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Eat well and save money this Christmas

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Eat well and save money this Christmas

Wow, what a crazy year this has been! 2020 has definitely thrown us some big curveballs and we’re sure most of you can't wait to celebrate the end of the year with loved ones. Christmas can definitely stretch your budget and after the uncertain year we have had, we want to make sure you can still celebrate. To do this, we have created even more money saving hacks, and healthy, easy recipes to help you eat well without breaking the bank.

Our top tips to eat well and save money…

  • Plan ahead!We know how busy this month can be, so setting aside some time at the beginning of the week to plan your meals, grocery list and going grocery shopping can save you time during the week. Planning meals helps to ensure you have healthy food available, saves time deciding what to have each day, and can help save money on last minute takeaway options. Download our shopping list template to get you started!
  • Try our 2 Week Food Budget Challenge!Our 2 week challenge helps you to set your grocery bill for $55 and includes all of our meal plans, recipes, resources and shopping lists. Sign up here for our plant-based or regular version.
  • Take stock of your pantry! Before you start planning meals, check what ingredients you already have and how you might use them. This saves money on purchasing excess ingredients you may already have. Use our free Pantry, Fridge and Freezer Staples checklist, and see if any of your leftover ingredients can be used for a similar recipe.
  • Cook in bulk and save leftovers for later on!This is a great time saving hack meaning you only have to cook once, and then will have leftovers ready for when you’re short on time, or don’t feel like cooking. To help you cook in bulk, check out our recipes that are designed for 3+ serves here.
  • Minimise food waste by using leftovers in other dishes! On the leftover’s topic, Christmas always leaves us plenty of leftovers, often for the rest of the week! Get creative and reuse meats and roast vegetables in salads or add leftover vegetables to quiches and frittatas. For more food saving hacks, click here.
  • Bulk up meals with easy salads and sides!An Aussie Christmas is a hot and sweaty affair, particularly if you have the oven blasting on a 30 degree day! Fresh, light salads make a great accompaniment to lunch. If you need inspiration, check out our recipe pages for salads and sides.

Remember that Christmas is a time to be spent and celebrated with loved ones! We have plenty of advice on our website for saving money, eating well, and of course plenty of great and affordable recipes for you to use!

Your Personal Healthy Eating Quiz

What you eat or don’t eat affects how you look, feel and perform. Take our short quiz to find out what foods you could introduce to help you be your best.

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What is healthy eating?

Eating healthy is making sure you enjoy a wide variety of foods from each of the five major food groups daily, in the amounts recommended. The five major food groups as recommended by the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating are:

  1. vegetables and legumes/bean
  2. fruit
  3. lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, legumes/beans
  4. grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties
  5. milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat.

Foods are grouped together because they provide similar amounts of key nutrients and eating a variety of foods from the list above helps to promote good health and reduce the risk of disease.

How do I improve my diet?

If you want to improve your diet you have come to the right place. By completing the Healthy Eating Quiz you’ll receive instant personalised feedback and a report on your diet quality to highlight any areas where you can improve your overall eating habits. Your score is based on the frequency and variety of the foods consumed from the five major food groups mentioned above. No Money No Time can help you improve your score by providing tips, goals and suggestions. On top of this we will provide quick, cheap and healthy recipes as well as credible answers to diet hacks, myths and FAQ’s.

Is my diet healthy?

Dietary habits are different between people. Some people choose to follow a particular diet (i.e., Keto diet or vegan diet) while some have to make changes due to certain food restrictions or health conditions. If you want to know if what you usually eat is healthy, then do the Healthy Eating Quiz today to give you the answers in less than 10 minutes.

Why is healthy eating important?

Your HEQ score and personalised feedback report is based on the frequency and variety of healthy core foods you usually eat. This is important because no single food contains all the nutrients we need to stay healthy. Some foods are higher in nutrients than others and people who have a lot of variety in the foods they eat are more likely to be healthy and to stay healthy. In other words, if you can eat a large variety of vegetables as opposed to only 2-3 types of vegetables, the benefits are much greater. This type of diet also helps you to feel better, think better and perform better during your usual daily activities.

Take the Healthy Eating Quiz