How much meat do you eat?

3v3

mrsdwhite wrote: »

Hi,
I'm relatively new to the old style boards and still learning. I've signed up to the grocery challenge and looking to find ways of trimming down the costs. So, I was wondering, how much meat do you eat on a weekly basis? I have to admit that we tend to use quite a lot, with most of our meals being meat based. I just don't know what sort of thing to do without meat that will be a) filling as DH eats quite a bit and b) that our 3 year old will happily eat, she is a real carnivore and as good as she is with veg/ trying new things I don't want to put her off with completely different things to her norm.

Meat is the protein element of the meal. So, to cut costs you would be substituting the protein element.

How about egg based meals? Frittatas/Omlettes/Quiches/etc.

Cheese can make a substitute protein meal. E.g. Add grated cheese and grated onion to mashed potato and bake in the oven until golden and crispy on top = filling, hearty meal served with seasonal veg.

Lentils are filling and act as a meat substitute. Good in curries, pastas, casseroles.

Have you tried substituting half minced meat with half soya mince? That would reduce your costs, still have a "meaty" element/flavour/texture and it really isn't too obvious either in a bolognaise/lasagne/chilli/savoury mince/meatloaf recipe.

Sausagemeat mixed with sage and onion stuffing mix is frugal and makes a hearty meatloaf. Cheaper than chops/mince/chicken.

Learn how to joint a chicken: if you look at the price per kilo of chichen pieces vs the price deals on 3 chickens for £12, you will find it is far cheaper to buy whole and joint them yourself. The carcasses are great for making stock which adds a fabulous flavour to, say, a mushroom or pea risotto (meatless, but with the flavour of chicken from the stock).

Or using a bone based stock to make chunky vegetable soups serve with chunky bread - filling

Or, get in the habit of serving a veg based soup *before* your main meal and serve smaller portions of the main meal because the soup will fill tummies first and take the edge of everyone's appetite.

Linda32

Our typical weeks meals would be.

Chicken Curry, with, if you imagine I was to grab an handfull of chicken. I don't handle food like that btw just an example. This would be between 2 of us. Remember these rice and naan bread with this.

The same amount with potatoes, veg and stuffing.

Spag Bol, 500g of mince makes about 5 portions. With courgettes and carrots added.

That would be about all of the meat meals.

After that, Pasta with cheese sauce over with veggies and a couple of rashers of bacon chopped up.

Pasta with tomato sauce with crusty bread.

Edited to add, I forgot sausage and mash, I have one OH has two. So a packet of 8 does for at least two meals.

rachbc

we eat meat all but 1 day a week - but sometimes that might just be a few slices of bacon in a pasta sauce or quiche. I work on 100g per person per meal raw weight for mince/ boneless chicken etc

Scrapaholic

Hi, don't eat red meat , pork very rarely . I buy quorn mince for bolognese or chill and we like that . Roast a big chicken , salmon usually weekly too. Don't miss red meat at all and I haven't eaten it for many years .

M0neysav3r

Every day we have some sort of meat or fish....

We tend to eat Minced beef or pork, Sausages, Chicken, Pork, Salmon and Tuna and have one of these with every meal...... DH would not be happy without meat on his plate

Aarons_mummy

I'm not a huge meat eater we normally have a couple of chicken dishes a week and one with either sausage/bacon through pasta or something so around 3 nights a week. Could be more, could be less depending on what I have in, what has been a good buy, whether i have things to use up or whether I got any whoopsies. I buy 2 chickens which lasts me and my son the entire month but I also use it in meals for my mum and her friend a good few times a month and my sons dad for curries a couple of times a month so it stretches a lot really.

I buy the cooking bacon at 75p and use a pack or 2 a month depending on what I'm making. Sausages are normally just a couple of packs of skinless ones at 87p from Asda a couple of times a month.

If I have went to the butchers at the market I buy a couple of blocks of lorne sausage which lasts us quite a while as well.

I used to make meat a lot but now I am happy enough with veg. Making puddings also helps (although not with the waistline ) my son loves home made warm cookies with a scoop of ice cream or a yoghurt/jelly. All very cheap but lovely.

MandM90

We usually eat meat or fish about 6 days a week; one day we will eat lentil spaghetti or a chickpea curry but more because we like them than a conscious choice. I do some things to cut grocery costs; eating in season, taking advantage of offers and using turkey or less popular white fish but I have a three year old as well and I want her to be well nourished and experience a good range of foods; one thing I will never understand is buying marked down meat and fish; most of the stuff I see is quite clearly past it's best and I'd rather eat veggie than touch it! Lentils and chickpeas are filling and yummy, as are eggs as someone else mentioned.

LondonDreamer

We have meat in some form (including fish) most days. But I'd say I get 6 portions from about 500g of meat, more like 8 if it's a stew type meal. This is without stretching, I'd rather serve a small meat portion with lots of veg. Mainly chicken and fish, pork or beef maybe once a week unless I bought a joint (rarely) which is stretched to at least three meals. We will have a simple egg based dish at least weekly, but it will have a bit of ham or bacon in it. More for flavour than anything else.

I do sometimes make dishes like chilli with veggie mince though, prefer the texture.

katiecoodle

My DS who is only 5 saw a hog roast a few months ago and far from being fascinated, as we'd hoped, he in fact turned vegetarian. I am quite proud of him for being so principled so I have endeavoured to cater for him. However DS and DH truly are carnivores. I have found something in sainsburys though - called Beanfeast, which is in bolognese or chilli flavour, and it looks just like mince but it isn't. It is dead cheap and no-one (except the 5 yr old - who is sworn to secrecy) knows it isn't meat. Its well worth a try. Also -we eat eggs quite a bit, and I have increased the nuts that we're all eating too so we have the extra protein.

VfM4meplse

Precisely none - for the last 15 years.

I like to think that during this time, every singke cell in my body will have regenerated and I am thoroughly cleansed .