Cost-conscious diet

Who is this diet for?

The budget-friendly diet is a plan designed for people who want to learn healthy eating habits and stick with them long-term without breaking the bank. To support the local economy, it is worth choosing local products and taking advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables when they are at their most affordable. The budget-friendly diet is suitable for people of all ages and with varying culinary skills.

It doesn't have to be expensive

Diets are usually associated with high costs. If we choose premium products while shopping and don't look for alternatives, we can indeed overspend. Such alternatives do exist, and we offer them in the Multilife Diet. Furthermore, our menu does not need to be based on expensive, hard-to-find products with exotic-sounding names. Quite the opposite. The foundation of a balanced, nutritious, and varied diet should be local products available at farmers' markets or your local supermarket. This is exactly what the budget-friendly diet in the MultiLife Diet is based on.

Diet ingredients

The budget-friendly diet is based on the food and physical activity pyramid for adults. The foundation of the menu consists of vegetables and fruits, with a focus on the former (as they contain less sugar). The more variety, the better!

At first, it is worth focusing on easily accessible items, which include seasonal vegetables and fruits, as well as imported and frozen options. The budget-friendly diet includes leafy greens, root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, as well as berries, citrus fruits, bananas, and our native apples, pears, and plums. Among dried fruits, we primarily recommend apricots, as they are accessible and relatively inexpensive.

Another important group is grain products. The less refined and processed the grain, the more fiber, minerals, and vitamins we provide to our body. Native groats, such as buckwheat, millet, and barley, are an excellent choice. The diet also includes whole-grain pasta, oats/rye flakes, and whole-wheat or graham bread.

The next level of the food pyramid is occupied by dairy, which also holds an important position in the budget-friendly diet. The proposed meals are based on low-fat dairy products (up to 2% fat). It is also recommended to choose fermented dairy, such as kefir, buttermilk, or natural yogurt, which are rich in minerals, including calcium, and beneficial probiotics.

The budget-friendly diet also includes lean meat, fish, legumes, and eggs. According to recommendations, fish should appear on the menu at least twice a week. The best choices are mackerel, herring, or cod – they are among the cheapest species and contain many valuable nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids. When choosing meat, it is best to opt for lean poultry (chicken or turkey breast) and eliminate processed meat products. From time to time, it is worth replacing meat in a dish with legumes. They are cheap and easy to store, so a supply of legumes will last much longer than other fresh protein sources.

The top level of the pyramid is fats. In the budget-friendly diet, we include plant-based fats, such as rapeseed oil or olive oil. We can also include nuts and seeds in this group. The meal plan focuses on locally available seeds and nuts, such as walnuts or flaxseed. Since their nutritional value varies, it is not worth limiting yourself to just one type.

The budget-friendly diet also includes herbs, which not only improve the taste of dishes but also provide many health-promoting ingredients. They can also help reduce salt intake, which is highly desirable. When choosing herbs and spices, it is worth opting for native ones, such as parsley, mint, lovage, caraway, or juniper.

The budget plan does not include any exotic ingredients. The suggested meals are varied and tasty, and you can find all the products at your local grocery store. The menu includes sandwiches, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, as well as soups, grain-based dishes, and salads. The recipes have been designed so that ingredients can be easily swapped, which will help you reduce food waste.

Bibliography

• Gawęcki J. (ed.): Human Nutrition, Fundamentals of Nutritional Science. PWN Scientific Publishers, Warsaw 2012
• Jarosz M., Rychlik E., Stoś K., Charzewska J. (eds.): Nutritional Standards for the Polish Population and Their Application. National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene, 2020
• https://ncez.pzh.gov.pl/abc-zywienia/zasady-zdrowego-zywienia/piramida-zdrowego-zywienia-i-aktywnosci-fizycznej-dla-osob-doroslych-2/