How to halve your shopping bill

Food prices are on the rise and the average UK weekly shop now costs almost £30 more than last year.

In our shopping challenge* (see below), we show you how to fill your basket with healthy foods without breaking your budget.

When we need to keep an eye on our spending, our weekly shop is often one of the first places we look to make savings.

There are lots of ways we can lower the cost of our food bill and, in doing so, make improvements to our diet.

There’s a common misconception that healthy eating is expensive. Here we show you how eating more nutritious meals could actually halve your shopping bill.

*The shopping bill challenge
We’ve taken a weekly shopping receipt for a family of four and challenged WCRF UK nutritionist Nathalie Winn to come up with a healthier, less expensive list.

She has drawn up an alternative smart shopping list that provides enough food for all meals and snacks. As you can see, it’s less than half the price! What’s more, the shopping items work together to form a nutritious and balanced diet.

Before
The family were eating a variety of vegetables but also ate a lot of processed foods and frozen meals. These foods tend to be higher in energy density and are therefore less healthy options.

They also bought a lot of pre-packed sandwiches for lunch during the week, on top of the £150 they had already spent.

Our new and improved list includes enough food to make healthy home-made sandwiches instead. Snacks tended to be crisps and biscuits, which are also high in calories and fat and can be quite an expensive addition to a shopping bill.

After
We’ve replaced expensive fruit juices with whole fruit to help the family reach their 5 A DAY.

We’ve also swapped pork chops and bacon for two large chickens and some lean mince. Buying chicken fillets can be pricey but two whole chickens could last a family for up to four meals with plenty of leftovers.

Ready meals have been swapped for fresh ingredients to make a large lasagne that can be frozen in individual portions.

Crisps, chocolate and biscuits have been replaced with nuts and fruit. The porridge oats can also be used to make healthy home-made flapjacks for a sweet treat!

Try our delicious recipes to make the most of healthy ingredients.

Sample shopping list

Vegetables

• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Mushrooms
• Maris Piper potatoes
• Onion
• Aubergine
• Red Pepper
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Spring Onions
• Red chillies

 Fruit and drinks

• Fruit juices
• Apples 
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Orange squash

Dairy

• Fruit flavoured yoghurts
• Cheese
• Free range eggs, box of 18
• Margarine

Meat and fish

• Fresh whole Chicken
• 4 Chicken breast fillets
• Bacon
• Pork Chops
• Mince
• Ham

Frozen and ready meals

• Fajita kit
• Frozen peas
• 4 Ready meals (lasagne)
• Chicken Pie
• Frozen corn on the cob
• Frozen chicken
• Frozen pizzas
• Frozen potato wedges
• Pre-packed sandwiches (for lunches)

Snacks

• Crisps
• Biscuits
• Chocolate bars

Sauces and seasoning

• Pasta sauce
• Brown sauce
• Tomato sauce
• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Sour cream

Bread, milk and breakfast items

• 5 Loaves of white bread
• 4 Pints of semi skimmed milk

Canned and dried goods

• Canned sweetcorn
• Canned tomatoes
• Baked beans
• Spaghetti

Total cost £150    

 

WCRF UK’s smart shopping list

Vegetables

• Lettuce
• 10 Carrots
• 500g Value mushrooms
• 2kg Value potatoes
• 4 Onions
• Sweet potatoes
• Value pack of 10 peppers
• Broccoli
• Parsnips
• Courgettes
• Red chillies
• 1 Cucumber
• 4 Leeks
• Tomatoes
• Avocado

Fruit and drinks

• Carton of orange juice
• Apples
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Pineapple
• Lemons

Dairy

• 2 500g Pots of low-fat natural yoghurt
• Small pot of parmesan shavings
• Free range eggs, box of 18
• Reduced fat spread

Meat and fish

• 2 Fresh large whole chickens
• 4 Haddock fillets
• 200g Lean beef mince
• Frozen and ready meals
• Frozen peas
• Frozen summer fruits

Snacks

• Brazil nuts
• Sultanas and dates
• Dried apricots
• Sauces and seasoning
• Mixed herbs
• Honey
• Tomato sauce
• Chives
• Coriander
• Salsa
• Value black pepper
• Cinnamon
• Garlic
• Oregano
• Chilli powder
• Olive oil
• Bread, milk and breakfast items
• 1 Loaf of wholemeal bread
• 4 Pints semi-skimmed milk
• Value 100% rolled porridge oats
• Tortilla wraps
• Canned and dried goods
• Large tin of sweetcorn
• 3 Value cans of tomatoes
• 2 Value cans of kidney beans
• Wholemeal pasta twists
• Noodles
• Brown rice
• Canned haricot beans
• Canned flageolet beans
• Value lasagne sheets
• Dried red lentils
• 4 Cans of tuna

Total cost £70