“When you go shopping, one of the first things you need to do is have a good plan; you’re more likely to be able to choose some of the healthier options because you know what you’re looking for and don’t get confused. result in those extra purchases that you might not need,” Turnbull told Newshub. “The other big thing is that you don’t end up buying things that you end up wasting.”

Here are some of Turnball’s top tips for reducing that receipt:

• Use more house brands: “There are some really good house brands out there and this can really be a good affordable option in this space.”
• Use seasonal produce: “Identify specials and think about how you can adapt your recipes to use them.”
• Frozen is your friend: “The frozen aisle is totally underutilized in New Zealand… There are so many great options. Frozen fish, heaps of frozen fruit and vegetables that are really affordable and incredibly nutritious.”
• Stop frequent shopping: “One thing to consider is how often you go to the supermarket; the more often you go there, the more likely you are to buy more. I try to shop fortnightly and sometimes buy fruit and veg in between as it helps reduce overall expenses. »
• Consider dates: “You have the best before date and the best before date; if the best before date has passed, it’s not a good idea to use it. An best before date simply means: “it gets better taste if you eat it before then”. Your nose is a very good guide, so if something smells weird, it’s probably to be avoided. Things like pasta, rice, cheese that don’t have mold on it, which looks absolutely fine – absolutely fine.”

What is on the menu?

“When it comes to breakfast, one of the cheapest things in the world is oats; half a cup is just $0.20,” Turnbull said.

“You can make porridge out of it, you can make what I call oats out of it overnight, just by dipping it in milk with a little yogurt. It doesn’t have to be yogurt There are some really good, plain unsweetened yogurts that literally cost $3.50 for a large container Again, house brand is fine, or frozen or canned fruit to make make a really filling breakfast that doesn’t cost a fortune Boxed breakfast cereals are expensive, but oats really aren’t.

“When it comes to breakfasts, eggs are a great option. At home, an omelet or eggs on toast is a great filling meal. You can use eggs in so many different ways. Also make soups, seasonal vegetables, legumes, onions and some spices Literally for about $2 you can have an incredibly filling lunch.

“Bagged salad is expensive, but can also get mushy very quickly. So in the winter, if you want that kind of crispy lunch, buy cabbage and a bag of carrots. You can cook lunch for a few people for the whole week by making a base of coleslaw, then eggs, tuna, chickpeas, maybe leftover meat. It’s nutritious and really affordable too.”

For dinner, Turnbull recommends bulking up staples, such as hash, to make inexpensive, cost-effective meals that can be used over and over throughout the week.

“You can make so many different dishes with a good bag. When I use ground meat, I use two onions rather than one with 500 grams of ground meat. I’m going to use two or three pounds of tomatoes, then two cans of lentils, rinsed and drained, and put black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans in. I always put legumes in there because it literally doubles the meal for very little extra cost,” she said.

“Also, mushrooms are really, really good to use with ground meat; you can use a 50/50 mix of ground meat and ground mushrooms, which is very good nutritionally, but also helps saves money and it’s also better for the planet.Mushrooms grow all year round, so they are very consistent in cost.

“In addition to mince you have a casserole; you can get cheap chunks of meat, again with your canned onions, spices and tomatoes. Put it in the slow cooker. I have a recipe for 3 $ the serving that is actually contains red meat as well as vegetables and legumes. You can make a bulk and freeze it – cooking in bulk is a great way to save money.

“For treats, I bake every Sunday with leftover overripe bananas and I make some kind of healthy pastry that goes in the freezer. And then I’ll just pick a muffin or whatever I have from the freezer every days and put it in [the kids’ lunch boxes].”

Manage your meat consumption

Today more than ever, people are aware that too much meat is not necessarily a good thing, even if it is high in protein, iron and other nutrients. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, it is recommended to eat less than 750 grams of red meat per week, and according to the American Heart Association, reducing meat consumption lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. and several cancers. Additionally, reducing your consumption will reduce the cost of the weekly shop.

“Using seafood and certain plant-based alternatives is not only good for your body, but it’s also good for your wallet,” Turnbull says.

“One thing that people don’t often think about; mussels are really cheap and incredibly nutritious. They contain zinc, iron, protein, selenium. Mussels are much cheaper than some of the other variants.

“Again, frozen fish is a really good option in this space. And tofu, I’m using a lot more tofu these days. I think one of the challenges is that when people think meatless, they’re starting to buy processed meat alternatives, which, to be honest, are just as expensive and not always as nutritious as people think. are really nutritious and very affordable meals.”

Stop throwing money in the trash

One of the easiest ways to cut costs is to reduce the amount of food wasted each week. throwing away that unopened bag of soggy spinach is essentially throwing $3.50 in the trash. On average, people waste $644 a year throwing away edible food, Turnbull noted.

“So many people focus on the cost of food at points of purchase, but actually we also need to be aware of what’s going into the bin at the other end; and that’s edible food and enough to meet the need.”

To start reducing your household food waste, Turnbull recommends first focusing on optimizing your storage options.

“If you have leftover food, a lot of times people just put it in the fridge, cover it with foil; you forget about it for three or four days. So if you have leftovers, wrap them in a meal that looks appealing for the next day, or freeze it immediately and label the bag so you know what’s in it – so you don’t get that random bag of red stuff you don’t want to eat,” he said. she explains.

“The other thing is knowing how to store your vegetables properly because it really cuts down on food waste. So things like potatoes and onions need to be stored separately because if you store them together they will sprout and spoil. faster.

“When you get something like a bagged salad or anything in a plastic bag, take it out or open the bag and put a piece of paper towel on each side; it kind of absorbs the humidity and prevents it from leaving. If you have carrots, do not keep them in a plastic bag. Make sure they are in a paper bag or wrap them in a paper towel.

“Another tip; if you have something like broccoli, cauliflower or lettuce that has gone limp, you can just cut the bottom off, put it in a dish of water, leave it for half an hour, and he will literally come back to live.

“Fruits release gas, ethylene, which basically helps them ripen each other and some of them produce more than others. So if you want an avocado to ripen, put it under a bunch of bananas, and it will ripen much faster. But by the same token, if you put a bunch of bananas, like everyone else does, on your apples, kiwis, whatever’s in the bowl, they will ripen very quickly. And sometimes you don’t want that, do you? Too much fruit in this way, it can cause it to ripen and die out, so keep the bananas separate.

“The other thing is apples; for example, apples last eight times longer if you keep them in the fridge. So what I do is keep four, I put the rest in the fridge and then when there are two left, I’ll put two more in. It makes everything last a lot longer.

Watch Claire Turnball’s interview above for even more tips and tricks.