Eating well on a budget

Cheapest nutrition per unit of money

• Dried beans, lentils and split peas.
• Eggs.
• Tinned fish: sardines, mackerel, pilchards.
• Milk powder — cheap protein and calories, and it fortifies anything.
• Oats, maize meal, rice and seasonal local vegetables.
• Frozen vegetables, which are nutritionally equal to fresh and never spoil.

Money-saving habits

• Buy staples in the largest size you can afford and store properly.
• Cook from a base recipe and vary it, rather than shopping per recipe.
• Use cheaper cuts slow-cooked, and stretch meat with pulses.
• Shop with a list after eating; both reduce spend measurably.
• Use reduced-price shelves for items you will cook or freeze the same day.

Ask for help without shame

Food banks, hospital hardship grants, condition-specific charities and social workers exist for exactly this. Ask early — being hungry makes every other part of treatment harder.