Eating healthy on a limited budget might seem tough, but with the right approach, you can make nutritious, filling meals without spending too much.
What is included in a balanced meal?
A good meal includes three key components:
- Protein: Helps with muscle repair and keeps you full.
- Carbs: Gives you energy and keeps you going.
- Fruits & Vegetables: Provides vitamins, minerals, and fibre.
If your budget allows, healthy fats like nuts, eggs, olive oil and oily fish (e.g. tuna) can make meals more satisfying and keep you fuller for longer.
A balanced meal
Budget-friendly ingredients
You can choose from a range of affordable options from each key component to create a nutritionally balanced meal, no matter your budget or dietary preferences.
- Proteins: Choose betweeneggs, beans, canned lentils, chickpeas, canned tuna and chicken thighs.
- Carbs: Rice, pasta, oats, and potatoes are all good options. Most of these can be found in the Lifestyle Hub.
- Veggies: Frozen mixed veg, carrots, broccoli, canned tomatoes and onions are all affordable options that will provide colour and plenty of vitamins and minerals for your meals.
- Fruit: Good examples are bananas, apples, easy-peeler oranges, frozen berries and canned fruit in juice.
- Healthy fats: Incorporate peanut butter, olive oil, or canned fish.
Affordable and easy balanced meal ideas
Here is some inspiration to help you plan nutritionally balanced meals on a budget.
Breakfast:
- Oats with Peanut Butter & Banana
- Scrambled eggs on toast with a piece of fruit
Lunch/dinner:
- Rice, lentils and frozen veggies
- Pasta with canned tomatoes and chickpeas or tuna
- Egg fried rice with veg
Check out our recipes page for a full list of affordable, nutritionally balanced meals using supplies from The Lifestyle Hub.
Overnight oats
Budget shopping tips
Planning your shopping can help make nutritionally balanced meals for the week while spending as little as possible.
- Frozen fruit and vegetables are just as healthy and last longer.
- Canned food is OK! Choose canned beans, tuna, tomatoes, vegetables and fruit.
- Go for cheaper cuts of meat likechicken thighs, whole chicken, and canned fish
- Shop from the reduced section – just keep an eye on use-by dates.
- Avoid impulse buying by planning meals for the week.
Food shopping
