Six-pack shopping list

Onions

£1.05 for 1 pack - 0.81 €

The brown skin and external layers of onions are rich in fibre and could be used as a functional ingredient which would help to reduce the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, type-2 diabetes and obesity.

Spinach

£2 for 520g - 1.54 €

Popeye's secret weapon.

Mushrooms

£1.75 for 700g -1.35 €

For a perfect muscle-building dish, try tuna steak with wild mushroom recipe.

Romaine lettuce

£1.25 for 2 - 0.96 €

Lettuce is a good source of folic acid, which enhances your circulation – the perfect aid to muscle repair.

Avocado

£6.00 for 6 - 4.60 €

Griddle chicken breasts, shred the meat and stuff it into wraps with

slices of avocado, sweetcorn, chilli, tomato and coriander.

Cauliflower

£1.17 for 1 - 0.90 €

Get the most out of this nutritious vegetable.

Sweet potato

47p for 1 - 0.36 €

The two juggernauts of the energy world square up and go head-to- head in this comparison between regular and sweet potato.

Courgettes

36p for 1 - 0.28 €

When people replaced half the meat and rice in their meal for watery veg, they consumed 86 fewer calories and felt just as full.

Vine tomatoes

£1.50 for 1 pack - 1.15 €

Tomatoes protect you against prostate cancer and damage free

radicals.

Butternut squash

£1.20 for 1 - 0.93 €

Butternut squash is high in zinc. Research shows that zinc activates the synthesis of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) – a substance that keeps nerve cells alive and wards off depression.

Carrots

77p for 600g (about 8-10 carrots) - 0.60 €

The orangey compound beta-carotene fights harmful free radicals that are created when you're exposed to the winter sun.  30mg of beta- carotene a day – the equivalent of 375g of carrots – cut the risk of sun damage.

Green olives

79p for 1 jar - 0.60 € 

The natural oil in olives is rich in the "good" monounsaturated fats. Men with more "good" oil in their diets had higher testosterone levels and a stronger sex drive.

Brussels sprouts

£1 for 500g 0.77 €

The isothiocyanates found in Brussels sprouts can lower your risk of ballder cancer by us much as 29%.

Broccoli

97p for 1 head - 0.73 €

Fight cancer, fortify your heart and battle blood pressure.

Celery

83p for 1 heart - 0.65 €

Celery stalks are rich in androsterone. 

Peppers

£1.65 for 3 - 1.27 €

The compound luteolin found in peppers reduced age-related inflammation in the brain and related memory deficits by directly inhibiting the release of inflammatory molecules in the brain.

Red chillies

65p for 1 pack - 0.50 €

The thermogenic (body-heating) properties of chillies are even more  powerful when combined with green tea. Wash down your curry with a glass of the green stuff to burn more fat.

Red cabbage

55p for 1 - 0.47 €

The cyanidin prevalent in red cabbage helps your eyes regenerate rhodopsin – a pigment in your eyes that helps them acclimate to sudden changes in light.

Apples

£1.50 for a bag - 1.15 € 

Avoid the biscuits and have an apple instead. The sugars will take the edge off your sweet craving, and the fibre will sustain you and your willpower.

Asparagus

£1.50 for 1 bundle - 1.15 €

How to get more asparagus in your diet?? 

Spring onions

72p for 1 bunch - 0.55 €

Spring onion is an essential ingredient in this delicious lobster tagliolini recipe. 

Cucumber

40p for half - 0.31 €

This sandwich staple is full of vitamin C to boost fat oxidation. Here are four ways to get more of it in your diet.

Spices

68p for 1 jar - 0.52 € 

Follow our A-Z of spices for flavoursome health benefits.

Chicken breasts

£5 for 500g - 3.85 €

Never want for a poultry recipe again with our 23 ways to eat chicken.

Chicken sausages

£1.50 for 8 - 1.15 € 

For an average 12st (168lb/76kg) man to bulk up, you need to eat about 2.2g of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. So load your plate up with these beauties.

Minced beef

£4 for 900g - 3 €

Try this Browns Bar & Brasserie burger for a tasty and healthy alternative bite.

Turkey breasts

£3 for 350g - 2.30 €

Make this low-fat turkey bolognese by swapping mince for turkey and cut saturated fat by 50%.

King prawns

£2.50 for 250g - 1.93 € 

When people ate 300g of prawns a day, their levels of triglycerides decreased by 13%.

