No need to fork out a fortune

In the fifth article in our series on nutrition, Frankie Robinson gives some tips on how you can eat healthily on a tight budget

Many factors influence what people choose to eat, in particular taste. The cost of food is also a determining factor when people make food choices. When money is scarce it is often the amount spent on food which is reduced first as it is a more elastic item in the budget than other items such as rent or fuel. People with low incomes often spend less money on food, but the amount spent is usually a greater proportion of their total budget. As a consequence, those on low incomes often eat a narrower range of foods than those with higher incomes and this can affect the quality of their diet. For example, lower consumption of fruit and vegetables may be one of the dietary factors predisposing those struggling on a low income to chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Lack of knowledge is not necessarily the problem; the cost of "healthier" food items such as wholemeal bread, lean meat, and fruit and vegetables is perceived to be over and above what the budget would allow.

For some people, including students, having a low income may be only a transient situation. Nevertheless, even for a few years the consequences of eating a poor diet can mount up, and a poor diet may even affect ability to concentrate on work and fight recurrent infections. This article focuses on how to eat well on a student grant and gives useful hints and tips on how to stretch the elastic of your food budget.

Basic messages apply
The virtues of eating a balanced diet has been one of the most consistent nutrition messages for decades, and although the message is not so new, it remains entirely appropriate for most people. Eating is all about enjoyment, and all foods can be included in a healthy diet as long as the right balance is there. Achieving a balanced diet is something that requires surprisingly little cash (from an overstretched student budget!) but a little bit of knowledge. How can you eat healthily if you do not know what constitutes a balanced diet?

In essence, the balance of a good plate shows the proportion and types of foods needed to make up a balanced diet. For example, about one third of the plate is bread, other cereals, and potatoes, and about one fifth is milk and dairy foods. It is important to remember that it is not necessary to achieve this balance at each meal but it can apply to the food eaten over a day or even a week.

Shopping for balance on a budget
For many students, leaving home to go to university or medical school may be the first time that food shopping is done. Find out where the supermarket and local shops are. Is there a market? Local markets are a great place to pick up some food bargains, particularly near the end of the day when fresh fruit and vegetables and bread--foods that do not keep well--will be reduced in price, and can provide the basics for a few meals. Check that the food is not past its best though--it is no good buying food cheaply if it ends up in the bin.

If there is a supermarket nearby shop there to stock up on bread, breakfast cereals, pasta, and rice (staples), which are filling, cheap, and nutritious. Many supermarkets have a cut price own brand range so make use of the bargains on these staples and use these as the basis of your meals, and, if available, choose the wholegrain versions. Frozen and canned fruit and vegetables can also be cheap and these count towards your "five a day." If you are buying a stock of foods from the supermarket be sure that you have adequate storage; again, food that is left uneaten because it is spoilt is never a bargain.

Starchy foods and fruit and vegetables form only part of the diet and there are two other important groups to consider from the balance of good health plate model: meat and alternatives and dairy products. Although the plate model shows these in smaller quantities, they are still essential. Meat provides a good source of iron; fish--in particular, oily fish such as mackerel or sardines--provides essential fats; and dairy products as everyone knows are the best way of getting the calcium needed for healthy bones. These can also be cheaper than you might think. Take meat, to start with: lean mince is a little more expensive than regular mince, but it could be worth the little extra because you do not need as much to make those fantastic student diet mainstays-- spaghetti bolognese and chilli con carne. If you buy a small amount of lean minced beef the amount of bolognese or chilli in the pan can be doubled by adding leftover vegetables. The protein and fibre can be given a boost by adding beans or pulses of any kind you fancy, even baked beans taste good in a chilli.

We should eat more oily fish
The Department of Health recommended in its 1994 report on diet and cardiovascular disease that people should aim to increase the amount of oily fish consumed to around one to two portions a week.¹ Fresh fish can vary enormously in price, but you can make a tasty post-study snack of sardines in tomato sauce on toast. Other oily fish to try are mackerel and herring and these can also be bought cheaply. Even salmon, another healthy choice, can now be purchased quite cheaply.

Dairy products including milk, cheese, and yoghurt often receive a lot of unwarranted bad press, but dairy products can be a valuable source of a range of nutrients, such as B vitamins, calcium, zinc, and protein. Low fat versions are not usually more expensive than full fat varieties, so buy semiskimmed milk and low fat or even fat free yoghurt if you are concerned about the amount of fat you are eating. If you do not have easy access to much fridge space, UHT milk and long life yoghurt can be stored out of the fridge, but once open take note, UHT milk should be kept in the fridge or it will turn sour quickly.

The remainder of the "plate" concerns foods that can be included in smaller quantities such as foods containing fat or sugar, and alcoholic drinks.

Cooking
Probably one of the cheapest (and most time efficient) ways of cooking is to make a few portions at once and freeze them. If you have not got a freezer food cooked in bulk will not last very long even if it is in the fridge. Cooking with friends can be great socially and if a few people chip in a small amount of money, given the shopping tips above, it can go a long way.

As already mentioned in the shopping section, filling up on starchy staples by cooking rice, pasta, or potatoes or eating bread or breakfast cereal at mealtimes not only ties in with recommendations for eating well, but it is also cheap and filling. Again, adding pulses or beans, such as lentils, to a dish makes it go further so that more savings are made. Make sure that you read the instructions for cooking dried beans; they need to be boiled first. If space and storage is limited one pot meals, such as stews or casseroles, are economic in terms of space use as well as budget friendly.

Eating out
Following the guidelines and tips already mentioned should mean that you do not go too hungry, having to rely on takeaways or cafes when hunger pangs kick in.

Having poor cooking or food preparation and storage facilities might mean that it simply is not possible to cook a meal at home, but sandwiches and breakfast cereal and milk should not pose too great a problem. For a main meal many medical schools attached to a hospital will have a subsidised catering facility or staff restaurant. Again, using the same principles of filling up on rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread can keep food in the restaurant affordable and a variety of vegetables are usually on offer to keep your diet balanced overall.

A final word--alcohol
Drinking alcohol is a part of student life for many, and student bars offer temptingly low prices. The Department of Health recommends that men should not drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day (one unit being half a pint of regular strength beer, a small glass of wine, or a shot of spirits) and women no more than two to three. In weekly terms this means for men no more than 21 to 28 units and for women 14 to 21 units. This does not imply that you can save up your units to have in one big night out a week; binge drinking is harmful. Alcoholic drinks--even those in cheaper student bars--are a drain on your pocket and too much cash spent on drinking alcohol may mean that the already stretched food budget has to become even more elastic to make ends meet.

The British Nutrition Foundation is an independent registered charity, which raises funds from the food industry, the government, the EU Commission, and other sources.

Frankie Robinson, British Nutrition Foundation, London
Email: f.robinson@nutrition.org.uk


studentBMJ 2002;10:1-44 February ISSN 0966-6494

1. Department of Health. Nutritional aspects of cardiovascular disease. London: Stationery Office,1994.