Balancing The Christmas Budget: How Your Staff Can Plan And Cook To Save Money (And Avoid Stress)

Did you know that in the UK, every year we throw away over six million tonnes of food? And reducing this waste would save the average household around £500 a year? What could you do with an extra £500+ a year?

I’m a year round fan of avoiding waste, using leftovers and eating well without breaking the bank. I always have a selection of random bits in the fridge that I can make a meal out of, even when everyone else has declared that we have ‘nothing to eat’!

You and your staff might not have worried too much about food prices before but it’s likely that budgeting is on everyone’s mind at the moment. Food prices have increased and even basics like sugar have gone up in price by around 40%. Christmas is the time we’re most likely to buy more than we need and those increased prices will make a difference.

Today I want to share a few tips that will help your staff stick to the budget and still eat well. Staff who eat well will be more focused and productive. Staff that are not stressed about finances will be less distracted. There’s so much I could say but I’ve just picked my top three tips for this article! If shopping has already been done it’s not too late because cooking methods and using leftovers makes a big difference too. Please share these with your staff and save on your intranet.

Plan and Buy What Is Needed

I know that a lot of people find planning boring and just another job that there isn’t time for. But half an hour spent planning will save time and money. Time staring into the cupboard wondering what to have for dinner and time popping back and forth to the shop. Money not spent in more expensive local shops and money not spent on extras that aren’t needed and may be wasted:

1.)    Create a menu plan and shop for that plan so cupboards are full of all the needed ingredients but no random items that will end up in the bin when they go off. 

2.)    One shop at a bigger supermarket costs less than buying exactly the same shop locally (Panorama showed exactly the same basket of food cost £42 at a small Tesco versus £35 at a big one).

If a weekly plan is too much try a three or four day plan. Or have a rolling plan with similar meals each week. Or a flexible plan of seven meals and choose on the day.

Love Your Leftovers

Even with the best intentions there is sometimes food left over, especially at Christmas, because there’s so much tasty food around it’s hard not to buy it! Using leftovers and not throwing food away will still save money.

Repeated turkey dinners get boring after a while so try something different:

·         Turkey: Slice and freeze with gravy for a quick roast another time, shred and stir fry with Five Spice to put in wraps with salad or opt for a warming turkey and rice broth.

·         Cooked Veg: Fry it up with onion and garlic to have with eggs for brunch.

·         Uncooked Sprouts: Shred into a stir fry or shred and freeze for another time.

Different Ways To Cook

The cooking method has an impact on costs too with a slow cooker using as little energy as a lightbulb. After Christmas think about using leftovers in soups, stews, curries and casseroles with warming herbs and spices. It’s a simple way to cook and perfect for cold weather.

In the absence of a slow cooker try bulk cooking in the oven. While the oven is on for a roast chicken pop a tray of veg to roast in the bottom and some jacket sweet potatoes at the top. The add a couple of fillets of fish for the last 10 minutes. That’s potentially two or three meals of food cooked at once. It’s all done in the time the chicken would take so it saves money and time later in the week.

Also, a full freezer is more economical to run so freezing leftovers is a double win!

Work With Me

Throughout December I’m running my Festive Nutrition session. It’s designed to support staff to keep the balance through December by keeping some healthy habits in place whilst also being able to enjoy the Christmas treats. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, foods to don’t have to be banned and January doesn’t have to be a time of restrictive diets and forced exercise. It’s a light hearted session that combines practical advice with lots of recipes and ideas.

The session is £275 and includes a live session for up to 100 people, a recording for those unable to attend on the day, a handout covering the main points and a seven day menu plan. I encourage questions and interaction throughout the sessions so that attendees get the most out of it.

Take charge of your health…

Jo