Cost of food now?

[lovinglife]

I sent my hubby for protein bread and 1/2 doz eggs to Morrisons on Sunday - 3 phone calls and 2 texts later two carrier bags full of "bargains" and £71 lighter! Still I have a freezer full of food I dont want, need or eat lol - still it's better than many years ago when we weren't working and I only had a fiver for 6 days food and totally empty cupboards- off he goes and buys 3 reduced chickens and NOTHING else lol

 

[Bigbloke48]

It's ice cream.

Thanks Tina. I looked it up. Looks nice but were on state pension so may have to pass and stick to berries and cream.

 

[Guzzler]

Thanks Tina. I looked it up. Looks nice but were on state pension so may have to pass and stick to berries and cream.

I stumbled on something akin to ice cream. If you buy frozen berries and add a few to Greek style yoghurt then leave it it for five minutes to slightly defrost you can then mix it all up and it is surprising how delicious something so simple can be. I havn't tried this with double cream but I can't see why it wouldn't work in the same way. Enjoy!

 

[Red_river_]

I have been enjoying yoghurt with a spoon of chia seeds and chopped fresh mango or frozen strawberries as puddings or snack sometimes, it is surprisingly nice. This so far is the only pudding that I have since diabetes. I see some of you here mention low carbs ice cream. What about sugar content in it?
I do find low carbs a lot more expensive too. In this country vegetables are always more expensive than meat I find. Those vegetables that often mentioned as substitute for carbs such as aubergine, zucchini, cauliflower.. are all expensive, as well as mushrooms. Salad leaves are very expensive too. For a while I have not bought salmon but buy mackerel or any other whole fish that are on offer instead, and I find them as nice. A lot nicer and cheaper than tin fish that I never fancy anyway.
Reading your posts here I learn to put left over in freezer. Often than not I leave them for a few days in fridge before put them in the bin ( just to feel less guilty about throwing away food), this now will have to change..

 

[NaijaChick]

Ok am I missing something here? I see people talking about food is expensive. I’ve lived on JSA when I have been through jobs and have survived on £10 or lesson food. Most veg are less than £1 for cauliflower/cabbage etc. Fish in Iceland is £10 for 3 bags (12 pieces, inc salmon, trout and tuna)

This is about planning and knowing where to shop and how to shop.

Yes there are expensive items like coconut flour and chia seeds but these can last for months.

It’s also about buying less expensive items. Thighs over breasts, Store brands over name brands.

With Britexit looming, we are gonna no to have to learn how to tighten our belts more. It might be a good idea to do a thread on the different meals you can do with one food item on a budget.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I stumbled on something akin to ice cream. If you buy frozen berries and add a few to Greek style yoghurt then leave it it for five minutes to slightly defrost you can then mix it all up and it is surprising how delicious something so simple can be.

We do this with Greek yoghurt, mix frozen blueberries in to it, gives a nice ripple effect to it.

 

[Brunneria]

There was a thread on here ages ago, talking about the expense of LC living and so on, and I can recall being astonished when one member described what meals she managed to achieve from various things. On think in particular was from a chicken. It just went on and on!

I can't for the life of me remember the member's name, or I'd try to find it, but it was a fab thread. I wonder if @Brunneria can recall whom it was.

I can’t remember her name either, but she used to visit her local butcher and spend £1 on a bag of chicken carcasses.
She roasted them, then took the meat off the bones (several portions of meat).
Then simmered the bones to make chicken broth (several portions).

I was fascinated and did exactly the same.
There were 6 chicken carcasses in my carrier bag, which yielded 500mls of meat (i put it in a measuring jug as i pulled the pieces of meat off the bones). Then i got a couple of litres of the most fabulous stock too.
All for £1

 

[DCUKMod]

I can’t remember her name either, but she used to visit her local butcher and spend £1 on a bag of chicken carcasses.
She roasted them, then took the meat off the bones (several portions of meat).
Then simmered the bones to make chicken broth (several portions).

I was fascinated and did exactly the same.
There were 6 chicken carcasses in my carrier bag, which yielded 500mls of meat (i put it in a measuring jug as i pulled the pieces of meat off the bones). Then i got a couple of litres of the most fabulous stock too.
All for £1

Thanks for that @Brunneria . I've keep racking my brains, but the name just won't come to me.

Since I bought my very clever electric pressure cooker, I always have home gelatinous, made stock around.

When I go to the butcher and ask for bones for stock, I'm never charged, but then we are regular customers. I just don't ask at the weekends as they shop is just too busy and they tend not to be actually butchering (as in butchering whole animals on a Friday/Saturday).

Again, since having the cauldron, we eat far more really cheap cuts because they do so well, under pressure.

Pork or ox cheeks anyone? Beef shin, oxtail, breast of lamb, lamb's heart, flat ribs, or any ribs for that matter. That'll be us.

