How to buy cheap fruits and vegetables in New Zealand

Pasta, rice, potatoes

It is evening and time for dinner. It is just the question what to eat? Pasta was the food yesterday, rice the day before. The pasta sauces are getting boring and the creativity of cooking is coming to an end. “Some vegetables would give the whole thing there more pep! “A common thought when shopping vegetables, if the kilo of zucchinis would not cost 7.99 NZD or more… The problem is clear, vegetables is partly not cheap and often used up too fast. And always to wait for an offer is not the right choice as well.

Cheap alternatives

A cheap alternative to fresh vegetables are frozen vegetables. A large selection can be found for less than 3 NZD per kilo. Another advantage is that you do not have to wash or cut the vegetables. A freezer is not mandatory, as long as you prepare the vegetables promptly. Cooking after a night in the fridge or without cooling in the same evening does not harm the vegetables. (Even 24 hours without refrigeration, the vegetables should normally not mind, as long as it is not in the blazing sun.)

Photo by ja ma on Unsplash

Easy to store

Very good to stock and rich in choice are tin cans, and of course cheaper than the fresh version as well! Some vegetables are (apparently) only available in sauces, such as mushrooms; here you have to then simply try what tastes you and what does not.
Incidentally, chopped tomatoes are a very good and cheap alternative to the finished tomato sauce! A little salt and pepper, done! (Also works great for one-pot dishes!)

Street stalls

Only the least would probably like to forego fresh vegetables and that is luckily not necessary. Often you will find next to one or the other cheap variety in the supermarket and a street vendor, which undercuts the prices with fresh quality and the shortest way from fields to sale.
Such street vendors often sell fruit, berries, avocados, citrus, pumpkins and more. A look at their selection is worth a stop! Also popular are unmanned boxes in which the goods are stored for sale, the money is thrown into a small donation box. A sack of avocados of 5 pieces for example can cost around 2 NZD in the harvesting season.

Shopping tip

TIP: Often nuts or nut mixes are very expensive, look in the back department, there are larger packs for smaller prices. Incidentally, the same applies to chocolate!

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