Money blog: Why you should consider swapping chicken breasts out of your shopping basket (2024)

Anyone who has been to a Wetherspoons pub knows its cheap.

But how is the chain able to keep prices so low?

Many punters will have heard that this is because the pubs buy short-dated beer from breweries just a couple of months from expiry date - but the owner of the business now says this is not true.

Sir Tim Martin told The Sun: "I've never hung outside the brewery gate waiting for it to go out of date. It would be impossible."

Asked then how the chain is able to keep prices so low, he said that the vast quantities allowed greater profits.

"There's no real secret, we sell a lot of beer," he said.

He also explained the reason he named the chain 'Wetherspoons' - dispelling the myth that it was named after a teacher who said that he would never make it.

Sir Tim said: "This is a story that got twisted and a bit out of hand. I named it after Mr Wetherspoon, who was a very nice man, but couldn't control his class because at the time I couldn't control my punters."

It can be hard to balance the demands of eating well without spending a lot.

In this series, we try to find the healthiest options in the supermarket for the best value - and have enlisted the help ofSunna Van Kampen, founder of Tonic Health, who went viral on social media for reviewing food in the search of healthier choices.

In this series we don't try to find the outright healthiest option, but help you get better nutritional value for as little money as possible.

Today we're looking at chicken.

"When it comes to healthy eating, the first thing that often springs to mind is chicken breast," Sunna says.

That's mainly because it is lean, versatile, and packed with protein, making it a staple in many health-conscious kitchens.

"But what if we told you there are even better options for your wallet and your health?" Sunna says.

Cost savings

Chicken breast fillets can be pricey - sitting at an average of around £8.33 per kilogram.

In contrast, chicken thighs usually come in at about £3.30 per kilogram.

"That's over half the price," Sunna says.

"To put that into perspective - over the course of a year this can save you over £261.56, assuming you consume 1kg per week in your household. Well worth the saving."

Nutritional value

Many people gravitate towards chicken breasts for their lean protein, but chicken thighs have their own set of nutritional benefits.

"While they have more fat, it's important to note that they contain more healthy monounsaturated fats, which are good for heart health," Sunna explains.

"Plus, they're richer in iron, zinc and B12 by at least double."

These are essential minerals that help boost your energy and general wellbeing.

Much of this goodness is down to thighs having more joint cartilage and tendons - which naturally boost the collagen content of the chicken - helping to feed your hair, skin and nails.

"Chicken thighs are not only nutritious but also renowned for their flavour," Sunna points out.

"When slow cooking chicken thighs with bones, you are also getting the benefits of bone broth in the stew which is a great source of collagen, calcium, and magnesium, as well as glycine, arginine and proline which are anti-inflammatory amino acids."

A hidden gem

If you've got the stomach for it, there is one cut of chicken that is ultra affordable and is officially one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world.

"Chicken livers are one of the most economical protein and nutrient sources out there," Sunna says.

"At £3.42 per kilo, they're a similar price to thighs but pack a more powerful nutrient punch."

Chicken livers should really be touted as a superfood due to their high nutrient density, in Sunna's view.

"They are an exceptional source of vitamin A, which is crucial for vision, immune function, and skin health.

"They also boast high levels of B vitamins, particularly B12, which is vital for brain health and energy production.

"Additionally, chicken livers are rich in folate and iron."

While you might be hesitant about the taste or texture of chicken livers, they are incredibly versatile and can be prepared in ways that make them more palatable.

Sunna's go to is to simply fry the livers quickly with onions, mushrooms and a spicy sauce like a peri-peri.

"Swapping chicken breasts for thighs or livers isn't just a cost-saving measure; it's a health upgrade.

"By embracing these underrated parts of the bird, you'll enjoy richer flavours, diverse nutrients, and significant savings."

A note on organic

"The health of the bird and its quality of life will directly affect the nutrition and quality of the meat you consume, and as such, if you can afford it, always opt for free range or organic chicken."

The nutritionist's view - fromNichola Ludlam-Raine, dietitian atnicsnutrition.com...

"When it comes to budget-friendly eating, chicken thighs significantly outshine chicken breasts.

"While chicken breasts are renowned for their lean (ie low in calorie and low in fat) protein content, chicken thighs do indeed offer great nutritional benefits such as the presence of more connective tissue in thighs boosts collagen intake, which is beneficial for skin, hair, and joint health.

"As I dietitian I would recommend skipping the skin though, to lower intake of saturated fat - as the preferred type of fat for health is unsaturated, which is found in higher levels in plant foods such as olives, nuts, seeds and avocados.

"Chicken livers are high in vitamin A, essential for vision, immune function and skin health, and also boast significant levels of B vitamins, iron, and folate, supporting brain health and energy production.

"Due to its vitamin A content though, liver, as well as pate, should be avoided during pregnancy (note that plant-derived vitamin A i.e. beta-carotene, does not need to be avoided).

