassium, calcium, nitrogen, magnesium, and trace amounts of zinc, iron, and copper.
Observational studies have linked high apple eaters to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and death from all causes.
For easy, delicious, economical meals that can be prepared quickly and without hassle, and tips on saving on food bills, check out our team’s “No Money No Time” website.
