Dee's healthy eating on budget

A shopping list, menu ideas, and recipes for healthy family eating on a budget.

1. Here are my recommendations for healthy, fast, family friendly recipes on a budget. Buying Cheap processed foods like nuggets, chips, pizza might look like good value but will not getting essential nutrients, like vitamins, minerals and fibre. These nutrients are what stop you getting sick and help your immune system fight colds and flus and also give you energy and heat. Don’t say anything about the dishes just serve them up and see how you get on. If you tell a Child they probably won’t like something before they eat it, they’re not going to say they like it! Same goes for parents! I know I have served up the Shepherds pie to 3 different families and none of them noticed the Lack of mince. Still tasty, healthy and filling. These are the 3 main things you need. This shopping list meets all the nutritional requirements of a family of 4 with 2 teenagers Vegans will need to take a vitamin B12 supplement.

2. Shopping List Weekly Shop Unit Cost Total Cost Name weight units Quantity € € Tofu -firm Dunnes 500 g 1 2 2 Tinned tomatoes Aldi 400 g 3 0.37 1.11 tinned chickpeas Aldi 400 g 2 0.59 1.18 tinned tuna in sunflower oil Aldi 200 g 4 1.19 4.76 Tinned sweetcorn Tesco 200 g 1 0.69 0.69 cashew nuts Dunnes 100 g 2 1.5 3 wholewheat pasta aldi 500 g 1 0.99 0.99 wholewheat spaghetti aldi 500 g 1 0.99 0.99 Brown Rice aldi 1000 g 1 1.49 1.49 Potatoes Aldi 7500 g 1 5.99 5.99 Tortillas Aldi 8 tortillas 1 0.89 0.89 Wholemeal Pittas Aldi 6 pittas 1 0.59 0.59 Brown Bread Buttercrust Aldi sliced wheaten 10 slices 1 0.95 0.95 Bagels Aldi 4 bagels 1 1.09 1.09 Noodles Sharwoods 375 g 1 2.29 2.29 Bag frozen fine green beans Aldi 1000 g 1 1.29 1.29 Bag frozen Roast Veg Aldi 750 g 1 1.39 1.39 ginger aldi 3 bulbs 1 0.65 0.65 garlic aldi 1 piece 1 0.75 0.75 Lettuce aldi 1 head 1 0.79 0.79 Head of Broccoli Aldi 1 head 1 1.29 1.29 Bag of 3 peppers Aldi 3 peppers 1 1.79 1.79 bag of apples Aldi 6 apples 2 1.79 3.58 bag of bananas aldi 6 bananas 2 1.49 2.98 bag of oranges Aldi 7 oranges 1 1.89 1.89 bag of grapefuit aldi 4 grapefruit 2 0.69 1.38 Mushrooms aldi 433 g 2 1.59 3.18 free range eggs aldi 6 eggs 1 1.09 1.09 Cheese aldi 400 g 1 2.69 2.69 Rice cakes Aldi 1 pack 1 1.29 1.29 Porridge Oats Aldi 1000 g 2 0.89 1.78 Country Store mixed frozen fruits Tesco 500 g 1 1.99 1.99 Milk Aldi 1000 ml 3 0.75 2.25 1 free range chicken Aldi 1500 g 1 5.99 5.99 Coconut Milk Aldi 500 ml 1 0.99 0.99 philadelphia light cheese tesco 200 g 1 2.25 2.25 Smoked Salmon Aldi 200 g 1 2.99 2.99 Carrots Aldi 1000 g 1 1.29 1.29 Celery Aldi bag 1 0.79 0.79 Onions Aldi bag 1 0.69 0.69 Sunflower seeds Tesco 300 g 1 0.89 0.89 75.94 plus storecupboard 7.88 TOTAL 84.71

