When planning meals for the week, it can help to build your menu around a few key ingredients. By doing this it allows you to: 

• use ingredients across multiple meals throughout the week  
• buy food in bulk and save, for example red meat or chicken
• use up ingredients before they go bad or need to be thrown away
• help repurpose perishable ingredients, providing additional snacks or meals. 

Example Mexican chicken burritos 

Ingredients: 

• chicken
• wraps or tortillas
• lettuce
• tomato
• cheese
• spice mix
• tinned corn
• salsa
• natural or fat-free Greek yoghurt - instead of sour cream. 

With a few extra ingredients, you could also make the following meals and snacks: 

• chicken salad- add lemon juice and olive oil for a quick dressing
• toasted tortillas chips - cut tortillas into triangles, baked and eaten as a snack with leftover salsa
• toasted cheese and tomato wrap – a quick, kids-friendly afternoon tea
• fruit and yoghurt muesli - adding ingredients like fruit or muesli to your yoghurt
• overnight oats - adding oats and fruit to yoghurt for a no cook breakfast
• cheese and tomato omelette - add eggs and milk for a protein rich meal.  

If you plan your meals before shopping, you’re more likely to choose nutritious options, and use everything you buy. You’ll also save money in the process. 

Around one third of all food in Australian homes goes to waste, adding up to 7.6million tonnes of food waste across the country each year!  

Food waste can be reduced, providing your family with more meals and at a lower cost by: 

• checking what you already have on hand before grocery shopping 

• planning meals
• storing food properly
• use up left-over ingredients.

Keeping food fresh for longer

The way food is stored can have a big impact on its quality and lifespan. Try these tips to make food last: 

• keep salad greens in an airtight container
• put older items at the front of the fridge or cupboard so they are used first
• wrap lettuce or celery in paper towel and place in a Ziplock bag
• store cheese in its original packaging and wrap it tightly with beeswax cloth or cling wrap
• wash strawberries in 1 part vinegar, 3 parts water, then dry them and store in a paper-lined container
• use the produce draws in your fridge - they are designed to keep things fresh
• reusable fruit and vegetable bags can also help keep produce fresh 

• consider purchasing frozen and canned produce to avoid wastage. 

Always check the use-by date before consuming food. For more information see Food Safety.

Scrappy cooking: Using up every bit

Many foods, including fruit and vegetables get thrown out, unnecessarily. The carrot peel or broccoli stalks are often discarded, but they contain a beneficial nutrient called fibre.  

Fibre can help children feel fuller for longer, support digestion and help grow good gut bacteria. 

Here are simple ideas for scrappy cooking that can reduce food waste: 

• leave the skins on veggies like potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and cucumbers. Just make sure to wash them first
• save vegetable peels in a Ziplock bag in the freezer. Once you have enough, boil and strain the liquid to make a fresh vegetable stock that can be used for soups and sauces
• stalks of broccoli, cauliflower and leeks can be chopped, boiled, pureed and used in vegetable soup or green pasta sauce
• food bought in bulk can be cut into smaller portions and frozen for later use
• excess fresh herbs can be chopped, pureed and poured into an ice cube tray before freezing  
• soak limp lettuce or celery in ice water to make them crisp again
• regrow veggies like spring onion or celery by planting the root end of the food in your garden. 

Choose canned or frozen foods

Canned and frozen fruit and vegetables can be just healthy as fresh produce.

Frozen vegetables are usually snap-frozen, meaning they are frozen very quickly after being picked or cooked. Freezing fruit and vegetables keeps them fresh, and maintains their nutrients, flavour, and texture. Frozen fruit and vegetables also have a longer shelf life. 

If you find certain food products are always being wasted in your household, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables may be a more convenient option. They are also great options when you are at the end of your weekly shop but still want to serve fruit and vegetables to your family. 

Simple ways to use frozen vegetables: 

• add to pasta sauces, curries, stir-fries, fried rice, noodles and soups 

• throw in air-fryer or oven topped with olive oil and seasoning  

  • great for frozen broccoli, cauliflower, corn cobs and pumpkin 

• add to omelettes, scrambled eggs, frittatas and egg muffins 

  • spinach, peas and mixed carrot, peas and corns 

• add to slow cooker meals e.g. stews, casseroles and soups in the last hour. 

