Eating healthy for cheap

elsien

I typed a long answer and lost it, so I'm going off to sulk.

I'd suggest looking at your portion sizes and eating less meat. Cheaper and better for you. Think about your 5 a day. Don't just have pizza, have a bit less pizza and a larger helping of salad and coleslaw on the side.

I'm not a brown bread/rice person. They might be better for you but I'm happy with my white. No point eating something that's healthy if you don't like it because it'll just put you off.
Try a veggie day a week - not as bad as it sounds if you make a homemade veggie curry. Chuck some lentils in to make it filling - you barely notice the taste amongst the curry sauce.
Easy meal - jacket potato, cheese and beans with the salad on the side is a good balance.
And if you've not seen it, the eat well plate gives a bit of a guide. It's not saying all meals have to balance, but it's a rough indicator over a day.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-eatwell-guide.aspx

[Deleted User]

jackyann wrote: »

Jack - I think that there may be too much water in your recipe.
Also, the method will make a difference. Any of the 'mince +' recipes, I begin by browning the mince, and allowing any fluid to evaporate.

You need a lot of water to rehydrate the soya, it soaks it up like blotting paper. I brown the mince and pour off the fat, but none of that is relevant, because the recipe is identical except for having switched from the Schwartz pack to the ingredients in bold.

[Deleted User]

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I think it would be useful if you explain your definition of "healthy".

Some people mean "home-cooked" rather than "readymade".

Others of us mean healthy - wholemeal instead of white, no sugar, no g*netically-modified, organic.

So do you mean "healthy" or healthy? Can you clarify and then it will be easier to give advice - rather than everyone speaking according to what their own personal definition of the word "healthy" is.

I started typing a long reply pointing out that healthy is about what you eat, not where it's cooked, but I could feel myself getting on my soapbox again.

You can meet the FSA healthy eating guidelines without having to cook everything from scratch if you're selective about what you buy. You can also miss the targets if you're not careful to tot up what you're putting in your own recipes, but it's quicker to read the ingredients from a packet than calculate everything that goes into a home cooked meal.

Gwendolyn

I learnt to cook this year. It has saved me a small fortune and it's been fun.


I started off with spag bog and added chilli, lasagne and shepherd's pie. I can roast chicken legs with ease and make a great chicken taco - Mexican chicken stew in the slow cooker! The children love that. I make curry - sometimes use a jar, home-made or fake pizza, etc. Omlettes, scrambled eggs etc.


The key for me has been bulk cooking. I make a large quantity and freeze some for the following week or later that week. That way we get variety without me spending hours cooking every day. It fits in with our busy nights when I'm rushing the kids between their activities.


I also use my leftovers. Last Sunday we had a roast chicken. I made stock from the carcass - a bit of a faff to be honest. But I used the left over meat to make a pesto and chicken sauce for pasta.

maman

Gwendolyn wrote: »

The key for me has been bulk cooking. I make a large quantity and freeze some for the following week or later that week. That way we get variety without me spending hours cooking every day. It fits in with our busy nights when I'm rushing the kids between their activities.

I'd agree with that. The freezer is your friend. If OP makes his own ready meals then he'll know exactly what's gone into them. I tend to put a load of Bolognese or chilli in the slow cooker and then once the prepping is done it doesn't need my attention just portioning up for the freezer when it's finished. I never eat it the day it's cooked, it always tastes better after it's had time to marinate and this seems to happen even in the freezer.


I freeze the mince mixture on its own and then it's versatile for having with spaghetti, pouring over jackets, making lasagne or whatever.

MallyGirl

Gwendolyn wrote: »

I also use my leftovers. Last Sunday we had a roast chicken. I made stock from the carcass - a bit of a faff to be honest. But I used the left over meat to make a pesto and chicken sauce for pasta.

just chuck the carcass, peppercorns, bay leaf, any sad veg from the bottom of the fridge, onion peelings if you have saved any, in the slow cooker, cover with some boiling water and leave on for the day. Strain out the bones/veg, portion and use/freeze. I buy reduced celery every now and then and chop it straight away and freeze. Then I grab a handle and throw it in when making stock - I do this as I hate celery but it does add flavour to stock. I also pop an onion inside the chicken when roasting so that goes in the stockpot afterwards too.

Gwendolyn

MallyGirl wrote: »

just chuck the carcass, peppercorns, bay leaf, any sad veg from the bottom of the fridge, onion peelings if you have saved any, in the slow cooker, cover with some boiling water and leave on for the day. Strain out the bones/veg, portion and use/freeze. I buy reduced celery every now and then and chop it straight away and freeze. Then I grab a handle and throw it in when making stock - I do this as I hate celery but it does add flavour to stock. I also pop an onion inside the chicken when roasting so that goes in the stockpot afterwards too.

Can' t believe I never thought of using the slow cooker to make stock!
I make mine using a recipe which requires several additions every half hour or so, lots of skimming off the fat etc etc. Basically you're chained to the hob for 4 hours!
Thank you so much

Slowly57

:wave: James - I don't think that there is anything inherently 'good' or 'bad' (or 'dirty' or 'clean') about food. As long as you are not living entirely on Lidl pizza and processed food to the exclusion of anything else. A little less pizza and a bit of salad. A ready meal with a bowl of extra veg. Skipping the biscuits for some fruit. Go mad and have brown bread instead of white (or the other way around!). Try and expand your usual menu to eat more of lots of different things. Good luck!

MallyGirl

Gwendolyn wrote: »

Can' t believe I never thought of using the slow cooker to make stock!
I make mine using a recipe which requires several additions every half hour or so, lots of skimming off the fat etc etc. Basically you're chained to the hob for 4 hours!
Thank you so much

After a couple of instances of forgetting about it and everything boiling dry I find this method safest! Then I pour it into a container, cool, and pop in the fridge. The fat rises to the top, solidifies for easy removal and Robert is your Mother's Brother

Nomoonatall

jack_pott wrote: »

I tried salt, but it didn't make the difference, perhaps it's the sugar. This is my recipe, the bold items are the ones that replaced the Schwartz packet:

• 300cc Water
• 250g Mince
• 40g Soya
• 400g Tin of tomatoes
• 150g Mushrooms
• 200g Onion, finely chopped
• 30g Tomato puree
• 30g Flour
• 2-3 Cloves of garlic or 10cc dried
• 5cc Paprika
• 5cc Basil
• 2.5cc Oregano
• 2.5cc Marjoram
• 0.5cc Pepper

I'm veggie, so always use veggie mince. Try adding a splosh (technical term) of tomato sauce and a blob of tom puree to the mix. I also use...when I can find them...a whole garlic bulb. Lidl used to sell them, don't know if they do anymore.

I never measure any ingredients for savoury food, so I'm probably no help at all. My lasagne is lovely though, so I'm told!