How do you eat healthly on £50 a week?

m33r4

This is my weekly struggle to feed 4 of us (2 adults + 2 teens). I would find it impossible to do this on £50-00. I know of single people who need about £50 weekly to eat healthy and well per week. If you are managing on £50 a week for a family you are are very likely eating a lot of carbohydrate junk or processed meals full of additives. In the long run of saving some money you may risk your health and wellbeing.

Morrisons' mag this month have this feature "5 family meals for under £25". The portions are fit for 1.5 adults at a stretch. I don't see how any one can follow this weekly menu and feel like they've eaten anything yet in the same mag the daily calories have increased from 1200 to 2000 for women recently? These meals will never achieve such a recommended daily intake.

CH27

m33r4 wrote: »

This is my weekly struggle to feed 4 of us (2 adults + 2 teens). I would find it impossible to do this on £50-00. I know of single people who need about £50 weekly to eat healthy and well per week. If you are managing on £50 a week for a family you are are very likely eating a lot of carbohydrate junk or processed meals full of additives. In the long run of saving some money you may risk your health and wellbeing.

Morrisons' mag this month have this feature "5 family meals for under £25". The portions are fit for 1.5 adults at a stretch. I don't see how any one can follow this weekly menu and feel like they've eaten anything yet in the same mag the daily calories have increased from 1200 to 2000 for women recently? These meals will never achieve such a recommended daily intake.

Rubbish!
I spend £45 per week for 3 adults. We eat fresh food every day.
The key is good planning & clever shopping.

m33r4

CH27 wrote: »

Rubbish!
I spend £45 per week for 3 adults. We eat fresh food every day.
The key is good planning & clever shopping.

Please calm down. We are not here to argue. I hope it's not something you ate?

If you wouldn't mind, please give me a list of your week's menu and where you shop at, which part of the country you shop in etc so I can be as savvy as you?

Many thanks:)

SmallL

Me and my boyfriend easily live off this amount, weekly shop is like this:

2 packs of 500g lean mince at £5 (always on offer as 2 for a fiver)
1 Pack of chicken breasts about £ 2-3
2 for 3 pound on fish fillets
Diced lamb (about £2.50)
Pack of three peppers
Pack of mushrooms
Pack of 3 onions
Frozen mixed veg (all above veg amounts to about a fiver i think)
Pack of granola yoghurts (six) about £2
Milk
Cereal (about 2 pounds)
Tinned tomatoes (value- about 30p each)
Wraps (about a quid)
Fajhita spice mix (about a quid)
Jar of Indian sauce (about a quid)

From this i usually make:

Chilli con carne
Lamb Saag
Chicken fajitas
Pasta Bolognese
Fish with a sauce and veg

This is only if i have the basics in my cupboard such as dried pasta. Also im not a huge lunch person so cant help with that sorry

m33r4

CH27 wrote: »

Rubbish!
I spend £45 per week for 3 adults. We eat fresh food every day.
The key is good planning & clever shopping.

The key is also in your "3 adults". I have 2 children/teens so the shopping will certainly vary.

m33r4

SmallL wrote: »

....

This is only if i have the basics in my cupboard such as dried pasta. Also im not a huge lunch person so cant help with that sorry

This is where a lot of costs arise too. Oil, butter and other cupboard fillers, rice, pasta, seasoning, sauces are costs quite a lot of money and add up.

I shop for offers all the time and never buy anything but economy to save money.

quintwins

CH27 wrote: »

Rubbish!
I spend £45 per week for 3 adults. We eat fresh food every day.
The key is good planning & clever shopping.

i agree i have 2 adults and 3 children and £50 a week gets us plenty, we eat lots of fresh fruit, we rarely have fresh veg with the exception of carrots as frozen is cheaper and usually fresher, our local butcher does 3 large chickens for £5 and we buy big portions of mince and freeze in portions and big sacks of spuds which keep for 2-3 weeks, alot of our food has yellow stickers and i most definatly couldn't manage without my chest freezer but we do eat quite healthy

SmallL

m33r4 wrote: »

This is where a lot of costs arise too. Oil, butter and other cupboard fillers, rice, pasta, seasoning, sauces are costs quite a lot of money and add up.

I shop for offers all the time and never buy anything but economy to save money.

Have you tried a local foreign foods market/supermarket to get rice? they usually have big sacks quite cheap.

m33r4

SmallL wrote: »

Have you tried a local foreign foods market/supermarket to get rice? they usually have big sacks quite cheap.

My local one sells brown rice (which takes long to cook so more gas is used) costs £6 for 5 kg.

Basmati rice = £8-£10 for 5kg.

2 litre oil (lasts me 2-3 weeks depending on how often I fry) = nearly £4 .

m33r4

quintwins wrote: »

i agree i have 2 adults and 3 children and £50 a week gets us plenty, we eat lots of fresh fruit, we rarely have fresh veg with the exception of carrots as frozen is cheaper and usually fresher, our local butcher does 3 large chickens for £5 and we buy big portions of mince and freeze in portions and big sacks of spuds which keep for 2-3 weeks, alot of our food has yellow stickers and i most definatly couldn't manage without my chest freezer but we do eat quite healthy

A few questions please:
How much do you spend on fresh fruit per week and are we talking just apples of other fruits too?
The only veg you have are frozen carrots?
Do you buy your meat from a halal shop as their prices are rock bottom or is this from a known supermarket?
3 large chickens for £5 = is that boiling chicken? Do the 3 chickens last 3meals?
Do you have a dessert after your meals - if so do you buy that or make it and if so have you counted the ingredients within your £50 weekly shopping?
What do you give your 3 kids for their packed lunches or do you pay for that separately in dinner money?
With regards to the 2 adults - do you buy your lunches daily?
What is the chest freezer for - are you buying in bulk to make savings and are then splitting the big buy cost into weekly amounts to give a figure of £50 per week here?

Thanks.