There’s a common misconception that eating a good-quality, high-protein diet will cost you a fortune – but that doesn’t have to be the case. The key is prioritising whole foods over pre-prepared high-protein snacks, drinks and meals, and being flexible with how you hit your macro goals.
Fitness coach Sergio Alcover regularly shares tips on how to do just that on his YouTube channel, including ways to keep the cost of a weekly food shop down while prioritising whole foods.
And in a recent YouTube video, he set himself a particularly interesting challenge: putting together a high-protein weekly food shop at M&S for under £50.
He managed it, spending £49.07 in total – equivalent to around £7 a day across the week.
‘I’m pleasantly surprised, I must say,’ he said after returning from the shop. ‘I’m not going to lie, I have been testing out M&S myself without filming it recently, and there are many ways that you can save a bit of money.’
He continued: ‘Every time I’ve gone into M&S, there’s always been some sort of protein reduced, some sort of carbs reduced, and so that combined with more expensive stuff like, for example, your avocados or your Greek yoghurt and dark chocolate will balance it out.’
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Sergio Alcover’s £49 M&S Weekly Shop
- 3 bananas
- 1kg chicken
- 500g 5% beef mince
- 2kg white potatoes
- Bag of mixed peppers
- 1 avocado
- Fresh head of broccoli
- 400g 0% Greek yoghurt
- Half loaf of sourdough
- 1kg pasta
- 18 mixed-size eggs
- Jar of smooth peanut butter
- 4-pack of tuna cans
- Jar of black beans
- Dark chocolate bar
- Lightly salted rice cakes
Total Cost: £49.07
How to Make the Plan Work for You
It’s worth noting that Alcover doesn't account for ingredients he already has in the cupboard, including oils and seasonings, as well as some leftover rice from a previous shop. So £49 shouldn't necessarily be viewed as the total cost of everything you'd need to eat for seven days.
He also doesn’t detail every meal he makes with the food he buys, although he mentions having a yoghurt bowl for breakfast and shows himself making a chicken fajita-inspired bowl using the chicken, peppers, black beans and avocado on his list.
Still, the video is a useful reminder that eating a healthy, high-protein diet doesn’t necessarily need to be complicated or expensive. Having a loose meal plan in place before you head to the supermarket, prioritising versatile ingredients and taking advantage of reductions where possible can all make stocking your fridge and cupboards more cost-effective.
Lauren Geall is deputy site editor for Women’s Health UK and Men’s Health UK. She graduated from Exeter University with a BA in English Literature before studying an MA in Magazine Journalism at City, University London. She’s been writing about health, fitness and wellbeing for over five years, with a total of seven years in digital journalism. Prior to her current role, she worked at Stylist as the acting health and fitness editor. As well as being a keen runner, Lauren is passionate about women’s sport and can often be found cheering on Arsenal Women at the Emirates or keeping tabs on the Red Roses’ latest win.
