Food costs for family of 3

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

prettypoppyknickers wrote: »

i started this list of say i only bought this this and this processed but now i am not sure what out of my food this week is processed and what isnt?

Well to buy nearly anything these days it has been processed in some way or other (processed just means altered from its natural state) eg. milk is processed as its pasturized, but that doesn't make it bad for you. Another one is frozen food, thats known as processed too. Where fresh is 99% better for you sometimes the substitute (ie, frozen veg) is just about as good and wont fill up the landfills as nearly all of it gets used over time. I read somewhere that fresh food, because we are so bothered by 'best before' dates (note, i don't mean 'use by' as that MUST be followed) counts for something like 40% of whats on the landfills - and also seriously harms the environment by producing gases such as methane (lol, only going my what i have researched, i'm not entirely sure just how true it is or how it works:o).

At the end of the day it about sorting the bad processed foods from the one that are perferctly fine.

Are your roast potatoes and mash potatoes homemade and not from a packet? And the sausages, are they from a butchers or at least a better range than the cheepest. I tasted Morissons own value brand the other day and they were so full of crap it tasted like i was eating mushed cardboard, back to my butchers for me. If so the rest looks fine to me.


Good luck. x

prettypoppyknickers

hello

the sasauges are the two for 4 pound range in the co - op and the potatoes are real potatoes dont have a big enough freezer for everything.

lol

Bitsy_Beans

Definately hang around OS board. I've picked up all my best tips there.
I meal plan so I only buy what I need for the week. I bulk out meals with lentils and veg. I buy frozen veg (except for Organic carrots) as it lasts longer although I have a veggie plot in the garden which is going to be home to broccoli cauliflower, leeks and carrots. I am also growing little gem lettuce in troughs and they are coming on a treat. Nothing to it, just need to make sure they are watered. So you could try growing some basic things like lettuce to save some money.
We eat less meat than we used to but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I buy a large chicken and pick the carcass to pieces, something a few years ago I would never have done.
I make my own tomato sauce for pasta, spag bol from tinned toms etc. Nice and easy and not loaded with sugar.