How To Eat Cheap In South Africa

Below is How To Eat Cheap In South Africa

Protein

The quickest way to cut your groceries bill is by curbing your appetite for red meat. Though protein-rich foods are an important part of your daily meals, it does not only have to be red meat. There are far healthier and less expensive sources available such as chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, and pulses.

Opt for one meatless day per week. Consider having one or two vegetarian meals per week and experiment with vegetarian sources of protein. Veggie proteins, such as beans and lentils, are quite inexpensive, very nutritious, easy to prepare, and taste great.

Make the meat in your dishes go further by mixing in kidney beans, mixed beans, lentils or even baked beans. When cooking mincemeat adds soya, lentils, beans, oat bran, and/or vegetables to bulk it out. You can also add beans, lentils, potatoes, and other veggies to stews, casseroles and curries. Mix mashed, cooked dried beans with mince or fish to make meatloaf, fish cakes or meatballs.

Prepare stews from tough and more affordable cuts of meat. By using moist cooking, these cuts will become more juicy and tender.

Tinned fish, such as pilchards and tuna, is usually cheaper than buying fresh fish. Make sure to buy it tinned in water rather than oil as it’s far healthier. Frozen fish also tends to be cheaper than fresh fish, so always compare prices. Making your own fishcakes with pilchards can be very economical. Flake fish and extend it by making a stir fry with rice and vegetables.

A whole chicken is cheaper per kilogram. Save money by cutting the chicken up into portions and freezing for later use. Remember to remove the skin and all excess fat if you’re avoiding fat.

Don’t buy tinned meat and processed cold meats such as polony, salami, and viennas. They’re not only expensive, their high sodium and fat content also makes them unhealthy. Rather use tinned fish or left-over chicken for sandwiches and salads.

Fruit and vegetables

Don’t cut down on your fruit and vegetable intake. These are “protective foods” that guard against disease. Make sure you still get your 5 – 7 portions of fruits and vegetables a day by buying in season. They are not only much cheaper during their peak growing times, they also taste better. Cook them in different ways to keep your menu varied.

Buy vegetables and fruit in bulk from a fresh produce market and share with friends and family. Onions, potatoes, butternut and gem squash are cheaper by the pocket and tomatoes by the box.

Stay away from canned fruit and vegetables as these tend to be more expensive and often have unhealthy ingredients added such as sugar and salt.

When fruit is very expensive you can save money by buying more vegetables, especially those that are nice to snack on when raw, such as carrots, celery, cucumber, tomatoes and fresh green beans.

Don’t dismiss frozen vegetables. Frozen veggies are usually frozen fresh after harvest and can work out cheaper than the fresh produce as you can keep it in the freezer. Just make sure that no sugar or salt was added.

Self-selected vegetables and fruit are cheaper per kilogram than those that are pre-packaged for convenience.

Retain maximal nutritional value of vegetables by peeling them very thinly with a vegetable peeler.

Use vegetable leaves and skin with onions and potatoes in soups or stews. Left-over or wilted vegetables can also be added to soups.

Start your own vegetable garden. Grow your favorite veggies and herbs in your backyard or in a container garden and enjoy fresh, organic produce.

Grains and cereals

Buy unrefined whole grains as far as possible. Refining makes a product more expensive and strips the food of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Standard Low-GI brown bread is for example often cheaper than white bread, and generally much cheaper than special breads and rolls.

Buy porridges that you can cook. Maize meal is the cheapest kind of porridge available in South Africa. Oatmeal and Maltabella are more expensive, but still far healthier and cheaper options than instant cereals and will keep you satisfied for longer.

Needless to say, luxuries such cake, biscuits, rusks and potato chips are expensive empty kilojoules which add no value to your health or budget.

Though there are often specials to be found on pasta, such as noodles and spaghetti, it’s good to note that other grains such as samp, corn, rice and pearled wheat are often cheaper than pasta.

Dairy

Milk sold in sachets is generally cheaper than those packaged in plastic bottles or cartons.

Use skim-milk powder instead of coffee creamers, tea whiteners, or milk blends.

Cheaper substitutes like low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese can be used instead of more expensive ingredients like ricotta cheese.

Use less cheese in cooking by using a little mustard or cayenne pepper.

Use yogurt, condensed milk, and evaporated milk sparingly, as these items can be quite expensive.

Buying a large tub of yogurt often works out cheaper than buying small snack-size containers.

Fats

Eat some butter and some soft margarine and some plant oils, but in small quantities

Use only a little oil in the preparation of food. Take note that certain foods, like onions, don’t have to be fried in oil. You can simply soften them in a little hot water in your frying pan before adding the other ingredients. 

Grill, steam, and microwave foods instead of frying them. It’s not only healthier, it will also save you from using butter, margarine or oil.