How to experience good nutrition on a budget
Dietitian, Nazeeia Sayed said a common mistake people make is to follow fad diets.
GOOD nutrition does not have to be expensive or bland. A rainbow of tasty, affordable and nutritious foods await you on the aisles of local stores.
Not only do fruit and vegetables add nutrition to a diet, they add flavour to a meal.
“Nutrition is important to meet our needs in life to grow, develop and thrive, but food is so much more than just nutrients. Healthy eating can also be tasty eating – and including more fruit and vegetables in ours diets helps us achieve this,” said dietitian and community nutrition tutor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Nazeeia Sayed.
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She said a common mistake people make is to follow fad diets.
“People believe that they need to buy expensive supplements and detox concoctions to be healthy. Fad diets are popular but often very restrictive and only offer short-term benefits,” added Sayed.
With a bit of planning, Sayed said shoppers could enjoy good nutrition on a budget.
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“Plan your shopping with your meals in mind and go to the shops with a shopping list – don’t buy things just because they are on special. Choose fruit and vegetables that are in season and opt to buy whole fruit rather than juices. If you bulk buy when fruit and vegetables are on special, you can chop up the produce and freeze it. This works well with grated tomatoes, rinsed green leafy vegetables, blanched vegetables, frozen fruit packs and whole bananas for smoothies. Store fruit and vegetables properly when at home and use them before they perish, to avoid food wastage at home,” she added.
Sayed said the key is to eat a variety of food.
“It is a healthy diet, not specific foods, that will assist in keeping your mind and body healthy,” concluded Sayed.
