Many of us want to live a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle, and this is relatively easy to achieve with a few simple changes. Here are some top tips for achieving a less wasteful and nourishing diet
On the whole, people feel that healthy food costs more than junk food, as revealed by The Telegraph in its piece about the 2020 Broken Plate report. With the cost-of-living crisis intensifying, is it possible to eat well while spending less?
Abigail Roberts, a sports nutritionist at online health and nutrition store Bulk.com, believes it is. “It’s really a misconception that you can’t eat a healthy diet on a budget,” says Abigail. “For example, eggs, lentils, legumes and beans are all wonderful, fairly cheap options that are packed with protein.”
Another top tip for reducing the costs associated with healthy food, such as fruit and vegetables, is to ensure you’re buying items that are in season. “Seasonal produce not only tastes better,” explains Abigail, “but it’s also lower in price than other fresh goods that aren’t so easily sourced at this time of year.”
Stocking up on fresh produce and ingredients at the start of the week also allows you to prep your meals, which is a great way to cut down on food bills while eliminating the temptation for a last-minute Deliveroo order. “Pick two to four meals to eat throughout the week, each containing a diverse range of proteins, wholegrains and vegetables, to ensure your diet is healthy.”
Those on a mission to feel healthier might want to consider adding supplements to their diet. Vitamin C is a great immune booster that can be particularly effective at combatting pesky colds this time of year, while products such as the Bulk Complete Bio Culture Capsules and Vegan Digestive Enzymes could help improve gut health, a health trend that’s taken social media apps like TikTok by storm.
Cut back on waste with these smart food delivery apps
If you’re looking to make more sustainable choices when it comes to your food consumption in 2023, download these easy-to-use apps, which range from volunteer-powered solutions to food distribution charities.
OLIO
OLIO is a community-focused app best known for helping its users tackle food waste. Launched in 2015 in north London by co-founders Tessa Clarke and Saasha Celestial-One, OLIO has grown significantly in recent years. During the pandemic, OLIO saw a fivefold increase in listings, with more than 4.5 million users now active on the app.
If you have excess food that will otherwise go to waste, uploading it to OLIO will send an alert to nearby users. Demand is high — according to OLIO, half of all food added to the app gets snapped up within 21 minutes of posting.
With an army of more than 25,000 Food Waste Heroes — volunteers who help gather and redistribute excess food from local stores — the app is poised to be at the forefront of the fight against food waste and rising bills for years to come.
OLIO is available on both Apple and Android.
Too Good To Go
With an overarching goal to empower everyone to fight food waste, Too Good To Go is an app that helps users find businesses that have surplus food and rescue it at a significant discount.
Since its inception in 2016, Too Good To Go has grown to become the world’s largest business-to-consumer marketplace for surplus food. From discount doughnuts to low-cost lunches, there’s a wealth of bargain food waiting to be saved. It’s also a great way to eat from your favourite restaurants on a budget, with ‘magic bags’ available from popular chains such as Greggs, Starbucks and Pret to name a few. There are various healthy options on the app, too, from vegan supermarket Greenbay to popular, LA-esque salad brand Atis.
Too Good To Go is available on both Apple and Android.
FareShare
FareShare is the UK’s largest food redistribution network. The London-based charity operates in a similar way to OLIO, saving surplus food and redistributing it to other charities and community groups.
According to FareShare, charities use the rescued ingredients to make nutritious food parcels or meals for their clients. From homeless shelters to community cafes, FareShare provides enough food to produce nearly one million meals each week for those who need it most.
Too Good To Go is available on both Apple and Android.
Words by Matthew Figg
