Food hacks to help you save money and eat well
With supermarket prices and other cost of living expenses rising, you may find yourself with less money to spend on food.
To help you stick to your budget, we share our tips for making affordable meals without compromising on nutrition or flavour.
If you're experiencing food insecurity, you can register to receive free food and other essential items at FoodHub. FoodHub is located on Level 3 of the Wentworth Building and is open Monday to Friday, 11 am–2 pm.
If you're struggling with your finances or are in need of health, wellbeing, academic or personal support, visit the support webpage on the current students website to connect with the Student Wellbeing team and explore our services and resources.
Preparing
Do a stocktake
Avoid food waste and buying what you don't need by taking stock of what you already have in your fridge, freezer and pantry.
Conducting a stocktake is an important first step in meal planning. It's often easier to build a meal plan around items you already have.
It's also important to note which items are close to expiry, so you can plan to use those first.
Having a quick look in your fridge can save you time and money. Photo by Darrien Staton on Unsplash.
Plan your meals
Before you go grocery shopping, it's important to plan out what you're going to buy. Meal planning will look different for everyone, depending on your needs, preferences and living situation, but it's common for people to draw inspiration for their meals online.
Free recipe websites like SBS Food, ABC Everyday and RecipeTin Eats are great places to start if you're in need of some affordable and delicious meal ideas.
Substitute instead of buying new
If you're out of a specific ingredient, see if you have a similar ingredient you can use as a substitute or combine ingredients you already have to make the final product.
For example, if you're out of lemon or lime juice, you could use vinegar as a substitute. Or, if you're out of sour cream, you could use plain yoghurt or cream with vinegar instead.
Recipes also often call for 'non-essential' ingredients to make up garnishes or sauces. If you're cooking from a recipe, make sure you read it all the way through to find out what ingredients are essential to the meal.
Buying
Choose in-season produce
Fruits and vegetables that are in season are often more affordable and better quality than produce out of season.
The Seasonal Food Guide, a website which shows when common fruits and vegetables are in season Australia-wide and by region, is a great online resource to consult before heading to the shops.
Fresh produce markets often sell in-season produce at a better price than the major supermarkets. Photo by Kenny Kuo on Unsplash.
Try 'imperfect' produce
Supermarkets often have an area in the fresh produce section for fruits and vegetables that are 'imperfect'. This produce is usually cheaper than its 'perfect' counterpart, so is a great option for those looking to get fresh food on a budget.
These 'imperfect' fruits and vegetables (usually lemons, carrots and zucchini) are completely fine to consume – they may just have external imperfections or take on an unusual shape.
Give frozen fruits and vegetables a go
Don't skip the frozen aisle next time you're at the shops! You could be saving money and adding nutritional value to your diet by opting for frozen fruits and vegetables.
Listen to ABC's radio segment on frozen fruit and vegetables to learn more.
Hero image by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash.