The Salary Calculator

Life’s not been too easy on the bank balance as of late. From sky-high rent to eye-watering energy costs, for many, day-to-day living has never felt so expensive. Food prices are, of course, also rising dramatically and, over the last year, have reached record highs.

When food shops are so expensive, it’s understandable that you might feel less able to assemble healthy, nutritious meals. But, at The Salary Calculator, we’re here to help. In this week’s article, we’ll walk you through:

• What’s going on with food price inflation
• Top tips for affordable healthy eating
• How switching to plant-based can save you money, keep you healthy and protect the planet

Food price inflation

According to reports, food prices in the four weeks to May were 17.2% higher than they were a year ago. There are a number of reasons for this, the Russia-Ukraine war impacting energy, high animal feed and fertiliser prices, supply chain issues, extreme weather affecting harvests, and Brexit. While prices have dropped slightly since April, as Fraser McKevitt, the head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, says, it’s still “incredibly high” and only down 0.1 percentage points.

Currently, inflation in the UK is higher than in other countries, such as Germany, 7.6%, France, 6.9%; and the US, 4.9%. Overall, food prices have risen at twice the rate of overall inflation, with dairy particularly affected, rising three times faster than other items. Four pints of milk, for example, is now 30p higher than this time last year at £1.60, while a 400g block of cheddar cheese is up 39%. But, across the board, groceries are costing more:

• 1 kg of granulated sugar is up 47%,
• 1kg of potatoes is up 28%.
• Olive oil is up 46.4%
• Sauces, condiments, salt, herbs and spices are 33.9%

It’s no wonder then that people are feeling the pinch, and the impact has been wide-reaching, with shoppers trying to make savings wherever they can. Research shows that own-label item purchases have shot up by 15.2 per cent, and more people are also shopping at budget supermarkets like Aldi. Aldi, for example, saw a 24 per cent sales increase, making it the fastest-growing grocer this month, while Lidl’s sales increased by 23.2 per cent.

However, you might be wondering why supermarket prices are still high despite costs coming down. Well, some believe that retailers are trying to make up for their fall in margins last year.

Regardless of why, consumer group Which? has called on the government to undertake its review of food pricing rules as quickly as possible. Rocio Concha, the Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy said: “It’s good news the government has committed to reviewing pricing rules, but this must be undertaken as soon as possible as much clearer pricing is vital in enabling shoppers to compare prices and find the best value products.”

Adding: “Supermarkets should also be making it easier for people by urgently committing to stocking essential budget ranges in all their stores, particularly in areas where people are most in need.”

Tips for healthy eating while prices are high

Considering the above, it’s understandable if you’re struggling to keep your weekly shop costs low, but below, we’ve got some tips for you.

Buy seasonal: Buying seasonally is cheaper because seasonal foods are more easily available in supermarkets and often not imported, which is a big plus from an environmental perspective, too, as it means your food travels fewer food miles. Seasonal food is also often fresher.

So, what’s seasonal? Well, for example, broccoli is seasonal from August to October, leeks from September to March, and cauliflower, from January to April. For fruit, you’ll get apples between September and February, tomatoes from June to October, and rhubarb, from January to June. If you live near to a local farm stand or farmer’s market , this could be a good go-to. For more information about seasonal food, click here, or for recipe inspiration, check this out.

Buy own-brand, “value” or “essential” or “basic” label: Buying supermarket own-brand products can save you a ton of money and these days, more and more supermarkets are coming out with their own value selection, even Co-op, which was a little late to the game. Head over here to review some of the best own-brand products.

Keep your eyes peeled for yellow stickers: While not always helpful for all items, it’s always worth checking out a supermarket’s yellow sticker selection, which features an assortment of reduced items often near to their best before or sell-by date. ​

According to the site SkintDad, the best time to go yellow-sticker-hunting at Tesco is around 8 pm or around 30 minutes before smaller stores close, while at Sainsbury’s, it’s 7 pm, and at Morrison’s, it’s 6 pm.

Freeze your bread: Freezing your bread can make it last a lot longer, for months, even. Plus, freezing bread doesn’t mean compromising on texture or flavour when sealed and thawed correctly.

Meal planning: Meal planning saves both time and money. When you have a plan while shopping, you’ll avoid buying unnecessary groceries, and, plus, you won’t have to step inside a shop during the week, meaning you won’t be tempted to waste money on things you don’t need.

Make your own sauces & soups: It might be tempting when you’re feeling lazy to buy a tomato sauce rather than make one yourself but making sauces from scratch can be a lot cheaper, plus you can make them in bulk and freeze them. The same goes for soups and dressings.

Saving pennies with plant-based power

Plant-based diets have really become popular in recent years for a number of reasons, including as part of a vegan lifestyle, informed by concerns for animal welfare and the planet’s health. Learn more about that here and here. Alongside these benefits, going plant-based can actually be a lot cheaper, too. Especially considering that inflation has hit meat and animal products nearly twice the rate of vegetables.

There’s a misconception that plant-based diets are expensive, and while that might apply to some vegan alternatives, such as processed plant-based meats and cheeses, eating whole foods can save you a pretty penny while still being delicious and packed full of flavour, whether that’s beans, lentils, tofu, or tempeh.

Research by Oxford University, for example, found that those following a vegan diet could reduce grocery bills by as much as 34 per cent compared to the costs associated with a typical Western diet.

Where many people struggle with vegan diets is missing cheese. Vegan cheese company Violife found that it’s the main reason holding around 45% of people back from making the switch. It’s not surprising, either, considering that cheese contains large amounts of protein casein, which triggers the same part of the brain as hard drugs!

However, this is where nutritional yeast flakes come in, or Nooch, as they’re more appetisingly known. These cheesy-flavoured flakes are high in B12, zinc and protein and can be sprinkled over plant-based meals to satisfy your cravings for a cheesy hit and in a more nutritionally balanced way.

For some recipe ideas, check out the following links:

• Ela Vegan 
• The Vegan Society 
• Veganuary 
• Vegan Food & Living