Any suggestions please

[CreativeMumma]

I've been collecting bits in prep for Brexit and thought I was doing okay (all my family and friends think I'm nuts) but the closer we're getting the more I feel unprepared.
I have limited money and space, is there anything I'm missing that is seen as essential...
I have:
Passata X 5
Baked beans X 1
Soup X 2
Tinned Fruit X 3
Spaghetti hoops X 1
Jam X 1
Gravy X 1
Picked X 1 garlic puree X 1
Tomato puree X 1
Pasta sauce X3
Rice 1kg X 1
Spaghetti 500g X1
Hp sauce X 1
Oil 1lt X1
Ketch up X 1
Oats 1kg X1
Cereal X 2
Water X 4
Strong flower 2kgx 1
Yeast
Uht milk X 1
Oat milk X 5
Tea
Coffee
Cleaning products
Loo paper X 2 packets
Nappies X 2 packets
Biscuits X 1

I have a normal to well stocked larder and freezer (extra butter/cheese/ham/meat) could last a few days on that alone I think.

If you had £50 what would you say I need to add? I've got a shop coming tomorrow so can add it tonight.
We are two adults and two kids (4&6yrs)

Thank you in advance

[CreativeMumma]

Forgot to say a have extra cat food and medicine

[bellinisurge]

How are you for sanpro?

[bellinisurge]

Also sweets and chocolate for the kids to keep their spirits up. Yes I know that is very bad parenting.

[CreativeMumma]

I use a cup so all good in that front

[higglypiggly]

Do you have a good stock of things to turn those items into meals with?

Look at what you have in your list, and what is usually in your freezer / cupboards - what meals can you make?

Based on the above list along, you've basically got pasta and rice in tomato sauce, to do a couple of meals.

No meat, no protein, no veg, no actual meals.

What are you going to eat your gravy with? Your beans with? Your rice with?

Add some packs of chilli mix, kidney beans and tinned green lentils and you have a chilli.

Some tinned chicken in white sauce and tinned veg - a meal.

You can buy dehydrated soya mince in Holland & Barrett (currently buy one get one free) - you rehydrate, then treat as normal mince - so make chilli, bolognese etc

Some smash could also allow you to make cottage pie using your mince (or tinned green lentils make a good mince alternative) plus some tinned veg, your gravy and a bit of passata.

Buy some red lentils, chopped toms, coconut milk and garam masala and you can make a nice dhal. Add frozen butternut squash and sweet potato for bulk. Add frozen spinach for added vits.

I'd add various spice mixes, some jars / bottles of stir fry sauces, kidney beans, tinned green lentils, chopped toms, coconut milk, dried red lentils, dried soya mince, tinned mixed veg, tinned corn, tinned potatoes, more rice / pasta, cheap cereal bars, a few packs of noodles, a few tins of curries / bolognese / chicken in white sauce for shelf stable items, then a selection of frozen veg (sweet potato, butternut squash, spinach, broccoli, chopped onion, sliced onion, sliced peppers).

This opens up curries, stir fries, a few traditional meals as above - more importantly - variety and a decent whack of nutritious food rather than beige staples.

All of this depend son your cooking skill and family preferences though - but on the whole, look at what meals you can make - there's no point having 10 tins of beans and 10 tins of chopped tomatoes but nothing to eat it with! Look up recipes for lentil curries, chickpea tagines etc - try a few recipes out, then shop from there.

Eg - dhal - 1 tin chopped toms, 1 tin light coconut milk, 200g chopped frozen onion, 20g chopped frozen garlic, 10g garam masala, 10g tandoori curry powder, chicken stock cube, 200g frozen spinach, 300g frozen sweet potato, 300g frozen butternut squash. This makes 6 moderate portions. Try it - if you like it, then buy double the quantity and you then know you have 3 meals worth of ingredients.

chilli - 200g frozen onion, 1 pack chilli mix, 1 pack smoky fajita mix, 2 tins chopped toms, 2 cartons passata, 1 tin kidney beans, 1 tin green lentils, 500g mince / mince substitute (dried soya or tesco frozen meat free mince) - makes 8 moderate portions. Scale up as needed.

