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Eat well for less
How to balance your diet – and your budget
Food writer Silvana Franco shares some of her favourite frugal buys from the frozen and tinned food aisles – and dishes to use them in. You’ll find our Good Health label on many of the items listed and also on the accompanying recipes.
MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR FREEZER
Stocking up on frozen vegetables is an easy way to your 5 a day. Ready-peeled, podded or chopped for convenience, veg is frozen at its peak, locking in nutrients and flavour. For something super-speedy, consider a vegetable medley – they’re good value, because you’ll only use what you need and avoid unnecessary waste.
Similarly, our bags of Essential chicken fillets and thighs, from birds reared on high welfare farms, make it easy to use as little as you need. And if I’m watching the pennies, I often swap cod and haddock with these responsibly sourced Essential Coley Fillets.
Diced Mediterranean vegetables
This colourful mix of diced tomato, courgette, aubergine, onion and peppers is an easy way to add veg to a soup or curry. It is used as a base for the sauce in this meatball one-pot recipe, which counts as 1 of your 5 a day. If you need Mediterranean veg to roast, opt for Essential Grilled Vegetable Mix: peppers, courgettes, aubergine and onion chopped into larger chunks.
Soffritto
This frozen blend of onions, celery and carrots is pre-diced – a ready-made base for many a dish including soups, stews, bolognese sauce, and an ingredient in this speedy lasagne. You can also find bags of diced onions and shallots in the freezer at Waitrose.
Petits pois
Most people have a bag in their freezer – and for good reason. They’re versatile, and easy to add to a curry, risotto or sauce for a pop of colour and sweetness. Try them in this recipe, which is high in folic acid, with slices of pork and leeks.
Whole leaf spinach
Spinach is a reliable freezer friend, because it releases less water when cooked from frozen. Use it to replace fresh in recipes such as this low-fat wholesome curry.
Butternut vine squash chunks
The tricky peeling and chopping has been done – all you do is add the pre-chopped chunks of this mellow, velvety and easy-going gourd to a soup, curry or roasting pan. In this recipe, which counts as 1 of your 5 a day, it’s the star, with support from Japanese rice vinegar, teriyaki and salad onions.
Fish fingers
High in protein and made from responsibly caught cod pieces, the traditional freezer filler can be more than a kids’ meal. In this high-protein recipe it’s been given a makeover in tacos with pea and mint salsa.
Berry smoothie mix
Frozen fruit mixes are a handy way of keeping a variety of different prepared fruits on hand all year round. Use straight from the freezer for your morning smoothie, or defrost and use in bakes and desserts. I love this recipe for breakfast smoothie bowls – they’re nutritious, but feel like a bit of a treat, too.
Chopped herbs and spices
Doing the same job as their fresh counterparts, these frozen flavourings such as chopped coriander and basil are great time-savers – and good value because you use only the amount you need. The range also includes jalapenos and semi-dried tomatoes. Use the garlic and ginger in place of fresh in a stir fry or a curry like this one.
CAN DO WITH TINNED FOODS
Canned foods are a convenient and affordable way to add more fruit, veg, fish and pulses to your menu. As with frozen, they’re picked and packed at peak freshness, preserving nutrients and flavour. It’s important to remember that beans and pulses often count as 1 of your 5 a day.
Sardines
A source of omega-3 fatty acids and rich in protein, sardines make for a surprisingly filling heart-healthy meal. This recipe uses a variety sold in olive oil, but you can buy them in spring water or tomato sauce. Eat them on toast, on a jacket spud or stirred through pasta, with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of chopped red onion. You’ll find artisan varieties with beautifully illustrated cans on our shelves, but our Essential variety will do just as well in recipes like this quick bruschetta.
Beans
They’re an affordable source of protein and fibre, adding bulk to soups and casseroles. I’m a big fan of the humble baked bean, too. The regular sort are great, livened up with a dash of chilli sauce or added to an everyday sausage casserole. If I’ve got a bit more time, I love making my own baked beans – the ultimate warming, smoky comfort food. Have a go by following this recipe, which is a good source of fibre.
Chickpeas
These hearty legumes are a great source of fibre. You can add a drained can to most stews and casseroles, such as this easy and tasty chicken stew recipe, which is low in saturated fat. They’re great for virtuous snacking, too – I toss them with oil, paprika, cumin and coriander, and roast them until crisp.
Lentils
A tin of lentils is a handy store-cupboard staple – you can use them in place of dried to save time, but remember they’re already cooked so should be added to the recipe later. Or increase fibre and make meat go further by adding to stews, casseroles and pasta sauce. They’re a classic partner to fish, too – try this protein-packed dish, which is high in protein, using canned anchovies, another of my larder standbys.
CANNED FRUIT
Opt for canned fruit that’s been preserved in natural juices rather than those in syrup. Add a spoonful of Essential mandarin oranges to your morning porridge or smoothie, or even stirred into some plain Greek yogurt for a healthier pudding alternative.