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Meat budgeting

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Hi,
I don't know if this is the right place to ask this, if it needs to be moved, that's fine :o

Ok, here's a bit of background. I am in receipt of PIP and EESA for a chronic health condition. In addition to this, I also have hypothyroid (under active) and have put on quite a bit of weight. I am seeing a dietician/nutritionist who is monitoring my weight. Last month she had me calorie counting and I only lost 200g (0.5lbs) She has asked me to try a low-carb diet this month and I have spent nearly double my monthly food budget buying MEAT! If this way of eating works for me and she has me continue I cannot imagine being able to afford it long-term!

Now to my question.... I have looked at some online butchers, filled up online supermarket baskets for totals etc and still cannot get my food bill any cheaper. Does anyone have any ideas how I could make this work?

Thanks

Wedding payment 1000/4600 due 21/0718
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Comments

  • Perryface
    Perryface Posts: 93 Forumite
    Typical days eating:

    Breakfast: omelette (egg, cheese, bacon/ham, mushroom/tomato) made with whole milk
    Lunch: salad with: tuna/ham/chicken/cheese with mayonnaise
    Dinner: meat with cauliflower and broccoli/courgette/sweet potato/cabbage mainly saut!ed in butter/olive oil

    Meat cannot have rusk in it so pre-made sausage, burgers, chicken roll, luncheon meat etc are not allowed.

    no starch, no sugar, no sweetener, no fruit, no root veg except sweet potato twice a week.

    Wedding payment 1000/4600 due 21/0718
  • greenbee
    greenbee Posts: 17,757 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Check the portion sizes for the protein very carefully, as sticking to them will help you to keep the costs down. And you'll find you need less good quality meat than you will if you buy cheap.

    Fill up on the veg and fats (make sure you either make your own mayo or check the ingredients carefully).

    Breakfast -
    If you're having an omelette, consider the eggs as the protein and pad it out with veg (mine this morning was leek, red pepper and mushroom). I'll also roast a selection of veg (tomato, pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus etc) for breakfast either with a couple of slices of bacon or adding an egg to the tray for the last few minutes. Eggs baked in spinach (you can add cream as well if you like) are also a good variation.

    Lunch -
    I make a variety of salads, some of which (e.g. coleslaw) may do several days, and then have 4-6 of those and a protein.
    So today was red cabbage slaw (if you cant have carrots, try white cabbage with fennel & white onion), grated carrot and beetroot (probably not on your list, but just to give you an idea), tabbouleh (definitely not on your list!) and lentil, onion and green olive.
    Yesterday I had it with left over (homemade) lamb meatballs and some yogurt dressing. Today I had tuna, and also a few sliced radishes.
    Tomorrow i'm going to make a tomato salad.
    Spiralised or grated courgette with oil/lemon juice, sunflower seeds/chopped almonds and grated parmesan is also delicious.

    I find this works much better for me that making one big (boring) mixed salad, and I aim to get lots of colour on the plate from the veg, with the protein as a small feature in the middle. I also vary the dressings - so yesterday was a yogurt dressing, sometimes I use lemon/lime juice and other times vinegar. Tahini is also nice in a salad dressing.

    Natural yogurt with nuts makes a good protein-based snack/pudding.

    It'll take a while to get used to eating this way, but you may find you end up eating less as you don't get as hungry.
  • rach_k
    rach_k Posts: 2,254 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Have you tried frozen meat? I always find it works out cheaper for my family and they don't complain about the taste or anything. You could also buy yellow stickered meat and freeze it, then just use what you need, when you need it.
  • Islandmaid
    Islandmaid Posts: 6,626 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    Don't forget fish, eggs, cheese and nuts.

    I found when I went low carb, for the first few days, I could have eaten a whole cow, but when the sugar cravings die back and your body adjusts you won't fancy huge slabs of meat.

    I used to slow cook whole chickens, strip the meat and keep in the fridge to grab for salads etc and as above have already said omelettes are a great filler,

    I would take peeled hard boiled eggs for breakfast (very early start time) Prawn Mayo salad for lunch, Pork steak and stir fried Veg for dinner for example

    Good luck :)
    Note to self - STOP SPENDING MONEY !!

    £300/£130
  • Perryface
    Perryface Posts: 93 Forumite
    Thanks green bee and rach some good ideas there.

    I will try the spiralizing and price up frozen meat... Would ice-land be cheaper, do you think?

    Wedding payment 1000/4600 due 21/0718
  • Mr_Singleton
    Mr_Singleton Posts: 1,891 Forumite
    If using a Supermarket then try a local independent butcher for the cheaper cuts that aren't profitable enough for the multiples.
  • rach_k
    rach_k Posts: 2,254 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I'm not sure about the prices at Iceland but they will probably have a bigger range and I believe their cooking instructions are better e.g. they tell you how to cook plain chicken from frozen whereas Tesco would have you defrost overnight before cooking.
  • hex2
    hex2 Posts: 4,736 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    I eat protein/fruit/veg mainly as grains cause me problems.

    I work to a price point on most things so if I'm out and 'see' a bargain then I know when to buy.
    For example:
    unsalted nuts 80p/100g (Lidl usually)
    chicken breast £4/kg (Usually in 5kg trays from the butchers - Makro do similar and i think the frozen stuff is about there)
    whole chickens - 3 x 1.3kg £7.40 in Waitrose (if you get a mywaitrose card and add the 3 for £10 ones on your pick your own choices, it deducts 20% from the £4 each). If you are in Lidl first thing they often have a whole chicken with 30% off sticker
    beef for braising/stewing - I hold out for the £4/kg offers and then fill the freezer.

    If you are buying frozen poultry just check what proportion of it is water, it can impact on the flavour. If its £4 a kg for water injected in Farmfoods and £4 for fresh then it makes sense to buy the fresh ones.

    As Islandmaid says I found very quickly that I reduced my portion sizes, and I tend to have the nuts to get enough calories in so that I don't go into crisis pile on weight mode.

    mr.singleton is right about the butchers - as long as you can see the prices. Have a look on mysupermarket to get an idea of what you would pay in the supermarket.

    If you can have fish then the 'value' type white fillets are excellent value. They microwave quite well in a parcel with some frozen veg too.

    Good luck with it.
    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need' Marcus Tullius Cicero
  • jackyann
    jackyann Posts: 3,433 Forumite
    Do make sure you discuss this with the dietician. They are usually very good about understanding the cost of food, and can make some good suggestions.
    I don't want to give any myself as this may be quite specialised, but I am sure s/he will be helpful
    Good luck.
  • fangoose
    fangoose Posts: 31 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts
    Soya protein
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