Living on a food parcel for a week - need meal ideas

CH27

I'd be looking to do things with eggs for the protein.
Egg mayo jacket spud
Omelettes
Scrambled eggs.

Tuna is also a cheapish protein
Tuna mayo jacket spud
Tuna omelette

7 jackets = £1.40
15 eggs £1.25

DontGiveUp2011

Can't you go to the local market / grocers instead? They have much cheaper prices for Veg than the supermarkets, esp if you time it well & get some bargains when they are closing. Pus no plastic wrap or unnecessary bags!
Chop a few veggies - tomatoes, carrots, onions, courgette, peppers, leeks, potatoes etc - put them in a pre-warmed oven with oil, and roast for half an hour or however long suits your taste.
Roasted veg can then be made into lasagne - use corn pasta for GF - or a kind of pasta bake thing. I make this a lot and it lasts at least 4 days.
If you make a large quantity of roast veg, you can turn some of it into soup - really tasty! Roasted Veg can be used in wraps, baked pots, etc

What about getting cheaper meat and slow cooking it? The cooking will make the meat soft, so the quality won't matter as much.

Chick peas are tasty, and make meals go a long way - try a curry or casserole, and then blend it when you are bored, into soup!

Egg recipes:
http://www.eggrecipes.co.uk/recipes/tag/budget-meals

Potato recipes:
http://www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/recipes/food-budgeting/

moo2moo

2.5kg value potatoes 69p. Eat 'em as jackets, mashed or even as a potato salad with a splodge of value mayonaise (48p) mixed in. For a little variety add a bag of rice at 40p a kilo.

A can of tuna (49p) will stretch to two days jacket spud filling with the help of your mayo.

Quorn chicken pieces are currently on offer at 500g for £2. Whilst its a big part of your budget 125g of Quorn a day is a reasonable portion size and takes care of 4 meals. Add a can of value curry sauce at 15p or splurge on Value sweet and sour sauce at 27p. Bulk out with an onion and a couple of handfulls of value mixed frozen veg at 75p.

Rice pudding is an easy breakfast at 13p a can. Each one will stretch to two days and can be spiced up with a spoonful of jam at 29p or lemon curd at 22p. Much cheaper than wheat free cereal and saves you having to buy milk.

Total spend so far £3.93 (plus an onion). You still need 3 main meals (tins of meatballs at 43p are a possibility as is omlette) and potato filling for the rest of the week as well as whatever you intend to drink and a bit more fruit and veg wouldn't go amiss.

You'd also need to consider eating more calories than normal as someone one this level of food budget is unlikely to be heating their home or driving a car and so would use a lot more energy just keeping warm or getting from A to B.

I'm pretty sure on that sort of a budget you wouldn't be buying anything from the free from range, you'd stick to the carbohydrates that you can eat which would mean rice cakes (49p per pack) instead of bread.

CKhalvashi

Little_Vics wrote: »

thanks guys! It's certainly going to be a challenge, but that's why we're doing it to be honest.

I’ve fed a family of 4 on £10 for a week before, to get a similar project complete in our community. The condition that I personally placed on this was that I had £40 for cigarettes the day before. (I smoke Polish Marlboros from the pub)

It was pasta, pasta and more pasta for main meals, which I know you can’t eat

It can be done, but requires a lot of careful planning.

Good luck!

CK

MILLYMOLLY

Can I ask what would have been in the red cross food parcel?

Are you allowed to buy reduced items, at the end of the day?

Lexxi

Could you look at variations of things you can't eat? Like rye/crisp bread, potato cakes. Gnocchi is a potato pasta I don't know if these are GF but if you have extra things to keep your eye out for it might be easier? Failing that maybe make your own? Time your shopping to get lots of reduced items. Is there anything you definately want to include for the week?

babyshoes

I agree with others who say to avoid expensive carbs, and stick with the ones you can eat - potatoes potatoes potatoes, rice rice rice! As it is only for a week, don't panic too much if you find you are a bit short on protein - but do try to keep up your intake of veg. Overcooked cauliflower with the liquid squeezed out is a good carb substitute too, yummy with a curry instead of rice. Also, go for starchy veg to fill you up - things like carrots, parsnips, squash, corn etc. Compare fresh with frozen - there are times when the frozen is cheaper.

I also agree with the suggestion to find out when reductions are made, then hit the yellow stickers for cheap veg and perhaps a very reduced meaty treat.

Good luck, and well done for taking part in something so worthwhile!

Little_Vics

you're all amazing - thank you.

hermum

If you can eat the same thing for days then I would make a huge stew. If you get a pork hock they're about £1.50 at Morrisons, not sure about Tesco.
A couple £'s on veg & you've got your main meal for the week.

Sheahaven

Porridge oats:

I think 500g of porridge from Lidl is under 60p.

These oats would be good for breakie (fills you up way past lunchtime).
Good for adding some to stews n stuff, so less meat used (and even less veg too.

For anyone using oats in such a ' Food Parcel diet', would mean they are still getting nutrition and fibre too.