 

[ickihun]

Ok am I missing something here? I see people talking about food is expensive. I’ve lived on JSA when I have been through jobs and have survived on £10 or lesson food. Most veg are less than £1 for cauliflower/cabbage etc. Fish in Iceland is £10 for 3 bags (12 pieces, inc salmon, trout and tuna)

This is about planning and knowing where to shop and how to shop.

Yes there are expensive items like coconut flour and chia seeds but these can last for months.

It’s also about buying less expensive items. Thighs over breasts, Store brands over name brands.

With Britexit looming, we are gonna no to have to learn how to tighten our belts more. It might be a good idea to do a thread on the different meals you can do with one food item on a budget.

I have same money to feed 4. Can you feed 4 on £22 per week. Including women's toileteries and to keep the house hygienic? £1 for school events and dressing up days and bus fares or running a car needed too. Clothing, rent contribution, bills and housewares comes from kids money. Hence a bus journey is our lot for days out.
Food often comes last otherwise we'd be homeless.

 

[NaijaChick]

Is the £22 for all things or just food? Does anyone have any allergies/ special requirements apart from LcHf? I think I might be able to do this. Why is your budget so low?

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

As mentioned above, sterling plummeting against the Euro and US dollar might be good for exports but not so good for the large amount of fruit and veg that we import. The big supermarkets absorbed the cost for a while but their profits will always be more important than feeding the nation. Living in a backwater like I do I'm lucky to live near several farmer's markets and several family run vegetable shops which sell at excellent prices compared to the supermarket. Better still, hardly any packaging to worry about.

 

[dbr10]

As mentioned above, sterling plummeting against the Euro and US dollar might be good for exports but not so good for the large amount of fruit and veg that we import. The big supermarkets absorbed the cost for a while but their profits will always be more important than feeding the nation. Living in a backwater like I do I'm lucky to live near several farmer's markets and several family run vegetable shops which sell at excellent prices compared to the supermarket. Better still, hardly any packaging to worry about.

a self inflicted wound. Let's hope that the fall is not repeated.

 

[tim2000s]

Pork or ox cheeks anyone? Beef shin, oxtail, breast of lamb, lamb's heart, flat ribs, or any ribs for that matter. That'll be us.

And if you don't have a pressure cooking vessel, slow cooked in the oven at 120 degrees for 12 hours yields immensely tender and tasty results.

 

[DCUKMod]

And if you don't have a pressure cooking vessel, slow cooked in the oven at 120 degrees for 12 hours yields immensely tender and tasty results.

I was a big slow cooker fan before I discovered this particular pressure cooker. I'd always been terrified at the prospect of exploding pans, but I'm totally converted now.

 

[Mr_Pot]

I had a great--aunt who was always going on about useful her pressure cooker was, one day she mentioned that she never used the pressure as it was too dangerous!

 

[Bluetit1802]

My mum gave me her pressure cooker, which she didn't use. I found it a very useful container for boiling my baby's terry nappies in. (back in the 70's) Other than that I have never felt the need to have one.

 

[DCUKMod]

Well, my OH has always been a pressure cooker fan, and we've had one at our home from home for eons, but I was always nervous of it, but when my slow cooker developed a crack in the pot, it was going to have to be replaced.

I decided I'd go for a multi-cooker style of thing, but wanted a stainless steel pot, not non-stick, and this is where I ended up: https://www.instantpot.co.uk/ . I love it.

 

[LooperCat]

And if you don't have a pressure cooking vessel, slow cooked in the oven at 120 degrees for 12 hours yields immensely tender and tasty results.

Keeping the oven on for twelve hours is going to get really expensive...

I’m finding it expensive to eat LCHF as I don’t eat meat or cow dairy so cheap cuts of meat aren’t an option for me.

 

[DCUKMod]

Keeping the oven on for twelve hours is going to get really expensive...

I’m finding it expensive to eat LCHF as I don’t eat meat or cow dairy so cheap cuts of meat aren’t an option for me.

Do you eat chicken? Chicken is pretty modestly priced, very versatile and goes a long way , including stock and leftovers for soups.

 

[LooperCat]

Do you eat chicken? Chicken is pretty modestly priced, very versatile and goes a long way , including stock and leftovers for soups.

No, I’m allergic to all mammal and bird meat It all gives me breathing difficulties, my lung capacity halves within half an hour of eating any and I’m quite unwell for about 24 hours after. I use ventolin for the breathing.

So I do eat fish, eggs, goat and sheep milk cheese (an expensive hobby, even from Lidl), and the usual LCHF plant based foods. Before I was using the standard NICE approved low fat high carb diet, which is gloriously cheap as a nearly-veggie, loads of root veg, pasta, lentils etc and of course most meat replacement foods are quite carby.

Thing is, the improvement in my blood sugars has made me determined to stay with LCHF, I’ve got things I can give up to keep it going. The almond flour based recipes will have to be for high days and holidays though!