Popular food blogger and mum Gina Daly shares her top tips for feeding a family for less this January with no compromise on taste or quality
Plan your shop: How many times have we bought without thought and ended up throwing away good food? Planning out your shop before you go to the supermarket is the most effective way to ensure you get the most out of your meals, with no wastage. A budget is easier to stick to if you plan what you need. Take a look at Lidl’s weekly leaflet (available in store, online and via the Lidl Plus app ) to browse new items or in-store weekly offers in advance.
Waste not: Good food that is nearing its expiry date is often reduced for quick sale. If you’ve planned your meals well, you can shop these items with confidence, knowing what you’ll use immediately and what could potentially be frozen for future. Look out for reduced pricing labels on Lidl products or check out Lidl’s Waste Not Fruit & Veg boxes which offer the best value for money - priced at just €3, the boxes contain at least 5kg of mixed fruit and vegetables from multi packs where the items have become slightly damaged and removed from sale – but are still delicious and perfectly good to eat!
Harness the Power of Protein: Eating protein can make you feel full longer and it can also reduce cravings for late night snacking which we can all be guilty of! Consider switching to high protein versions of your favourite foods so you’re not as tempted to reach for the snacks. Lidl’s extensive High Protein range includes granola, yoghurts, milk and oat bars which will keep bellies full until dinner time.
Minus the Meat: We all know the benefits of swapping out one weekly dinner for a vegetarian alternative for its health benefits (and it’s kinder to the planet ), but this is one of the most effective ways to drastically cut your spend. Replacing meat as the star ingredient with a vegetarian alternative will save the cents. Consider going for meat alternatives such as plant-based burgers or embrace veggies entirely and swap your meat steaks for cauliflower steaks or a veggie curry.
Make the Switch: We all have our favourite products that we know and love, but are they really good value? More than three quarters of consumers (78% ) are now likely to include own brand labels in their shopping basket, so maybe it’s time for you to make the switch too. Lidl Ireland works with over 400 Irish suppliers and, with many award-winning products on the shelves, there’s no compromising on taste – guaranteed!
Don’t miss out on more ways to save: With everyday low prices, and even further price drops across an extended range of products, you’re already saving by shopping at Lidl, but don’t miss out on those added bonuses. Make sure you download the Lidl Plus app to avail of weekly Lidl Treats which offers money off, multi-buy discounts or buy one get one free, not to mention the lucky scratch cards.