Is there anywhere I might be able to get free fruit and veg?

babyshoes

I think speaking to the GP about getting vitamins is a good idea - not ideal long term, but if as you say you have enough to fill you up but not enough fruit and veg it would certainly help in the short term. If you don't get free prescriptions or are seriously malnourished, I wonder if they would be able to provide it in the surgery as a jab to give you an instant boost...

Failing that, they could refer you to the food bank in your area - I'm sure if you went there and said ''I have a bit of xyz in the cupboard so I need mostly fruit and veg type foods for vitamins'' they would do their best, though it would likely be dry or tinned as food banks seldom have the ability to store fresh produce.

In the future, even when you think you have your money under control again, it may be worth keeping a small rotating stock of tinned / dried fruit and veg in your cupboard. Cheap staples like baked beans are surprisingly healthy apart from the added salt and sugar - they still contain a lot of essential nutrients. Tinned tomato is actually healthier than fresh tomato - the cooking process releases some of the nutrients so your body can use them. Raisins or sultanas can be added to lots of dishes both sweet and savoury, and a little goes a long way as they are dried, so a small handful is easily 1 of your 5 a day. Frozen veg can also be pretty cheap, and lurk happily in your freezer until needed - nutritionally it is as good, or sometimes actually better than the supposedly fresh stuff in the supermarkets which has been hanging around for weeks.

valk_scot

I go to my local Tesco in the evening at final reduction time and I can easily get a carrier bag of fruit and veg for under £1. Things like a cauliflower or bag of apples for 8p, bags of salad or a whole lettuce for 5p, big bag of potatoes for 30p. If you combined this with change hunting then I would think you could very well pick up £1 a week from the streets for fruit and veg. Once you've got it then most F&V will freeze or at least keep in the fridge for a few days.

sophlowe45

Shame you dont have any fruit and veg markets nearby.

For anyone else who does, some markets have a reputation for a lot of fruit and veg going to the bin every single night. You have to get there early morning as they are closing.

Carry on with skipping.

Try to find some local squats in your area, offer to help out, or go skipping with them, usually a few people go skipping and bring the food back for everyone to eat together.

sophlowe45

Is there any way you could get excess stuff from neighbours?

one of mine doesnt eat fish if its the last day of the use by date and throws it away.

i really struggle like most young single people i know, not to throw away food. once i open a pack of mushrooms, cook some, and the rest go bad so quickly, i'd love to give the extra away and be rid of the rest of the packet.

shandyclover

Not sure if it is any use to you but I did some research a few years ago when our family were going through a very rough few months with very little money and living in a foreign country, we have 4 kids and what fruit and veg we could afford hubby and I were rationing out to them.

- Nettles are suprisingly high in iron, vitamin a and some protein and can be made into soup etc. Googling will probably give you more of an idea but I was really suprised how this much maligned weed actually helped supplement people's diet through WW2.

http://www.dryit.com/nettles.html

http://www.practicalprimitive.com/skillofthemonth/pineneedletea.html

Mojisola

Nettles aren't very good to eat at this time of year. They're best used during the Spring.

barbarawright

This has a few ideas for foraging at this time of year


http://worcestershire.livingmag.co.uk/food-for-free-november/

Butterfly_Brain

I made a big batch of rosehip syrup it is very sweet, but full of vitamin C. We had a bad year for all hedgerow fruits this year, no damsons, hardly any blackberries, cherries, apples or pears, there might be some hazelnuts or chestnuts about but you have to fight the squirrels for them.
Do you have a local greengrocer? He might have stuff that is on the turn that he will sell cheaply.

suzybloo

Do you live in a farming area - or is it easily accessible. Around us there are empty fields where potatoes were lifted recently, and there are so many left behind - it is such a waste, My nephew was out last week with his pal and came back with two carrier bags full. Are there any fields of carrots or turnips - you could maybe 'acquire' one or two from the edges of the field, which will probably be wasted by the tractors turning anyway. Definately go with the rosehips - even a couple of spoonfulls each day would make a difference to you, I remember my dad telling me as kids in the '30's they used to take the pips out of the middle of them and chew the outer red bits, making sure there were no little hairy bits on them first, just a couple of ideas,

sarah222

I went to tesco last night and with the usual bunch of people who go at discount time waiting whilst the young man reduced each item and someone grabbed it. I then watched an older lady go tho what the store worker hadn't yet reduced and hold it in her arms. I decided to copy to see what happens and gathered up what he hadnt done yet but I wanted. When he finished the rush the woman quietly walked up to him and asked him to reduce her items which he did. I then did the same. Wow what a far better way lol he reduced each item I had hold of and I placed each one calmly in my trolley. I got 1 large bag or apples, 2 bags of parsnips, 1 savoy, 2 bags of cut prepared cabbage, 1 bag of batton prepared carrots, 1 pack of 6 toms, 1 large bag of sprouts, 1 pack of 2 sweetcorns, 2 bags of mangetout, 1 x 3 selection pack of humous, 1 x 3 pack of courgettes, 1 Basil Plant for the total of 82p OMG very happy with that. My 2 little daughters were with me and I got so excited I treated them to a chocolate apple each (sshhh he reduced them to 5p each lol) what a bargain and the kids were happy to. So Mr Tesco worker same time next week then ;-)