Lune van den Berg • 16/02/2023
Vital’nya – There are a lot of projects within the HU Ukraine project and Vital’nya, but every project has its own goal. Last semester there was a minor about food, specifically healthy food. They had the mission of finding a way to eat healthily on a tight budget.
Three students, Anna, Etienne and Giorgina were one of the groups of the minor nutrition. Their mission was to not only find the cheapest supermarket but to really get to know their target audience, the Ukrainians. They held interviews and found out what they have to spend on groceries, what they miss from their home country, and that not everyone knows what they thought were basics.
After the interviews and their own research, the three students made a presentation to show their findings. They presented this to a lot of Ukrainians, in Vital’nya. They were a little hesitant since they did not know how many people would show up. To their surprise, there was a lot of positive response and the entire room was full. There were even people standing and a translator to make it easier for both parties. Some of the subjects and findings presented were the difference between A-, B- and C-brands, what is the cheapest supermarket and other tips for cheap, but healthy groceries.
Anna, Etienne and Giorgina mostly found it special to work with such an unreachable target group. A lot of refugees have problems with food, but now they could really make a difference. This is different from many other projects, even within their minor. Some people just got to make a flyer, but they got to hold a full-on presentation for a room full of people. They did not just learn about nutrition, but also about how it affects a mostly unseen group of people in the Netherlands.
Since Anna, Etienne and Giorgina are very proud of their work and what they were able to do during their minor, they would like to share ten tips for shopping cheaply and healthy:
- Check your stock and make a shopping list.
- Visit the market, many fresh products are more affordable there. Especially at the end of the day!
- Go to the cheapest supermarket.
- Swap meat for an egg or vegetables. Vegetables are much cheaper and a healthy and sustainable alternative to meat.
- Buy whole vegetables instead of pre-cut vegetables.
- Freeze vegetables or meat, or preserve them.
- Look at the bottom shelves and check the kilo prices.
- Drink water, tea and coffee.
- Cakes and snacks for a special occasion.
- Watch for offers and buy in bulk when you find a reasonable price.