| Shop for four with €100 |
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It can be a real challenge to eat well on a tight budget. Especially if you’re unsure about which foods are nutritious and inexpensive, where to get them, how to cook them and if you’re short on time too!
And because many shoppers have small children in tow, I’ve decided to undertake my challenge in the convenience of a local supermarket, rather than hiking around the specialist shops, where undoubtedly you can get great value, if you’re able for all that tugging and lugging. I might add that my supermarket is one you might see in most Irish towns and not a discount store! | | |
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So knowledge is power as they say. And it can be done… but with little or no room for treats and sweets! At any rate these foods should be occasional, not everyday foods. You can perhaps sneak some in, if you buy staple items like rice and potatoes in bulk.
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| Here's what I want every family member to enjoy each day - nutritionally! |
 | A high-fibre, carbohydrate-rich breakfast cereal - for buckets of energy and B vitamins. |
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| Five different fruit and vegetables (only one can be as juice) - for vitamins and minerals to boost the immune system. |
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| Three dairy servings (low fat milk, cheese yogurts) - for calcium and bone minerals. |
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| Two small servings of protein foods (lean meats, fish, eggs, beans). One oily fish in the week - for essential omega-3 fats for cognitive function and healthy hearts. |
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General tips for shopping on a budget
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Explore and plan. The key is to find sources of inexpensive but good food as close to the route you take from home to work or school as possible.
Stock up on special offers and freeze excess if you can.
Buy seasonally. You can tell what’s in season usually by price. Buying
Strawberries in winter are always going to more expensive. If you're
aware of what’s in season you’ll get it cheaper and it will taste
better too!
Stretch out your fresh fruit and veg with tinned, dried and frozen versions.
Tinned fish can also be very nutritious. Oily fish such as tinned
salmon or sardines contain healthy oils.
Buy rapeseed oil. It’s a healthy inexpensive alternative to olive oil.
You can now buy a great variety of inexpensive healthy beans, peas and lentils which are excellent sources of protein. These are very healthy and can be added to stews and sauces. If you have time to prepare them you can buy dried beans
and pulses which are even cheaper.
Tinned tomatoes are an inexpensive and a great store cupboard item for quick pasta sauces.
Look for special offers on fresh meat and fish, but remember other less expensive forms of protein can be equally nutritious - like eggs and frozen plain fish fillets.
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What's for breakfast?
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| Breakfast Foods | Price € | | 36 cereal wheat biscuits** | 2.45 | | Bag of porridge | 0.79 | | 6 eggs | 1.25 | | 4 litres low fat milk for week | 6.44 | | 8 probiotic yogurts** | 3.00 | | 1 litre of fresh orange juice | 2.99 | | Total | €16.22 |
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Tip
It's best to try and get your fruit and vegetables in over the course of the day, starting with fruit over your breakfast cereal. |
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| Rise and shine! |
Monday
3 wheat biscuits with milk and a chopped banana
Snack
½ cup seedless grapes and 1 small glass of orange juice
Tuesday
Porridge with milk and teaspoon of honey *. Small glass of orange juice.
Snack
Pear and a dessert plum
Wednesday
Toasted porridge oats drizzled with a little honey, topped with tinned peaches
Snack
¼ Fresh pineapple chopped into chunks with dessertspoon yoghurt and 1 clementine
Thursday
3 wheat biscuits with milk and honey. 1 small glass of orange juice
Snack
Tinned pears and a pink lady apple
Friday
Porridge made on apple juice
Snack
Kiwi fruit and clementine
Saturday
3 wheat biscuits with milk and thinly sliced pear and grapes
Snack
1 orange and 1 plum
Sunday
Poached egg on wheaten toast. Small glass apple juice.
Snack
Tin of mixed fruit in its own juice and 1 pear
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| Fruits | Price € | | Punnet of Plums | 2.99 | | 4 kiwi fruits** | 1.00 | | 8 small pears** | 2.79 | | 4 apples | 1.60 | | 4 oranges | 2.99 | | 2 nets clementines** | 3.00 | | Punnet white grapes** | 1.99 | | 1 pineapple | 2.59 | | 4 small bananas** | 0.61 | | 1 litre apple juice | 0.79 | | 1 tin peach slices in juice | 0.81 | | 1 tin pears in juice | 0.81 | | 1 tin mixed fruit in juice | 0.81 | | Total | €21.16 |
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| Proteins for lunch | Price € | | 1 tin tuna chunks | 0.88 | | 1 tin of baked beans | 0.69 | | 2 tins of mackerel | 1.94 | | 4 litres low fat milk for week | 6.44 | | Cheddar cheese** | 1.20 | | Pre packed ham** | 1.57 | | Pre packed turkey breast** | 1.57 | | Total | €8.66 |
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What's for lunch?
