After all those holiday expenses, time to reboot the new year with these money-saving hacks.
Map out your meals. Whether it’s for a few days or for the whole week, a little planning saves you money as you’re less likely to eat out or order in. Check to see what foods are on sale, and weave those foods into your week. Stick to your grocery list to cut down on impulse buys.
Cut down on food waste. Check your pantry, fridge and freezer to see what foods need to be used up. Throwing out food is like throwing away money. A soup is a smart way to use up perishable ingredients like vegetables.
Keep a few simple meals up your sleeve. Eggs and pulses are less expensive proteins, so give these recipes a try:
Green Beans with Zesty Scrambled Eggs
Curried Chickpeas and Apple Salad Wraps
Buy more affordable meats. Ground meat and poultry are easier on your wallet. Beef and lentil sliders, anyone? Slow cook tougher cuts of meat like beef brisket, pork shoulder and lamb shanks.
Cook extra food. If you’re going to spend the time and energy cooking, you might as well make extra food. Double or triple your favourite recipe, and freeze for later.
Need some inspo? Make a batch of this mushroom and lentil “bolognese” sauce. Use it for a stuffed spaghetti squash, or to toss with whole grain pasta. Roast extra chicken pieces and freeze the extras. Similarly, cook up barley, quinoa and brown rice to have whole grains handy.
Love your leftovers. Got extra roasted vegetables? Use them up in a frittata, wrap or pizza. Leftover mashed potatoes are perfect to whip up these delectable salmon cakes. Plus the recipe calls for budget-friendly canned salmon. Bonus!
Eat Well… Zannat Reza, RD
Food/health storyteller (RD). Social entrepreneur. Using superpowers to promote health for happiness. Appears on CTV, CBCNN, Global, The Dish and Toronto Star. Follow Zannat
