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Dr Ranj’s five top tips to eat healthier for less

The nation’s favourite doctor, Dr Ranj Singh, is on a mission to help you eat more healthily without breaking the bank. Here are his top tips for saving money and maintaining a healthy weight: 

Dr Ranj in kitchen

1. Diet proof your home

Save Money Lose Weight Recipe

When you first start dieting, you might feel like you have to go cold turkey, cutting out all of the sweet treats and chocolate from the get go. Don’t get me wrong that’s one way to lose weight but it’s also a sure-fire way to fall off the bandwagon. If you’re looking to make positive changes to your diet, why not diet proof your home so that you are not surrounded by temptation? And, yes, that means spring cleaning your fridge. Your fresh, healthy ingredients will look way more tempting if they’re not hiding behind the cranberry sauce from last Christmas.

2. Make small, smart switches to your diet

Small changes to your diet can make all the difference. If you’re craving a mid-morning snack, why not choose a piece of fruit rather than reaching for the packet of biscuits? Or swap your weeknight glass of wine for a no-alcohol alternative, and switch to a low-sugar wine for a treat at the weekend. On the show, we tested low-cost, low-sugar wines, and it’s surprising how quickly you can reduce your calories with just a few smart swaps. 

3. Plan your meals in advance

Colourful vegetable salad

You are much more likely to stay on track if your fridge is stocked full of healthy foods and your freezer contains healthy meals that you can whip out when you are in a hurry. Make it a habit to set aside a day each week to plan your weeks’ worth of meals so that you are never caught out, and whatever you do, do NOT go shopping on an empty stomach. It’s a recipe for disaster. 

4. Look at the low shelves for the best deals.

When you are doing your weekly shop, don’t just look at the shelves that are right in front of you. Look up, look down and all around as you’ll soon find that some of the best deals are on the bottom shelves in the store. Supermarkets place items that are tempting (and often more expensive) at eye level so go low to find the cheapest (and often healthier) items. 

5. Bulk buy frozen fruit and vegetables

Sweet potato stew

Eating healthily doesn’t have to cost the earth. You’ll often find that you can pick up your fruit and vegetables for a better price if you buy them frozen. What’s more, fruit and veggies that have been picked at their prime and frozen quickly can be even more nutritious than their fresh counterparts. Just be wary for any excess syrups that have been added. 

 

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