Recipes – healthy and affordable.

The philosophy behind this collection of recipes is easy. Keep them affordable and keep them easy to make.  The challenge was to focus on making dishes that are healthier without needing a wide range of specialist ingredients. Because who needs to traipse around looking for that one ingredient. It’s usually at a speciality store and can be expensive. And, of course, we all hate an enormous list of instructions for you to follow.  So the steps to make each dish are kept as simple as possible. Got to be good, because it minimises washing up too!!

The cost and availability of some products in recipes can be an issue. So my recipes focus on fresh, seasonal products and good ready-made items which are more widely available.  It was also important to suggest staple pantry items which will store easily or are available in smaller amounts.  And, of course, to limit the waste of ingredients, which can be frustrating and not budget friendly. If you are like me, I hate doing that fridge or pantry clean out. It’s a good feeling not to have too much that you’ve not used in time.

Many of my recipes have been designed around my own journey to a happier digestive system. It was about keeping a balanced diet with that focus of fresh, local produce coupled with unprocessed seafood, poultry and meat and eggs.  What did I do? Take out the highly processed pre-made sauces, ready-made frozen food and ‘convenience’ ingredients. Yep, tick. Pre made sauces in jars. Yep, tick. This made an immediate difference in my energy levels and symptoms. 

A simple shopping rule

The shopping rule was easy – ‘shop around the outside’ – supermarkets are set up so that the fresh and unprocessed produce is generally around the outer parts, whilst the inner aisles hold a much higher percentage of the processed items.  Remember, though, the word ‘balanced’ means also not being so strict that you can’t enjoy the occasional pizza, hot chips or chocolate cake!