6 hacks to save money on healthy groceries

A healthy diet high in protein and whole foods is the foundation of our fitness journeys. It’s what is going to help us achieve our fitness goals. But with grocery prices increasing and recipes getting more complicated, it can be difficult to know how to keep your healthy grocery shop affordable.

We’re going to share with you 6 easy hacks that will not only help you save money on your shop, but encourage the straightforward and healthy choices you’ll love!

#1 Homemade meals vs pre-made meals

Most homemade meals are far cheaper than buying a ready meal. If you look at the ingredients list on ready meals, what do you see? Most are made up of ingredients much cheaper to buy and cook yourself (and in bulk) like grains and pulses. For the same price of 1 ready meal, you’re able to get at least 3-5 portions of your own home cooked meal. Making it yourself also ensures high protein in each portion, something ready meals are not specifically catering for.

#2 Bulk meal prep

So many healthy recipes can be easily transformed into batch cooking you can enjoy throughout the week - you just need to check the recipe. Cooking 7 different meals across a week most likely means you’ll be buying far more unique ingredients for each recipe, so think about what you could prep and keep in the fridge for 3-4 lunches or dinners.

This also saves on gas and electricity, while doubling up on certain ingredients helps take advantage of multi-buy offers!

#3 Buy seasonally

One of the main reasons certain fruits and vegetables become more expensive all of a sudden is that they’re out of season. As much as we all have our favourites, it’s more affordable to buy what’s in season where you live - so you won’t be paying for airmiles.

It’s also a great way to discover new whole foods you’ll love.

#4 Eat more plant-based

Meat, fish and eggs are always going to carry a higher price tag when it comes to protein than plant-based options. A wide variety of protein-rich pulses and grains like lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, rice and bulgur wheat are a fraction of the cost - for the same amount of (and sometimes even more) protein.

#5 Shop online or try loyalty schemes

Nowadays many supermarkets have loyalty cards which offer you cheaper prices on certain products. They’re free to sign up for, and you simply scan your loyalty card before paying. If you’re paying out more and more for petrol for your shopping trips, try doing an online food shop where you can seek out online exclusive discounts too.

If there are certain ingredients you eat regularly which don’t need to be stored in the fridge, bulk-buying is worth your time. Some grocery stores offer larger “value packs”, while there are plenty of dedicated wholefood stockists online and offline. For example, a bulk 2kg bag will often be cheaper than buying individual 500g packs.

#6 Write a shopping list

Whether you’re online or offline shopping, writing a shopping list with the ingredients you need saves you buying more than you need. It also stops you from impulse-buying because you’re going into the shop with a plan, and not being forced to think up healthy meals on the spot. This avoids you making unhealthier and more expensive choices.

Try to avoid last minute temptations by the checkouts too.

Tip: If you can use a supermarket scan-as-you-go, you’ll see how everything’s adding up as you shop.

Living an affordable and healthy lifestyle

Navigating healthy nutrition can feel like crossing a minefield at first – but making the right choices at the right price for you is easier than you think with the right preparation and supermarket know-how.

To make the most out of your nutrition efforts, it’s also worth optimising your workouts. A personal trainer will be able to help with shaping up both your diet and training, but can come at a higher cost. So what’s an affordable and convenient way to do this?

The trainn app is the best affordable alternative to a personal trainer! It’s cheaper, but packs in the same value, guidance, advice and accountability you’d get from a “real” personal trainer.

So if you’re ready to improve both your nutrition and workouts while saving money give trainn a try below. Your first 14 days are free!

Start your 14 day trial