You’ve booked your flights to warmer places, sent your RSVPs to 15 upcoming weddings, and decided to go to a glittery day festival with your friends.
Although summer is fun, it can be hard on your wallet. It is more important than ever to eat well-balanced food that you can get at stores for a low price. These pictures show you what healthy foods you can get at Tesco and Asda. Are you next in line to drive? Good for you food at Morrisons.
WH’s resident nutritionist, was sent to her local store with the goal of making the most of a £30 budget so that she could tell you exactly what to buy.
Here’s what she discovered.
1. Fish
“Salmon pâté is a great way to get more omega-3 and vitamin D into your diet at a much lower cost than a salmon fillet.” These nutrients are essential for healthy bones and brains.
“An additional method to include more oily fish in your diet is to try mackerel strips. It’s also a great source of B12 and selenium, which are essential for thyroid function.”
- Mackerel strips in salmon paté
- Total: £2.80
2. Pulses
Fun fact: Increasing your intake of prebiotic foods may be done very affordably by using pulses. They also contain a lot of folate, a B vitamin that is crucial for conception and pregnancy because it helps make red blood cells and guards against spinal cord problems in developing children.
In addition, they have significant levels of zinc, which aids in cell formation, immunological response, and wound healing, and iron, a vitamin necessary for energy maintenance and oxygen delivery. Everybody rounders!
- Split green peas
- Tomatoes and beans
- Beans kidney
- Peas from the garden
- Wonderful! Soup with tomatoes and lentils from Goa
- Total: £3.16
3. Fruits
Strawberries and apples both have vitamin C, which makes your immune system stronger, and prebiotics, which feed the good bugs in your gut. They are excellent as snacks.
- wacky strawberries
- little apples for the cooking
- Total: £2.00
4. Vegetables
Coming into summer, I’d opt for mostly seasonal salad vegetables.
These are higher in water to keep you hydrated throughout hotter months, plus you’ll stay hydrated thanks to the range of phyto nutrients you get from eating different coloured veg – think yellow peppers, orange carrots and red tomatoes.
It’s important to eat a rainbow as the colours in the vegetables highlight different plant chemicals which help to support gut health, as well as their individual benefits.’
‘I’m a big fan of the wonky range in Morrisons. They’ve taken all the ‘imperfect’ produce and priced it more affordably in a bid to reduce food waste and promote healthier eating at a lower price.’
- Broccoli
- Fennel
- Salad Peppers
- Spinach
- Wrinkly Carrots
- Tomatoes
- And olives in brine (okay, they’re fruits, but let’s not argue).
- Total: £6.73
5. Chocolate
These are a great sweet treat that won’t make your blood sugar rise because they have 90% less sugar than other dark chocolates on the market. There is no added sugar, and they have a lot of magnesium, which is important for nerve and muscle activity.
Additionally, it has a lot of polyphenols, which are good for heart health.
- Chocologic buttons
- Total: £2.00
6. Store cupboard essentials
Watch out for mueslis and granolas that have extra sugars added to them. This one from Morrisons, on the other hand, doesn’t have any extra sugars added and has a lot less sugar than other cereals on the market. Omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower cholesterol, can be found in oats.
“Nut milk is very popular right now, but this isn’t your normal almond milk.” Hemp seed milk is a great option for people who are allergic to nuts and a good source of omega-3, which is important for brain health.
- Quaker oatmeal with oats
- Milk made from hemp seeds
- Total: £3.92
7. Vegetarian protein
“These sausages are made from soy, which has a lot of protein.” The 16.4g of protein in one helping of McCartney sausages has been shown to help you feel full for longer.
“The cauliflower and chickpea bites may not have as much protein, but they’re full of a ton of spices that are good for your immune system, have 6.4g of fiber per serving, and help protect healthy gut bacteria.”
Though it may seem unlikely, plain Greek yogurt is a great way to get extra protein if you don’t eat meat. For a healthy meal, top it with nut butter and berries. You can also use it to cool down a curry for dinner.
- Linda McCartney’s veggie burgers
- Wow, cauliflower bites
- Greek a yogurt
- Total: £4.00
8. Meat
Protein is great for keeping you full and helping your muscles heal, as we already said. These small filets are very useful and can be used in soups and stir fries.
- Mini chicken fillets
- Total: £2.10
9. Nuts
Nuts are high in protein, which helps you feel full longer. At just under a pound, these are a great deal. Along with vitamin E, which helps keep skin cells healthy, they have a lot of B vitamins, which are needed to make energy.
- Morrisons own brand monkey nuts
- Total: 81p
10. Bread
This wholemeal bread is great because it has protein in it. The cooks added pea protein during the baking process, giving each slice 4.9g of protein. This means that your PB on toast in the morning will keep you going for a little longer.
- Morrisons own high protein wholemeal bread
- Total: 85p
