A 'third of UK adults struggle' to afford healthy food

High food prices mean a third of UK adults are struggling to afford to eat healthily, warns a charity.

The British Heart Foundation, which polled 2,444 adults, found 39% sacrificed health benefits for cost when doing their grocery shopping.

One in four said they hadn't bought a single portion of fresh fruit or vegetables in the last week.

Two thirds said they wanted to eat more healthily, but nearly half of these said cost was a hindrance.

The British Heart Foundation says people can still eat healthily on a small budget.

But it is concerned that some people are turning to cheap convenience foods instead.

In the poll, many respondents said they bought ready meals, even though they knew these may contain high levels of saturated fat and salt.

Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the BHF, said: "Healthy eating on a budget is one of the biggest challenges of our times. With the increasing cost of a weekly shopping basket it's a real concern that despite people's best intentions, they're struggling to eat healthily."

The BHF says people should think about inexpensive ways to make healthy meal choices, such as using canned or frozen fruit and vegetables which may be cheaper alternatives to fresh produce.

Likewise, vegetables tend to cost less than meat so, the charity suggests, people could try adding more vegetables to meat-based meals. The meat will go further saving money and it'll help cut down on saturated fat too, it says.

Campaigner Jack Monroe found fame as a food blogger writing about living below the poverty line. She survived on a budget of just £10 a week to feed herself and her two-year-old son by creating healthy, cheap meals.