Is there such a thing as good bread? And other breakfast ideas

Munchkinsmum

I'm trying to cut our food budget in half from this week, and I'm trying to sort out breakfasts. Hubby and I have smoothies (no idea how I am going to budget them, berries are so expensive!) but first off working out the kids. I'm happy to buy no sugary cereals but would like a few healthy suggestions that I've likely missed.

They both love weetabix and porridge - trouble is my son will eat 6 in one sitting, and they tend to be lazy and avoid porridge if it isn't in sachets.

What other options could I give them? I'm hoping for things they can prepare themselves as I start work early - so nothing cooked essentially. I was thinking toast but I hate baking bread and sliced bread is mostly full of nasties. They don't like plain yoghurt even mixed with things, and neither are keen on bananas.

redfox

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AnnieO1234

Smoothies - check out frozen berries, particularly aldi/Iceland/farm foods type places. Do you add yogurt? If so, making your own might be cheaper.

Downgrade the weetabix if you can get away with it, and when you say the sachets it sounds like you mean the oatso simple type. Try supermarkets own brand or ready brek style as it sounds as though the issue is smoothness.

Have you thought of things like muffins? Banana bread based ones, blueberry etc. And of course eggs! Cheap and very versatile, boiled egg, pancakes, omelette, breakfast burritos! The choice is yours.

Xxx

Cornucopia

Aldi is particularly good for breakfast cereals. They have virtually all the normal varieties, much cheaper than elsewhere.

Also large tubs of natural yogurt - add fruit, sweeten with a little sugar or honey. Or add muesli to yogurt.

You can make porridge effortlessly in the microwave - one cup oats, one cup water, one cup milk. Microwave in an over-size bowl for 4 mins. (Need a large bowl as it tends to swell up during cooking). Aldi oats - 75p/kg

maman

I'd certainly agree with downshifting the cereals to Aldi.


Try Farmfoods for frozen berries as well. Very soon, you'll be able to go foraging for blackberries which should cut your bill down. Also, freeze any YS berries and other fruit that you might see from time to time.


In answer to your original question, wholemeal is probably the healthiest option. Aldi have it at (I think) 75p a loaf and Farmfoods are often good value too on Hovis wholemeal.


I know you say you're very busy but certainly at weekends or in holidays I'd introduce eggs and other ideas.

PennyGSD

Sainsbury's own version of Weetabix is indistinguishable from the branded version, in everything but price. Not the Basics one though. In this instance it really isn't worth downgrading that far as you could get powdered cardboard elsewhere much cheaper!

If it's the texture of porridge oats that turns them off anything but the sachets, then simply put a bag of oats through a food processor or blender - cooks much quicker like this and less likely to overflow the large bowl in the microwave. Porridge also benefits from being soaked overnight before cooking - speeds up the cooking time so you could do this for them the night before and all they have to do is take it out of the fridge and pop in the microwave in the morning.

Shredded Wheat are also a healthy option - again, Sainsbury's own is fine, and the full size version has the advantage of being packed in individual portions of 2 so less inducive to overeating.

As to berries, then look out for PYO at this time of year and fill up every available space in your freezer while they're cheap. Or plant a couple of rasberry bushes this year and from next year never have to buy raspberries again!

Failing that I second the packs of frozen fruit - especially as you can bung them in smoothies frozen.

If you dislike baking would a breadmaker be a better alternative? Freecycle or Ebay for a model that gets good reviews.

whiteguineapig

i would suggest you try aldi cereals as well
we like the blueberry shreddie type things and the museli

DPJames

I would suggest a sterner approach to parenting is needed here. 6 weetabix is ridiculous. 2 is perfectly adequate, 3 max. And as for not having porridge unless it's already weighed out in sachets for them!

Have a word with them. But first have a word with yourself.

Cornucopia

I had some Morrison's Olive Bread last week from the ISB. Really nice, and it made especially tasty, hearty toast which because of its existing flavour could only really take a bit of spread (maybe Marmite would work, if you like it).

I would also suggest Banana Bread (I found a version on the web that used oats instead of wheat flour). You could make it as muffins. Tastes like fruit cake, but with much less fat/sugar.

hoglet121

For berries check out any pick your own farms nearby - their prices are really reasonable and berries freeze really well. Obviously pick your own blackberries for free from a hedgerow!

I have a ton of blueberries in the freezer which I picked in our summer - much much cheaper than buying from a shop.

VfM4meplse

hoglet121 wrote: »

For berries check out any pick your own farms nearby - their prices are really reasonable and berries freeze really well. Obviously pick your own blackberries for free from a hedgerow!

I have a ton of blueberries in the freezer which I picked in our summer - much much cheaper than buying from a shop.

The other solution that springs to mind is to forage - now is the time that brambles go mad - clean thoroughly and freeze in bulk. And plant autumn strawberries now. And smoothies can be bulked up with ripened frozen bananas which saves on the berry content, yum!