Nikki Boswell, Nutritionist for the March 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge has provided her top tips to get you organised and ready for the month ahead of budget friendly, delicious recipes:
- Customise your meal plan as required and then and stock your pantry with everything you need.
- Consider if you are going to cook in bulk too as if you think you might have leftovers to use throughout the week, adjust your plan accordingly.
- Jump online and check out if there are any specials at your local supermarket and see if you can tweak your plan or make ingredient swaps in recipes to make the most of these discounts (be sure to check the unit pricing and don’t be tempted to buy anything you don’t need).
- Find a local butcher that sells in bulk and check out any local markets for cheap fruit and veg.
- Meals and Snacks that are ideal to make in bulk and freeze/store leftovers so you can enjoy throughout the whole March Challenge are:
- Vegetarian Chilli – WEEK 1
- Cinnamon & Apple Bliss Balls – WEEK 1
- The mince sauce from the Mexican Mince Quesadilla – WEEK 1
- Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Pasta – WEEK 1
- Chicken Curry – WEEK 1
Once you’ve made some recipes in advance for freezing or having as leftovers the next day you can look out for other similar recipes throughout the rest of the weeks of the March Challenge. Look for muffins, dips, soups, baked dishes like moussaka, pasta sauces, curries, stews, casseroles etc as all of these style of meals are ideal for bulk cooking, freezing and leftovers.
- After completing each week of the Challenge assess what ingredients you have leftover, what meals do you have in the fridge/freezer and adjust your future meal plans accordingly. Use the “Leftovers/Eating Out” thumbnail when customising your meal plan to make space for the leftovers you have.
- Use up leftover ingredients in future recipes to save money and ensure food isn’t going to waste. It’s easy to swap fruits and veggies for what you have in the fridge. Same with meats – a beef stew could easily become a chicken stew if you have some chicken thighs leftover or they’re on special at the shop.
- When shopping for your groceries, be sure to keep your eye out for specials and always check if different brands offer the same or similar product cheaper; check the top and bottom shelf – they are often the hiding place for great value products.
- Ensure you’re shopping with a list and stick to it – don’t add extras you don’t need that add to your total grocery bill but also often add to your daily calorie intake!
Nikki Boswell, Nutritionist