3. soy sauce amoy reduced salt Tesco 150 ml 1 1.69 sweet chilli sauce tesco own brand 159 ml 1 1.59 Chilli Powder tesco everyday value 95 g 1 1.49 Curry powder tesco 90 g 1 1.09 Cajun Spices schwartz 44 g 1 2.29 stock cubes tesco own brand 10 cubes 1 0.99 tea aldi 80 bags 1 1.49 squeezy honey aldi 1 1 1 1.99 Sugar aldi 1000 g 1 1.19 bisto gravy tesoc 227 g 1 1.45 Mae ploy Green curry paste 500 g 1 3.00 Dried Puy Lentils Dunnes/Tesco/SuperValu 500 g 1 1.5 Dried Red Split Lentils Dunnes/Tesco/SuperValu 500 g 1 1 Linseeds Tesco 250 g 1 1.19 frozen spinach Tesco 1000 g 1 1.70 3 wks 23.65 1 wk 7.88 soy sauce amoy reduced salt Tesco 150 ml 1 1.69 sweet chilli sauce tesco own brand 159 ml 1 1.59 Chilli Powder tesco everyday value 95 g 1 1.49 Curry powder tesco 90 g 1 1.09 Cajun Spices schwartz 44 g 1 2.29 stock cubes tesco own brand 10 cubes 1 0.99 tea aldi 80 bags 1 1.49 squeezy honey aldi 1 1 1 1.99 Sugar aldi 1000 g 1 1.19 bisto gravy tesoc 227 g 1 1.45 Mae ploy Green curry paste 500 g 1 3.00 Dried Puy Lentils Dunnes/Tesco/SuperValu 500 g 1 1.5 Dried Red Split Lentils Dunnes/Tesco/SuperValu 500 g 1 1 Linseeds Tesco 250 g 1 1.19 frozen spinach Tesco 1000 g 1 1.70 3 wks 23.65 1 wk 7.88 Store Cupboard Shop every 3 weeks

4. RECIPES Roast Chicken Potatoes and Vegetables. Peel and slice carrots and onions, parboil potatoes and cut in quarters roast in the oven place on ovenable tray, place chicken on top and roast according to weight. Serve with Gravy. After dinner – remove all the pieces of chicken still left and place in a bowl in the fridge Boil the carcass of the chicken with some carrots, celery and onions in about 2L of water enough to cover the chicken, simmer for an hour and strain. Keep the vegetables. Leave to cool to room temperature and place stock in the fridge (use an old milk carton for this) Chicken Curry Fry 2 onions in a pan with a little oil, add in 1 tbs of curry powder and 1tbsp of plain flour and cook for a few minutes then add half of the stock from the fridge stirring all the time. Then add the chicken pieces from the night before. Add in 4 parboiled potatoes (you can peel the potatoes and put them in the microwave for 5 mins ) and stir. If you feel it is too thick add in some more stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15mins. Serve with brown rice (you can freeze the rest of the stock and the leftover vegetables to use in your soup recipe )

5. Shepherd’s Pie This is a vegetarian recipe but nobody ever notices it is not made without mince. I think the trick with kids is just to call it Shepherd’s pie and just put it in front of them, don’t mention it’s anything different than normal. This is very healthy and high in fibre and very low fat, but still is comfort food. Dice 2 onions, 2 carrots and 2 sticks of celery and fry in a pan at a low heat, add in 200g of puy lentils and 200g of red lentils. Add double the amount of water, one vegetable stock cube and 2 tins of tomatoes and a dash of soy sauce and cook until the lentils are cooked about 20mins. You may need to add in a little bit more water if they lentils are absorbing too much. In a separate pot peel and boil 8 potatoes and mash them. Half the base mixture and keep for tomorrow. Put a layer of the “mince” base into a dish and top with the mash potato cook in the oven for 20mins about 170   The next day use the “mince” for Spaghetti Bolognaise. Reheat the “mince” mixture in a saucepan and add in some dried oregano/basil. Serve with Spaghetti or pasta.

