CHERRY HEALEY’S COL FOOD & MONEY ADVICE

As the weather gets colder and colder, it seems winter is approaching much sooner than anticipated. And with chillier – and darker – nights creeping their way into our days, the desire to whack on the heating at full blast is becoming more and more tempting.
Yet while the cost of living crisis – including energy, fuel and food prices hiking up – has caused a tidal wave of stress to ripple throughout the nation, it seems many are preparing in many ways to tackle the crisis.
But the reality is laid bare – 51% say that cost of living is impacting the meals they have. To cut costs, 47% are already eating the same meals every single day.
16% say they are struggling to cater to picky eaters – usually young children – who perhaps don’t understand the realities of what is going on.
61% are choosing cost-effective meals each day right now – such as omelette, pasta, toast and jacket potatoes. But 59% say that they are already bored of these meals – with the toughest times still ahead (winter).
On top of this, 46% say they have cut back on the quality of their products – which is impacting the overall flavour, taste, and nutrients within the food.
So, what can be done? New tips and advice from Schwartz includes the following;
1. Budgeting – Sounds easy but many fail to do it. Before you shop make a list and cost it out and then don’t deviate in the shop.
2. Know what’s in the cupboard – As above, make sure you check exactly what’s in the cupboard BEFORE you go. Data shows that we’re making the same meals each day – but it is likely herbs and spices (with a couple of extra ingredients might help to make different recipes).
3. Stretch your budget – There are some leading experts out there on places like YouTube. Follow them closely as they will have the on-the-money tips to pick up as things change.
4. Stock up on deals – You are probably doing this already – but make sure you keep an eye on the deals. Do make sure you check out the detail on the deal as sometimes things like BOGOFs can be more expensive than buying two of a larger size of one product.
5. Batch cooking – Make the most of your freezer space by cooking up a large portion of a key staple (like mince) that you can quickly turn into something else – with added spices etc.
6. Food prepping and meal plan – Plan ahead to make sure we have variation. Having the same thing each day will be boring and tempt us to order in and spend more – so planning and knowing how you’ll get that variation will be key.
7. Look after your own health – Food is actually only one part of how we feel. Make sure you spend enough time sleeping, working on wellbeing and exercise (which can lift mood).
8. Know where to get help from – There is absolutely no shame in asking for help. Spend 5 minutes today googling where or talking to your friends and family about if you or they need any help. Talking about challenging subjects can often make them feel easier – and your friends or family might be in the same boat.
9. Share with neighbours? Another tip that people have been doing up and down the country is sharing food with those near to them. Sharing things like fruit and veg that you aren’t going to use may help someone else – and they will remember.
10. Can you grow? If you are lucky enough to have a garden or window box space – consider growing fruit and veg. Even if you aren’t struggling this is a good habit to get into – and fun for kids to wake up each morning and see the developments.
11. Buy in bulk – This may be tricky – but we know that buying in bulk costs more but can lead to huge savings. Again, if you have a larger freezer, you could buy in bulk that will sustain you for the coming months.
12. Loyalty – Most people have signed up to loyalty cards but often forget to use them when we go shopping. Many now have apps as more and more of us pay with contactless or our phones – spend 5 minutes (who are we kidding – 30 minutes) today downloading and signing in to your loyalty cards.
13. Know expiry dates – There are two things to know on this. The first is that shops have something called ‘stock rotation’ – this is where they bring forward the items that are closer to ‘going off’. Most people don’t check and so the items with a better date on are at the back. Make sure you rummage to the back and get the best date.
14. Personal on expiry dates – More than ever before people eating foods that have gone past their expiry or ‘best by’ date – even before Cost of Living as people woke up to the importance of food waste. This is personal choice – but make sure you know the ins and outs of what you can and can’t eat past the date. Again – your freezer might help here.
15. Shop later in the day – Head to shops an hour or so before they close as this is when most start marking down prices. You could get great deals on things like bread, milk, deli items and meat. It could be then that you buy more than you normally would – but at a cheaper cost – and you can pop it in the freezer for later.
Why does this matter? Brits say that the key things which are important to them about their meals include taste (36%), whether or not it is good for their health and diet (23%) and learning how to be smart with food to get the most out of it during challenging times (21%)
One person with an insider view of food is the presenter of Inside The Factory, Cherry Healey, join her to find out more.