Less haste, less waste and a smaller waist

Healthy Eating

UK households can be healthier and could save up to £1,500 a year by simply planning their weekly food shop, a new Change4Life survey has revealed today.

It shows that simple steps such as writing a shopping list and planning your weekly meals can save your purse pounds and your waist lbs too. The findings come ahead of a new Change4Life campaign that will encourage affordable healthy eating in the new year.

The survey asked 20 households to record what they ate and drank over a two week period. In the first week they ate and shopped as normal but in the second week they were provided with recipes and handy tips from Change4Life to help them plan healthier meals and shop smartly.

With the help of Change4Life in the second week, those that took part:

• notched up average savings of £29 a week;
• spent £15 less on takeaways a week;
• snacked less; and
• some people even reported skipping fewer meals and eating more fruit and veg.
• 85 per cent of those that took part said they would continue to plan out their weekly meals in the future.

Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: "If you're busy and on a budget, you can still eat well.

“Some people might think that eating a balanced diet is more expensive but that does not have to be the case. If we plan ahead we can make better choices and save money too.”