reducing monthly food spend

whiteguineapig

could you eat quorn now and again? would that be any good dan? (there is always some sort of frozen quorn on offer in tesco , currently sausages are £1 a bag)
2 of us aren't vegetarian but still like quorn

suki1964

danlightbulb wrote: »

I think the first step for me is just gaining an understanding of what i can do to increase my variety of foods. I eat a very limited menu which stems from childhood food issues. I do want to make sure what i buy is value for money but what i desire most is some nice meals that fit within my fussy palette! I just seem to eat the same stuff oven food over and over and it is making it difficult to motivate myself probably because of the limited variety.

I really like rump steak so if i can find a way of buying it at a reasonable price that would be ideal. The only reason i dont buy it now is the cost. I dont think ive ever seen a rump joint for sale in a supermarket though. If i can get this for £5 to £8 per kg that would be great and i can have a go at cutting off my own steaks.

I also like pork chops, loin steaks, chicken breasts and thighs. My dad used to eat heart all the time i have to admit to never trying it. If i had something to look forward to im sure the main item accompanyment would improve also.

What kind of cooking skills do you have?

My dh can't cook a meal but can actually rustle up a Chinese following a reciepe after I helped him a few times showing him the way

Pollycat

danlightbulb wrote: »

I think the first step for me is just gaining an understanding of what i can do to increase my variety of foods. I eat a very limited menu which stems from childhood food issues. I do want to make sure what i buy is value for money but what i desire most is some nice meals that fit within my fussy palette! I just seem to eat the same stuff oven food over and over and it is making it difficult to motivate myself probably because of the limited variety.

I really like rump steak so if i can find a way of buying it at a reasonable price that would be ideal. The only reason i dont buy it now is the cost. I dont think ive ever seen a rump joint for sale in a supermarket though. If i can get this for £5 to £8 per kg that would be great and i can have a go at cutting off my own steaks.

I also like pork chops, loin steaks, chicken breasts and thighs. My dad used to eat heart all the time i have to admit to never trying it. If i had something to look forward to im sure the main item accompanyment would improve also.

I'm pretty sure I've seen Top Rump joints - big ones - in Tesco on half price offer.
I think they tend to do it before holidays, saw some in the run-up to Easter.
Currently joints at £10 per kg so would be £5.00 on offer.

Personally, I wouldn't use this for steaks as I like my steak cooked blue and would only buy really good quality steak.

As for pork chops - Tesco currently have them on offer (counter, not prepacked) for £3.96 per kg instead of £6.00.
I bought 2 chops at the weekend, weighed over 700gms for 2 and paid a few pence over £3.00.
£1.50 for a big lump of meat is a pretty cheap basis for a meal. Add a few new potatoes and a couple of diffferent veg and you've not spent a lot.

MallyGirl

Tesco often have offers on pork loin joints - make your own chops

danlightbulb

I really like this idea of buying joints for a reasonable cost and cutting them myself. Just seems to hold an interest for me. I did used to cook a little when I was married, nothing spectacular but some nice simple stuff like my own pie with pastry top. I like fairly simple foods and steak just has to be top of that list.

Tonight I am cooking 1kg of chicken breasts (£5.89), 1 jar of curry sauce (£0.89) and 150g loose white rice (? marginal). This should make 3 portions of chicken curry, 1 for tonight with rice, 1 for tomorrow at work with rice and 1 spare to put in fridge which I may have with a jacket potato instead. Approx £2.26 per portion.

I'm going to have a look in a couple of butchers Saturday afternoon for the meat options.

I'm going to need to buy a good knife to cut this meat with. Any recommendations?

Feral_Moon

If I cook a curry, even if I'm being lazy and using a jar sauce or a paste with tinned tomatoes/stock, I always bulk out the meat with vegetables, e.g. mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, sweet potato, chick peas, lentils etc. It's rare you buy a takeaway curry consisting of just meat & sauce.

With your 1kg breasts, plus added veg, I'd have made at least 6-8 portions of curry, maybe more!

In fact, thinking about, I can easily make 3 portions of curry just using one 250g chicken breast. So, I could actually make 12 portions of curry using 1kg of chicken breast plus veggies.

PasturesNew

danlightbulb wrote: »

I think this is where I'm going wrong. Diced beef in the supermarkets is typically £4 for a 400g container which does 2 meals worth. Curry sauce jar say £1, packet rice £1 (x2 meals). That's £7 total or £3.50 per meal. Not exactly cheap and the equivalent microwave curry is around the same price. So I'm not sure where I'm going wrong.

If you can get to a Lidl/Aldi and especially if you wait until they're on offer, then cubed meat's cheaper than that. Can't remember how much offhand. 400grams can serve four people generously, or more by padding out with cheaper stuff. I prefer to just cook up meat and not load the SC with tins of other veg etc.

If you scan the shelves - and/or visit the likes of Lidl/Aldi/Home Bargains/B&M then you'll often be able to pick up jars for about 70p.

Pack rice is just ... wrong. It's very expensive - and, imho, the texture's just not there. Make your own. It's just a saucepan, or a steamer. I steam mine in a microwave and it costs me pennies really. I use the more expensive Basmati too (~£1.20/bag at Lidl).

Maybe you're taller than me - that can be the problem for a lot of people. All the brands etc are aimed at eye level. The cheaper stuff's therefore not on your radar. I'm a midget, so those bargain basement things on the bottom shelf are more in my line of sight.

I just did a lookup of the price of cubed beef at major supermarkets, to see what the cheapest was. Your £4/400 grams = £10/Kg.

Mr T does a 400g £2.89, £7.23/Kg
As** does a 400g £3.00, £7.50/Kg
Sainsbobs does a 450g at £3.70, £8.22/Kg
Aldi does a 400g at £2.79, £7.23/Kg

danlightbulb

I will bulk it out more next time, I just didn't have those ingredients in. I added extra fresh chillies. I'll probably keep the meat content fairly high for the protein. I've never tried lentils I will have a look into it though.

How long would you say to reheat my work portion in the microwave? It will be 75g rice and 300g chicken mixed in with the sauce in a tupperware container.

Feral_Moon

danlightbulb wrote: »

I will bulk it out more next time, I just didn't have those ingredients in. I added extra fresh chillies. I'll probably keep the meat content fairly high for the protein. I've never tried lentils I will have a look into it though.

How long would you say to reheat my work portion in the microwave? It will be 75g rice and 300g chicken mixed in with the sauce in a tupperware container.

If you want to reduce costs then you seriously need to look at adding alternative protein sauces, alongside vegetables etc.

Have you actually calculated how much pure protein your body actually needs? Most people over estimate this by a long way, especially those new to body building and bulking up etc. You do realise milk is your best friend in that dept? It's the recommended recovery drink for elite military, forget your sugary drinks.

I've just received a new role in providing a menu of sustenance to our military boys because the current UK government have let them down big time by cutting out military chefs and employing outside caterers such as Sodexo which aren't fit for purpose! :mad:

If you could see the slop Sodexo serves to our soldiers you'd be ashamed. People in prison get better food

danlightbulb

I'm aiming for 1g per lb bodyweight so 180g per day, total calories 3100. Ps I'm not gaining weight on this so I might need to go higher, but I need to make my diet consistent first before I even consider that.

I drink lots of milk already, 3 pints a day typically. Pretty much all my bulking up to now has been achieved through increasing milk intake. I'v gained 60lb total over a period of a few years of inconsistent training.

I don't drink pop very often. I don't drink tea or coffee either. Water at work (free).

Ps that is disgraceful about the soldiers meals.