Can someone help with my shopping bill?

Spirited_2

One thing I do with Quorn and own brand veggie products, which might help you, is I completely ignore what it says they are on the packets. I buy the item with the cheapest price per kilo and use that.

For example, this week at Morrisons, the cheapest frozen veggie thing (not including ready meals) was Quorn Sausages (for some reason their own brand was more expensive ) but last shop it was something else. This doesn't restrict me to just sausages, being quorn, it chops up easily enough and can be used like quorn pieces.

One thing that I'm not too good at, but trying to overcome is making cheaper veggie meals using pulses.

Your killer purchase does seem to be the fruit. I would echo the suggestion to cut down on this. Try having an apple, orange or banana whole (or a small portion of melon) instead of liquidating them, and maybe only having smoothies every other day or just on the weekends. I think that using more of your cheaper fruits in your smoothies with just the odd expensive one might be the way to go. I understand that you are health concious ad I'm not suggesting that you give up your fruit, but perhaps sticking to more 'basic' fruit unless it's on offer would be a good compromise. Vegetables are often cheaper, so it's a good idea to make sure that you get the right balance between the two - I think it's two fruit and three veg.

You are doing great though, and I bet you are fighting fit too.

lady_fuschia

With your market being so far away and your love of smoothies have you thought about making a one off trip and stocking up on loads and loads of berries? (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries- anything)? They freeze really well, and can be put straight into your blender from the freezer- they seem more expensive, but seem to go further than other fruit- just 6 strawberries and a banana with a little yoghurt and water makes a good healthy smoothie.

Rachie_B

good idea about freezing fruits when on offer / cheaper as starting to turn etc then using straight from freezer in your morning smoothie

i buy cheapy bananas ,freeze and then use straight from freezer gives a cold,creamier smoothie than a room temp banana

melancholly

you can also get bags of frozen fruit at a reasonable price in the supermarket, and i wuld guess that sainsburys will stock it. that should reduce the need to go weekly.

for me, just going to the supermarket less often has saved me money! i go once every six weeks and stock up, then just have to make do with what i have. i get a veg box every week which does most meals - i could probably get the contents cheaper at a supermarket but they would have lots of airmiles and i'd come out with twice as much stuff as i intended. self-control would be a better long-term solution for me, but this works for now!

realistically, it's not like you're going nuts in the supermarket and spending lots and lots, but it's the fruit that adds up..... if you want to cut down that's the easiest thing to cut down on....

JennyW_2

Spirited wrote:

so it's a good idea to make sure that you get the right balance between the two - I think it's two fruit and three veg.

You are doing great though, and I bet you are fighting fit too.

oh, perhaps this is where I'm going wrong then? I've been blending 5/6 pieces of fruit because I was assuming this was my daily intake? I'm been making them into a drink because it's hard to eat 5/6 pieces of fruit and therefore easier to drink it from my desk at work. I also have veg in the evenings with my meal

It's obviously 5 pieces of fruit and veg - looks like I'm over doing it. Healthy though, haven't had a cold in years

Spendless

JennyW wrote:

oh, perhaps this is where I'm going wrong then? I've been blending 5/6 pieces of fruit because I was assuming this was my daily intake? I'm been making them into a drink because it's hard to eat 5/6 pieces of fruit and therefore easier to drink it from my desk at work. I also have veg in the evenings with my meal

It's obviously 5 pieces of fruit and veg - looks like I'm over doing it. Healthy though, haven't had a cold in years

My understanding is that you can only count a drink once per day towards your 5 a day regardless of how many different fruits are in the drink or how much you drink. Eating whole fruit seperately should count as individual portions eg an apple and a banana is 2 portions but made into a drink is only one IYSWIM
http://www.groundworkgreaternottingham.org.uk/fig/fiveaday/why.htm

JennyW_2

My understanding is that you can only count a drink once per day towards your 5 a day regardless of how many different fruits are in the drink or how much you drink.

but how can it only count as one when you mix 5/6 pieces of fruit in a blender?

Stompa

http://www.5aday.nhs.uk/

JennyW_2

well that's a blooming nuisance :mad:

Spendless

JennyW wrote:

but how can it only count as one when you mix 5/6 pieces of fruit in a blender?

When I was at a slimming club which had similar rules (whole fruit was 'free' blended into a drink was counted) their explanation was as you've said it's quite hard to eat 5 or 6 pieces of fruit so eating whole added to your general 'full up' ness and encouraged more healthy eating eg you'd be full after 6 pieces of fruit and wouldn't manage the bag of chips/slice of cake unlike if you drank the 6 pieces as a smoothie.
I have no idea if the government rules are same but it does say you can only count a drink once a day on the link I gave earlier, there are a few others that only count as once a day too regardless of how many are eaten.

ETA_ i've just looked at the other link, right it's to do with fibre yes that would make sense, it will also be fibre that makes eating an apple be fuller than drinking the juice as per the slimming clubs rules above.