Cheap Meal ideas

Chicken Alfredo

Spagbol Spanish chicken and rice Pizza pasta bake Slow cooked chicken and veggies Bangers and mash These are a couple of our house favourites and left overs go to lunch the next day or freezer. We also plan out our meals a week in advance and do our weekly shop with cash and don’t take a card so we don’t have the option to pick up anything that isn’t necessary. And don’t do your shopping if you’re feeling pekish cause you’ll pick up all the crap of the day… well atleast I do 😂

@Rachel these are great ideas n ur so right about shopping while hungry lol I wondered if it'd b cheaper to order food shop online so I can't b tempted!

@Becky I did try online shop too. But found the substitutions a bit of a nightmare. And I often found that some items of food was a bit more expensive online but not in shop if they have a roll back or a sale on the item on.

We pay a monthly fee for delivery to make it a bit cheaper overall and stop the snack temptation too 🫢x a simple meal my girl loves is rice, satay sauce and prawn crackers and then we have chicken with ours xx

You could do a few things like... Pizza bagels Vegetable noodles Chicken fajitas (with the pre-cooked chicken) Tuna pasta

Is there a local food bank in your area? If not try only purchasing food on clearance sale. When preparing meals cut the portions in half and serve more vegetables and fruits to the meal. Or when in extreme situations only serve one meal a day and provide fruits as snacks in the day. When eating fruits divide into smaller portions for sharing. Like one orange cut into 3 or 4 .

Rice bowl dishes can be made with vegetables and lasts a long time with very little cost. Make in a large wok and it can last a week. Rice, oils, peas, carrots, seasonings, and protein of choice.

Chilli with beans and mince (make your money go further) and rice Dhal with sweet potato and naan (big portions and super cheap and bright) Sausage casserole with lentils in the tomato sauce, carrots and celery sliced and fried in it too Mushroom stroganoff I’ve put a few veggie recipes here because I think people see meat as a status symbol, when nowadays I think that’s changed and the rich flavour and health of our food is what matters… we cook a lot of the above in our house esp the sausage casserole (I use this isn’t sausage but you do you)

@Yana rice dishes shouldnt be kept any longer than 2 days if left in fridge. If freezing then completely fine but when reheated should be extremely hot to kill any bacteria. Rice is porus and will absorb and hold bacteria( its classed as a high risk product along with pasta)

My baby LOVES daal and a batch of that costs very little. Actually anything with lentils is a great shout - as they are cheap and go so far. also really good for them. Eg. Lentil ragu, lentil moussaka, veggie lasagnas.

Looking for vegetarian recipes can really cut costs! That’s what I’ve been doing since I was laid off. Meat is so expensive and can go bad so quickly. But tofu, lentils, and beans last a long time and are a lot cheaper. I’ve also been using Chat GPT a lot. I’ll tell it my budget, and who I’m shopping for (two adults, one toddler, one baby all eating mostly vegetarian), and the stores I go to, and then ask it for a weekly meal plan and grocery list.

I use a lot of lentils and pulses a great way to more cheaply add protein for surprised shepherds pie, curries, pasta dishes etc

@Chloe do you have a recipe for Dhal? These all sound lovely. Adding lentils etc to bulk meals up is a great idea. My little one isn't fussed about meat n it's very expensive so Veggie options welcomed!

@Beth I don't have chat gpt but what a great idea! I've never had tofu but I'm sure I could figure out how to bulk meals up with beans n lentils etc

@Flo am I right in thinking u need to soak lentils? Its been a long time since I've cooked with them

@Becky yes! Here’s a bougie one - https://www.bosh.tv/recipes/roast-beetroot-dal - and here’s one that’s for the slow cooker / freezer!! https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cf6jKGdDIaX/?igsh=MW01dm1sM2Eza2Vydg==

@Chloe thanks so much!

@Shella W is there somewhere u recommend for recipes? I'm not the best cook but these are nice ideas!