Budget healthy diet doable

EATING HEALTHILY IS MORE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE THAN MANY PEOPLE REALISE.

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Healthy eating on a budget, local dieticians share practical advice. While the rising cost of living continues to affect households across Cape Town, local dieticians say eating healthi-ly is more affordable and accessible than many realise.

Not only is a healthy diet essential in prevent-ing and treating chronic lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, but it is also a powerful act of self-care.

During Dieticians Week, which ran from Mon-day 2 to Sunday 7 June under the theme "Your health, our mission: Talk to a dietitian", health-care professionals across the province were working to dispel the myth that nutritious food is out of reach for the average household," said Kristi Overmeyer, a dietician based at Heide-veld Community Day Clinic. "Healthy eating is perceived to be expensive. We have noticed that the communities we serve have financial constraints and this leads to food insecurity."

Quanita Salaam, a dietician at Mitchells Plain Community Health Centre, echoed the concern. She said limited income, reliance on spaza shops that often lack fresh produce and a gener-al lack of knowledge about nutrition are major obstacles to healthier living.