Splurging on food isn’t about paying oodles for caviar and Champagne, it’s about buying the best, most nutritious produce and products you can afford. What's more, if your kitchen is full of quality items you may resist wasting anything, which is good news all round. Here’s where you should indulge your hard-earned cash.

Cheap milk chocolate contains less cocoa and more fat and sugar, so what you’re getting isn’t wholly chocolate. Go by the less is more principle and eat small amounts of fine chocolate (ideally over 50% cocoa), notably dark chocolate which is high in flavonoids – antioxidants with numerous health benefits. Valrhona is one of the best but it’s costly so try bean-to-bar chocolatiers such as Willie’s Cacao and Chocolarder.

Extra virgin is the most flavourful, healthiest and freshest of all olive oils, made from the first pressing of the olives. It should taste peppery and pungent and it doesn’t last long (about six months) so don’t save it for a rainy day.

It takes time to accumulate a decent spice collection, but you'll find spices can transform your dishes. Buy whole spices – they stay fresh for longer and have more pungency – and grind yourself. Remember that a little goes a long way and spices don’t last forever, so store in glass jars in a cool, dark place. Not sure where to start? Check out our A to Z of herbs and spices here.

Vegetables grown by small producers might be more expensive, but the benefits of buying local far outweigh the negatives. Not only are you supporting farmers, but you're getting fresh, seasonal produce that hasn't travelled thousands of miles to reach your table. Veg box schemes can be excellent value or look for locally grown products in the supermarket or at your closest farmers’ market.

Homemade meat stock is superlative – make your own by roasting bones (bought from a butcher or farm shop) then simmer in water with veg for a few hours. The next best thing is farm-produced or shop-bought fresh stock. A decent meat stock should contain nothing more than meat bones, water, vegetables and herbs. Stock cubes, while convenient, are processed and often include MSG, colourings, preservatives and added salt, and some aren’t gluten or lactose free.

Greek yogurt is normal yogurt but the straining process it goes through to remove the whey for a creamier, thicker product renders it more expensive. It contains almost twice the amount of protein as regular yogurt and less sugar (depending on the brand). Opt for plain over flavoured, adding honey or fruit to sweeten, and choose brands with live cultures to help encourage a healthy gut.

The vast majority of mass-produced bread is made using chemical preservatives in highly mechanised production processes. Artisan bread from reputable bakeries, however, is handmade, produced in small batches with no unnatural chemicals and just a handful of (often organic) ingredients. This bread might be pricier and won’t stay fresh as long but it's better for us and far superior in terms of flavour.

It costs more to raise cows, pigs, sheep and chickens that are given good-quality feed and space to roam, so expect to see high welfare reflected in high prices. You'll also find, however, that the meat is much more flavourful and often better in texture. Minimise the extra spend by eating better meat less often.

It’s pricier but raw honey is honey as nature intended. Found in liquid or solid form it’s not heated, pasteurised or processed so hasn’t been stripped of all its healthy qualities (enzymes, phytonutrients and vitamins). It should, however, be avoided by pregnant and nursing women and babies as there’s a slim chance of contracting botulism.

It's the little luxuries that bring joy to everyday eating. Ice cream might not offer a slew of health benefits, but it's one product where spending a bit more money gets you a lot more in terms of taste. Whether you're a fan of flavours such as cookie dough and chocolate chip or salted caramel and strawberry, you won't regret opting for a pricier brand once in a while.

You’ll pay a little more for sustainable fish but it’s better for fish stocks, fish welfare, the oceans and the communities involved. Look for line-caught fish, and research which species have been overfished in your nearest waters. Wild fish, such as wild salmon, are largely free from antibiotics and hormones that can affect quality and generally higher in omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world, after saffron, and in 2016 a poor harvest in Madagascar – where three-quarters of the world’s supply is grown – pushed the price up even further. There are lots of cheap and artificial versions available but nothing beats the real thing. Scrape directly from pods or use bean paste, which differs from extract in that it contains seeds, which give an authentic flecked look.

It’s worth spending on condiments such as balsamic, apple cider and wine vinegar, because the quality – and in some cases health benefits – will enhance meals. Ditch ready-made dressings with added ingredients and make your own with quality vinegar and oil; opt for a decent but affordable ‘condimento grade’ balsamic, which is a good all-rounder compared to costly Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale or DOP options, and buy organic apple cider with ‘the mother’, a cloudy element rich in probiotics.

Great wine doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive but natural wines are worth paying extra for. There is no hard-and-fast definition of what makes wines 'natural', but the vast majority come from small producers using a philosophy of low intervention in the vineyard and winery, meaning fewer chemicals and more interesting flavours. Many are also biodynamic and organic, making them kinder on ecosystems and kinder on us. In 2016, Forbes reported that biodynamic wine “is the future”, although it may take a while for all critics to be convinced.

Research suggests that organic milk, along with other dairy such as cheese and yogurt, is more nutritious. From a welfare stance, organic dairy farming is subject to strict rules: routine antibiotics and hormones are banned; animals have access to pesticide-free pasture grazing; they are on a better diet than intensively farmed animals; and they benefit from higher welfare standards.

In 2016, certain food companies, including Campbell Soup and Del Monte, pledged to phase out BPA in response to increasing concerns that the chemical – which coats the lining of tins and is found in plastic food containers – disrupts the endocrine system, is linked to female infertility and impairs child brain development. Opt for BPA-free brands such as Biona and Mr Organic, look for goods such as tuna and anchovies in glass jars, and buy BPA-free water bottles and Tupperware.

Making cheese is a slow process, with some aged for years and many imported from abroad. If you want to see how age (and price) benefit taste, try comparing pieces of a hard cheese such as comté that have been matured for different lengths of time. You might be surprised in the difference between one aged for just 12 months and another aged for more than 24.

You don't need to juice your own fruit, but splashing out on fresh juices rather than those made from concentrate can really be worth it. Superior in both nutrition and flavour, they may not last as long but generally contain more vitamins and fewer additives.

If you're serious about your morning caffeine hit, try buying whole coffee beans rather than ground coffee, or switch out your barista-made drink for one that you've brewed at home. It might take more time, but it's worth experimenting to see how different origins and brewing techniques affect taste.

Game that’s been caught in the wild rather than farmed has numerous benefits: it’s leaner, antibiotic- and hormone-free, is more ethically sound, and if you buy local has a lower carbon footprint. Grass-eating game also has more omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated fatty acids (CLA) compared to grain-fed animals. 

Speciality chillies and chilli powders can pack a punch in both price and heat. Yet if you're looking for complex flavours, they're worth spending money on. Habaneros can add fruitiness, dried ancho gives a touch of sweetness and tiny bird's eyes bring plenty of fire.