Seriously struggling - any advice would be appreciated!

helcat26

If you go down the chicken £3.50 route- and buy potatoes £1.75, carrots £0.50, Celery £1,Frozen peas £1, Mushrooms £1, Risotto rice £2, bacon £2, Milk £1, Flour £0.50
Total spend £14.25


you could do the following
1. Take legs +thigh off, Roast crown for roast dinner of 1 chicken breast, potatoes, carrots gravy
2.Use other chicken breast to make risotto- rice, chicken stock, chopped cooked chicken, mushrooms, peas (parmesan if you have it)
3. Use chicken leg with a bit of bacon and mushrooms in a creamy sauce ( can do with milk on cheap) to make chicken pie (flour for pastry) - serve with carrots and peas
4. Add Moroccan spices (cumin, coriander, chilli, ginger, cinnamon) to remaining chicken leg, fry off, cook in oven with chicken stock and lentils
5. Make chicken stock with bones, strain and then make soup with potatoes, celery, carrots, lentils
6. Alternatively use chicken stock with carrots to make carrot soup spice with coriander
7. Use flour to make pastry and make a case, add sauted mushrooms to make tart


Good luck


oh and add eggs for £1 and make quiche

Butterfly_Brain

Did you watch the episode of eat well for less about coeliacs? Very informative and shows how coeliacs are taken for a ride on free from ranges.

Watch here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b07r1qgg
Recipes here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b0520lz9

Florence_J

I was also going to suggest the Eat Well For Less show, It's still available on bbc iplayer, episode 5, i think the family name is the Hoylands.

I think I saw you mention almond milk earlier-it is currently 1 pound in Iceland-both sweetened and unsweetened.

Mohawk_3

Florence_J wrote: »

I was also going to suggest the Eat Well For Less show, It's still available on bbc iplayer, episode 5, i think the family name is the Hoylands.

I think I saw you mention almond milk earlier-it is currently 1 pound in Iceland-both sweetened and unsweetened.

It's amazing how they make people forget that a lot of food is naturally gluten free to start with! To be fair, a lot of processed food can have traces of gluten, so you have to be careful, especially in the period after diagnosis, but it was such a shame to see how terrified the family had become of regular food.

luckofthe_irish

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Did you watch the episode of eat well for less about coeliacs? Very informative and shows how coeliacs are taken for a ride on free from ranges.

Watch here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b07r1qgg
Recipes here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b0520lz9

Florence_J wrote: »

I was also going to suggest the Eat Well For Less show, It's still available on bbc iplayer, episode 5, i think the family name is the Hoylands.

I think I saw you mention almond milk earlier-it is currently 1 pound in Iceland-both sweetened and unsweetened.

Mohawk wrote: »

It's amazing how they make people forget that a lot of food is naturally gluten free to start with! To be fair, a lot of processed food can have traces of gluten, so you have to be careful, especially in the period after diagnosis, but it was such a shame to see how terrified the family had become of regular food.

Thank you all so much for these suggestions - I have never seen that episode so I will have a look this evening! I am excited to learn about some more GF money saving! I try to eat whole foods as much as possible to keep the cost low but all the GF goodies do tempt me!

Thank you for the almond milk tip as well - I will head to Iceland if I run out!

luckofthe_irish

So as suggested by some lovely people on this thread I spent the morning going through everything in my kitchen that is edible and could help me keep my shopping low in the next few weeks... here is the list! I would love some suggestions for meals if anyone can help me out (and be bothered to go through the whole list :rotfl:).

