KIDS' FRUGAL HEALTHY EASY LUNCHES: Part 2 - Carbs & Protein

FRUGAL LUNCHES PART 2: CARBS & PROTEINS

Non-Bread Lunches: a mini-portion of supper 

Rice

Easy-cook rice is well-priced and takes just 10-12 mins to cook.  (Follow manufacturers' instructions - add double the amount of water, bring to a boil, cover with a lid wrapped in a clean tea towel or j-cloth; leave 10-12 minutes).  

• stir in frozen peas (they'll defrost in the heat of the rice), a thin one-or-2-egg omelette sliced in ribbons and a bit of cooked bacon or ham.  
• OR stir fry rice with favourite vegetables with a little soy, oyster or hoisin sauce, adding tuna or smoked mackerel if you like.  
• OR just serve plain from the pot with a fried egg - runny yolk on top. For a change, fry two slices of back bacon first; crack the egg over the bacon and cover until cooked to your liking; transfer to portion of rice. 
• If feeling adventurous try easy but tempting Egg & Bacon Rice, below

 

Note: 67's shortcut during busy times involves Waitrose's VeeTee Himalayan Basmati which is excellent but not your run-of-the mill rice.)

Pasta

As well as standard macaroni, spaghetti etc think about Chinese noodles (£1'ish for 5x1-person nests of noodles). They come in plain or chilli, in wheat or rice.  When Chinatown is accessible again, try dieters delight 'thread' noodles which are made of green bean starch.  Noodles are very easy; just cover with boiling water for 5 mins and drain.  

• Add to a well-flavoured bowl of stock (cubes, granules ok) with vegetables and shards of protein.  
• Or stir fry some veg and leftover protein and add noodles and a sprinkling of  toasted sesame oil, if liked, until heated through

Potatoes

Baked: 

These take a bit of planning but halving the baked potatoes vertically cuts the baking time.  Kids get a half; adults, a whole.

Wash, dry, remove any blemishes; rub with oil and salt & pepper.   Bake at 180C/350F directly onto the oven rack (with a tray on the shelf below to catch drips) about 30mins (1 hour for whole ones). Make a cross in the side without skin; push-up with thumbs to make a crater and fill with:  

- tuna or prawn mayo 

- leftover spaghetti sauce (tinned is ok as long as it doesn't have much sugar) 

- baked beans with or without grated cheese

- sliced cooked sausages (meat or plant) with tomato sauce and/or  cheese 

   

Mashed potatoes:  Either boil or bake potatoes (see above) with or without skin until a sharp knife in the centre meets little resistance.  With boiled potatoes, drain, return to pan and to (turned off) hob to dry out.  With baked, skin the potatoes.  Place 'taters in a bowl; add butter; mash with hand-held potato basher.  If you're after sloppy mash, stir in milk or yoghurt bit-by-bit, until it reaches the desired consistency.  Otherwise, add just enough yoghurt-mayo to moisten, not drown, the mash; stir in corn or peas and bits of protein: tuna, chicken, chopped hard boiled eggs.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with green veg or simple salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber).  If you have time, get the kids to make mash patties (this won't work with sloppy mash), spray with a little oil and bake/fry until golden.

Wedges: baked, not fried; healthier than chips but just as crisp & yummy; cooks faster than baked

Note: try sweet potatoes or celeriac for a healthier carb  

Rice Crackers 

Kallo's thin rice crackers are loved by everyone - toddlers to adults.  Very crispy and healthy (brown rice, unsalted), they don't even need a spread or topping.  They cost just over a pound but there are dozens in a pack and they'll stay crisp in an air tight container a few days.  Serve spread with a favourite topping, alone or alongside soups.  Or break into shards and add to crudités for dips.  They're very easy to pack - they fit in a good-sized coat pocket (obv. wrapped in cling film or in a sealable sandwich bag.)  

FRUGAL PROTEIN

Chicken wings: good value (per kilo, Sainsbury's £1.50 (!!), Morrisons £2.80); raw or cooked, freeze well.  Baking naked 25-35mins is the easiest cooking but there are plenty of easy flavourings on NavBar: Recipes 1: Chicken  

Drumsticks and thighs: also often on special and freeze well

Cheaper cuts of meat: beef and (lower-cost) pork become tender and soft, whether in one piece or in cubes, if cooked gently in a slow cooker

Frozen Fish: much cheaper than fresh. Really frugal cuts like coley are just as nutritious as cod or haddock.

Tinned fish: one tin of tuna with vegetables, mixed with a tin of pulses feeds 4 adults. (See Navigation Bar: Recipes I: Fish).  Tins of sardines at around 70p (2023) are one of the most nutritious budget proteins. 

Tuna Salad Italian Style, quick, healthy, satisfying

 Eggs: Try Devilled Eggs instead of the usual -- boil, drop in cold water, drain; halve vertically; remove yolks, mash with a little mayo plus small amounts of  tuna, ham or avocado and finely diced celery or green onion  

Baked Beans.  Tinned, on toast, with or without cheese, is usually a winner with kids.  A lower-sugar/fat version, 67's Beautiful Baked Beans, cooked in a slow cooker has also become popular with families -- it's much much cheaper and freezes well.

Other Pulses: dried beans are cheapest but tinned are also good value.  Cook and blend with vegetables in soups, using herb/spices to add flavour.  Bean purees make a good carb substitute.

Parts: 1 - Bread/Rolls & 3 - Veg, Fruit, Desserts Snacks

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