Beat food inflation with these money-savvy kitchen swaps

Published on 25th May, 2023 at 02:42 pm

Every cent counts even more as inflation continues to rise, so make some practical changes in your kitchen and out at the supermarket to keep your grocery bill as low as possible.

Food prices are rising faster than they have been for 14 years. For example, compared to 2022, onions were more than 40% more expensive in early 2023. This helps explain why the basic food basket cost R5 023.95 a month for April 2023, according to the Heinrich Boll Stiftung Household Affordability Index.

Reading time: 3 minutes

In this article you’ll learn:

• How inflation is hitting our grocery bills harder than ever before.
• Why it’s important to cut costs at the supermarket and in the kitchen to keep your grocery spend low.
• How your Discount Coupons benefit can help you save in a real way.

Getting savvy in the kitchen, reducing your food waste, and shopping smarter, have never been more necessary. Get them right with these easy, impactful tips.

Tip 1: Plan ahead and shop once a week

Cape Town mom Kate Walters successfully stretches her weekly food budget of R1 000 to cover a family of four through a combination of meal planning and creative shopping. Her biggest tip is to shop only once a week.

“If you shop only once a week, you’ll be intentional about what you buy because you would have had to plan for the week ahead,” she says. After your weekly groceries run, shop your pantry for the rest of the week so that you stay within budget while getting creative with what you have.

“One of the biggest money-savers is to reduce food waste,” says Anna Mawoyo, a private chef and culinary consultant. “Plan meals in advance, use leftovers and store food properly to extend its shelf life.

Want a break from cooking, but without the high price tag? With the Sanlam Group ENTERTAINER, you have access to 2-for-1 deals and discounts on dining and more! Download the app now and start saving!

Tip 2: Don’t be a meat snob

Choosing cheaper cuts of meat, more often, can help your budget stay out of the red. “Cheaper cuts of meat can be just as flavourful when cooked properly,” says Mawoyo. “For example, you could use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, or beef chuck instead of sirloin.”

Walters says she bulk-buys chicken schnitzels once a month, and only buys red meat on special, adding lentils and soya mince to regular mince to bulk it up.

“Try eating more plant-based meals,” she suggests. “We love a good lentil bolognaise.”

Tip 3: Do away with processed fresh produce

It will cost you a bit of extra preparation time, but your bank account will thank you if you opt for loose, even unwashed fresh produce at the supermarket. There is a stark difference in the weight unit cost when comparing loose vegetables and fruit to their pre-washed, pre-sliced and pre-packaged counterparts.

Breeze through the week by getting prepped before it begins with these smart meal-prep tips.

Tip 4: Repurpose

Keep an eye on fresh ingredients during the week to minimise waste. Use vegetable offcuts to make stock. Overripe fruit can be turned into fruit coulis and compotes, and fresh cream that is about to go off can be turned into butter, says Mawoyo.

Curious about more kitchen hacks to make your food last longer? Check these out.

Tip 5: Shop your freezer

“Frozen produce can be a cheaper and more convenient option, and is often just as nutritious as fresh produce,” says Mawoyo. “It also has a longer shelf life than fresh produce, so it can be a good option for reducing food waste.”

You can also add fresh produce to the freezer if you think you won’t use it before it expires. Walters puts a bag of spinach in the freezer and then crumbles it into quiche, bolognaise sauce etc, for extra iron.

As a Sanlam Reality Club member, you get monthly savings with grocery coupons redeemable at Shoprite and Checkers. Use your coupons now.