Recommendations on how to eat well on a budget?

GrumpyPuggy

My partner and I are looking to eat healthier but are struggling to find ways to eat better that doesn't cost significantly more money and doesn't rob us of the little time we have after we get back from work.

Does anyone have any tips for eating well on a budget? Or any recommendations for a decent UK cookbook or appliance that could help?

We've currently got a slow cooker and an instant pot which we use at least once a week.

Thanks in advance!

MovingForwards

Plenty of ideas in this section:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/old-style-moneysaving

Mnoee

Eating cheaply is often easier with vegetarian food. A bolognese made with lentils instead of beef is much cheaper. If you miss the meat too much, you can try half and half, or three quarters of one etc. I also use 'mushroom mince' (just blitzed in a food processor) to bulk out minced beef - great in burgers! A lot of veggie food has vegetables as the 'star', so it's easier to get your five a day in. Just avoid the processed rubbish as it's as bad as the processed meat. 

I find batch cooking works for my house - when I cook bolognese, stew, curries, soups, etc I'm cooking ten portions of it, and they're portioned and frozen. Then I defrost in the fridge the night before and microwave it while cooking fresh carbs. I do it for prepped burgers too. 

theoretica

What is your staring point - what do you eat now?

Northern_Wanderer

A friend of mine is a bargain hunter. They know the times that the shop discounts the food and eats very well and cheaply. That doesn't work for me as I need a plan for the week.

A good bolognaise or chilli recipe that makes 8 portions is excellent and saves on electric too. I just freeze what isn't used that night into smaller portions.

aardvaak

Hedgerow foraging?

joedenise

Make soups with cheap root vegetables and have a bowl before your main meal so you need less of that.  Or a lot of people do a soup and pudding night once a week.

Leftovers from any meal can be whizzed up with a stick blender to make a soup, may just need to add some extra water or stock to make the right consistency.

I second using the recipes from the Old Style board on here and the Jack Monroe website mentioned above.

Batch cooking and freezing portions are also a good idea as you can make loads of, eg chilli or curry and stretch it by adding lots of cheap vegetables, lentils etc.  This also makes good use of the slow cooker.

Dried pulses are really healthy and can be soaked overnight and then quickly cooked in the instant pot - I pressure cook all my dried pulses.  Just google how long you need to cook them as they are all different.  The only one I know off the top of my head is that chickpeas take 40 minutes - I know this one because I cook more of these than any other pulse!

Broomstick

If you are using fresh food, make your meals around fruit and veg that are in season. There are lots of lists out there eg. https://vegsoc.org/cookery-school/blog/seasonal-uk-grown-produce/.

bouicca21

What is the budget and what sort of stuff do you eat now?

-taff

meal plan and prep at the weekends. both of you should be ding this, that way, you both get things you like, you both get involved in the saving money.

What's your diet like now? Do you cook from scratch all the time or use ready meals? what is your level of cooking ability? WHat kind sof foods are you looking to eat? What do you like?

ka7e

I use a lot of frozen veg. It's usually good value and there is no wastage as you only cook what you need. I use cheap mixed veg to bulk up pies and pasta dishes.

Fresh "Wonky" fruit and veg tastes the same as the more expensive ones - carrots and potatoes can be cooked unpeeled if they are awkward shapes.

Have a good stock of spices and dried herbs to make dishes more interesting - I love smoked paprika, garlic powder and mixed Med herbs.

Cheap chorizo slices are great chopped into paella, pasta etc. I often use it instead of ham because it keeps fresh for longer.

Invest in a good hard Italian cheese - a little goes a long way and enriches any dish when mixed with a cheaper cheese.