We all know that Christmas is an expensive time of year. With presents to buy and travel to account for, healthy eating can feel like an expense too far – especially come January when things are feeling tight.
But one of the major misconceptions about eating a nutritious diet is that it costs the earth.
Social media influencers will have you believe you need to fork out for pricey, pretentious “superfoods” like acai, spirulina or spend all your money on fancy powders and supplements.
Of course, buying quality meat, fish and fresh produce can be costly, but there are real nutritional powerhouses already sitting in British kitchen cupboards – and they’re super affordable.
If you want to eat well this January without spending a fortune, here are the top storecupboard superfoods that are nutritious, versatile and inexpensive.
The Tinned Tomatoes Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith
Murdoch Books
Believe it or not, the humble tinned tomato is an everyday superfood. They’re rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that actually increases when tomatoes are cooked or canned. Lycopene has been linked to improved heart health and lower inflammation. Use them as the base for soups, stews, pasta sauces and shakshuka. They give you a serious nutritional bang for pennies.
Dr Federica Amami, head nutritionist at ZOE, always has tinned fish in her pantry – mackerel, sardines, anchovies etc. “We’re lacking in Omega-3 fatty acids in our diet and tinned fish is packed full of it.” Omega-3 fatty acids support heart health, reduce inflammation, and are essential for brain function.
“Tinned fish is also delicious, easy, you don’t need cooking equipment to enjoy it, and it doesn’t spoil or go off. Tinned fish is great to have in the cupboard – especially when you get back from holiday as then you’ve got something nutritious ready to go.”
Tinned fish like mackerel, sardines and anchovies are packed with Omega-3
The Tinned Fish Market
Canned beans, pulses and lentils
Jarred beans may be having a moment, but you don’t need to buy premium brands to get the health benefits. Regular canned or dried beans, chickpeas and lentils are some of the most affordable, nutritious foods you can buy – and most of us in the UK would benefit from eating more of them. “Beans and lentils contribute to both your protein and fibre needs,” says Dr Emily Leeming, who has a new book coming out about fibre.
Fibre keeps us full – which is helpful for weight maintenance – and feeds the good microbes in our gut, which helps protect us against disease and yet most of us aren’t getting enough of it. Beans, particularly black beans, are also rich in polyphenols, plant compounds that support a healthy gut microbiome. “Beans and lentils are also incredibly versatile and affordable – you can add them to stews, soups, bolognese or even whizz butter beans into a creamy mash,” says Dr Leeming.
The overlooked heroes of the freezer drawer! Peas are high in plant protein, fibre and vitamin C. They’re brilliant for gut health, great for energy and can bulk out practically any meal. Add them straight from frozen to curries, pasta dishes or risottos, or blitz into a vibrant pea soup.
While you’re in the frozen section. Dr Amati says stock up on other frozen veggies to make quick, healthy meals. “I always have frozen spinach, broad beans, cauliflower, broccoli, and peppers.”
Frozen vegetables are often more nutritious than fresh. They’re picked at peak ripeness and frozen within hours, which locks in vitamins and antioxidants so they’re a smart, budget-friendly way to get more veg into your diet, especially in winter when fresh produce can be pricey, less flavourful and less available.
Porridge oats helps lower cholesterol, aid digestion and improve gut health
Pixabay
If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast that’s always on hand, then keep a container of steel-cut oats in the cupboard. Steel-cut oats are the least processed type of oat, which means they retain more of their fibre than instant oats. Oats are particularly healthy because they contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre shown to help lower cholesterol, aid digestion and gut health, and keep you full.
Make delicious, comforting porridge or soak them overnight in yoghurt or kefir (or both) for creamy, overnight oats.
Both Dr Amati and Dr Leeming suggest stocking up on pre-cooked whole grains – spelt, quinoa, barley – as they’re quick, nourishing and brilliantly convenient. Whole grains are rich in fibre, B vitamins, minerals (like magnesium and iron) and polyphenols, the plant compounds linked to lower inflammation and better long-term health. Their fibre content also feeds the good bacteria in your gut, supporting digestion and a healthy microbiome.
Dr Leeming explains: “A lot of whole grains can take that bit longer to cook, so having some ready-cooked sachets in your store cupboard can be really handy. Easy to add to roast veggies to make a warm winter salad with your protein of choice.”
Beyond convenience, pre-cooked grains have another quiet advantage: once cooked and cooled, they contain more resistant starch – a type of fibre that behaves like a prebiotic – feeding your good gut bugs.
Ortiz anchovies
As well as being flavour-bombs, these tiny fish pack an outsized nutritional punch. Because they’re oily fish, they’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart and brain health and help lower inflammation. But they also provide calcium, iron, selenium and B vitamins, and because you eat the whole fish (bones included), you get more minerals than you get from larger tinned fish like tuna or mackerel. Also being small, short-lived fish, anchovies accumulate far less mercury than larger fish such as tuna or swordfish, making them safer for frequent consumption.
They’re also incredibly versatile. Melt them into pasta tomato sauces for incredible depth of flavour; put them in salads for a salty hit; pop them into stews for hidden umami or place them on bruschetta with burrata for a perfect snack.
Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert, whose new book The Fibre Formula is available to pre-order now, recommends keeping dark chocolate in the pantry. “I always keep a bar of dark chocolate at home. It’s inexpensive, keeps well and contains polyphenols from cocoa, which adds a little extra nutritional value. A couple of squares after dinner or grated over porridge is a simple way to enjoy something sweet while still contributing to your overall plant variety. And did you know, dark chocolate with cocoa solids of 70% or more, counts as a plant point towards our goal of 30 different plant varieties per week!”