So if i have 1kg mince or mince substitute, 8 tins chopped toms, 2 tins coconut milk, 2 tins kidney beans, 4 cartons passata, 2 tins green lentils, 2 pack chilli mix, 2 pack fajita mix, 2 bag frozen onion, 1 bag frozen garlic, 1 bag frozen BNS, 1 bag frozen SP, 1 bag frozen spinach, stock cubes, garam masala and tandoori curry powder, i can make 28 portions of tasty and fairly nutritious food. Bulk that out with 2kg rice and you are well on the way - that lot comes to just over £27.

I suggest meat free mince or dried soya mince as it is much cheaper than good quality meat mince.

[higglypiggly]

To add - a large handful each of frozen sliced onions, peppers, broccoli, spinach, plus a pack of noodles, a tin of beansprouts and a jar of stir fry sauce makes a great quick meal - and again, nutritious.

If you worry about getting bored, poppadoms and prawn crackers usually have a few months shelf life and can ring the changes.

[higglypiggly]

I guess what i'm saying, is it's fine to stock a few things to bulk out your freezer with - but no imagine that's gone - you turn to your stockpile - what are you now going to eat?

[bellinisurge]

Useful stuff @higglypiggly

[cloudtree]

what higgly said

[CreativeMumma]

That's really helpful, thank you.
So looking in the cupboard I have
Tuna x4
Sweetcorn X3 (plus frozen)
Fajitas mix X2
More baked beans
Soup

I've added to my shop
Pasta
Tinned soup x4
Pluses X 4
Green lentils x2
stir fry packet X 2
Fray Benton X3 (I've never had these before)
Tinned chicken casserole X 1 (I've never had these before)
Tinned beef casserole X 1(I've never had these before)
Tinned potatoes X 2(I've never had these before)
Tinned carrots X 1(I've never had these before)
Mushy peas X1 (no one else like them)
Biscuits

Freeze:
Mince
Pizza
Basil
Broccoli & cauliflower
Carrots
Stir fry veg
Onions
Garlic
Egg whites?

Does that sound okay?
I don't usually use tinned or jars - I cook from fresh so it's out of my comfort zone. My kids are super fussy as well!

I was planning on batch cooking pasta sauce, Mac and cheese, lasagna, pasta baked.

Feel free to tell me where I'm going wrong!

[HalfPintPixie]

Thank you @higglypiggly that was a very helpful post to start me thinking about how to actually turn my cupboard full of tins into actual food! 😂

[CreativeMumma]

I've also added
Curry jars X 2
Pappadoms
Coconut milk X1
Thai curry sauce X1
Tortillas X 1

[CreativeMumma]

Do I really need a camping hob?

[higglypiggly]

I’m not normally one for tinned “meals” either - though I use a lot of frozen veg and tinned pulses.

However, a dozen assorted tinned meals could be useful as they require no cooking at a push!

[higglypiggly]

Otherwise your revised list looks more like something you can make meals from now.

[bellinisurge]

Don't need a camping hob - it's a prepper thing.
Only get one as a back up if you want one and it's affordable for you. To be honest, you would run out of fuel if you are in a situation that requires a camping hob. There are alternatives- bbq; firebox- but you probably won't need them if your focus is Brexit preps. Don't spend what you don't need to spend.

[CreativeMumma]

I am have gas BBQ with fuel.

My husband is currently telling me I shouldn't be worried and that I'm overreacting

[cloudtree]

I doubt there are many people who eat from tins normally. we eat baked beans and we eat tinned sweetcorn and I use tinned tomatoes and chick peas. Nothing else. But tins are the best storage method so you adapt.