Simple ways to use canned vegetables 

• canned corn or beans e.g. black beans in Mexican dishes and salads 

• canned tomatoes for pasta dishes 

• canned lentils into pasta sauces or soups 

• quick side dishes e.g. canned beetroot with feta. 

Simple ways to use frozen fruit: 

• add to smoothies 

• stir into breakfast meals e.g. overnight oats, porridge, yoghurt and muesli, chia puddings 

• add to healthy desserts e.g. homemade muffins, yoghurt and fruit bowls.

Simple ways to use canned fruit: 

• quick breakfast ideas e.g. overnight oats, Weetabix, yoghurt  

• canned pineapple to pizza, fried rice 

• canned peach and pear with yoghurt or ice-cream. 

Buy cheaper cuts of meat, chicken and fish 

Some cuts of meat, chicken or fish tend to be cheaper.  Most of these alternatives are just as healthy as more expensive cuts.  

To compare similar products, look at the cost per 100g or the cost per 1kg which will be located on the food label or shelf ticket. Comparing products will help identify which foods are cheaper.  

For example: 

• chicken breast- $15.40 for 1.1kg packet. This is $14 per kilogram
• chicken thigh- $13.60 for 800g. This is $17 per kilogram
• if you’re looking to spend less money, the chicken thigh is the best option. If you’re looking for value for money, the chicken breast is best. 

Generally, cheaper cuts of meat include:  

• chicken thigh cutlets or cutlets
• lamb leg roast, pork mince or beef mince
• basa, nile perch, barramundi or ling fish. 

Eat meat-free meals 

Many recipes use meat as the main protein source. Swapping meat for a meat-free alternative is a great way to reduce the food shopping budget. Some simple swaps for meat, chicken or fish include: 

• tinned lentils in beef stroganoff, spaghetti bolognese, Mexican dishes or curries
• tinned chickpeas in salads, curries or pasta
• tofu in a stir fry. 

Look for food brands 

Some brands are much cheaper alternatives. It is important to shop around for the best deal, keeping in mind the nutrition content may vary. 

Use the label reading tool to compare similar food products. This tool helps you compare the nutrients in products. If they are similar in nutrition, you can go with the cheaper option.  

Cheaper brands are often placed on lower shelves or in the corner of aisles. Eye level shelf space is usually reserved for better selling, higher priced items. 

See Understanding food labels to help compare different products and brands. 

Buy produce in season  

Buying fruits and vegetables when they are in season will generally mean they are cheaper.  

When food is in season there is more available, reducing their cost at the supermarket. If you have a favourite fruit or vegetable, frozen or tinned options may be a cheaper alternative when they are out-of-season. 

Seasonal Food Guide Australia

Avoid impulse shopping 

Take a grocery list to the supermarket to ensure you are prepared, and to avoid impulse shopping. Impulse shopping can lead to going over your budget or not having all ingredients for a full meal preparation.  

If you see a good deal on something you use often and it has a long shelf life, stock up while it’s on sale. 

Supermarket layout

Supermarkets are generally set out in a certain way. To navigate the supermarket and to make healthy food choices, shop the perimeter as a rule of thumb. The outer edges typically stock healthier food choices such as 

• fruit and vegetables
• bread
• meats
• eggs
• dairy products
• frozen fruit and vegetables. 

By starting your shop around the perimeter, you will naturally fill your trolley with health foods that form the foundation of your diet. 

Some aisles contain other staple foods like pasta, flour, cereals, tinned fruit and vegetables, so take your list to help avoid purchasing extra foods you don't need. 

Product placement

Products in a supermarket are carefully placed. Food and drink brands pay more money to have their products placed at eye level or close to the counter are there to grab your attention first. Consider where products are placed and look around for similar products that are healthier or lower in cost. 

Certain items are also intentionally placed at the eye level of children. This increases the likelihood of “pester power”. This is where a child pressures their parent or carer into buying something for them. These items are more child-friendly, have cartoon characters or be visually appealing. It is important to check if these are as healthy as similar products.  
See Understanding food labels for more information.