Take advantage of seasonal produce
Reaching for seasonal produce, especially fruit and vegetables, is a way to stay healthy, save money and be environmentally friendly. In short – nothing but advantages. Rely on seasonal and local products as often as possible.
Use our suggestions for:
- Seasonal autumn dishes with pumpkin, mushrooms and nuts.
- Seasonal dishes for winter full of pickles, tubers and cruciferous vegetables.
- Seasonal spring dishes abounding with asparagus, strawberries and light salads.
- Seasonal dishes for summer based on fresh vegetables, leafy greens and a rich selection of summer fruit.
Appreciate traditional Polish products
Polish cuisine is full of products that don’t always seem tempting or attractive, but offer exceptional nutritional value, often surpassing popular superfoods. You can compose a complete menu even from such “common” and inexpensive products as:
- onions – are an excellent source of anti-inflammatory flavonoids and gut-supporting inulin;
- parsley – contains an enormous amount of vitamin C, and parsley root has a lot of vitamin K, potassium and fibre;
- groats – provide dietary fibre, many minerals, as well as energy in the form of carbohydrates (very important for active people);
- sour milk – is a natural source of probiotics to support bacterial flora;
- giblets – cheap, yet rich in iron and B vitamins;
- cabbage – low in calories and very versatile, yet full of minerals and vitamins;
- cottage cheese – an affordable source of protein and calcium;
- beans – support the cardiac system, provide protein, fibre and minerals;
- potatoes – have a high satiety index and are an excellent source of potassium;
- celery – supports digestion, provides fibre and has anti-inflammatory properties;
- beetroot – provides folate and iron and supports blood production;
- oat flakes – full of beta-glucans, which lower cholesterol.
Although these products sometimes linger in kitchen cabinets and on store shelves, they are worth attention. With a little culinary imagination, you can conjure up some really valuable, tasty and inexpensive dishes.
Explore cheaper substitutes with similar nutritional profile
When composing a healthy diet, you don’t have to reach for trendy superfoods. Some of them really do have a unique nutrient profile, but many can easily be substituted with simpler compositions. By spending much less, you can get the same dose of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Here is a practical overview of products with a similar macronutrient composition.
| More expensive “superfood” | Cheaper equivalent |
| Sweet potatoes | Potatoes + carrots |
| Salmon | Mackerel |
| Goji berries | Wild rose or chokeberry |
| Cashews | Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds |
| Quinoa | Buckwheat groats |
| Avocado | Olive oil-based pesto |
| Chia | Flaxseed |
Of course, the taste of these products will not be the same, but the nutrient profile – definitely.
Compare similar products with the right criteria
Eating healthy and on a budget does not require giving up certain products. Sometimes just changing the brand or manufacturer is enough to save money without losing nutritional value. Always read labels, but don’t get attached to a logo or a particular brand. Evaluate the nutritional values of products in the same group, paying attention to the list of ingredients and the table of macronutrients. Popular and more expensive brands do not always guarantee a better composition. An example is supermarket own label products, which often offer the same quality as more expensive, reputable brands – they differ only in price, label design and logo.
Don’t follow fashion and fads
Some dietary fads, such as seeking products with “pure” ingredients, limiting added sugars, and promoting protein-rich foods, can bring many health benefits and contribute to a better diet. Usually, however, food trends have the other side of the coin – marketing tricks. Sometimes we overpay for products that do not have more nutritional value at all.
A good example includes products labelled as high-protein. Some, such as protein cheese, indeed have a better macronutrient profile – providing less saturated fat and calories. Others, however, under the guise of “high-protein”, contain ultra-processed products that do not provide significantly more protein than their natural counterparts. Example – high-protein cold cuts versus ordinary meat; protein mozzarella versus light mozzarella, high-protein cottage cheese versus light cottage cheese.
Another example is the low-carb food trend, popularising low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets. Low-carbohydrate products are sometimes seen as synonymous with the word “healthy”, but buying them often does not bring additional taste or nutritional benefits. Instead of the more expensive low-carb granola, it is better to reach for a packet of pumpkin seeds, for example.
Don’t overpay for fillers
By focusing on healthy eating, you may be unknowingly overpaying for products that seem valuable. An example includes various mixes – e.g. spices, nuts, flakes, whose price per kilogram does not always reflect the actual quality and composition.
Generously seasoning dishes with natural spices is a way to bring additional antioxidants and other valuable phytochemicals to the menu. However, not all mixes contain only spices or herbs. In many of them, you will find salt or sugar in the first place. A single sachet of spice costs a few zlotys, but when converted to weight, you may find yourself paying several tens of zlotys per kilogram for salt, flour or sugar. So it’s a good idea to buy spices individually – preferably in larger packages – or choose mixes that consist of 100% spices.
The same is true of mixed muesli, nuts or dried fruit. They often contain more of the cheaper peanuts, raisins or candied fruits, and less of the more valuable walnuts, hazelnuts or cashews. It is better and cheaper to prepare your own mix at home or carefully check the composition of the finished product so you do not overpay.
Enjoy the gifts of nature
Many healthy wild edible plants grow in Poland. If you have the opportunity, take advantage of them and their qualities – it’s really worth it! This is a very inexpensive and sometimes even free supplement to the diet with an extra dose of vitamins. Here are some examples of products that you can include in your menu:
- nettle – rich in iron, excellent for salads, soups and smoothies.
