Budget food shop advice needed please

roxiesnooks85

Hi, so this year is the year we finally clear our debt and sort out a budget and plan for normal living until my husband can return to work.

From the budget i have worked out with cab i have £50 a week to feed 2 adults a 6 year old, a 2 year old and almost 1 yr old. That money is just for food nappies are on a separate budget which I have worked to buy when the baby events are on. I breastfeed the baby so no formula either.
My husband has been advised to change his diet to free range organic healthyness where possible due to having cancer and then gout. My daughter has to have a high fruit and veg intake as well due to a medical issue with her bowel so I need ideas and tips for getting the most for my money to feed us all and where possible give my husband the diet that he needs

Thank you Roxanne

dlusman

You dont need expensive "free range organic" foods to avoid gout. Just a proper healthy diet , with more of some things and less of others
See
http://www.ukgoutsociety.org/docs/goutsociety-allaboutgoutanddiet-0113.pdf

Taplledraw

You need to find out when any local markets are on if there are any, or WI markets etc they sell good cheap fresh foods. Also obviously look at the special weekly offers at the supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl if they are near. You can do a lot of healthy foods using cheap cuts in a slow cooker and making your own soup is always good as you know what is in it and can avoid additives etc you can also take advantage of yellow stickered produce. Good luck it will become easy once you start and £50 a week may mean you can make savings. Look in charity shops for healthy cook books.

DigForVictory

Start in a Lidl or Aldi, then move onto the bigger names & their yellow stickered shelves.

See section 23 here & the coupon info here (extreme is the saving, not the practice).

Finally, if you really need to make every ha'penny squeak, we haggled with market traders towards the end of the market for cheap or dropped or muddy or generally unwanted fruit & veg. Meant we ate sprouts & weird greens & so forth, but it was fresh & very cheap.

dlusman

Do you have access to a garden ? The cheapest and best tasting vegetables are ones you grow yourself , and also gets you some good exercise .

maman

Another vote for using Aldi especially for good value fruit and veg. I'm told their nappies and other baby stuff is excellent too.


Also the freezer is your friend as you'll be able to buy reduced/cheap items, batch cook your own ready meals and freeze in portion sizes that suit your family.


Good Luck.

MysteryMe

Research what fruit and veg are in season at a particular time of the year. Although you can most things all year round they will be at their cheapest and IMO tastiest when in their normal growing season.

Chris25

roxanne, if you haven't already, have a look at the Old Style board - loads of really good tips and threads re cheap meals, how to make things stretch, recipes etc
good luck

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=33

Fire_Fox

Do familiarise yourself with official healthy eating guidelines for the specific age groups/ health conditions you are dealing with. Min or max number of servings, wide variety and portion sizes are all highly relevant.

Free range/ organic is pricey - look at farm shops or growing your own. Cheapest free range eggs/ whole chicken are Aldi or Lidl. As well as Lidl and Aldi check out local markets or ethnic/ Asian grocers (fruit and veg, bulk rice, beans and lentils, dry spices, canned tomatoes, coconut products, Halal meat which often has fewer chemicals than regular battery meat).

Serving sizes for meat and fish are small: the size and thickness of each person's palm. Cheapest oily fish - essential for vit D and omega 3s - is canned mackerel or pilchards in tomato sauce (~£1 for 400g). Organ meats are very nutritious and tasty in the right recipe (eg. chicken liver pate or to replace some of the mince in bolognese or chilli con carne).

A high percentage of British and Irish dairy cows are outdoor/ free range for much of the year (weather dependent). Ditto many European cheeses with 'protected' names must be made with milk from sheep or cows from specific pastures (ie. free range). Not the same for pigs or goats tho.

Don't waste money on low nutrient foods (eg many pale fruit and veg, chicken breast, white/ refined carbs). Minimise processed meats (sausages, bacon, deli meats) as these have been linked to a wide range of health problems.

Seasonal fruit and vegetables are best value, with veg often cheaper than fruit by weight. Frozen, canned or dried (no added sugar) are cheaper for some items with less prep time and less waste.

Soups, smoothies and salads can be eaten year round. For example I am eating a lot of homemade coleslaw because the ingredients are cheap as chips through winter (red cabbage, carrot, sweet onion, raw beetroot or skin-on apple, hazelnuts soaked in water overnight). You really cannot taste (frozen defrosted) spinach or broccoli in fruit smoothies tho it can affect the colour of some recipes.

Most root vegetables and beans or lentils count towards fruit and veg intake, as well as being cheap filling/ fibre rich starchy carbs. Consider using to replace processed wheat products (bread, pasta) and white potatoes.

Lidl or Aldi have good quality extra virgin olive oil (dark glass bottle not clear plastic), British rapeseed oil and organic virgin coconut oil (also from Home Bargains!). These are all considered healthier than sunflower, palm fruit or generic vegetable oil.

For a treat high cocoa dark chocolate is packed with nutrients (minerals, antioxidants, fibre). I like Tesco 85% and Lidl 81%, but Aldi 85% is too bitter even for me. Lovely melted over any combination of fresh fruit, frozen mixed berries (Tesco Value £3 a kilo), toasted coconut chips, nuts/ seeds.

HTH!