Access to healthy, affordable and delicious food is something everyone should be entitled to. This can be especially difficult, however, if you have a large family unit – more mouths to feed means needing increased access to food!
We have touched on how to facilitate this access previously with our ‘Cooking On a Budget’ series which you can find below. We have broken down the process into bite sized pieces, helping you plan, budget, shop and cook more effectively!
We are continuing the series here where we have compiled some additional hints and tips, specific to those larger family units, although anyone can make use of them!
1. Meal prep & have a bank of recipes
One of the easiest ways to make your money, and food, go further is to have a bank of easy, nutritious and economic meals you feel confident in making! You can make planning easier (and potentially more fun!) by having themed nights, such as meatless Mondays, or fish Tuesdays. Feeling confident in the kitchen and knowing what you’re happy to cook will take the stress out of mealtimes.
2. Make the most of deals
This is a tip that anyone can employ! Large packets of items are often cheaper per kilogram than smaller, saving money in the long run– but always check the label to make sure. This can be for your bulk ambient items such as potatoes, pasta or rice but can be relevant to anything you use a lot of. In addition to this, supermarkets often have a variety of deals throughout the year. Don’t be afraid to utilise deals by using what you need and storing the rest in the freezer or cupboard for later use!
Keep it simple
Making elaborate meals every night for a lot of people is never going to be the easiest thing! Taking simple classic recipes and modifying to taste adds some excitement to meals times. Why not spruce up a classic like eggs on toast by adding mushrooms and hot sauce or add chorizo or broccoli to your mac and cheese! Keeping it simple and modifying to taste often leads to delicious, and nutritious mid-week meals.
Use more economic sources of protein
Protein is very important for humans to consume but it can come from more sources than you’d think!
Eggs are an excellent source of protein so making omelets and frittatas are an easy way to get your protein for the day but also use whatever you have left over in the fridge. This can be particularly useful for family units as it can be shared easily and modified to tastes.
Bulk out meals with non-meat proteins such as legumes and beans. Bulking out meals such as mince, soups, or stews with lentils, kidney beans or chickpeas gives a fantastic texture to meals, whilst saving you money and still giving adequate protein.
If you do want your meat fix, utilise the more cheaper cuts that when cooked low and slow are delicious and packed full of protein. Why not try skirt beef steak for fajitas, flank for use as mince or lamb shoulder in a stew? Utilising more of the animal not only saves you money but prevents food waste so it’s a win-win! Head to Good Food’s Cheap Cuts: How To Get The Most out Of Meat for some ideas and recipes.
Don’t be afraid of canned or frozen
Canned and frozen produce can have the reputation that it is lesser quality or less nutritious than fresh.
What studies have found, however, is that most canned fruit and vegetables are nutritionally on par (with negligible differences) with fresh produce when it comes to the macronutrients! In addition to being nutritionally comparable, canned fruit and veg can be stored for longer in your cupboard, is quick and easy to access, and is an economically cheaper option!
Frozen produce is also on par (with negligible differences) with fresh produce when it comes to fruit and veg! On top of being nutritionally viable, frozen produce often needs less effort to cook, is easily accessible and more economically viable! Canned and frozen fruit and vegetables can often therefore be better overall, especially in larger meals.
Save on energy by batch cooking meals
Save on energy in the kitchen by batch cooking meals, ready for the week ahead. Batch cooking not only sets you up with meals for the future, but it can save you money and energy! It can give ease of mind as you know there is something delicious and nutritious in the fridge or freezer, ready at moment’s notice. If you are not sure where to start with batch cooking, check out our blog The Art of Batch Cooking to get some ideas.
Snacks
Whether you have young children in the house or an older cohort, snacks are an integral part of the day. It can be easy to fall into the trap of buying pre-packaged, processed food but keep snack time interesting by making snacks together as a family. Not only can you control what goes into them, if the kids are involved in creating treats, they’ll be more inclined to eat them.
And finally, why not try having ‘picking foods’ such as pesto pasta or veggies in rice in the fridge ready to go. This will keep the kids happy between meal times for cheap!
Much of the information here comes from real life experience of those living below the breadline with families but we want to hear your voices too! Comment below and get in touch with how you feed your family for less!
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