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Monday
Open wheaten sandwich, topped with tinned tuna chunks and mixed with tin of sweet corn and lite mayonnaise*.
Tuesday
Baked potato topped with tinned beans.
Wednesday
High fibre crisp bread, topped with tinned mackerel in tomato sauce.
Thursday
Wholemeal pitta pizzas, topped with pesto*, cheddar cheese and cherry tomatoes and grilled.
Friday
Pitta pocked stuffed with mustard*, ham and iceberg lettuce.
Wheaten bread topped with turkey slice, lite mayonnaise* and iceberg lettuce.
Saturday
Hard boiled egg, chopped red onion, lettuce and pepper with high fibre crisp bread.
Sunday Lunch
Tarragon chicken salad recipe
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| What's cooking? |
Monday
Diced chicken stir fried with fresh broccoli and frozen veg served with rice
Tuesday
Minced beef, mushroom and courgettes served with pasta tomato sauce over pasta
Wednesday
Bean and pasta bake, frozen veg and fresh carrots
Thursday
Salmon darne served with parsnips and carrot mash and cup or rice
Friday
Scrambled egg and onion, pepper and courgette
Saturday
Quorn with pasta sauce, shopped onion and pepper served with pasta
Sunday
Lamb chop served with baby potatoes, frozen peas and fresh asparagus
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| Proteins for dinner | Price € | | Frozen salmon natural fillets | 6.99 | | 1 tin of kidney beans | 0.67 | | 1 tin of broad beans | 0.72 | | Chicken legs** | 3.99 | | 4 lamb chops | 6.04 | | Minced beef** | 1.28 | | 6 eggs** | 1.25 | | Quorn vegetarian mince | 1.25 | | Total | €23.44 |
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| Vegetables, salad/dinner | Price € | | 1 tin sweet corn | 0.63 | | Large frozen peas | 1.58 | | Large frozen mixed veg | 1.89 | | Large asparagus | 2.79 | | Large fresh carrots | 1.59 | | Punnet mushrooms** | 0.99 | | Broccoli** | 1.19 | | Large courgette | 1.14 | | 3 bell peppers | 2.49 | | Parsnips | 0.79 | | Onions loose | 0.81 | | Cherry tomatoes** | 0.81 | | 1/2 head iceberg lettuce | 0.89 | | Tomato pasta sauce | 2.57 | | Total | €20.34 |
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| Carbs, lunch/dinner | Price € | | High fibre crisp bread | 1.44 | | Pack of basmati riice | 1.48 | | Wholemeal pitta pockets | 0.64 | | Wheaten loaf | 1.28 | | Punnet of baby potatoes* | 2.29 | | Fresh penne pasta | 1.64 | | Baked potatoes | 1.26 | | Total | €10.03 |
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Easy peasy recipes |
Lunch
Tarragon chicken salad
Serves 4
8oz/224g of pre-cooked chopped chicken breast €2.45
6 spring onions, chopped 76cent
8oz/224g black grapes, halved 1.11
7oz / 196g plain low fat fromage frais €1.40
2 heaped teaspoons of tarragon *
Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl and divide between four. Serve with two slices of wholemeal bread.
Dinner Ideas
Crunchy Topped Cod
Serves 4
4 frozen plain cod fillets (12oz /336g) (€3.57)
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 cup/ 50g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh /dried parsley (*window box or stores)
Juice of ½ lemon / squeezy lemon *
1 tsp olive oil/rapeseed oil*
salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 200 C/400 F/ Gas mark 6
Arrange the cod fillets in a wide based ovenproof dish. Then arrange the tomato slices on top. Mix together the breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, lemon juice and the oil with seasoning to taste. Spoon the crumb mixture evenly over the fish, then bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.
Pork and Apricots
Serves 4
4 lean pork loin chops (€5.90)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (50 cent)
1 sliced yellow pepper (€1.15)
4oz/ 112g dried apricots (86cent)
1 cup/ 8 fl oz chicken stock (made with cube) (20cent)
2 tsp medium curry powder*
1 tbsp plain flour*
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard*
black pepper*
Trim any excess fat from the pork and fry in a non-stick pan without fat until lightly golden. Add the onions and peppers to the pan and stir over a moderate heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and the flour. Add the stock while stirring and then the apricots and mustard. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until tender. Season and serve.
Foods with * are foods used from existing kitchen stores.
Foods with ** means special offer / value products
May 2007
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