Really healthy eating on a budget

System · 26 February 2018 at 1:30PM

Anybody got any nice biscuit recipes I can make with gluten free flour? They are so expensive to buy.

Sir_Robin · 26 February 2018 at 9:24PM

Well I can tell you how to spend a fortune for one person then maybe you'll feel better about the £20!

I am trying the same to eat healthy and cheap but strictly no gluten for medical reasons.
I'm working to get a handle on my food spending which was completely unmonitored and am working on a weekly food plan unfortunately it's too high. Here my last bill:

1 Aleyna Red Roasted Peppers (480g) £1.40
1 Cadbury Drinking Chocolate Hot Chocolate £2.00
1 Genius Gluten Free Triple Seeded Sandwich Loaf £2.80
1 M savers Red Kidney Beans (400g) £0.30
1 Morrisons Chickpeas (300g) £0.45
1 Morrisons Chopped Tomatoes £1.36
1 Morrisons Easy Cook Basmati Rice £1.51
1 Morrisons Ripen at Home Bananas £0.94
1 Patak's Madras Curry Paste £2.28

1 Cathedral City Extra Mature Cheese £2.00
1 Cravendale Semi Skimmed Milk £1.75
1 M savers Cooked Chicken Pieces £2.00
1 Morrisons Braeburn Apples Pack £1.40
1 Morrisons British Turkey Meatballs £2.36
1 Morrisons Chicken Breast Fillets £5.94
1 Morrisons Free Range Eggs Large £1.97
1 Morrisons Market St British Minced Beef 12 % Fat £2.87
2 Morrisons Mixed Chillies £1.00
2 Morrisons Salad Onions £1.00
1 Morrisons Single Cream £1.00
1 Morrisons Spinach £1.18
1 bag onions £1
Fresh tomatoes 70p

Essentially two chicken with Spinach meals,two turkey meatballs with veg sauce, large curry and large chilli con carne. Fruit and chicken sanwidges.

I realise fourty quid is more like a months food for a lot of people on here so I'm open to suggestions :j

JennyP · 26 February 2018 at 9:38PM

Really like seeing someone's menu and list. It doesn't seem like losds of food though - aren't things expensive!!!! Am no expert but...
Our Morrison's do 15 eggs for £2 - free range but mixed weight. I think they're better value.
That's a lot of fresh chillis - do you really use two packets in one week?!!!
How long does this Pataks last? I make curry using spices from local Asian shops. Often split a big bag with a friend.
Would it not be cheaper to buy one chicken than to buy cooked pieces and fillet?
Or how about the three for £10 meat offers they usually have?

purpleybat · 27 February 2018 at 11:36AM

Sir_Robin wrote: »

2.00
1 Genius Gluten Free Triple Seeded Sandwich Loaf £2.80
1 M savers Red Kidney Beans (400g) £0.30
1 Morrisons Chickpeas (300g) £0.45
1 Morrisons Chopped Tomatoes £1.36
1 Morrisons Easy Cook Basmati Rice £1.51
1 Morrisons Ripen at Home Bananas £0.94
1 Patak's Madras Curry Paste £2.28

1 Cathedral City Extra Mature Cheese £2.00
1 Cravendale Semi Skimmed Milk £1.75
1 M savers Cooked Chicken Pieces £2.00
1 Morrisons Braeburn Apples Pack £1.40
1 Morrisons British Turkey Meatballs £2.36
1 Morrisons Chicken Breast Fillets £5.94
1 Morrisons Free Range Eggs Large £1.97
1 Morrisons Market St British Minced Beef 12 % Fat £2.87
2 Morrisons Mixed Chillies £1.00
2 Morrisons Salad Onions £1.00
1 Morrisons Single Cream £1.00
1 Morrisons Spinach £1.18
1 bag onions £1
Fresh tomatoes 70p

Essentially two chicken with Spinach meals,two turkey meatballs with veg sauce, large curry and large chilli con carne. Fruit and chicken sanwidges.

I realise fourty quid is more like a months food for a lot of people on here so I'm open to suggestions :j

my 1st thought was to use the bags of morries own hot choc, my dad likes the 'just add water' one. but then I don't know if its gluten free.
morries 'wonky' fruit and veg is very good.
have you tried growing chillies? just plant some of the seeds from the ones you have, pop on a sunny windowsill and the plants should keep you going on chillies. when the plants start slowing just plant more seeds.
i'm guessing you have a freezer, I too would buy on the 3 for £10 deal that the above poster mentioned, might be a big initial outlay but will last over a few weeks. just split things in usable portions, eg 1 chicken boob, wrap well and bung in the freezer. don't forget to label things.
are the cooked chicken pieces flavoured? you could marinate raw ones and then grill them, it might make it slightly cheaper.
check the prices of tins in the world foods aisle, I've seen tomatoes and beans cheaper there than the value range, esp if you buy a few tins at a time.
are you eating the spinach raw or in cooked foods? if cooked try frozen spinach. I just defrost a couple of blocks, give them a squeeze and bung them in curries and stuff.
one last thought on chillies... if for a chilli con carne I use the dried crushed ones, a big bag of them , again in ethnic aisle, work well and last for ages. I just use fresh ones for lightly cooked dishes where the fresh zing of them is wanted.

