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

missymoo81

Thanks for all the advice re b12, I've worked everything out and I would be deficient in b12 and calcium, as I'm not having a plant milk. Have found a really good multivitamin in Tesco, which is on a 3 for 2 and had all the b12, doesn't have the right amount of calcium but my food will make up the deficit. It works out about £1.17 a month!

pumpkinlife

This is a great blog by a vegan dietician:

http://jacknorrisrd.com/category/b12/

He has a great interest in deficiency in vegan diets. It's worth a read should you find yourself feeling less than optimal.

Here is another, she writes a lot about female nutrition:

http://www.theveganrd.com/

missymoo81

pumpkinlife wrote: »

This is a great blog by a vegan dietician:

http://jacknorrisrd.com/category/b12/

He has a great interest in deficiency in vegan diets. It's worth a read should you find yourself feeling less than optimal.

Here is another, she writes a lot about female nutrition:

http://www.theveganrd.com/

Wow thanks a lot pumpkin life!! I appreciate that!

Well I've been to Tesco and done some research today, there are about 14 average sized carrots in a 1kg back, around 12 small ish onions and around 8 sweet potatoes. May not help anyone, but it helps me know how many bags I need to buy. I bought 15 bananas, in the thought I would cut them in half for me and the littlies and they came to £2.24, rather then buying 30 small ones, should have priced those up too to compare. There were 10 satsumas in a net and they were 24p cheaper than aldi. Also what looked like 10 big tomatoes in a net in line, were actually only 6?! Very disappointing!
My biggest result today came from trawling the Internet and bothering friends, and I've finally found a place that sells pots, or will do for £4 per 20kg!!!!!much better than the £12 and £14 I had been quoted!!!! I'm getting 10kg for £4.60 at the moment. So that pretty much halves that if I can get them to last 2 months! Very happy! That saving will pay for any vitamins!! I love it when a plan comes together. Have changed my shopping list will have to post it again.
One thing that I didn't notice, that they didn't have some of the cheap things I wanted to buy, so ended up spending £1.50 more for the same Amount! Which is worrying As the budget is so tight i can't afford for that to happen!

missymoo81

Oh I have also managed to pick a 2litre tub worth of blackberries! This is the third one this year, my aim is to pick a years worth of berries for free and freeze them. These so far are all from the garden, going to have to pick quite a few more, need to find a glut! MIL usually brings some round and some spare apples! I will freeze them all and make crumbles and add them to breakfast!

missymoo81

missymoo81 wrote: »

Aldi
frozen garden peas 69 ea x 2 1.38
self raising flour 45p
Strong white flour 75 ea x 2 1.50
granulated sugar 45p
british white potatoes 1.15 ea x4 4.60
sultanas 84p
mens deodorant 79p
plain flour 45p ea x2 90p
frozen sweetcorn 85p
baked beans 23p ea x9 2.07
kidney beans 25p ea x 6 1.50
passata 35p ea x 2 70p
tomato puree 37p
carrots 1kg 41p ea x 9 3.69
washing up liquid 79p
shampoo OH 59p
shampoo me 35p
swede 75p ea x 3 2.25
semi milk 6 pt 1.29ea x 5 6.45
10 large british eggs 75p
vegetable oil 95p
rich tea biscuits 25 ea x 4 1.00
salt and vinegar crisps x 6 75 ea x 2 1.50
instant noodles 18 ea X 3 54p
deodorant 79p
garlic 30p
kitchen towel 99p
chedder 3.49
natural yogurt 500g 45 ea x 4 1.80
washing liquid 1.79
value rice 4o ea x 2 80p
bin bags 95p
tampons 85p
wild rocket 89 ea x 4 3.56
pears 1.09ea x 7 7.63
pasta 29p
onions 39 ea x 2 7.63
roll on deodorant 59p
wholemeal bread 36 ea x 6 2.16
mushrooms 750g 1.59ea x 2 3.18
ground coffee 1.49ea x 3 4.47
spinach 450g 1.35ea x 4 5.40
chopped tomatoes 30 ea x 8 2.40
butter Beans 33 ea x 4 1.32
tortilla wraps 69 ea x 2 1.39
malt wheats 89 ea x 4 3.56
peppers 700g 99 ea x 2 1.98
sweet potato 1kg 85 ea x 2 1.70
toothpaste 135ml 0.39p

Tesco
butternut squash 90 ea x 2 1.80
Satsuma. 95p
baby bath 50p
bananas 15 ea x 30 4.50
custard 17 ea x 2 0.34
value spaghetti 20 ea x 2. 40p
yeast 65p
syrup 1.18
red split lentils 2kg 3.25
lasagne sheets 0.29
brown sauce 0.29
ketchup 0.42
veg stock cubes 30 ea x 2 0.60
peanut butter 65 ea x 2 1.30
stuffing mix 40p
oats 1kg 75 ea x 6 4.50
pitta bread 6 35p
pink lemonade 2l 40p
value tea 40s 25p
vitalite spread 1.00
gammon joint 1.3kg 4.49
tomatoes 500g 69 ea x 3 2.07
value soap 25p
1 lt bath soak 85p
value razors 30 ea x 2 60p
press on towels 15p
hair mousse 1.00
food wrap 60p
value sponges 8 40p
thin bleach 2lt 29p
loo roll 9 rolls 2.00 ea x 3 6.00
value mixed frozen veg 1.16kg 89p
frozen broccoli. 1.00 ea X 2. 2.00
linseed 250g. 1.00
Soya milk. 59 ea x 3. 1.77

home bargains
chick peas 23 ea x 14 3.22

£137.17

As it stands at the moment, quite pleased with it, there is a lot of variety in there and everyone's 5 a day and lots of carbs and enough protein

missymoo81

Does anyone know of any cheap, tasty vegan jacket potato toppers, unfortunately, OH does not like coleslaw!!

jackyann

Could you identify what he doesn't like about coleslaw?

I make a basic slaw, with extras that are available / in season like apples, celery, peppers etc also some seeds / nuts. I use lemon juice to stop discolouring and a bit of oil as dressing as well.

This goes down very well, and I put mayo out separately.

I thought you might be able to put together a good slaw type salad that he would like.

WantToBeSE

missymoo81 wrote: »

Does anyone know of any cheap, tasty vegan jacket potato toppers, unfortunately, OH does not like coleslaw!!

I guess the obvious one would be beans. Or leftover chill/spag bol etc.

Jacket potatoes are normally my 'what to do with leftovers' night, as anything goes on top.

Or you could make a vegan 'tuna' sweetcorn. It's made up of mashed up chickpeas instead of tuna. If you have some vegan mayo, you can use that. Or make your own, which is really easy and much cheaper than store bought:

http://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/stories/3-recipes-for-homemade-vegan-mayonnaise

missymoo81

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....

joedenise

If your DH doesn't like mayo in coleslaw perhaps he would eat it mixed with something like soya yoghurt? I actually prefer it made with yoghurt as I find mayo a bit rich.

Denise