feed a family of 4, almost vegan, on a rather small budget! Old Style!

missymoo81

Thanks joedenise, good thinking.
Well today I have been exploring, and I've found that home bargains they do chick peas 23p and butter beans 29p! That saves me a few pennies!! Well 16p!

MandM90

missymoo81 wrote: »

Hey lovelies thanks for the jacket potato ideas. He's not a fan of mayonnaise.... But then eats potato salad?! He's never eaten coleslaw, but he likes all of the vegetable components, I think with him, it's more the thought of what he thinks he doesn't like. Things are going to have to change else were never going to afford to live!!! I on the other hand adore coleslaw, I've never made it vegan though....

Why not just make a slaw with a drizzle of olive oil and some lemon juice. Still crunchy, tart and tasty, not slathered in mayo though?

missymoo81

OK so far:
breakfast - me and 2 toddlers
175g value Porridge oats made with water 14p
1 banana chopped 14p
1 tbsp of peanut value butter 2p
89g aldi shreddies 13p

DH &children snacks 2 pears 27p
5 rich tea biscuits 3p

lunch - soup,
4 carrots 12p
1 sweet potato 10p
1 potato 3p
1 veg stock cube 3p


just working out dinner

missymoo81

Ok so the above will be staples for us during the week, Sunday we will have a roast. Just trying to cost up dinners. Tell me..... Can you eat too many carrots? As we are going to be eating a lot!!!!!
I have a pasta maker, any thoughts on how to make vegan pasta? Mind you when value penne is only 30p I shouldn't worry too much I guess. And the chapati flour that was mentioned earlier in the thread is now £3 again, so have bought a big bag of that, and some marmite well the Tesco version as it has B12!
Babies are playing so nicely today. Am having a major sort out!!

Nicki

My first thought when you asked can you eat too many carrots!

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/02/if-you-eat-an-excessive-amount-of-carrots-your-skin-will-turn-an-orangishyellow-shade/

At least it saves on spray tans :rotfl:

missymoo81

A ha ha nicki, well I could go a nice tan lol. I'm hoping the same isn't true with spinach and greens, as I eat an awful lot of those too!!!!

mushypeaman

Hi there. You've been well supplied with recipe ideas so I'll skip them in favour of some slightly more specialised points. Like you I'm (a pensioner) on a very small budget.
Beware the supermarket 'meat free' ranges; that's all they are - not vegan, except for Asda and Sainsbury's meat free mince; a wonderful, versatile vegan basis for many meals. In fact I invented my own range of individual-size pies using that mince with finely chopped veg, gravy and herbs in shortcrust pastry made with Sainsbury's baking marg (vegan and makes great dumplings). I defy anyone to tell they are not minced steak.
I love sandwiches, and still struggle with this part of veganism because I dislike nut and chickpea products. I use tomato, banana, home made mushroom spread. My Asda has a small range of tinned pates in the 'free from' section, £1 a tin and delicious. They stocked them because I asked head office if they would; proved to be a good seller.
The biggest boost to my vegan versatility came when I discovered the amazing Orgran No Egg, solving so many problems, including vegan Yorkshire pudding, baking and pancakes. This stuff is amazing; I use it to make muffins that even my non-veggy friends queue up to eat. I just took a good muffin recipe and substituted No Egg and soya milk for the usual. I buy mine from a local wholefood cooperative, but no doubt health food shops and Holland and Barrett will sell. Failing all else, Amazon but it's a bit expensive there.
My advice is experiment and read labels closely; the results can amaze you. Most gravy granules are vegan; packets and tins of Birds custard are not vegan but their tubs of custard powder are, and make nice custard with soya milk. My biggest surprise was finding that the bottom price supermarket economy ranges can often be vegan because of what they've cut out, e.g. biscuits, also Sainsbury's Basics croissant are made with marg. All Halls cream biscuits (Home Bargains and elsewhere) are vegan.
Al the best.

VfM4meplse

What I'd like to know OP is how you managed to raise a nearly-vegan family?

If you ever want to put the kids up for adoption, please speak to me first

moneyistooshorttomention

OneLeggedPig wrote: »

The dietician Jeff Novick is the best authority on cheap, healthy food ( and is a vegan)

Some recipes from him:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.204432390124.260255.177550385124

Basing meals on starch (potatoes, rice, pasta, lentils) is the cheapest way to eat and also filling and healthy.

ALso check the recipe section of Dr McDougall's forum:

https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=5&sid=2146d578a9457cd1868b6456a05b69f8

I might check back again with the Forum re recipes - but, for anyone contemplating buying his books = I've just wasted my money sending for 2 of them from Amazon.

I've just received a quick/easy meals in 15 minutes type cookbook from this programme and I'm not going to be able to use it. It's rather American - but, more to the point, it uses a heck of a lot of ready-prepared food. Loads of the ingredients are a tin of this or a packet of that, I can spot recipes with sugar in and the method frequently involves using a microwave (got rid of mine years back - when I read a bit more about microwaves). Not very healthy or very nice.

Oh well - back to the drawing board:(

OP; The food costings are puzzling me a bit - had you realised the prices you quote for the eggs are that low that they must be battery eggs and not free-range ones?

scc173

Animal Aid has a little booklet called Meat Free for Under a fiver, with recipes and a few money saving tips. You can order a hard copy free of charge or just view online. As a new user of this forum I can't copy & paste a link but if you go to animalaid.org.uk and just search for 'under a fiver' it will come up! A friend of mine also did a super cheap eats challenge where he and his girlfriend managed on £1 per day for a week, again I can't post a link but if you Google 'pound a day vegan Ben Martin' it will come up at the top.