"When it comes to diet, balance and variety is key, and while including richer sources of meat such as chicken thigh and liver may be a good idea from time to time, I would recommend including other cheaper and leaner protein sources too including lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, eggs as well as tinned oily fish - the latter for their omega 3 fatty acid content too."

Read more from this series...

Every Friday we get an overview of the mortgage market with the help of industry experts. This week we have spoken to David Hollingworth, associate director at L&C Mortgages, and RachelSpringall, finance expert at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk.

New research this week - commissioned by the Lib Dems - suggested about 100,000 households will be renewing onto higher rates before the 4 July election. They'll face an average increase of £240 a month.

Ms Springall said: "Those borrowers looking to remortgage this year on a longer-term fixed deal will find the average overall five-year fixed rate is much higher than it was back in June 2019, when it was 2.85%.

"Week on week, the overall average two and five-year fixed rates rose to 5.95% and 5.51%."

These are the lowest rates on offer...

Moneyfacts advises people looking to avoid upfront costs, legal fees etc to look at Best Buys as well as the deals with the lowest rates...

Good news on the horizon?

Arguably the big news for mortgages this week didn't directly impact UK households - it came yesterday when the European Central Bank went first, ahead of the UK and US, in cutting rates, potentially signalling the beginning of the end of an era of high rates.

The Bank of England and US Federal Reserve are forecast to wait a little longer - markets are currently expecting a September cut in the UK.

It's a waiting game - and that's been reflected in a relatively quiet period for rates movements among UK lenders.

Mr Hollingworth said the flurry of repricing announcements - shifting rates upwards - that followed news of inflation falling less than expected in April had "eased back".

According to Moneyfacts,HSBC increased selected fixed deals by up to 0.26% this week, while Cambridge Building Society pulled its two and five-year fixed mortgages at 90% loan-to-value.

Mr Hollingworth said: "Once lenders start to shift rates it can quickly knock onto others.

"As one deal withdraws the next lender will come under pressure, either from a rate perspective or also to protect service levels. That can cause a snowball effect of rate withdrawals."

He is advising people due to renew to "lock in" - knowing you can "review the situation before completing and take advantage of any better rates if they drop back again".

Also of note to Mr Hollingworth has been UK Finance's Household Finance Review, which highlighted that many are taking mortgages over longer terms, with 35 to 40-year mortgages more common.

"That does help to reduce the monthly payments on a repayment mortgage but will increase the total interest over the life of the mortgage substantially," he said.

"It's therefore important for borrowers to keep reviewing the term as their circ*mstances change or to make overpayments if possible. That will help to cut the mortgage back more quickly and could save thousands in interest."

Online auction site eBay says it will no longer accept American Express as payment, blaming "unacceptably high fees".

From 17 August, Amex customers on the online marketplace will have to find an alternative payment method.

"After careful consideration, eBay has decided to no longer accept American Express globally effective 17 August due to the unacceptably high fees American Express charges for processing credit card transactions," Scott Overland, the company spokesman, said.

Mr Overland added that eBay users have been made aware of alternative payment methods, making them more competitive than ever.

As of the end of last year, there were 141.2 million Amex cards in use worldwide.

The online auction site has begun offering customers buy now, pay later options on purchases via Apple Pay, PayPal, Klarna and Affirm.

It might not feel like it for many households across the country, but rental growth in the UK has slowed to its lowest levels in almost three years, according to property website Zoopla.

The average monthly UK rent now stands at £1,226 per month, up £80 over the last year. This is the lowest rate of annual rental price inflation for 30 months (Oct 2021).

In fact, average rents have fallen over the last quarter in some key regional cities including Nottingham (-1.4%), Brighton (-1.1%), York (-0.4%), Glasgow (-0.4%), Cambridge (-0.3%) and London (-0.3%). This is being driven by factors including affordability constraints.

Zoopla says these are modest falls in the context of the rapid growth in rents recently, but it is clear evidence that rental market dynamics are starting to turn in some markets.

"The increase in the cost of renting has slowed to a 30-month low," said Nicola Thivessen, director of group compliance at Kinleigh Folkard and Hayward.

"Rents continue to grow faster than average earnings although the gap is much narrower than a year ago. Rental demand continues to run well ahead of available supply which is keeping the upward pressure on rents, but there are some areas where rental growth has stalled."

Competition remains fierce

Despite rental demand softening over the last year, there are still 15 people chasing every home for rent according to Zoopla's quarterly report.

That's more than double the pre-pandemic average of six people (2017-20), with a third fewer homes available for rent than in pre-pandemic years due to low levels of new investment in rented homes.

The average number of homes for rent per estate agent has increased by almost a fifth (18%) on this time last year, boosting choice. However, the supply of homes for rent remains a third lower than the pre-pandemic period as low investment in rented homes keeps the overall stock of private rented homes broadly flat.