Salmon

£4 for 2 fillets, 3 € 

Get the most from this versatile fish, packed with 'good' oils and all- important Omega 3.

Eggs

£2.88 for 12 large - 2.10 €

Learn how eggs protect your eyesight, curb your hunger, and aid grooming. 

Beef rump steak

£6.60 for 500g- 5 €

Make this delicious Thai beef salad for a meal that's perfect for both your wallet and your waistline.

Tuna

£3.80 for 4x185g tins - 3 € 

Boost your tan, fight jet-lag and cleanse your liver with these four health-boosting tuna recipes.

Walnuts

£1.02 for 100g - 0.79 € 

Walnuts contain twice as many antioxidants as other nuts and can reduce your chance of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. 

Beef jerky

£2.09 for 50g - 1.60 €

As an alternative to a protein shake, have 50g of beef jerky and a handful of grapes. Beef jerky has 25g of protein per 50g and grapes give you a carbohydrate boost that can help prevent muscle breakdown.

Coconut milk

£1 for 400ml - 0.77 € 

Use coconut milk in this recipe for coconut fish curry to give yourself   an energy-boosting, muscle-building meal.

Coconut oil

£6.40 for 260ml - 5 €

Coconut oil has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. It's also the most heat-resistant cooking fat, meaning it won't oxidise during cooking and leave you with a wok full of transfats.

Olive oil

£2.19 for 500ml - 1.70 €

The oleic acid and hydroxytyrosol present in a particularly high concentration in olive oil may help prevent the development of acute pancreatitis.

Vinegar

44p for 1 pint - 0.34 €

Can reduce the accumulation of body fat and weight gain by 10%, according to research in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Total spend per week

£75.99 - 58.50 €

Muscle builders

 Chow down these foods for greater gains

Full-fat milk

A glass of the white stuff is rich in CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), which reduces fat and preserves muscle tissue according to a study in the Journal of Nutrition. It forces glucose into your muscles and connective tissue cells instead of letting it turn into fat. It's also high in protein and full of vitamins and minerals, but you need to have semi-skimmed or full-fat milk to get the benefit. 

Spirulina

A nutrient-packed green algae, spirulina contains 65% of easy-to-digest protein and is amazingly low in fat. It is also a source of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant important for your post exercise muscle recovery. Add it to your breakfast smoothie, but be warned: everything it touches turns a weird shade of green.

Almond butter

A spoonful of almond butter adds a muscle building protein punch to food and is also rich in magnesium, the mineral needed for healthy muscle contraction. Add a spoonful to your porridge or smoothies. 

Eggs

You may have heard of bodybuilders cooking with only egg whites as a purer protein source, but for those of us who have an aversion to body paint and gold lamé trunks, eating the whole egg is best. Apart from containing all essential amino acids important to build and repair muscles; the egg yolk contains a high level of vitamin D needed to maintain the integrity and composition of muscle tissue. 

Wheatgerm

Not an airborne disease, but a great source of chromium, which improves glucose uptake into muscle cells, giving you extra energy to power through your workout. Wheatgerm's also high in arginine, an amino acid needed for the production of nitric oxide, which enhances blood flow to muscles so more nutrients can get to them. Sprinkle on your cereals or add to protein shakes and smoothies.

Red peppers

Red peppers are rich in vitamin C, which acts as a powerful antioxidant and aids muscle recovery at a cellular level by preventing free-radical damage. Red peppers contain 60% more vitamin C than their green equivalent and are also high in vitamin B6, which supports protein synthesis as well as muscle growth.

Turkey

Contains glutamine, an amino acid found in high concentration in muscle tissue. It increases protein synthesis, which leads to increased muscle mass. A recent study found glutamine also significantly increased growth-hormone levels.

Papaya

This juicy gem contains the compound papain, which breaks proteins down into simple components. These can then be easily utilized by the body. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect in the body and so will also relieve those post workout muscle aches and pains. Serve sliced with chopped ginger and lime.

Edamame beans

Also known as soybeans, they're a great low-fat form of vegetable protein containing all the muscle-building essential amino acids. Cook the beans for a minute or two and throw into salads.

Coffee

The quickest route to more muscle (and, incidentally, the loo) is a shot of espresso. A study showed that caffeine improves endurance-training performance by reducing muscle pain during exercise, which means you can train for longer. So that's no pain, more gain.