During our races, we have to think about the tastes of the food, its varieties,  but also at their prices, while reconciling our health and our slimming balance.

Here are some tips for spending less while focusing on the quality of our food.  

1. Buy smart  :

• Prepare your shopping list with the necessary quantities and sort the food according to their category (saving time and less temptation in the "delicacies and  unnecessary  ")  : fruits / vegetables on one side, canned food, drinks ... 

• Always go shopping with a full stomach  ! Indeed, with a hungry belly, you will be too tempted by a packet of cakes or candies that you will regret when you get home.

• Look at the promotions on site to benefit from them 

• Compare the cost prices between each product (by checking the prices per kilo)

• Buy simple, unprocessed foods  : the more a food is processed, the more expensive it will be  and calorie  ! 

• So avoid cooked meals, cold meats, pastries, aperitif cookies ...  

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2.  Let's cook to save 

Meals "  homemade  "Will be cheaper than meals"  all ready  ". In addition, ready meals are often high in salt and of poor nutritional quality. 

To combine health and budget :  

• So choose the right foods (see below) 

• Cook in large quantities and freeze: always write down the date of the freezing day because some foods must be eaten before. Fish, meats and bread can be stored for 3 months and preparations with fruits and vegetables 6 months to 1 year after freezing. You can freeze everything except: eggs and potatoes. 

• Do not throw away any leftovers, learn to use them for a new preparation. Take the example of a dinner: ratatouille and fish. The next day, if you have any ratatouille left, reuse it to cook eggs and ratatouille. Leftovers from a dinner salad can be reused for a homemade sandwich the next day at noon.  

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Learn to cook to store and reuse better  !  

3. Proteins  

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• Ground beef and poultry are inexpensive  (and do not forget  : eat your skinless chicken) 

• Canned fish (such as mackerel, sardines, tuna, etc.)  oil-free and natural are rich in omega 3 just like frozen fish. 

• Eggs  : have a good price / quality ratio. Do not hesitate to consume it  ! However, limit yourself to 6 a week (if you don't have a cholesterol problem). 

• But it is true that meat drives up the price of groceries. To not lack protein or iron, you can replace them with vegetable proteins : grains and legumes.

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4,  Fruits and vegetables  : Preserves, Fresh or frozen  ?

• Whatever their conservation, they will all be equal.  Their nutritional intake is almost identical as long as you choose them natural and not processed or cooked. 

• Canned and frozen foods are more economical and keep longer. 

• As for fresh products, buy them according to the season, the production cost will be lower and therefore the fruits and vegetables will be sold cheaper. Always compare the price per kilo of similar products to choose the cheapest.

Consume 2 to 3 fruits per day and a serving of 200 g of vegetables per meal.  

5. Starchy foods  : including legumes  

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Remember, big packs are always a good deal  : as long as you always cook everything and don't throw anything away  !  

Starchy foods are definitely not to be banned  : they provide us with long-lasting energy  . Just respect the quantities according to your gender, height, desired weight… They are generally inexpensive  .  

There are more than 13,000 varieties of legumes in the world: lentils, split peas, chickpeas, peas, mung beans… Legumes are sack vegetables compared to green vegetables. They are considered starchy foods because they are rich in starch. 

You can combine a dried vegetable with a cereal in the same meal  : for example  : semolina / chickpeas, rice / lentils ... Indeed,  this will replace a portion of meat ideal for vegetarians  !  

6. Dairy products  

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Ideally consume dairy products once per meal for a good supply of calcium and protein. 

They are inexpensive and go for basic products and flavor them yourself with cinnamon, fruit or vanilla. 

If you have the time, make your own homemade yogurts  , which will be without added sugar or fat. If you like them very sweet, go for sweeteners.  

7. Fat  

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Butter, oil or creams… choose classic products but learn to limit them.  

8. Drinks 

The essential drink is water . Consume it at will  !! 

Tap water is cheaper and of good quality (high calcium intake).

Did you know  ? 

70% of calcium intake is covered by milk and dairy products, and drinking 1 liter of tap water per day covers 20% of daily calcium requirements.  

Remember do not deadlock  : every food group is important. You may find yourself deficient.

So eat everything, to benefit from all the nutritional values of our food .