What's the outlook for the rest of 2024?

This depends on the outcome of next month's general election.

The government's Rental Reform Bill failed to make it to the statute books, though rental reform is still needed to improve protections for existing renters.

The big policy focus of a new government should be on boosting the stock of homes for rent – both private and affordable - through increased housing delivery supported by additional funding and reforms to the planning system.

Amazon is now giving all its UK customers - not just Prime members - access to its grocery delivery service.

People living in more than 100 towns and cities will also be able to access same-day delivery without needing to be a member of its subscription service.

This covers items from Amazon Fresh, Morrisons, Co-op and Iceland.

It comes amid efforts from the online giant to grow its grocery business in the face of tough competition within the sector.

Prime members, who used to be the only ones who could access the service, will be given more delivery options and free shipping, subject to a minimum spend.

US regulators are investigating the notorious meme stock investor known online as Roaring Kitty.

Keith Gill shot to fame in 2021 after he fuelled a buying spree of shares in beleaguered video game retailer GameStop. The stock passed $120 from as little as $3 in three months and saw hedge funds' positions rack up big losses.

Gill returned to online chat forum Reddit on Sunday with a post revealing he had a $116m (£90.8m) position in GameStop, telling his followers that he controlled 1.8% of the company's available stock plus call options that gave him the right to buy more.

This fuelled investor confidence in GameStop, with its market value surging as much as 75% before settling around 30% higher.

Gill's trading activities are now being examined by the Massachusetts securities regulator, while the e-trade division of US bank Morgan Stanley is considering banning Gill from its platform, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The renewed interest in GameStop has gathered plenty of momentum, as our business reporter James Sillars outlined here this week...

Some Lloyds, Halifax and the Bank of Scotland customers will be charged more to use their overdrafts as of August.

The three major banks, which are all part of Lloyds Banking Group, are set to launch a new tiered system for determining interest rates which could see some customers paying an extra 10%.

At the moment, Lloyds has a standard rate of 39.9%, but the overhaul will see some forced to pay 49.9% for using their overdraft.

The new rates are set to be:

• 19.9%
• 29.9%
• 39.9%
• 49.9%

The 27.5% rate currently being offered to Club Lloyds customers will also be axed.

There will be specific criteria for each tier based on a customer's credit information and account activity.

For those who will see a rise, the banks will introduce a temporary tier for six months, which means the initial impact will be no more than 7.4% of what they are paying at the moment.

"We are writing to our customers to let them know we're introducing new interest rate tiers on our overdrafts," a Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said.

"The changes mean many will continue to pay the same or less than they do today, while some maysee an increase."

Nvidia has overtaken Apple to become the world's second most valuable public company.

The AI microchip maker's share price has risen to be worth more than $3trn (£2.34trn) for the first time.

Only Microsoft is a more valuable company listed on a stock exchange, while Apple has fallen into third place.

Nvidia shares rose 5% after a year of growth - with one share now costing $1,224.40 (£957).

Nvidia's chips are powering much of the rush into AI, which has seen it become a poster child of the AI boom.

Demand for its processors from the likes of Google, Microsoft and Facebook owner Meta have been outstripping supply.

Nvidia's shares - up nearly 150% so far this year - are also being boosted by an upcoming move to split its stock by 10-to-one on Friday.

Ian Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, said the stock split will "bring its share price down and make it more affordable to investors".

Tech companies - including Microsoft and Apple - have been racing to develop AI and embed it in their products.

Nvidia is a younger company than some of its peers, having been founded in 1993. Similar to many tech giants, it was founded in California in the US.

Britain is less likely to lose power this winter than it was last year, according to the company that runs the grid.

National Grid's Electricity System Operator (ESO) said it expects power plants, wind farms and other generation methods to be able to provide more than enough power to meet demand this time around.

In an early outlook, it said the grid would have an average margin - the difference between supply of electricity and demand for it - of 5.6 gigawatts (GW) this coming winter.

This means the period when demand might outstrip supply is just 0.1 hours.

The increased margins are in part because of improved capacity, thanks to a new 765km high-voltage cable that connects the UK's electricity network with Denmark.

The cable, called an interconnector, is known as the Viking Link, and started transporting wind power between the two countries in December.

New gas generation, growth in battery storage capacity and increased generation connected to the distribution networks have also contributed to the higher margins.

Despite this, ESO's chief operating officer Kayte O'Neill has said it will still need to be "vigilant" due to uncertainties around global energy markets.

"As a prudent system operator we remain vigilant, continuing to monitor potential risks and working closely with our partners to establish any actions necessary to build resilience," she said.

The continent's energy system has been forced to reinvent itself in recent years, faced with potential gas shortages due to the war in Ukraine.