I now want chilli and crusty bread

oh well, stew and dumplings tonight it is

suki1964 · 27 February 2018 at 12:35PM

I just put your shopping minus the bread and the mince into lidl and it came to £23.77

They do sell gluten free bread and good mince, but for some reason its not showing

Don't waste money on breasts if making a curry, thighs are the cheapest plus they don't dry out so can handle a longer slow cook. Just skin and bone them yourself, takes minutes ( fry the skin and feed to the birds)

Get dried chillies, the ones out of an asian supermarket are usually the cheapest In fact whilst there buy ground cumin, coriander, turmeric. paprika and garam masala and make your own curry. Those are the main base spices that will make you curries for months. You just add the chillies or not for the heat

JennyP · 27 February 2018 at 12:52PM

I like purplebats idea of growing chillis!

System · 27 February 2018 at 3:24PM

Sir_Robin wrote: »

Well I can tell you how to spend a fortune for one person then maybe you'll feel better about the £20!

I am trying the same to eat healthy and cheap but strictly no gluten for medical reasons.
I'm working to get a handle on my food spending which was completely unmonitored and am working on a weekly food plan unfortunately it's too high. Here my last bill:

1 Aleyna Red Roasted Peppers (480g) £1.40
1 Cadbury Drinking Chocolate Hot Chocolate £2.00
1 Genius Gluten Free Triple Seeded Sandwich Loaf £2.80
1 M savers Red Kidney Beans (400g) £0.30
1 Morrisons Chickpeas (300g) £0.45
1 Morrisons Chopped Tomatoes £1.36
1 Morrisons Easy Cook Basmati Rice £1.51
1 Morrisons Ripen at Home Bananas £0.94
1 Patak's Madras Curry Paste £2.28

1 Cathedral City Extra Mature Cheese £2.00
1 Cravendale Semi Skimmed Milk £1.75
1 M savers Cooked Chicken Pieces £2.00
1 Morrisons Braeburn Apples Pack £1.40
1 Morrisons British Turkey Meatballs £2.36
1 Morrisons Chicken Breast Fillets £5.94
1 Morrisons Free Range Eggs Large £1.97
1 Morrisons Market St British Minced Beef 12 % Fat £2.87
2 Morrisons Mixed Chillies £1.00
2 Morrisons Salad Onions £1.00
1 Morrisons Single Cream £1.00
1 Morrisons Spinach £1.18
1 bag onions £1
Fresh tomatoes 70p

Essentially two chicken with Spinach meals,two turkey meatballs with veg sauce, large curry and large chilli con carne. Fruit and chicken sanwidges.

I realise fourty quid is more like a months food for a lot of people on here so I'm open to suggestions :j

Chicken breast is definitely expensive. Much better to buy a whole chicken.

Have you tried shopping at L*dl or Ald*? Much cheaper on a lot of things.
I must admit I love Mr M's but also find some of it expensive.
Find that it is cheaper for me to go to several shops and get bits in each, luckily we have them all close together.

Kidney beans were 26p in £stretcher last week
Own brand milk normally cheaper than Cravendale
Frozen mince is normally cheaper

I have also just gone GF and the price of bread amazes me....I buy if I see them on YS or something and freeze. Got 2 reduced from £2.80 to £2.10, so good saving there. I always freeze them anyway as only have 2 slices a day as toast, so it keeps much better. Have found that Mr S's is one of the best own brands and also cheaper than Genius.:)

mickeymouse303 · 27 February 2018 at 3:26PM

Def go with frozen fruit and veg where you can. Also I'd recommend buying foods like rice, pasta, quinoa, lentils and tinned foods like chickpeas, kidney beans etc - they're cheap, filling and you can make so many great meals with them.

doingitanyway · 27 February 2018 at 3:33PM

Another one here who only buys GF bread on YS of at least 50% off and usually more.
As this thread is about really healthy eating too, the list of ingredients on GF products is appalling and it is full of gum and unhealthy very highly processed carbs. I rarely eat it.

Besan flour is cheap. learn to make flatbreads instead. Much cheaper. Much healthier and much cheaper.

Also buy turkey mince and make your own meatballs. Cheaper and nicer.

System · 27 February 2018 at 3:41PM

doingitanyway wrote: »

Another one here who only buys GF bread on YS of at least 50% off and usually more.
As this thread is about really healthy eating too, the list of ingredients on GF products is appalling and it is full of gum and unhealthy very highly processed carbs. I rarely eat it.

Besan flour is cheap. learn to make flatbreads instead. Much cheaper. Much healthier and much cheaper.

Also buy turkey mince and make your own meatballs. Cheaper and nicer.

I agree the ingredients in GF stuff is not good, which is why I only have 2 small slices of bread a day...just like a bit of toast and marmite...:rotfl:

I try not to have GF cakes etc, although the odd cake is my downfall...:( My DD bought me some GF brownies from Mr M's and they were so sweet and not very nice at all. I have almost given up cakes now and will only occasionally have a "real" cake and suffer the gluten effects.
Prefer to eat healthy "real" food and lots of fruit, veg, fish and eggs etc

I am only going GF as I have found it is better for my IBS, so still have things like ketchup etc which I know has gluten in it, but in very small amounts.

I've never heard of Besan flour. Will have to look it up and see how to make flatbreads. Thanks

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Really healthy eating on a budget

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