The general consensus around NZ is that healthy food shopping is expensive and that is is cheaper to buy “bad” food than it is to buy “good” food. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Learning how to shop for food is part of the process and knowing what is a good price for certain foods. Remember, if something is cheap on special, buy it in bulk! So here I’m going to list cheap foods you can buy that won’t break empty your wallet.

Protein

Chicken Breast (Boneless/Skinless): $8.50-$10/kg. Chicken breast is on special almost every week at this point and can get as low as $8.50/kg during Pak n Save’s meat week.

Chicken Drumsticks: $5/kg – $20/5kgs. Drumsticks get very cheap at your local supermarket or in big packs at the Mad Butcher.

Chicken Thigh (Boneless/Skinless): $10/kg. A tastier cut of chicken compared to breast but a little more fat if you can fit that in your diet.

Hot Roast Chicken: $11-13/Chicken. If you’re lazy or want something you can just add straight away to sandwiches or salads, then roast chickens fit your need.

Prime Beef Mince: $10/kg. Doesn’t get quite this cheap as much anymore, but when it does it is a good, cheap source of red meat that is very versatile in cooking.

Beef Mince: $7-8/kg. If you don’t mind a fattier cut of meat, this is also a good mince option.

Rump Steak: $10/kg. Usually sits at around $13/kg on special but Pak n Save meat week can have them at $10/kg. A perfect lean red meat.

Canned Tuna: $1.90/kg. Big cans of tuna go on special every week but the brand that’s on special just changes.

Eggs: $3-4/Dozen or $6-7/Tray. Eggs are always on special and make the perfect protein/fat packed breakfast.

Pork Shoulder: $10/Massive shoulder.

Carbs

Jasmine Rice: $50/20kg. Go to your local Chinese store. You can get large bags of rice meaning you only have to buy once every few months.

Pasta: $1-3/Pack. Read the ingredients of the pasta. You’ll find brands like Budget have the same ingredients as a more expensive brand. Don’t pay for fancy packaging.

Kumara: $3/kg. On special quite often. Versatile carb source and only has 20g carbs per 100g compared to 72g that pasta has making it one of the best diet foods when it comes to calorie to volume of food ratio.

Potatoes: $3/kg. Similar to Kumara but usually can get bags even cheaper.

Oats: $2.50/kg. Can get oats even cheaper if you get rolled oats rather than wholegrain. Can blend with protein or make porridge.

Bread: $1/Loaf. Again look at the ingredients, often times Budget brand has the same ingredients as more expensive brands.

Milk: $3-4/2-3L. Doubles as a protein source. Don’t pay for fancy packaging.

Yogurt: $2.50+/kg container. Can find some yogurt pretty cheap that doubles as a protein source.

Canned Beans (Kidney, 4 Bean etc): $1.30-2/Can. Can be added to big stews etc.

Creamed Rice: $2/Big can. Easy carbs for after training.

Raro: $1/3L: Make a poor mans recovery drink with protein powder and raro.

Fats

Pic’s Peanut Butter: $14/kg. The only peanut butter you should fuck with. Prices range depending on where it’s on special. Will last you for ages so worth paying for!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: $13/L. A good one again will last you a long time.

Fruit & Veges

Frozen Strawberries: $6/kg. Stupidly cheap. Use them in your smoothies or oats. Last you a very long time.

Broccoli: $1.50-2/Head. Usually find broccoli at this price on special.

Green Beans: $2.50/Pack.

Half Cabbage: $2.

Lettuce: $3.

Carrots: $1/kg.

Baby Spinach: $6/Big bag. A little pricey but will last you over a week.

Mixed Veges: $3/kg.

While some items may seem pricey, they will last you a week or more making them much cheaper in the long run. Combine the food above with different spice combinations and you have many different meal options. This list isn’t exhaustive so shop around! You’ll find many good deals on food if you learn a little bit about how long foods will last you and their normal retail price.