weekly meal plan out of the pantry

Tracey04

could anyone help, is it possible to do a full weekly meal plan, breakfast, lunch, dinner and pudding out of a storecupboard (and fridge basis).
We do eat healthy - alot of fruit, dairy etc but just wondered if it could be done. I guess i'm trying to stop all the shop trips where you go for 4pints of milk and £9 later........Also if I had a few ideas it may mean I have tins etc as stand by.

Thanks

Trinny

Hi there

Yes of course its possible - i suppose you could go for a month or more without resorting to going to the shops - if you are able to freeze your milk, or use UHT or powdered stuff. And if you are able to make HM bread.

But it all depends on what you have in. I would start with an inventory of all the food you have - then tape it to the freezer/ cupboard. Meal plan using what you have - see how far you get.

I expect you will run out of fresh fruit and veg - unless you have enough tinned and frozen.

We freeze milk and OH makes a mean HM loaf of bread - it means we only shop twice a month roughly - saves a fortune, as OH shops with his eyes and not his wallet

Trin

dollydaydream07

Hi

if you list everything you have in your cupboards/fridge/freezer then we might be able to help you come up with a plan!
i love to cook everything from scratch but if money is tight then i have what i call 'a slumming it' week, where i will use up all those random tins of whatever - meatballs in tomato sauce, chicken in white sauce, tinned veggies - all that i keep in 'just in case' lol. ok we might not be eating as healthily as i would like but if needs must!

do you plan your meals and use a shopping list? i was sceptical at first but it really does save money!
also another tip is to use just cash - if you need milk, only take £2 with you to get ytour 4 pints, that way you can't come out £10 worse off!

hth

dollydaydream07

as OH shops with his eyes and not his wallet

so does mine lol

katycocoa

You can definitely make tasty meals from storecupboard ingredients. When we came home from holiday and had nothing fresh in I made a pie out of a tin of stewing steak, and served with frozen peas and smash. I thought it was going to be disgusting but it was really nice!

Have also made salmon/tuna fishcakes (with smash), served with baked beans, when no fresh food in.