In this day and age, cost of living rises and one has to pay off the necessities first. Food is essential to our health and well being. Reducing the food bill can be achieved with a bit of creativity and clever budgeting, whilst keeping yourself and your family healthy.
Here are some tips:
Before you head off to the grocery store, check out your Pantry and fridge for food supplies that you can still use.
Write down a list of meals required for the week for yourself and family.
Do not waste the food that you have already purchased and stored in your pantry and fridge. With a bit of creativity you can create some delicious and nutritious meals from your food storage. Such as – pancakes, crepes, scones (for breakfasts/dessert). Savoury Omelet for lunches/dinner.
Write down the $ you have to spend on groceries and stick within that range.
Do not be sidetracked in the grocery store with attractive deals that look cheap and not on your list. Usually these items do not last long in your home and will need to be recycled or donated in the future.
The foods listed below are the cheapest you can buy:
- Oats
- Rice
- Lentils (Red lentils, Brown lentils, Yellow lentils, etc.)
- Pasta
- Flour
- Eggs
- Milk
- Feta cheese
- Tinned tomatoes, tuna, sardines
- Spices (to add flavor) such as black pepper, tumeric, chilli powder or paprika powder, cummin, bay leaves, cloves, cardamon, cinnamon, mustard seeds, coriander powder, curry powder.
- Dried herbs. These can be added to meals depending on the type of food you are cooking – e.g. pastas, or Asian meals. You can make your own dried herbs.
Fresh economical produce:
- Proteins – Chicken, eggs, mince, soup bones (chicken or beef), cheaper cuts of beef if available
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Pumpkin
- Spinach
- Zucchini
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Ginger/garlic
- Capsicums
- Herbs
Fresh economical Fruits:
(These fruits are the cheapest in the market and the left over ripe fruit can also be used in cooking cakes, breads, sweet treats)
- Bananas
- Apples
- Oranges
- Dried fruit (sultanas, dates). These can be added to lunch boxes for snacks or added to cooking)
- Grapes. As you only need a few grapes to add to lunch boxes or in fruit salads, it is economical to add to your food supplies.
These items can produce very simple, economical and nutritious meals, just as an example. Depending on your budget, you can add or deduct.
Meals to prepare from above list:
- Breakfast: Oats porridge, poached eggs, omelet or scrambled eggs. The cooked eggs can also be added to sandwiches for lunches. Pancakes for weekends when there is more time to cook. (use flour, eggs and milk).
- French toast: Use up left over bread slices to make this french toast, dip each slice in a mix of eggs, milk, a dash of cinnamon powder (optional) and fry in oil for a minute each side.
- Left over bread slices can be stored in freezer or crumbed for cooking any meals that require breadcrumbs. Stored in freezer.
- Bread – home baked bread, rolls.
- Bake a simple cake for a treat during the day or weekend, using flour, baking powder, eggs, milk or grated carrot, left over banana, grated apple, lemon zest, grated zucchini. Muffins are easy to prepare and bake as well which can be added to lunch boxes or afternoon tea treat.
- Lunches: Steamed rice with a vegetable curry and dhal using lentils and vegetables such as zucchini, cabbage, chick peas, pumpkin.
- Chapatis using flour, wholemeal flour. Serve with a Curry, salad or raita (spiced yogurt).
- Curried egg sandwiches for lunch. A little boiled egg mashed with added mayo and another finely chopped gherkin or salad ingredient.
- Dinners: Stock made with beef or chicken bones can be made into a nutritious vegetable soup lasting a few days. The cooked meat can be shredded and added to pasta, noodles meals.
- Soups: Stock can be made into a variety of vegetable soups, such as Pumpkin soup, zucchini soup, broccoli soup, Lentil & veg soup (very nutritious!). Even more adventurous meals such as Minestrone Soup, Mulligatawny soup are easy to cook. Don’t be afraid to try out new meals!
- Noodles: You can cook a very quick and simple stir fry noodle meal with just steamed noodles and using left over veggies in your fridge – sliced carrots, beans, cabbage, spring onions and flavor with soy sauce and sesame oil. If you need added protein to this meal, you can add a cooked omelet slices, steamed shredded chicken.
- Pastas: Simple pasta meals include pasta with basic Bolognese sauce which can be cooked with mince and grated vegetables to add bulk and nutritional value, pasta with lemon parmesan cheese, or pesto sauce, basil and herbs. Pastas can be cooked under 10 minutes and the cooked water can be added to the sauce as well.
- Casseroles and curries are a delicious, nutritious and economical meal to feed a family or freeze for later. Use beef or chicken bones to add flavour, add spices, herbs or vegetables for added nutrition.
- Bread: Yes you can bake bread! You just need flour (all purpose flour, bread flour, wholemeal flour), yeast and water. Sourdough bread is made from scratch with preparing the starter first.
- Desserts: For that extra treat after a meal, cook a baked bread and butter Pudding with left over bread pieces or cake, make a custard with eggs and milk. If you don’t have fresh milk, substitute with tinned milk. I always keep a tin of condensed or evaporated milk in my pantry. Also Full Cream Milk Powder is handy to keep in your cupboard in case you run out of fresh milk in the mornings. Milk powder can be substituted in making pancakes where fresh milk is required.
- Jelly: The jelly crystals are cheap to purchase and can make a quick dessert.
- Banana bread: Using left over bananas, eggs, flour, milk, sugar. This is a delicious and economical treat to cook and add to lunch boxes during the busy week or for an afternoon tea treat.
Cost of cooking fuel:
Reduce the cost of cooking with cooking in bulk quantities and freezing for later use. Allow the food to cool down quickly before storing in containers and sealing well. Don’t leave food lying around on your benchtop for lengthy periods as bacteria could develop.
If you don’t have a cooker, for example you can use an electric instant cookpot, rice cooker/steamer, microwave.
Save time in prepping your food in bulk by washing and chopping ingredients, before cooking. Washing up before and after cooking in one session saves time and water usage. Its a good idea to set aside a few hours to prepping your food to save time and other costs.
The wise cook prepares in advance by planning well balanced meals in advance which are nutritious, economical and time saving.
Write down a list of meals you are planning for the week which will save time in thinking what to cook during a busy week. This way you can also save on wasting food ingredients which does cost you money.
- Cook in bulk quantities and freeze in well sealed containers will reduce your energy costs, labor, cleaning up before and after cooking.
- Foods that freeze well – stocks in small containers (250 ml = 1 cup serving), soups, curries, casseroles, pasta sauces.
- Vegetables can be washed, prepped and stored in zip lock bags in freezer to add to cooking. E.g. chopped carrots, beans, broccoli, celery, spinach, herbs.
Simple meals 
You must be logged in to post a comment.