Free Budget Nutrition Guide
Evidence-based nutrition for Australians and New Zealanders on a real budget — covering every life stage, every common deficiency, and every meal type.
Budget Basics
The cheapest nutrient-dense foods in Australia. How to eat well for $7–12/day.
Nutrient Gaps
60% calcium, 48% zinc, 47% iron, 31% magnesium, 21% Vit D. Full food tables with costs.
Deficiency Symptoms
What falling short actually does — the 3-stage iron progression, Vit D and depression, DHA and postpartum.
Pre-Conception
Both partners need to prepare. Zinc for sperm, folate for neural tubes, DHA for brain. 6 months before.
Pregnancy Nutrition
Folate, iron, iodine and DHA needs — and the cheapest foods to meet them.
Hidden Hunger
Ultra-processed foods and children — the 2.57× deficiency risk, dopamine hijacking, ARFID, and what it does to developing brains.
Kids & Toddlers
Iron for brain development, calcium for bones, omega-3 for focus. Practical meals kids eat.
NRV Reference Tables
Complete NHMRC reference tables for all demographics — children through elderly, pregnancy and lactation.
Budget Arsenal
Tier 1/2/3 ranked system — the most nutrient-dense affordable foods in Australian supermarkets.
Batch Cooking
Cook once, eat all week. Freezer meals that slash your food bill without sacrificing nutrition.
Smart Shopping
Unit pricing, frozen vs fresh, Aldi vs Woolworths, and what’s never worth buying.
World Cuisines
Mediterranean, Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern meals that are naturally cheap and nutritious.
106 Recipes
All 106 budget-optimised recipes — filterable by meal type, dietary preference and nutritional focus.
Which Foods Fill Gaps
A food-to-nutrient lookup table. Find the cheapest whole foods for every major gap: iron, calcium, zinc, B12, folate, omega-3 and more.
Macronutrients
AMDR ranges, energy requirements, protein RDA by age and sex, fibre and water targets. Complete reference tables from NHMRC and NASEM.
5 Daily Habits
Five daily habits that cover the most common Australian deficiencies — on a $47/week food budget. Plus weekly habits for the rest.
Absorption Tips
Iron + Vitamin C, fat-soluble vitamins and fat, calcium timing, tea and coffee blocking, phytates and oxalates. Absorption rules that double what you get.
Sleep & Nutrition
Magnesium, iron, Vitamin D and B vitamins all directly affect sleep. The nutritional causes of poor sleep — and what to eat about it.
Weston A. Price
Dr Price documented traditional diet communities in the 1930s. Vitamin K2, Activator X, pre-conception nutrition — and what modern science confirms.
Nutrient Gaps by Life Stage
Children, teenagers, adult women, adult men, and older adults each miss different nutrients. Includes the protein synthesis problem that affects everyone over 65.
Vegan & Plant-Based
B12 is mandatory. Iron, zinc and omega-3 need active strategies. Calcium and iodine need specific choices. The complete plant-based nutrient guide.
Exercise & Nutrition
How being active changes what you need to eat. Protein timing, iron losses, magnesium in sweat, sarcopenia, and fuelling activity on a real budget.
Cheapest Iron-Rich Foods
Iron deficiency affects 1 in 3 Australian women. Ranked list of the cheapest iron-rich foods per dollar â plus absorption rules that can double your uptake.
Vitamin D in Australia
30% of Australians are deficient despite the sunshine. Best food sources, the mushroom trick, sun exposure guidelines, and symptoms to watch for.
Kangaroo Meat Nutrition
Leaner than chicken, more iron than beef, cheaper per kilo. Australia's most underrated protein â full nutrition comparison, cooking tips, and why it's the best-value meat at Coles & Woolworths.
Cheapest Calcium-Rich Foods
60% of Australian women don't hit their calcium target. Sardines with bones beat milk on calcium per dollar â full ranked list with absorption tips.
Iodine Deficiency in Australia
Iodine deficiency is re-emerging in Australia â and 50%+ of pregnant women are falling short. The cheapest food fixes, with seaweed safety warnings.
Choline â The Forgotten Nutrient
90% of Australians don't reach their choline target. It's essential for brain function, liver health, and foetal development â eggs and liver are the answer.
Eat Healthy on $50 a Week
A complete 7-day meal plan with shopping list â full nutritional coverage for one adult for under $50. Real foods, real prices, no supplements needed.
Disclaimer
About the author, sources used (NHMRC, ABS, USDA), methodology, and why this is general information — not medical advice.
ðïļ NOW AVAILABLE â OPTIMISEDEATS PODCAST
The science of eating well, in plain English
New episodes weekly on Spotify and Apple Podcasts â covering everything in these guides, in audio form.
🇦🇺 Built for Australian & NZ prices
All food costs use current Coles / Woolworths / Aldi pricing. Our free app lets you build a full week’s meal plan for your family’s exact ages, sex, and dietary needs — and tracks all 17 nutrients automatically.
⬇ Download the complete guide — free
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