ok guys i'm here again. been a while my monetary problems are biting i now have only £50 a month to spend on food. any ideas for meals?
its not so much diet now as survival. i need to get all my nutrients/ as much as possible in calories are less important than nutrient content at the moment.
Food on a budget? Hmmmmm... I don't know about the prices over there too well anymore, but I always think things are very cheap food wise when I get home...I would think if you have a local maarket, that would be a good place to get loads of fruit and veg, which is always good whether losing or maintaining...that's all I can help you with luv, drop in more often
I suggest avoiding normal supermarkets and going to Netto or Lidl if you have one near you - they are much cheaper than the more mainstream supermarkets. Lidl is especially good for really cheap fruit and veg - about half the Sainsbury price and every bit as good.
I think, if I were you, I'd limit meat protein until your finances get a bit healthier - like Clydegirl says, dried beans are very cheap and go a long way. You can also get cheap cans of tomatoes and baked beans in tomato sauce - and there is some very cheap dried pasta around.
One of my daughter's favourite student meals was saute a chopped onion in a little oil with a crushed clove or two of garlic - add in a cheap can of tomatoes and a spoonful of dried oregano or mixed herbs then and bash the tomatoes until crushed (or use chopped tomatoes) then add salt and pepper to taste. Cook tomato mixture down until slightly thickened. Cook some pasta shapes - pour in the tomato mix and stir in a can of drained tuna in brine.
I would stock up on cheap veg - is there a market near you?
Do a load of casseroles/Stews/soups - add dried beans and lentils as already mentioned. These add a bit of bulk (but not to you!!). Rice is good and cheap and so is pasta. If you do eat meat bulk out what you cook with more veg or rice etc. Because it is getting colder you have the excuse of eating dumplings now. Do a good for a recipe if you have not got one or look at the bbc food site. Eggs if you eat them are cheapish so omelettes are a good bet (not too many eggs a week though). If you like squash (the veg) that is quite reasonable and will do a few meals for one person - if you cook for one person that is!
Weekends if you roast a bit of meat you can roast veggies beside it. I have done onions, garlic, courgettes, squash, tomatoes etc sprinkled with a bit of olive oil, herbs and sploshed with a bit of balsamic.
Jacket spud and beans is as cheap as it gets I reckon or beans on toast!
Try and look out for bogof offers especially on fruit.
If you like tinned tuna - you can sometimes get a good deal on that - along the lines of buy one get one free. You can mix it with sweetcorn and red kidney beans in salad or hot with pasta.
If you want any more ideas let us know.
By the way if you do eat meat - keep the chicken carcass for a stock/soup etc.
Home made chilli and curries too made of mostly veg but you can add a bit of meat to that too if liked.
Maybe your local library has a cook book aimed at 'frugal cooking' or look for one aimed at students. Also google on student grub or something like that.
Sorry if the studenty stuff above is a bit basic. I cannot remember how well you can cook!
Make sure you have stuff in your stock cupboard like herbs and spices (jazz up many a boring meal) plus something like worchestershire sauce, ketchup (i have often used this in place of tomato puree!). Mixed herbs will do at a pich and some basic curry powder - if funds allow get one mildish one and one a bit hotter.
A basic batter recipe willl give you pancakes which can be frozen. You can bung anything in a pancake - sweet or savoury.
Be careful with some of the 'value' tins around. Some of the soups and tinned beans I got were very watery and you just end up add more stuff to make em taste right.
food buget ideas
