Where do I start? How do I feed us all for under £500 a month?

patchwork_cat

Fruit and yoghurt for breakfast. Any sort of salad for lunch. Have you looked into glycaemic load cooking. I am also assuming that you have been to your Dr to discuss metformin.

Skint_yet_Again

How about tinned pilchards for breakfast. Quick and healthy omega 3 rich. I buy them in tomato sauce and even my DS (16yo) will eat them mashed up on toast - try your kids with them you never know.

Eggs can be a bit bland on their own maybe poached/scrambled egg with grilled tomatoes/mushrooms. Omelete with peppers, mushrooms, corgettes maybe some grated cheese on top. Ham and eggs.

*Large breakfast mushrooms sprinkle with oil and grilled then stuffed with goats cheese and bacon or goats cheese and walnuts and finished under grill

* If you are pushed for time in the mornings how about making omelete the night before and using it as a "wrap" around bacon, or sausage, maybe ham and cheese, wrap in greaseproof paper and eat cold or warm in microwave next morning.

I also changed to A1di and have greatly reduced my shopping bill. I find it cheaper and not seduced by so many "special offers"

angelil

Go vegetarian at home - seriously. My food bill plummeted when I did. Or even if you don't go veggie the entire week, cut out meat for half the week. Even that will make a huge difference to your spending.

ubamother

As angelil says, cutting down meat can drastically affect your budget - and diet. We usually only have meat twice a week, and occasionally a wee bit of bacon for a weekend breakfast. As a result we eat a much greater range of veg (it's amazing how many veg you can cram into fajitas and curries!). This allows me to buy very high end meat, which tastes so much better it takes much less to satisfy my hungry lot. Even with the more expensive meat, we are still better off.

I can't comment on no-carb meals as I have no experience of dealing with this, but I do know that a specific food issue can lead to unnecessarily boring eating. It does take work initially to get some variety, and to make sure you don't get caught in a food rut.

I'm a big fan of mushrooms for breakfast - and things like spanish omelette (with the veg but without the potato) might be a good way to get a good breakfast.

I think it might be helpful to make sure the whole family know this is an issue, so it's not seen as Mum nagging on and being mean etc. etc.

Butterfly_Brain

Here is a great low carb site and has lots of dishes that would suit a gluten free diet
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/

mildred1978

angelil wrote: »

Go vegetarian at home - seriously. My food bill plummeted when I did. Or even if you don't go veggie the entire week, cut out meat for half the week. Even that will make a huge difference to your spending.

I doubt this is an option if the OP can't eat carbs or pulses!

duchy

Lots of ideas here -but I think the first stage is simpler-it's getting into menu planning. Once you are into the habit it's so much easier to make changes and adjustments.

Crocswearer

A couple of suggestions which might help:

Tes*o value shower gel is fab for cleaning the bath/wash basin.

I read on this forum about an Ebay seller who does great low cost bulk washing powder - I've got it, its top quality: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/mrsudssoapfactory

Hope this helps.