After the festive period our wallets tend to be rather tight and it may be hard to meet and ends financially particularly due to January being a five weekend month. However this doesn’t mean you need to sit in and doing nothing for the whole month. With a little initiative and thought there is lots of fun and delicious food to be had. Why not try the below tips to help you get through January without having to stretch ourselves too much.
- Meet friends in your local park and go for a walk. This activity is free; you get to catch up on the gossip as well as you will also be exercising. Physical activity no matter how little is a good way of burning off that extra weight you may have gained during your festive celebrations. Exercise can also help our digestive health as carrying excess weight around the midriff can really affect the digestive system as it can put pressure on the stomach, squashing food mixed with stomach acid back into the gullet – which can cause heartburn.
- Buy frozen vegetables instead of fresh vegetables. This is a cheaper way of getting your five a day. Frozen vegetables contain the same amount for vitamins and minerals to help keep out gut healthy. They are cheaper and there is less wastage as you don’t need to make sure they are eaten before they go off.
- Make some soups and stews. These are relatively cheaper to make as you usually use cheaper cuts of meat and then bulk up on potatoes and vegetables and grains. Soups and stews are also good ways of getting fibre into our diet which will help us to maintain a healthy gut.
- Start your own ‘come dine with me’ on a set budget. This is a sociable way of having fun but also saving money as whilst you are out the expense for the meal you cook you know that you will be returned the favour. You don’t have to do it all on one week, decide with your friends how frequently and go from there. You could even have a ‘Love Your Gut’ Theme!