Recent reports are warning that the economic downturn could have a serious effect on people’s health. 

A report from the consumer group Which? has concluded that “although four out of five people want to follow a healthy diet, the current economic climate is yet another barrier to good intentions”.  In their survey of over 2000 adults, Which? found that 57 per cent agreed that they would buy more fruit and vegetables if they were cheaper and almost a quarter said that the economic crisis had made healthier eating less of a priority.

Using the results of their survey, the consumer group has estimated that 27.7 million adults in the UK believe that price has become more important than health when choosing foods in the financial downturn.

So how with this effect the general health of the population?  An unhealthy diet can obviously lead to obesity, but can also cause other serious health issues including heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even cancer. 

A recent Cabinet Office report had stated that 42,000 premature deaths could be avoided each year just by increasing our fruit and vegetable intake by 136 grams per day.  So how can we maintain a healthy diet on a budget?

The fact is, a healthy diet doesn’t need the cost the earth and can quite often be less expensive.  The NHS website offers the following advice:

• Cooking meals from scratch can be cheaper and healthier than eating processed food or ready meals, which often contain high amounts of fat, salt and sugar.
• To save time, home-made meals can be prepared in large batches and frozen. These can simply be reheated for a cheaper, healthier option that is just as convenient as a ready meal.
• If fresh produce is too expensive, you can still get your 5-a-day through eating tinned or frozen fruit and vegetables.
• Not adding salt to food is good for the heart, and will not cost a penny.
• Snacks, such as crisps and chocolate, can be replaced with healthier alternatives, such as bananas or apples.
• Brown and wholemeal bread are healthier options than white bread, and very good sources of fibre. Buying wholemeal or brown bread does not cost any more money than buying white bread.
• Read labels and check for levels of salt, sugar, fat and saturated fat in foods. You can also switch to reduced fat and reduced salt versions of the food you regularly buy.