6. Chilli NON Carne Again this is a vegetarian dish but is so tasty they will not miss the mince. Fry 2 onions and 3 cloves of garlic in a pan, add some diced carrots, half a red, yellow and green pepper sliced., then add in 2tsp of chilli powder (to your own taste) and some paprika and cumin if you have it. Add 2 tins of tomatoes and 2 tins of kidney beans with about 100ml of water. Bring to the boil and reduce heat to simmer for 30 mins . Half the mixture and leave to cool at room temperature and place in fridge Serve the other half with rice and grated cheese on top. Make extra brown rice for tomorrows dinner. Burritos and Potato Wedges Again this is a kid friendly meal all the goodness is hidden. Wash 4-6 potatoes and cut into wedges, sprinkle with salt and oil and bake in the oven for 20mins Take 4 large tortillas and, one at a time place a few spoonfuls of the bean mixture from the day before down the middle, top this with some of yesterdays brown rice and some grated cheese. Roll up, repeat with the other tortillas. Place in a dish in the oven and top with grated cheese, bake for 20 mins . Serve the Burritos and the potato wedges with green salad or lettuce on the side.

7. Tofu Tofu isn’t anything to be afraid of, and cut into small pieces in a stirfry or green curry you wouldn’t even notice it as the other flavours take over. Take the tofu and cut it in half. Cut it into small pieces and squeeze with a teatowel to take out the moisture. Sprinkle with oil and bake in an oven for 20 mins . Or if in a rush fry off quickly in the pan and remove. Take 2 cloves of garlic and an inch of grated ginger and fry in a pan, add in some sliced mushrooms, the rest of the sliced peppers , 1 grated carrot and 1 sliced celery stick and 2 handfuls of the frozen green beans. Add in a good dash of soy sauce and a little water and cook for a few mins . Add back in the tofu and serve with brown rice. Tofu Green Curry Place 1tsp of oil and 1 tbsp of green curry paste in a pan, add in one tin of coconut milk, then add in sliced onions, mushrooms and the frozen green beans. Cook the rest of the tofu as outlined before and add in last minute. Serve with brown rice .

8. Soup Use the leftover chicken stock if you like, fry onions, carrots, celery in a saucepan. Add in 2 stock cubes and 2L of water (if not using stock) and 1 tin of tomatoes. Add is the bag of frozen Mediterranean vegetables and cook for 20mins. Season and liquidize. Spicy Falafel. Blend 1 tin of chickpeas with some garlic and some Cajun seasoning or chilli powder and 1 tbsp of flour, form into little balls and bake in the oven. Stuff these into pitta breads with lettuce for lunch, use sweet chilli as a sauce or a little mayo. For kids leave out the spices and just make little chickpea cakes for their lunch boxes   Tortilla pizzas Take 2 Tortilla wraps and “stick” together with some tomato puree. On top spread more tomato puree with the back of a spoon, add some cheese, thinly sliced mushrooms, or thinly sliced onion, sprinkle of sweetcorn . Bake in the oven for 7 mins .

9. Over a week the nutritional requirements of 2 adults and 2 children are met This is taking the average calorie requirement of a woman to be An average man needs around 2,500 calories a day to maintain his weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000 calories a day. These values can vary depending on age and levels of physical activity, among other factors. What are calories? Calories are a measure of how much energy food or drink contains. The amount of energy you need will depend on: your age: for example, growing children and teenagers may need more energy  your lifestyle: for example, how active you are your size: your height and weight can affect how quickly you use energy  Other factors can also affect how much energy you burn, for example: some hormones (chemicals produced by the body): such as thyroid hormones  some medications: such as glucocorticoids (a type of steroid used to treat inflammation) being unwell Maintaining a healthy weight To maintain a healthy weight, you need to balance the amount of calories you consume through food and drink with the amount of calories you burn through physical activity. To lose weight in a healthy way you need to use more energy than you consume by: eating a healthy, balanced diet with fewer calories  and increasing your activity

10. For the full week the Nutritional Information is as follows:- Per day divide % by 7 and for per person divide by 4