Education on how to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in an affordable way such that no further expense, in money or effort, is incurred has been proposed as a solution 18. Efforts of governments, public health authorities, producers and retailers to promote fruit and vegetable dishes as value for money could also make a positive contribution to dietary change 12. Time constraints

Berkman LF (1995). The role of social relations in health promotion. Psychosomatic Medicine 57(3):245-254. Stubbs RJ, et al. (1996). Breakfasts high in protein, fat or carbohydrate: effect on within-day appetite and energy balance. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50:409-417. People have many different eating occasions daily, the motivations for which will differ from one occasion to the next. Most studies investigate the factors that influence habitual food choice but it may be useful to investigate what influences food choice at different eating occasions.It is a major challenge both to health professionals and to the public themselves to effect dietary change. Different strategies are required to trigger a change in behaviour in groups with different priorities. Campaigns that incorporate tailored advice that include practical solutions as well as environmental change are likely to succeed in facilitating dietary change. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that food and catering prices rose on average 12.2% in the four weeks from to 3 September 2023 compared to a year earlier. These figures are down from over 17% in April 2023, but 95% of shoppers are still worried about rising supermarket bills. Oliver G, Wardle J (1999) Perceived effects of stress on food choice. Physiology & Behavior 66:511-515. Ok, technically this is not shepherd’s pie because it’s made with ground beef instead of lamb, but it’s essentially the same thing, plus it’s really easy to make with just 6 ingredients! You can use any mashed potatoes that you’d like such as boxed, store-bought or homemade. Lazy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe & Instructions Eating a lot of processed foods may even increase your risk for depression. Five of the most unhealthy fast food options

Dietary fiber also helps your good gut bacteria flourish and keeps you feeling full. If you rely heavily on fast food, you’ll struggle to get the recommended amount. For example, a coffee-shop blueberry muffin will give you nearly 20% of your daily carbohydrate needs but only a gram or two of fiber. Lead to weight gain Separately, to calculate food costs per person and for different household sizes, we had to take into account the different caloric needs of people of different ages and genders. For example, a young, active male would burn around 3,200 worth of food a day while a typical 5-year-old child would burn just 1,400 a day. And the more food you eat, the more it costs you. Gatenby S (1996). Healthy eating: consumer attitudes, beliefs and behaviour. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 9:384-385. Social support can have a beneficial effect on food choices and healthful dietary change 16. For example, social support has been found to be a strong predictor for fruit and vegetable consumption among adults. 46Social support may enhance health promotion through fostering a sense of group belonging and helping people to be more competent and self-efficacious 8.Dibsdall LA, et al. (2003). Low-income consumers' attitudes and behaviour towards access, availability and motivation to eat fruit and vegetables. Public Health Nutrition 6(2):159-168. Anderson A, et al. (2003). The development of and evaluation of a novel school based intervention to increase fruit and vegetable intake in children (Five a Day The Bash Street Way), N09003. Report for the FSA, London. Devine CM, et al. (2003) Sandwiching it in: spillover of work onto food choices and family roles in low- and moderate-income urban households. Social Science and Medicine 56:617-630.

Note, these figures include canteen and catering spending, which was not included in the figures mentioned above, since not all households have these expenses. For completeness, they are included here. Spending on household cleaning and personal products I’ve never been much of a meatloaf fan, but this recipe is killer! The box of stuffing makes all the difference. Feel free to add anything else to the mix that you’d like such as onion, garlic or cheese. Meatloaf Recipe & Instructions This veggie supper of a rich roasted red pepper sauce and baked cheesy gnocchi is a low-fat family supper you can prepare in minutes with our easy sauce The ultimate comfort food, especially during the cold winter months! You will be pleasantly surprised at how tender and flavorful this beef is. Cook it with potatoes and veggies to make it a complete meal, or over a heaping pile of mashed potatoes. The Best Pot Roast Recipe & InstructionsSteiner JE (1977). Facial expressions of the neonate infant indicating the hedonics of food-related chemical stimuli. In: Weiffenbach J. ed. Taste and development: The Genesis of Sweet Preference. (DHEW Publication No. NIH 77-1068). Washington DC: US Gover