Speed Demon Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Being low on funds and with barely enough to get by, can anyone possibly eat healthily on a budget. Good fruits and vegetables can be cheap but the shelve lives are very small and can only last in the fridge a few days before things start to wilt and go off. Even packet salads, cheese, meat, fish, baked goods and spreads do not last forever before you need to chuck them and start again, so bearing in mind, things need replacing can you really live a healthy life. Things like sweets and soft drinks last for weeks and months, tins last for years, bottles and pickles last for months and it seems the healthier the food the quicker it takes to go off. I know you can freeze meats and vegetables and even pre-made meals like soups but still, it is very hard trying to eat healthy knowing that you will constantly need trips to the shops to replace what went off only days before. Say if your like me, being lucky to have £10-20 a week to spend on food, what on earth can you get. Maybe I need some advice on food storage and what I can freeze and what I should leave in fridge or out on the side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 You could just buy what you are going to eat. Decide on the meal that you want and pop to the local butcher/baker/greengrocer and buy just enough for the day. That's how people used to do it. In any case, most good fruit and veg will keep for a week or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlittlepup Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Tins are really good though. You can get beans, ratatouille, tinned veg, tinned lentils and pulses. You can get cheap pasta and spuds for carbs. It does take a bit of organisation and creative thinking but it is certainly possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banjodeano Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 you dont need to throw any food away..if you do then you are not budgeting..just buy the small amount of fruit that you need, a couple of apples and pears...you dont need to buy a full bag of them...porrige is also cheap and last for weeks, about 80p a kilo, also eggs are cheap, as are some cuts of meat...you just gotta take yout time and have a look at the things you buy.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlittlepup Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Cook in bulk and freeze? Stews can be very cheap to make and freeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabelle Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Buy longlife foods like pasta and rice in bulk, I have a huge bag of pasta that has lasted me for months, I just add different stuff to it. I love chicken, its quite expensive, but I've found if I buy the packs of 4 chicken breast fillets from Morrisons and freeze them in separate bags, it lasts me 2 weeks for about £4. I agree, stews are nice, you can bulk them out using various tinned beans, which are cheaper than meat and will fill you up more. Slow cookers are great for cooking cheap cuts of meat e.g. braising steak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I buy what I need on a daily basis. A carrot is 4p-7p. Mushrooms are 45p for 7 or 8. A pepper can be bought for 45p. Ginger, 8p. Garlic 20p....etc etc Buy a huge bag of lentils. Make a veggie chilli that could feed 5000 and freeze most of it. I did a pasta bake tonight. 2 portions were eaten 3 were frozen. The left over salad will be tomorrow's lunch, as will the left over garlic bread. I make so many leftovers I buy a loaf of bread only every two weeks, all my work lunches are leftovers. Then again I love cooking, I'd rather make meals from scratch every day of the week and I find it relaxing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SILLY Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Buy some salad leaf seeds and grow your own you can grow wattercress ,rocket and mixed cut and come again salad leaves in plant pots on your window sill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speed Demon Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 I love chilli, when ever I cook a curry with chicken I tend to put half in fridge when cooled but do not know how many days it will stand for and if I can freeze it. I have some stewing steak in a freezer bag as well as in a tin, I have also got loads of bread and loads of beans, so beans on toast most days will do. What can I do with stuff like pasta, especially spaghetti and rice, should I boil the pasta or can I cook it into a chilli con carne or something else. Also, I like tinned tuna chunks but always use it for sandwiches, can I use it for cooking like in a pan of chopped tomatoes, also, are meatballs and burgers easy to make because I have heard you only need minced beef, some spices and an egg and you can make anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mecky Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 You could just buy what you are going to eat. Decide on the meal that you want and pop to the local butcher/baker/greengrocer and buy just enough for the day. That's how people used to do it. In any case, most good fruit and veg will keep for a week or more. You mean spend all day shopping instead of working? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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