Many a Frenchman is freezing from the receipt… Inflation hits food products hard and the healthiest ones are not spared. According to the Rural Families survey, food inflation reached 11.9% in 2023 compared to 2022. With increases: +40.6% for carrots, +24.8% for mackerel, +21% for olive oil. How to protect your wallet, your health, while not forgetting the concept of pleasure? Véronique Beck-Yvars, dietitian and nutritionist, has just published Eat healthy on a budget*, which is full of practical advice on how to continue eating well despite inflation. He asked Our timedetails 8 that you can choose from according to your wishes and your budget.
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Calculate your food budget to eat better without breaking the bank
If there’s one key word for saving money while eating healthy, it’s planning ahead. “Many patients tell me: I can’t handle shopping anymore, everything is getting more and more expensive,” admits Véronique Beck-Yvars. The first step is to make a shopping list… and stick to it while avoiding impulse purchases. To incorporate inflation and track your monthly food budget, the dietician offers several options: keep all receipts for one month. In this case, be careful to put off maintenance purchases… and don’t forget a small restaurant or a daily bagel! If that seems too restrictive, he reminds us that on average, “15 to 20% of a household’s income is ‘eaten’ in the form of food.” You can take a calculator and get the maximum amount of food per month. We can thus assess whether it is necessary to significantly reduce… and by what.
Have some nutritional guidelines to eat healthier
In order to keep this menu balanced, it is important to keep several criteria in mind. For example, include 2 fruits and 3 dairy products a day. A nutritionist likes to give the image of a plate divided into 4, with equal parts of raw vegetables, cooked seasonal vegetables, animal or vegetable proteins and starchy foods, rather semi-complete if the budget allows.
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Replace ultra-processed products with homemade products
This tip is very important for both your wallet and your scales: limit or even eliminate ultra-processed foods. “They contain a lot of sugar, salt, additives, preservatives that we don’t need,” argues the nutritionist. If you cook at home, with seasonal vegetables and fruits, you will improve your health, take control of our food, save money.” Especially if you are making a yogurt cake for your grandchildren, you can divide the sugar by 4 and use whole wheat flour to lower its glycemic index. “We have the satisfaction of eating something we made ourselves,” adds a woman who loves making homemade pastries. With inflation, we don’t know how high it will go, and that might make us go back to the land.”
Reduce the meat
“The most expensive products today are meat, fish and cheese,” warns Véronique Beck-Yvars. Hence his advice to include vegetarian meals and, especially in the evening, replace meat with eggs or lentils, chickpeas, quinoa and cheese with natural yogurt. “We can also reduce the portions: take half a chicken cutlet to eat, one slice of ham instead of 3,” he advises. If fish remains expensive, a tin of sardines or mackerel is the way to go. Although it specifies that it conducted its market study in June 2023.
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Avoid industrial drinks
A big budget saver and a nice gesture for the environment by avoiding all those plastics… that sometimes end up in your stomach! If you replace bottled water with tap water and eliminate all sodas, beers, juices, you will see the difference in weight and cost of your tank! “Tap water is controlled by the town hall, and if you don’t like the taste, you can add herbal tea, tea, a little lemon,” enumerates Véronique Beck-Yvars. Many people don’t realize that fruit juices are extremely sweet. you have a spike in blood sugar, which spikes insulin and makes you gain weight.” Hence the idea of replacing a glass of orange juice with real (seasonal!) fruit and a soda with a small treat at the end of a meal, like a square of dark chocolate.
Compare brands and stores
If you have a bit of time, it might be interesting to compare prices between the food brands you eat the most. The correct reflex is to favor distributor brands (Auchan, Carrefour, Franprix, etc.) which are on average 26% cheaper than others! “Knowing that it’s the same manufacturer, the same recipe and their specifications are even stricter and very controlled,” argues one who has worked in the agri-food industry.
Why not try a new hard discount and compare the prices with the groceries you usually buy? Another tip: shop online. “We clearly see the price of the product, but also the Nutriscore, the composition,” explains the nutrition specialist. And a basket that gradually increases in size and can be easily modulated. Once you know interesting, not too expensive products, you have your list ready for the next few weeks!
Another little-known tip: look down at the shelves… “Because the most expensive products are at eye level,” reveals the specialist. “They’re smart big retailers!”
Watch out for promotions
Events are sometimes interesting… But not always and they encourage consumption. Ask yourself: Do I really need these products? It would be a shame if they ended up in the trash. “On the other hand, it can be interesting to buy the special of the week in the fish or butcher section and freeze some of it,” he suggests. Also look for discounted products with a short shelf life. If you have a smartphone, you can also use recovery apps like “Too Good to Go”, “Phoenix”, “À Consumer”, which offer baskets 3 times cheaper than in stores, but which you do not choose.
Eating Healthy on a Budget by Véronique Beck-Yvars, Le courier du livre, Jan 2024, €14.90.