£7.00 per week - menu ideas

mumof2nanof2

I have great fun making this. The first time is a real laugh, I expected it all to wash away. Once you have a really good stock the seitan takes on any flavour you give it. It is super high in protein and has no fat in it. Certainly worth trying. A lot of chinese restaurants and takeaways use it and meat eaters don't even know.

mumof2nanof2

You can also buy this at Holland and Barratt for 1.99 a tin. Already in a stock and ready to eat but you only get a small amount.

flowers2veg

I think you are all doing wonderful jobs feeding yourselves for such low amounts but I do wonder what next, with prices rising so fast and many of the value products disappearing is anyone else worried what they will be eating in a years time. Just wondering because I am not sure that I can cut back any more.

Soworried

flowers2veg wrote: »

I think you are all doing wonderful jobs feeding yourselves for such low amounts but I do wonder what next, with prices rising so fast and many of the value products disappearing is anyone else worried what they will be eating in a years time. Just wondering because I am not sure that I can cut back any more.

That is my fear as well
Like you say it is not just price increases but also items disappearing. Lidl used to do a weekend meat offer that would get us through the week, now it is rare that they have meat in the offer or if they do there is little meat on it, like ribs. You can't make ribs stretch :mad:
Now the super 6 going to a price I just can't pay out. We can't be sure that I can find enough ys food to feed the four of us. It really does worry me. Even making a basic soup at home has shot up in price with the doubling of the price of stock cubes.

flowers2veg

I am so glad it is not just me feeling this way, I do not mean that in a horrible way, it is just that I feel I have been priced out of so many foods that our diet is dwindling. There is also 4 of us two adults and two very fussy teenagers who are like a swarm of locust. As adults we know that we have to eat what is available to us but teenagers are a world of their own, they of course have no choice but it does make life very miserable. I am currently spending £60-70 a week but my shopping trolley is looking less and less full. What are we to do I really do not know. But I am sticking to these boards like glue.
Gonna have a go at that seitan worth a try.

[Deleted User]

I noticed that Aldi's super six has risen to 89p this week.Not a great bargain if they want to snaffle customers from the other supermarkets.I lknow they can only price what they can, but I bought a lovely large savoy cabbage in my local independant greengrocers this morning for 50p.I am lucky that I have one close by, as the Tesco's one was far smaller and dearer (I nipped in to check their price).I managed to buy the cabbage ,a cucumber, some radishes, three leeks,two parsnips 2 sweet potato's and a head of brocolli for £3.70.so I saved quite a bit on the supermarket price and I am helping to support a local business.As I live alone I only need smaller amounts anyway,but the cabbage will last me for at least a week making different stuff with it or as an accompaniment to other things
Supermarkets have hogged the market far too long and I do my best to shop around as much as possible.Sainsbobs basic veg or chicken stock cubes are still not too expensive .I may have a bit of a stockpile of those for the coming months as I love HM soups.

Soworried

flowers2veg wrote: »

I am so glad it is not just me feeling this way, I do not mean that in a horrible way, it is just that I feel I have been priced out of so many foods that our diet is dwindling. There is also 4 of us two adults and two very fussy teenagers who are like a swarm of locust. As adults we know that we have to eat what is available to us but teenagers are a world of their own, they of course have no choice but it does make life very miserable. I am currently spending £60-70 a week but my shopping trolley is looking less and less full. What are we to do I really do not know. But I am sticking to these boards like glue.
Gonna have a go at that seitan worth a try.

I don't think we will be in a minority
Teenagers here as well so I know the locust problem all to well. We have a similar budget, the worst thing is when the kids ask for something, take bonfire night as an example they wanted friends round. I only spent £9 but that takes up a large % of my budget.
They don't ask for a lot so I felt they deserved it. But now I have to pull my belt in even tighter to compensate for it.
One of the worst things is the monotony of the meals. I get down sometimes trying to think of a different way to use things up.

modern_millie_2

Hi, just popped on to this thread, I am noticing this too, we are veggie but never buy tofu now, and ration Quorn - use two thirds of what I used to use - both expensive products. We do like beans, chick peas etc but would prefer not every day! Like cashew nuts, but these are going to be extended with value peanuts from now on. Eggs are still fairly reasonable but the OH can easily get through 4 a day if he has sandwiches and an egg based dinner. I feel for people who have no reserves of cash or food.

flowers2veg

I know what you mean about the monotony and getting down. I spend a fair amount of time looking for cheap meals on line and it is getting harder to find nice food on the cheap. I think it is a great deal of pressure on our shoulders and then when you try out a new recipe and all you get is unhappy faces it is no fun. Like you say the children do deserve treats occasionally but it is so hard to recoup the outlay. My two also have very different tastes which can make things difficult.
At least we are not alone in the fight against food poverty.

flowers2veg

modern_millie wrote: »

Hi, just popped on to this thread, I am noticing this too, we are veggie but never buy tofu now, and ration Quorn - use two thirds of what I used to use - both expensive products. We do like beans, chick peas etc but would prefer not every day! Like cashew nuts, but these are going to be extended with value peanuts from now on. Eggs are still fairly reasonable but the OH can easily get through 4 a day if he has sandwiches and an egg based dinner. I feel for people who have no reserves of cash or food.

I know what you are say about tofu and quorn, we are not veggie but I used to use it to substitute meat but it is now too pricey for me. We use a lot of eggs but cannot afford free range which saddens me but needs must. I think we are really heading towards big problems.