A recent Picodi study places the average cost in the shopping basket in Spain at 107 euros per month per person. This figure corresponds to the beginning of 2023 and represents 4.6% more than that registered in 2021. This research was carried out based on a basic basket of products (milk, bread, cheese, eggs, fruits, vegetables, rice, chicken and meat), which are enough to cover the nutritional needs of the population, although it left out other dispensable products that are also part of the shopping list of many people. This means that Spaniards who earn the minimum wage allocate 11.3% of it to the purchase of basic food, not counting meals away from home and other occasional foods.
According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), food expenses are the second most important in the economy of families in Spain, only behind those corresponding to housing. This organization points out that a Spanish family dedicates between 6% and 12% of its income to food, without counting meals away from home and take-away food. This is summarized in an expense that can range between 150 euros and 450 euros per month, a range applicable to up to 70% of Spaniards.
Despite the fact that inflation is expected to moderate throughout 2023 (according to CEOE forecasts, which predicts an average rate of 4%), it continues to be very high. In fact, the annual variation rate of the CPI in Spain stood at 5.9% in January this year, two tenths more than the previous month. This means that there are many families that have been forced to cut household expenses, something that also happens by trying to moderate the price of the shopping cart without giving up the benefits of a healthy, balanced and pleasant diet.
For María Carmen Japaz, a specialist in Nutrition and Dietetics and a member of Top Doctors, the best way to control spending is to "take the time necessary to plan menus and purchases in advance." The specialist explains that "following a healthy diet is possible without having to spend more, but it is likely that to achieve this we will have to review certain consumption habits that will allow us to optimize our money and acquire foods that help take care of our health."
Therefore, the first thing we should do before going shopping is "design a weekly or fortnightly menu that takes into account the nutritional needs of the different members of the family," says Japaz. From this reflection a flexible shopping list will emerge that may undergo slight modifications "if we find a particularly interesting offer and it is convenient to exchange one food for another that is cheaper." What we should not do in any case if we want not only to moderate spending, but also to take care of our health, is to go shopping with an appetite, which will make us succumb to overexposure of products and, therefore, to impulse buying .
Japaz also recommends not buying daily, but doing it weekly, not being tempted by offers that involve purchasing more than one unit, always trying to buy seasonal and local products, preferably in markets and neighborhood stores, and avoiding soft drinks, pastries industrial, salty chips, sweets, sausages and ready-made dishes such as lasagna, pizzas or croquettes."Although being highly processed they are very cheap compared to the price of fresh fruit or vegetables, we must not forget that their habitual consumption represents a huge cost for our health due to their high amount of saturated and trans fats, sodium, sugar, additives, and lack of vitamins, minerals and fiber, that is, quality nutrients", explains the nutritionist, who describes them as "absolutely dispensable foods".
Japaz also urges "buy calmly, without rushing" and invites you to touch and smell the food, as well as read the labels. It also recommends "not to succumb to fashionable foods, because behind them there is a powerful marketing campaign that presents them to us as essential when in reality there are many other foods with the same or better nutritional properties at a better price." It also encourages betting on some very nutritionally complete foods that can easily replace some basic items in the shopping cart without affecting our health. These are some:
Also broccoli, spinach or Brussels sprouts are interesting vegetables to devise new recipes and create dishes based on vegetables. Japaz recommends "boiling vegetables and legumes at times of the day when electricity rates drop, as well as taking advantage of when we turn on the oven to cook different foods at the same time." The nutritionist also recommends using the freezer to make ratatouille, Bolognese sauce, casseroles, stews, broths, soups, creams and purées, in addition to using all parts of a food as much as possible, which applies from chicken to vegetable logs like broccoli, for example. Finally, the expert recommends "taking advantage of those vegetables that may be a little less showy to make broths, purees or creams."
For his part, from Medicadiet Sánchez insists on the need, practically the obligation, "to always buy seasonal and local fruits and vegetables, not only because nutritionally they are better and are also cheaper, but because it is an exercise of responsibility with the environment", concludes the nutritionist.