- elderberry – useful, both in the form of flowers and fruit. The flowers can be used to make homemade infusions, lemonades or spices, and the fruit can be used to make a strengthening juice for colds.
- wild rose – the richest wild source of vitamin C. In 100 grams of wild rose you will find as much as 426 mg of natural vitamin C. Wild rose can be used for preserves, seasoning dishes or making juices.
- mushrooms – the so-called “forest meat”. They are rich in B vitamins, protein, and low in calories.
- sea buckthorn – another wild-growing superfood rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.
- sorrel – a wild substitute for spinach, which can be used to make soup, but not only! It goes well with casseroles, omelettes and even scrambled eggs, and – like any leafy green – provides vitamins and folic acid.
Carefully plan your menu
A carefully planned menu is the key to keeping expenses in check. You can use ready-made diet plans or plan the main meals yourself. By shopping with a list, you reduce the risk of wasting food and avoid throwing ill-considered, less healthy products into your cart.
Read also: Five Tricks in the Kitchen to Make Cooking Easier
Learn about meal prep
One of the best ways to save money is the so-called meal prep, or preparing meals in advance. Such organisation saves not only money, but also time, eliminating the temptation to reach for quick, convenient take-away lunches. With meal prep, you can cook more potatoes or groats, prepare soup for several days, or plan dishes to use for several meals. For example, roast chicken served for lunch will work great as an ingredient in a salad or wrap the next day.
Here is a sample meal prep plan, which will guide you through your first attempts to use this technique.
Buy frozen food
Frozen food is an excellent choice, especially in winter, when the prices of fresh fruit and vegetables are much higher. Fruit and vegetables, harvested and frozen in peak season, retain most of their nutrients. It is also a good idea to freeze seasonal produce yourself, such as strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, as well as herbs such as parsley or dill.
Use both frozen fruit and vegetables and ready-made mixes. Most of them have a really good composition, are inexpensive and perfect as a quick dinner idea.
Plan your menu according to seasonal deals
Seasonal deals in supermarkets are a great opportunity to save money while enriching your diet with diverse products. It is a good habit to regularly review supermarket leaflets. Instead of planning dishes first and then buying the ingredients for them, you can first look at deals and match recipes with available products. This will save you significant amounts of money, especially when buying meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. What is more, by taking advantage of such offerings, you will introduce more variety into your menu, which is crucial for the health of your microbiome.
Buy products with a short shelf life
In stores, you can increasingly find products with a short shelf life that are offered at lower prices. Such bargains are worth looking out for. In this way, you will save money while keeping fully nutritious and valuable products on the menu. Pay attention especially to fresh vegetables, fruit, meat or dairy products that you can use right away or freeze.
Pickle and ferment at home
Pickling and fermentation are traditional food processing methods that are now gaining popularity. They are not only healthy, but also very economical. Preparing pickles yourself, such as cucumbers, cabbage, but also cauliflower, carrots or lemons, is much cheaper than buying ready-made products. In addition, by pickling them yourself at home, you can customise the taste to your liking. Pickling is simple and does not require expensive ingredients – all you need is salt, a glass vessel and some time.
If you want to go a step further, you can also take an interest in home fermentation of beverages and make, for example, homemade kombucha (fermented tea) or homemade beet sourdough. It is a great way to support immunity without spending a lot of money. For the price of 1-2 bottles of ready-made beet sourdough, you will buy the ingredients for a large five-litre jar. Drinking homemade kombucha also saves a lot of money – a bottle of ready-made drink usually costs 5-10 zlotys. You will make a 10-fold portion at home for a few zlotys. All you need is tea, sugar, a SCOBY starter and our instructions on how to make kombucha at home.
Make use of leftovers and follow a zero waste approach
The less you waste, the more you save. Cooking in the spirit of zero waste not only helps take care of the environment, but also supports healthy eating. You can use dinner leftovers to make a new, tasty dish, such as making a sandwich paste out of leftover roasted meat, a salad out of cooked groats, and a soup stock out of vegetable peelings. You can use leftover bread to make croutons or homemade breadcrumbs. Eat broccoli and cauliflower stalks raw, and make pesto from radish leaves. This approach also teaches creative cooking and experimentation in the kitchen. However, remember to approach zero waste responsibly. If you notice mould on your food, do not hesitate to throw out such a product in its entirety. Mould contains carcinogenic toxins that rapidly spread throughout the food, not just where the mould is visible.
Read also: 7 Zero Waste Recipes That Will Surprise You
Set priorities well
Sometimes healthy products can seem expensive, but it’s worth looking at the price from a different perspective. “Expensive” but undoubtedly healthy products include, for example, nuts and fish. However, compare the price of a packet of nuts to a packet of crisps – you will find that it is similar. The price of a portion of fish for lunch, on the other hand, can be comparable to the price of a meal at a fast food restaurant, yet many people are more likely to spend 30 zlotys on a ready-made set at a restaurant than on a portion of fish. Think about your priorities. If healthy eating is important to you, consciously give up low-nutritional foods. This will help you find a budget for healthy products that are actually worth investing in.