When following a fitness routine, nutrition is an important part of the journey. As the prices of EVERYTHING are rising, a little planning can make all the difference and will help you to avoid breaking the bank on unnecessary purchases. Try and incorporate these tips into your lifestyle to help you prepare for meals, while also saving you some pennies.

Write a menu
Make a list of meals you like, and choose 3-4 of these for the week ahead. Then, list all the ingredients you will need from the shops. Doing this and sticking to it will mean you are less likely to spend money on fast food or buying expensive 'to-go' options that drain your bank account.

Choose a day to go meat-less
Legumes, eggs, tofu, and peanut butter are some affordable sources of protein that you can add to be the star of your meal. These protein alternatives tend to be cheaper than meat and still provide you with all the goodness you need.

Check your cupboards
Before rushing out to the shop, check your fridge, freezer, and cupboards for ingredients that you already have. A lot of the time we tend to spend extra money on unnecessary items because we didn't know we already had them at home.

Eat with the season
When fruits and vegetables are in season, they are a lot cheaper. This means that planning meals with ingredients that are in season will save you an extra few pounds.

Plan with leftovers
If you made a delicious roast chicken for Sunday lunch, using the leftovers for a chicken sandwich or salad on Monday is a great way to save. You can even use the chicken bones and seasonal veggies to create a soup for Tuesday's lunch. The possibilities are endless!

Make extras
Don't buy a bunch of carrots if you are only planning to use a few. Rather make a big batch of whatever recipe you are planning to make and freeze half of it for another time so there are no ingredients or money wasted.

Try these tips out in your next weekly meal prep and save yourself the stress of breaking the bank!