CUTTING FOOD BILLS IN A TIME OF PANDEMIC

CUTTING FOOD BILLS: PLAN AHEAD

In these uncertain and tumultuous times, cutting food bills without damaging health or existing on boring, flavourless food is a vital tool.   

As time goes on, households are becoming aware that the struggle ahead is not just keeping the larder and freezer stocked up, but also to make stores last as long as possible.  

Turing Food into More than Fuel is the key to keeping a household well-fed and happy and kind to the wallet.  

In confusing times, we need flavour, texture, imagination and all the other good things that make food a pleasure.  And, given a choice, we'd like it to be as healthy as possible and ready for the table without too much prep.   

The UK is lucky - we currently have the highest food standards in the world (Aug 2019).  We are blessed with independent shops selling produce direct from farms, often picked on the day.  Even if you can't afford organic, some producers grow to organic standards but don't bother with  accreditation to keep prices down.  

Thanks to tv chefs, we have also learned how to - as Jaimie Oliver would put it - 'pimp up' simple ingredients with added flavours.   An everyday dish can be transformed into an unusual or exotic delight with a pinch of dried spices and herbs.  They cost cost only a pound or two and it doesn't take long to build up a 'flavour' cupboard.  

Whether you want budget or high-end products (or both) a few tips will make grocery money go further. 

• A weekly MEAL PLAN saves time and money, making the most of the weekly shop and using up leftovers.  Leave a couple of meals a week open/'spontaneous' to prevent boredom.  

• LIMIT THE FOOD SPEND. Work out how much your weekly shop should be and stick to it.  Once the money's gone, it's gone and it's baked beans on toast or pasta until the next shop.  If you can, set aside a kitty of £10 for unexpected bargains too good to resist, which can be frozen or stored for later  

• DON'T THROW AWAY FOOD. 

        Leftovers turn the ordinary into something special.
      - cold veg brightens up winter salads or purees into gorgeous soups
      - cold roasties replace chips for cheap & cheerful Tortilla Espagnol/Potato Onion & Egg Pie
        -  save peelings/tough outer leaves of vegetables for stock (wash non-organic veg in 9 parts water, 1 part vinegar)
       -  peeled broccoli stems & inner cauliflower leaves can be finely chopped and cooked in stir fries  

      - celery fronds & herb stems elevate stock   
      - stale bread becomes breadcrumbs or bread & butter puddings
      - cheese ends brighten canapés or morph into cheese straws 
      - double cream, beaten well, separates into butter and buttermilk
      - boiled eggs add protein to salads
      - over-ripe fruit turns into instant jam,  crumbles, trifles, fruit salads 
- over-ripe bananas, mashed, bake into banana bread/cupcakes/waffles and ice cream 
      - stale nuts are refreshed after 4 mins in a moderate oven; they add plant protein to veg, granolas, or treats like low sugar 'nutella'

•  INVEST IN A FREEZER 

           A decent small one costs about £100, holds more than you think and are perfect for small households.  But whatever the household size, freezers allow you to cook several meals in advance, save on fuel, use up leftovers and store supermarket specials for the future:   
    - leftover stew takes on a new life as chunky soups
    - cooked veg, pureed, adds flavour & body to soups & casseroles
    - fresh banana chunks, coated in chocolate and frozen, are a cheap healthy alternative to ice cream 
   - frozen leftover meat - raw or cooked - adds a wallet-friendly hit of protein to pasta, rice & soups

More details in FREEZER MATTERS 

• PORTION CONTROL IS VITAL.  Soup as a first course, plus a salad or cooked veg reduces demand for expensive protein.  Cut cakes into smaller portions; use smaller cupcake liners and reduce the size of cookies

•  MEAT: Try CHEAPER, MORE FLAVOURFUL cuts -- chicken wings, casserole meat, lamb or ham shanks, oxtail -- become beautifully tender after slow cooking.  Add ROOT VEG & PULSES to make meat go further.  Keep meat portions small; you don't need as much protein as you think.  50/100gm (1.7-3.5oz) per person goes a long way in soups, pasta, fried rice, frittatas, casseroles and soups.  

•  FROZEN FISH is half the price of fresh - even when sustainably fished.  Try pollock.  Coley is a firm-fleshed white fish that is very nutritious and presents well in Asian or spicy dishes.     

• BAKE YOUR OWN BREAD:  Save pounds a week by learning to make bread.  Flour and yeast cost less than 50-pence a loaf and you know exactly what goes into it.  No-knead and soda breads are a doddle; yeasted bread doughs - with practice and determination - turn into 'proper' artisan loaves with a crusty top and yielding interiors. 

• DRIED SPICES are cheaper in supermarkets' international food sections;  the packets are bigger and the brands have usually been vetted by ethnic shoppers 

• DRIED LENTILS AND PULSES are much cheaper than tinned and have better texture and flavour.  They require overnight soaking but are so worth it.  More measure-and-bag-it-yourself sections are appearing in UK supermarkets.  That means you buy only what you need when you need it; no more stumbling on opened packets of pulses years after their use-by dates!

• WONKY OR OVER/UNDER RIPE FRUIT & VEG become crowd-pleasers if  properly prepared.  Fresh pineapple baked with molasses sugar and raw ginger is ambrosial.  Bog-standard supermarket tomatoes become gourmet treats with a spritz of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and basil.  Bags of economy eating fruit provide sweetness without added sugar in crumbles, cakes and bars

• Surplus fruit like apples and pears can be peeled, sliced and cooked lightly in a bit of butter and water; turned into apple/pear sauce they can replace some sugar in cakes and cookies.  Surplus berries laid out on a ridged pan freeze well or combine with other fruits for Instant Jam/Compote

• THE ART OF STIR-FRY.  With our favourite Chinese restaurants shut, it's a good idea to learn how to stir-fry.  It may take a few goes before you get it right but the reward is seeing bits of veg and scraps of protein turned into something exotic and full of interesting flavours.  

• Share ingredients which are not used frequently with a friend - Asian produce, exotic sauces & tinned goods, Middle Eastern Herbs -  or form a Food Club 

• SLOW COOKERS & AIR FRYERS reduce fuel and food bills.   A large Slow Cooker costs just £30 and tenderises cheaper, tougher cuts of meat.  A few bones, root veg and liquid cost just pennies but provides tasty nutrient-rich stock after slow cooking overnight.  Air Fryers are more expensive but are a godsend for reducing fat in meat.  They also toast bread, reheat and bake - in minutes - lovely small cakes for 1-3 people, avoiding wastage and trimming  waistlines.  

Also:

• MAKE FULL USE OF THE OVEN.  When cooking a roast, bake a few potatoes or tomato flavour bombs at the same time. When baking, also cook a batch of Uber Granola and store in an air-tight jar
• FRESH HERBS. Wrap in a clean, damp j-cloth; store in the veg drawer - they'll keep a week.  OR freeze leaves in water or oil in ice cube trays; or freeze stems in sealable bags for flavouring stocks. OR just bung the entire packet in the freezer and break off what's needed when it's needed
• SNACKS- it's cheaper to make your own, and healthier -- no nasty additives and preservatives.  And it'll keep the family occupied during Lockdown.  Quick & Easy recipes for frozen cookie dough, cereals, crackers, pickles, popcorn, potato chips are on the NavBar of the blog 67goingon50 and on the rest of the net 
• TREATS. Include them in your food budget.  We can't/mustn't live without them but they should be limited to, say one or two a week with extra on special occasions. 

B Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises accept no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.