Weezl's phase 1- recipe testing and frugalisation- come one, come all!

weezl74

would you like me to write about why I think it's ok to include the small amount of white sugar we're including in the planner Ceridwen? I'm happy to if that will help.

ceridwen

Bit puzzled re the white sugar point Weezl...as white sugar has no nutritional value at all. I understand that its there in the planner to make up the calories - so that no-one loses weight inadvertently?? You've explained the reason for its presence by telling us that.

Re your earlier comment - ie about the scrutiny from people because this is a cheap mealplanner. Its been put forward as a healthy mealplanner - hence everyone is automatically going to check for "health factors" - to see if it is. That's the mindset of Britain in 2010 - with the Government we have/the advertisers we have/the relationship set-ups there are/etc - we've all learnt we have to check everything we're told.

The "scrutiny" - from what I can see - always comes into play on any MSE thread that states its both healthy and cheap - as people check it out against their own parameters.

I think most people realize that wholemeal goods are dearer than white ones and honey is dearer than sugar for instance. There are various other ways that a healthy diet costs more - and that doesnt mean to say that people will happily accept the thought of handing over more dosh to ensure that their diet is healthy - they just know its necessary, so they do. Having said that - I think I spent only about £15 last week - so yay:T
So - with the fact that those of us who place health as our top priority in deciding what food to buy/eat - then we would still check a low-cost meal planner (ANY low cost meal planner...) to see if there were cheaper fruit/veg we could use instead of what we are actually using and perhaps cheaper flours (though still not white)/cheaper grains/cheaper nuts - as we would also like to save money if we could.

oldMcDonald

ceridwen wrote: »

QUERY: there is the odd recipe in the first one that features soya flour or tofu as ingredients. Its a 1985 cookbook - so I think that was probably before people became very wary of buying anything soya (as soya beans are usually now genetically-modified OR contaminated by ones that are on the one hand - darn M**santo). So I need a substitute for soya flour to be able to do those particular recipes - does anyone know of one please? Its very few of the recipes that are affected by this G.M. Factor - but I'd like to be able to work my way through the lot....

I've used oat flour in place of soy flour and it seemed to be a reasonable substitue. HTH x

FrankieM

Morning,
Sorry I wasn't around to support you on your slight downer weezl. as others have said there is no rush. I'm happy to start when you feel happy and comfortable.

The loaf tins would be really appreciated. Shall I PM you my address or send it via email?
I hope you feeling better. Be good to yourself, my friend xxx

ceridwen

oldMcDonald wrote: »

I've used oat flour in place of soy flour and it seemed to be a reasonable substitue. HTH x

:T - Thanks for that...I thought someone on here might know the answer to that:D


Hmm....thinks....I wonder if one could make your own oat flour by grinding down some form of oats (eg my jumbo porridge oats for instance). I think I might try that - stick a handful of them into my electric coffee grinder..:think:

(just made a note in front of that cookbook telling myself to use oat flour instead).

weezl74

I might be wrong but I do think that more scrutiny is placed on a very low budget thread than a medium low budget thread. There is not enough calcium for example in gingham ribbons vegetarian meal planner (which I think is excellent BTW), but I don't think anyone critiqued it in the same way.

I may be wrong though.

About white sugar having no nutritional value, I disagree. And I am happy to explain why and why I believe the planner is still healthy if anyone would like me to.

weezl74

FrankieM wrote: »

Morning,
Sorry I wasn't around to support you on your slight downer weezl. as others have said there is no rush. I'm happy to start when you feel happy and comfortable.

The loaf tins would be really appreciated. Shall I PM you my address or send it via email?
I hope you feeling better. Be good to yourself, my friend xxx

either is fine frankie, possibly a slight preference for email cos my PM box fills up v quickly these days

FrankieM

Allegra I'm happy to go ahead without a bulk cooking day plan and feedback to you if that helps you out

FrankieM

weezl About the scrutiny on 'cheap' meal plans. I can remember Black Saturn posting her very low budget meal plan and being lambasted about the lack of fruit and veg and goodness knows what.
I wonder if we baulk against the idea, that in reality, we could spend alot less on food and it still be just as healthy or even perhaps more so, than someone who spends £500.

Sian_the_Green

weezl74 wrote: »

or she may decide she's a £105 a month person because of the tea. And that's ok too

A family I know where they are careful with money, as Mum has chosen to stay at home with the 4 children, each of the adults have an 'allowance' of £20 a month. I guess B+S could do something similar. So if they have a chocolate obsession they would buy that with their £5, or it could be tea, or mangos.... Doesn't mean you need to change the plan for those things, just that if people have something like that they can add it in, knowing it isn't an 'essential' and so wouldn't be in the plan!
At work we have a kitty that is £1 a week for tea and coffee and I would find it very very hard not to be part of that, tea and coffee in our office is a bit of a social thing. I wouldn't include for that in a planner and if I was really cutting costs I would get rid

I do hope you take time to sit back and recognise how well you have done! I mean look how many pages of content there are!

Please don't worry too much!