Healthy eating plan
The nutritional ‘know how’
With the credit crunch starting to pinch, most of us as are looking to tighten our purse strings wherever possible. The good news is that choosing a healthy diet doesn’t have to be more expensive. With a little nutritional ‘know how’, careful planning and shopping you can eat healthily without spending a fortune. Here’s how we can help.
Achieving a healthy diet on a budget at Sainsbury’s
A healthy and balanced diet is based on the 5 food groups of the eatwell plate.
For a healthy diet on a budget, try our basics products from the 4 largest food groups
If you’re on a budget you’ll be pleased to hear that our basics range offers many of the foods recommended for a healthy, balanced diet, like fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses and starchy carbohydrates like pasta, bread and rice. The basics range is excellent value for money as well as nutritious and offers over 550 products – all are free from hydrogenated fats and artificial flavour enhancers. Sainsbury's basics products are lower in price for a number of reasons including less expensive packaging or different shapes and sizes of fruit and vegetables.
Fruit and vegetables
Canned and frozen fruit and vegetables are often cheaper than fresh and will count towards your 5-a-day target. So, stock up on things like frozen peas, sweetcorn and canned tomatoes.
Choose fruit in natural juice rather than fruit in syrup. There are over 50 ways to achieve one of your 5-a-day with our basics range.
Try Sainsbury's basics breakfast juice and 1 glass counts as 1 portion (150ml) of your 5-a-day.
Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods
If you start the day with a healthy breakfast like a fibre rich cereal, you’ll be less tempted to snack on unhealthy foods later in the morning.
Fibre rich foods like brown rice and wholemeal bread tend to be more filling than the ‘white’ versions, so they can help you feel full for longer.
Milk and dairy foods
Milk and dairy foods are an important source of calcium which helps to keep our bones strong. Choose low fat or reduced fat options wherever possible (except for children under 5 years of age).
Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
Try our basics salmon fillets - they contain healthy omega-3 fats.
Canned fish such as salmon and sardines contain the same healthy omega-3 fats that fresh fish contain and are good value for money.
An exception is canned tuna, which does not contain as much omega-3 fats due to processing.
Beans, lentils and pulses are all good forms of protein and fibre and are significantly cheaper than meat and fish. They also count as one of your 5-a-day. To bring your shopping bill down try having a vegetarian meal a couple of times a week or try adding beans and pulses to soups and casseroles to use less meat.
Eat small amounts of foods high in fat and/ or sugar
For more advice and tips on healthy eating visit eatwell.gov.uk
Adapted from the Eatwell plate in discussion with the Food Standards Agency.
The Eat well plate is suitable for all adults and children over the age of 5.
This information is a guide only and should not replace advice given from your healthcare professional.
