Eating well but cheaply
It's that time of year again - just past the expense of Christmas (how fast did that go?!!) and into the 'healthy eating' genre of the New Year.
If you are like most folks, you will want to eat healthily while keeping an eye on the pennies.
We are old hands at this so I thought I'd share my tips for getting through the next few weeks.
First, make a list of exactly what you have.
Meal plan from these resources - if that means one meal could be pancakes because you have flour, sugar and milk, then that is still a meal without spending more pennies.
The meals I was able to plan from resources we already have are:
Mushroom risotto .... garlic clove, rice, stock cube, mushrooms, dried herbs
Fish pie ... Frozen fish, frozen spinach, onion, eggs, flour, stock, potatoes
Pasta ... gf pasta, tinned tomatoes, chilli powder
Veggy burgers ... carrots, onion, borlotti beans, cumin, flour
Jacket potatoes ... spuds, baked beans
Lemon and spinach rice ... Lemon juice, rice, frozen spinach, stock cube
The meals above are fairly easy to make.
Once we have gone through the week, we will eat healthy meals from our next plan and I will too up the store cupboard again.
One thing I do which you might think is a bit weird, is plan and prepare for Christmas all year long.
This means that I have a Christmas cupboard that I add to as we go through the year - it might be that I see something reduced 'that will do' as a gift; more that I make items and pop them in the cupboard ready for gifting in December.
If you are feeling the pinch, why not think about planning for Christmas from now, like me?
What else would be a good thing to do?
If you are like most folks, you will want to eat healthily while keeping an eye on the pennies.
We are old hands at this so I thought I'd share my tips for getting through the next few weeks.
First, make a list of exactly what you have.
Meal plan from these resources - if that means one meal could be pancakes because you have flour, sugar and milk, then that is still a meal without spending more pennies.
The meals I was able to plan from resources we already have are:
Mushroom risotto .... garlic clove, rice, stock cube, mushrooms, dried herbs
Fish pie ... Frozen fish, frozen spinach, onion, eggs, flour, stock, potatoes
Pasta ... gf pasta, tinned tomatoes, chilli powder
Veggy burgers ... carrots, onion, borlotti beans, cumin, flour
Jacket potatoes ... spuds, baked beans
Lemon and spinach rice ... Lemon juice, rice, frozen spinach, stock cube
The meals above are fairly easy to make.
Once we have gone through the week, we will eat healthy meals from our next plan and I will too up the store cupboard again.
One thing I do which you might think is a bit weird, is plan and prepare for Christmas all year long.
This means that I have a Christmas cupboard that I add to as we go through the year - it might be that I see something reduced 'that will do' as a gift; more that I make items and pop them in the cupboard ready for gifting in December.
If you are feeling the pinch, why not think about planning for Christmas from now, like me?
What else would be a good thing to do?
I did mini hampers at Christmas with some homemade chutney and jams, they went down a storm so I made chutney this week before all the cranberries disappear, Jo x
ReplyDeleteLike you I have a gift cupboard that I add to all year around and make preserves using seasonal fruit/veg when they are at their cheapest.
ReplyDeleteHaving a Christmas cupboard (or even just a Christmas shelf) is such a great idea, thanks very much. You can do the same with long lasting foods such as cans of stuff or have a designated section of the freezer. I have a pot marked 'Good turkey stock for gravy, Christmas 2019' in there already!
ReplyDeletexx
Done, and dusted. The meals will all be from stores just fresh fruit, veg and dairy to buy fora little while. " things in the gift box and another pair of socks will soon be joining them.
ReplyDeleteFor the next couple of months I'm hoping that my only food purchases will be dairy, fruit & veg. I have a pantry and freezer full of food and I am determined to use it up!
ReplyDeleteI think a Christmas shelf or cupboard is a great idea. I do keep a bag for gifts that I pick up throughout the year and I usually start picking up extra Christmas food in October or November and put that aside - just makes things easier in the long term.
Pleased to see you blogging again - you were missed! x
ReplyDeleteI'm extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your weblog.
ReplyDeleteIs this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Anyway keep up the nice quality writing, it is rare to see a great blog like this one these days.
"'healthy eating' genre of the New Year"? bugger must have missed that bit m'dear...
ReplyDelete