Freezer:
Chicken breast x2
Square sausage x1
Blueberries
Spinach
Broccoli
Chicken stock
Half a loaf of GF bread
Dairy-free ice-cream
Frittata
Homemade chilli x1

Fridge:
Iceburg lettuce (probably unusable as I bought it a while ago)
Mushrooms x3
Cauliflower (same as lettuce)
Asparagus
Jelly pots x2
Almond milk x1
Eggs x7
Chorizo
Mozzarella
Yogurt - greek and diary free
Butter
Tofu
Curry paste
Salsa
Chutney

Baking cupboard:
Flour - gram/coconut/plain GF/buckwheat/corn
Brown/white/coconut sugar
Xanthan gum
Vanilla extract
Stevia
Bicarb soda/baking powder
Cocao powder
Cacao nibs
GF chocolate sponge cake mix
Ground almonds
Popcorn kernels
Tapioca starch

Nuts/Seeds:
Quinoa puffs
Seeds - sunflower/pumpkin/poppy/chia/sesame
Small amounts of cashews/hazelnuts/peanuts/walnuts/banana chips
Flaked almonds

Dry foods:
Oats
GF wrap x1
Corn cakes x 3
Toffee rice cake x1
Chocolate rice cakes
Micro wholegrain rice x1
Rice paper
Jamie Oliver black daal
Rice noodles x1
Brown rice
Red lentils
White rice x1 portion
Paella rice
GF pasta x1 portion
Buckwheat groats
GF cheese oatcakes
Granola

Pantry:
Onions
Bananas
Plums
Garlic
Peanut/almond butter
Syrups - chocolate/maple/agave
Honey
Coconut flakes
Tomato puree
Stock cubes - chicken, beef, veg
Tinned tomatoes x3
Sardine pate x2
Tinned blake eye beans x1
Tinned chickpeas x 1
Tinned tuna x3
Dry black beans
Tinned mixed beans x1

Oils/Vinegar:
Oils - coconut/olive/sesame/groundnut
Vinegar - balsamic/white wine/red wine
GF Worcester sauce
Fish sauce
Sweet chilli sauce
Sriracha

Spices:
Salt/pepper/garlic granules/onion granules/ground cinnamon/cinnamon sticks/garam masala/cumin/cayenne chilli pepper/thyme/parsley/ground ginger/smoked paprika/coriander leaf/green curry paste/nutritional yeast flakes/oregano/bay leaves/basil/kefir lime leaves/mustard powder/crushed chillis/tahini/sage/curry powder (hot)/turmeric.

Wow... it feels good to actually know exactly what I have in the house rather than simply trying to remember! i think I should stock take more often.

I am out for the day but will be spending the evening meal planning. I have already made muffins and flapjacks for snacks to take today, plus I am bringing my bottle of water!

Thanks again for all the help thus far, it has been so helpful!

bouncydog1

A lot of students buy bags of quorn mince and chicken pieces. A bag of mince goes miles. You just keep it in the freezer and use as you need it.

Use it to make anything you would use animal mince for. I don't eat meat so keep the mince and quorn chicken pieces. I use the chicken to make all sorts of stuff including fajitas, pies, stews, etc.

[Deleted User]

Sorry - just wanted to check that you were aware that porridge oats contain gluten? It's just that a lot of people aren't (my Mum was diagnosed with coeliac disease but was still not very well for months, despite giving up wheat, when the GPs nurse realised that she was still eating porridge).

Good luck with all this - some great advice (as always) !

Nicki

Corona wrote: »

Sorry - just wanted to check that you were aware that porridge oats contain gluten? It's just that a lot of people aren't (my Mum was diagnosed with coeliac disease but was still not very well for months, despite giving up wheat, when the GPs nurse realised that she was still eating porridge).

Good luck with all this - some great advice (as always) !

It is fairly easy to get certified gluten free oats. I think all the major supermarkets do them.

luckofthe_irish

Corona wrote: »

Sorry - just wanted to check that you were aware that porridge oats contain gluten? It's just that a lot of people aren't (my Mum was diagnosed with coeliac disease but was still not very well for months, despite giving up wheat, when the GPs nurse realised that she was still eating porridge).

Good luck with all this - some great advice (as always) !

Thanks COrona - they are gluten free oats I get them in Tesco usually!