English for Nurses Presents: A Guide to Healthy eating for Nurses

Table of Contents

• Why Healthy eating for Nurses is Important at English for Nurses

• A Three Step Plan for Healthy eating for Nurses

• Smart Shopping Tips from English for Nurses

• Quick Recipes Promoting Healthy eating for Nurses

• English for Nurses Resources and Frequently Asked Questions

• Key Takeaway and Contact English for Nurses

Why Healthy eating for Nurses is Important at English for Nurses

Welcome to English for Nurses. We understand that healthcare professionals work incredibly hard. Whether you are studying with us or working a long shift, good nutrition is essential. We have based this guide on the excellent document healthy-eating-on-a-budget.pdf to bring you the best advice.

There can be many reasons for needing a food budget; reduced incomes through benefits, redundancy or ill health are just three possibilities. Whatever your reasons are to count the pennies spent on food it doesn't mean the end of healthy eating. As this informative article on healthy eating for shift workers points out, managing your diet is crucial for maintaining your energy levels.  

Danielle Reynolds, author of Economic Eating, faced the challenge of providing breakfast, lunch and dinner for herself, husband and any guests with a budget of £100 per month (£1.78 per person per day). In 2010 redundancy meant there was just one low wage income to pay essential bills, £50 was needed for travel to keep wages coming in and £100 was left for food. Keeping healthy on a budget meant making meals at home because buying lunch out or a takeaway is much more expensive. Many meals can be made quickly and easily so you're not spending all your time in the kitchen if you don't want to.  

Fact: The Office of National Statistics living costs and food survey showed the average couple spent £235 per month on the supermarket shop in the same year.  

A Three Step Plan for Healthy eating for Nurses

Managing your meals is easier with a clear strategy. We recommend this simple three step plan to assist you.

1. Plan Ahead: Start by writing a list of healthy meals you like, try to consider meals that have similar ingredients too for example bolognaise, lasagne and cottage pie all have mince beef (or vegetarian mince) as a main ingredient. If you don't know how to make the meals you like already, try asking family/friends or researching recipes using the internet/ local library. Don't be scared to adjust your recipe to your taste by swapping ingredients that you really don't like for something suitable or missing out the pinch of something expensive. Decide what to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This could be done for just one day, a week or (like Economic Eating) a month but will only work if you stick to it!. If planning over a long period of time, you also need to consider when meals are being eaten in relation to when the shopping is being done, ingredients will need to be stored until they are used so put meals that use fresh items close to shopping days, or be prepared to shop for a few items often.  

   
   

2. Ingredients and shopping list: Once you know what you will be eating, write a list of ingredients and quantities that you need to make the meals, remember to take off anything that you already have in cupboards, the fridge or the freezer. What is left is the list of things that you need to buy.  

   
   

3. At the shops: Only buy what you need. If a perishable item is purchased in a larger quantity than you require try to plan meals that will use this up before it perishes. Try not to be tempted by deals and offers on items you can't store or don't use frequently because these are likely to go in the bin. According to Love food Hate waste, households in the UK through away approximately £60 worth of food and drink each month.  

Smart Shopping Tips from English for Nurses  

Shopping effectively is a great skill. These tips can help you save money while selecting quality produce.

• Consider the purpose of your ingredient for example; a stew can use cheaper cuts of meat because it is slow cooked.  

• Frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables are cheaper than fresh and count equally towards the 5 a day recommendation.  

• They also store easily and can be more accurately portioned, which saves food being wasted.  

• Pre packed fruit and vegetables versus the loose ones can vary in price so check which gives the better deal for what you need.  

• Also, prices can vary dependant on the quantity of product being bought.  

• More isn't always cheaper.  

• Premium/branded products on offer can sometimes be cheaper than own brand so these are also worth looking at.  

• Simple foods are versatile.  

• For example, the potato can be; boiled, mashed, baked, roasted, cut into chips or wedges.  

Suggestion: Concentrating on the price and working out the best for everything you need to buy is time consuming at first but becomes easier and quicker with practice, if you can, shop when the supermarket is less busy midweek daytimes and late evenings can often be best. For additional advice, you can read the NHS guide to healthy food choices on a budget.  

Quick Recipes Promoting Healthy eating for Nurses  

When you finish studying your modules or return from a ward shift, you need rapid and nutritious options. Here are fantastic ideas.

Soup is super! Fresh soup is easily made at home (in as little as 10 minutes) and costs as little 6p per 100ml. Simple Tomato soup serves 4 large servings (250ml) for 12p each. You just need 1 Medium onion (14p), 400g tinned chopped tomatoes (31p), 1 Chicken or vegetable stock cube (1p), 500ml Water, plus salt, pepper, herbs or spices to taste. Chop and slowly heat the onion in a saucepan with a little water until the onions are translucent (this gives natural sweetness to the soup). Add the tomatoes and stock made with the remaining water to the pan keep on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Liquidise with a hand blender or food processor, if you don't have a liquidiser chunky soup is just as tasty. Season with salt, pepper, herbs or spices before serving or leave to go cold and store for later in the fridge up to 3 days or freezer for longer.  

Chicken Chow Mein Often a take away favourite costing approximately £5, this can be made at home quickly and easily for less than £1.25 a serving. Ingredients for 2 to 3 portions include 250 g Chicken thigh or breast (£1.50), 2 Noodle cakes (30p), 270g Stir fry vegetables (60p), 1 Garlic clove (2p), 2tsp cooking oil (2p), and Ginger, chilli, soy sauce to taste, plus water. Dice the chicken and cook in the sauce pan or wok with the oil (time will depend on the size of chicken pieces). Whilst the chicken is cooking rehydrate the noodles to the packet instructions then drain. Crush or chop the garlic and add it to the pan with other spices and soy sauce. Add the stir fry vegetables and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Combine with the noodles and serve.  

Ten minute meals Another great option is Poached fish with vegetable couscous. Ingredients for one serving cost between 57p and £1.22. You will need 1 piece of fish (price depends on fish 35p to £1) 160g, 50g Couscous (10p), Mixed vegetables (12p), and ½ stock cube, herbs, spices (optional). Poach fish and heat vegetables to pack instructions. Make couscous to pack instructions with stock water or adding herbs or spices for more flavour. Combine and serve.  

English for Nurses Resources and Frequently Asked Questions

As you improve your professional vocabulary and language skills with English for Nurses, we want you to stay nourished and focused. We offer a variety of tools to help you succeed.

Explore our online courses to study from the comfort of your own home, or join our interactive in person courses to learn alongside peers. You can also supplement your learning with our fantastic CD language guides and portable pocket book guides to keep terminology fresh in your mind. Be sure to stay up to date with the latest news and events by bookmarking our dedicated page.  

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Healthy eating for Nurses affect study performance?

Eating a balanced diet ensures that your concentration levels remain high during intense language studies and demanding clinical shifts.

Can I afford to eat well while paying for educational materials?

Absolutely. By following the tips in this blog post, you can enjoy nutritious meals without overspending, leaving plenty of room in your budget for professional development.

What should I bring to an English for Nurses class?

We suggest bringing a notepad, a pen, your enthusiasm, and perhaps a healthy snack or packed lunch to keep your energy up throughout the session!

Key Takeaway and Contact English for Nurses

Healthy eating for Nurses is achievable on any budget through careful planning, smart shopping, and taking advantage of simple recipes. Eating well supports your professional journey and helps you excel in your language studies.

If you would like to enrol in a programme or have any questions about our resources, please contact the company. We look forward to helping you achieve your career goals!