How to lose weight on a budget

You might think that losing weight on a budget is easy, you just don’t buy as much food. But I want people to be able to lose weight in a healthy way without breaking the bank.

This means balanced, nourishing meals that don’t cost the earth. People often assume healthy food is expensive, and with the rising food prices in the UK I don't blame them, but it doesn't have to be. And I’ve got 3 tips on how to do it. 

1. You don’t have to buy fresh fruit or vegetables:

For weight loss, aiming for half your plate to be vegetables is a good way to lower your calorie intake. A lot of people assume that this needs to be salads or vegetable sticks but this isn't the case.  

Frozen vegetables can be easily incorporated into meals and they are actually more nutritious than fresh. Plus, they’re cheaper, can be bought in bulk, and reduce waste as you only cook what you need and don’t have to worry about it going off in the fridge. 

Ways to use frozen vegetables in meals:

• Frozen mixed vegetables in fried rice (you can use cauliflower rice to get even more veg in)
• Frozen sliced bell peppers and sliced onions in a fajita bowl
• Frozen butternut squash and frozen chopped spinach in a curry
• Frozen sliced mushrooms and frozen peas in a risotto
• Frozen broccoli and cauliflower florets with bolognese

Frozen or tinned fruit is also a great option and gives more bang for your buck than fresh.

Ways to use frozen fruit in meals:

• Frozen berries added to a yoghurt bowl
• Frozen/tinned apple cooked with cinnamon and used on porridge
• Frozen berries baked into oat breakfast muffins
• Frozen tropical mix in smoothies or smoothie bowls
• Tinned peaches or pears in yoghurt or porridge
• Tinned pineapple, mango, and orange in a tropical fruit salad

2. Use plant proteins:

The protein obsession doesn't seem to be dying down anytime soon and while you definitely don’t need to be buying protein bread or protein pasta, it’s still an essential nutrient that helps form a balanced meal. 

In terms of weight loss, protein keeps you fuller for longer which helps to reduce overeating later on. I advise aiming for a quarter of your plate to be a good quality protein source. 

Meat and fish are increasingly expensive and plant proteins like beans or lentils make a great choice instead. They also contain lots of fibre which also keeps you full for longer and furthers weight loss. They’re often cheaper if bought raw and in bulk but canned options are affordable too. 

They can bulk out meat containing dishes or they can be used on their own. Both ways make the meal cheaper than using only meat.

Ways to use plant proteins:

• Make a bolognese with half mince and half lentil or go fully plant based and ditch the meat entirely
• Add chickpeas to a curry
• Add cannellini beans to a casserole
• Make a lentil and pepper stew
• Make a mixed bean chili non carne
• Use tofu or frozen edamame beans in a stir fry
• Have a mini English breakfast with baked beans, egg, roasted tomato, and mushrooms (also a great way to get 3 of your 5 a day in one meal!)

3. Meal plan and prep:

Planning ahead helps save money as you only buy what you need. It also means you can think of multiple ways to use the same ingredient to avoid wasting it. We’ve all been there when the only option for a certain ingredient is a jumbo pack. When you plan ahead you can ensure you have other ways to use it up and reduce waste.

You can find more on my third tip of meal planning and prepping in my e book. I cover how to plan meals, the different types of meal prep and how to not get bored of having meals on repeat. 

Key points:

• Healthy eating to lose weight doesn't have to be expensive.
• Using frozen fruit and vegetables is cheaper and is more nutritious than fresh.
• Plant proteins like lentils and beans are an economical way to get protein in and they’re good sources of fibre. 
• Meal planning and prepping reduces costs by reducing waste and avoids last minute takeaways. 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see on my blog.

Bye for now 👋

References:

Frozen verses fresh: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25526594/

Rising food prices: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2026-0004/

Healthy food costing more than unhealthy food: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19453676/ 

Meal planning and weight loss: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32301494/