Reducing food shop

-taff

Also don't be afraid of things like the apps, Olio and TooGoodToGo. Lidl do a F+V box of stuff they think has or is going over the top and they usually put them by the self service tills [ in mine] for £1.50. Look out for YS stuff.

Do you like experimenting? There are hundreds of cook books, and I must say, I'm heading in that direction, but what I usually do is either fancy eating something, or need to use something up,  then google search for whatever is it plus recipe ideas, look at about six or seven recipes, then make up my own.

Are you vegetarian/piscatarian/vegan?

rchj4

My small piece of advice is make soup ! An American famous classical musician calls it ' Garbage Pail Soup '  Use up any Veg leftovers & other items such as the outer leaves of cauliflower , broccoli stalks , wilting or elderly items in the fridge . Thicken with potato , add stock cubes etc . Great for lunches & can be frozen .

boxer234

-taff said:

Also don't be afraid of things like the apps, Olio and TooGoodToGo. Lidl do a F+V box of stuff they think has or is going over the top and they usually put them by the self service tills [ in mine] for £1.50. Look out for YS stuff.

Do you like experimenting? There are hundreds of cook books, and I must say, I'm heading in that direction, but what I usually do is either fancy eating something, or need to use something up,  then google search for whatever is it plus recipe ideas, look at about six or seven recipes, then make up my own.

Are you vegetarian/piscatarian/vegan?

I do eat fish but not meat.  I had never heard of those boxes before,  problem I find with Lidl is lack of choice so I tend to end up in Tesco. 

Grumpelstiltskin

Fish is more expensive than meat but do you eat tinned fish?  Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines etc.
Tuna Pasta Bake is very easy to make and cheap if you use the own brand cheapest from Aldi or Lidl.

boxer234

Grumpelstiltskin said:

Fish is more expensive than meat but do you eat tinned fish?  Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines etc.
Tuna Pasta Bake is very easy to make and cheap if you use the own brand cheapest from Aldi or Lidl.

Yes I only eat tinned tuna I love it have a lot of salads and potatoes. I think a lot of my money goes on the fresh stuff like salad I need to try more frozen veg based recipes.  

elsien

Fresh veg isn’t expensive if you meal plan so there’s no waste. I’m on my own and mainly use fresh (I only have a little freezer and I prefer the texture of fresh anyway.) I eat meat and my spend is less than yours. Although I do use the leftovers in soup, which I freeze. 

-taff

Salads all well and good but if you are training you need something a bit more substantial. Frozen veg is good in its place but I'd rather get the ingredients fresh and save the frozen veg forextras, like sweetcorn. Spinach can be used to make a fritatta with onions and/or potatoes, spanakopita, canneloni, sag aloo, sag rice, pesto..the list can go on and on. What kinds of foods do you like? Stews? Spicy foods? To be honest, stews are just about the easiest thing ever, prepare your veg, hcuk it in, cook in one pan.

I make a curry we both enjoy by adding whatever spices I fancy to a base of onions and tomatoes, cook down  then add whatever veg, in your case, you fancy. I used celeriac to make a kind of sag aloo a few weeks ago. Kedgeree is filling, quick and a doddle to make. Dals, lentil stews/soups/pies etc are cheap and very filling. Green lentils dont ned soaking, just cooking and they're quite quick.

Imight also in your position be taking an interest in ethnic shops, some of the veg is cheaper and more readily available than in sm's.

Grumpelstiltskin

Pasta if you buy cheap own brand can be cheaper than potatoes. So cook it let it go cold add tomato ketchup, mayonnaise what ever you like and have that with salad. It will keep in the fridge for days so you can eat leftovers as a snack.
Salad. Do you buy items separate or buy it already mixed?
Iceberg lettuce will keep for days in the fridge in a bag and usually only around 50p in either Aldi or Lidl.
Cucumber again in the cheap supermarkets less than 50p.
Tomatoes at this time of year a bit more expensive but usually you can get them for around 70p.
Onions don't bother with Spring Onions buy a cheap bag of Red Onions keep them in the cupboard out of their plastic bag and slice one on to the salad, again keep the bit of the onion you are using in a bag in the fridge.
For about £2.50 you have the basis of a week's salads.

C_J

If you have any outside space - a garden, balcony or even just a window box - you can fill a couple of large pots with compost, sprinkle over some cut-and-come-again salad leaf seeds, and you’ll be picking your own fresh leaves in no time. A very small outlay could keep you in lettuce leaves through until November. You can often get large pots for free on freecycle. If space allows, you could add a few more easy to grow things such as radishes, spring onions and herbs.

Best of luck with your cost cutting!

boxer234

-taff said:

Salads all well and good but if you are training you need something a bit more substantial. Frozen veg is good in its place but I'd rather get the ingredients fresh and save the frozen veg forextras, like sweetcorn. Spinach can be used to make a fritatta with onions and/or potatoes, spanakopita, canneloni, sag aloo, sag rice, pesto..the list can go on and on. What kinds of foods do you like? Stews? Spicy foods? To be honest, stews are just about the easiest thing ever, prepare your veg, hcuk it in, cook in one pan.

I make a curry we both enjoy by adding whatever spices I fancy to a base of onions and tomatoes, cook down  then add whatever veg, in your case, you fancy. I used celeriac to make a kind of sag aloo a few weeks ago. Kedgeree is filling, quick and a doddle to make. Dals, lentil stews/soups/pies etc are cheap and very filling. Green lentils dont ned soaking, just cooking and they're quite quick.

Imight also in your position be taking an interest in ethnic shops, some of the veg is cheaper and more readily available than in sm's.

I love spicy foods one of my main dishes is veggie chilli.  I can make that with lentils and have it with rice and salad.  I should make more effort with curries as I enjoy them.