Meal plan with a strict budget help needed !

[EasyCheapmealideas]

£80 for the week.
4 adults
6 children

No eggs, 2 are also vegan
2 are strictly gluten free

We have some cupboard basics flour and herbs and spices etc , rice and pasta.
Are there any really cheap filling meal ideas

So £8 per person, per week. I don’t see how that is doable without help.

Jacket potatoes with various toppings
Fried rice with stir fry veg...fried egg on top for non vegans
Quorn shepherds pie

Do you have enough to buy pasta and rice in bulk so that you can keep the cost down? Also, freezer space - can bulk buy things like bread when reduced and freeze?

I would concentrate the evening meals around a cheaper filling item, like pasta, rice or potatoes and cook in bulk with leftovers being for lunch the next day

Okay so £8 per person for a week will be very tough!

Breakfast for week
£1 box of cereal
£1 carton of milk

Lunch for the week:
£1 loaf of bread
£1 filling

£4 for dinner / snacks?

How old are the children?
Which are GF?
Which are vegan?
Are the GF people also GF?
Is there anything that anyone really doesn't like?

Wow! That sounds very challenging!
I think potatoes, pasta and rice are your friends here! You could also do a homemade veggie soup using whatever leftover veg you have.

I wouldn't bother with cereal. It's expensive & not especially filling. Porridge is cheaper & more filling per portion. TBH even just wholemeal toast & peanut butter is better unless you're buying basics cereal - which often tend to be very limited on fibre etc.
Buy whole milk, not semi or skimmed. More calories per portion & it's the same price.

Which shops do you have access to?

Breakfast, cheap porridge made with water (throw in a couple of spoons if skimmed milk powder).

Lunches cheap bread/spread with cheese/nut butter/ham/cheese spread.

Own brand crisps.

Dinner
Bolognese made with lentils and veg - pasta
Ditto chilli - rice
Jacket spuds with baked beans
Lentil Dahl with rice
Risotto with any old veg chopped in

Get whatever fruit and veg are on Aldi special deals and use the fruit for pudding.

Is it a one off or do you need to stick to this budget for longer?

What kitchen gadgets etc do you have? Kettle/electric toaster/pressure cooker/slow cooker/microwave, etc? Working oven & hob?

What herbs, spices, basic pantry staples do you have? Do you already have pasta, rice, dried beans etc? Are any of you a confident cook?

I think everyone except DP would eat oats for breakfast. Or toast.
I have tons of spread as ordered extra on offer a couple weeks ago.

I have enough pasta and rice for this week so wouldn’t need to factor that in this week. I have GF pasta here too but thinking ahead to other weeks I’d need to get that.
I just need some easy recipes I think everyone would eat a veg curry or similar

I think it’s just a temporary measure 4-6 weeks at most hopefully

Are you including all breakfasts and lunches in this meal plan? Also, do you have aldi or lidl available to you nearby?

@AnotherMansCause

What kitchen gadgets etc do you have? Kettle/electric toaster/pressure cooker/slow cooker/microwave, etc? Working oven & hob?

What herbs, spices, basic pantry staples do you have? Do you already have pasta, rice, dried beans etc? Are any of you a confident cook?

No I’m a rubbish cook but I’m eager 🤣🤣

That sounds really tight. I'm thinking Dahl, chickpea curry, veg curry. You may have to adjust your expectation is what you eat when.

Miso with rice noodles for breakfast
Can you make flatbreads with GF flour?
Do you have rice in your cupboard?

I'd try and emulate a vegan Indian diet.

Argh, that'll teach me to proofread! My post above, I meant to say are any of the GF people also vegan. Gah. Obviously a selection of recipes for a family including 2 GF vegans will look different than a family including 2 GF people, 2 vegans, & several people with no restrictions. Unless you're happy to all eat GF vegan. It's quite restrictive though, especially on a severe budget.

Chickpea or lentil curries are your friend here.

Also:
Mixed bean stew/soup or a chilli
Lentil ‘bolognese’ sauce (with spaghetti or as a jacket potato filling)

Are you on Olio OP? You can get free food from there locally sometimes, it depends how far you're willing to travel to collect things. It's always a bit random what's offered though.
Maybe have a look on your local Facebook groups and see if there are any recommendations for local discount shops, factory food/overstock/end of line/short dated stores, sometimes these kind of shops have food at absolutely knockdown prices. They're only worth it if you can afford to get there for less than the saving you will make on the food though.

@AnotherMansCause

Argh, that'll teach me to proofread! My post above, I meant to say are any of the GF people also vegan. Gah. Obviously a selection of recipes for a family including 2 GF vegans will look different than a family including 2 GF people, 2 vegans, & several people with no restrictions. Unless you're happy to all eat GF vegan. It's quite restrictive though, especially on a severe budget.

No luckily the GF are separate to the vegans 🤣

We used to get all the GF stuff on prescription till our area stopped doing that. I’ve heard asda do good GF stuff so may try there as the genius/schar is expensive

@AnotherMansCause

Are you on Olio OP? You can get free food from there locally sometimes, it depends how far you're willing to travel to collect things. It's always a bit random what's offered though. Maybe have a look on your local Facebook groups and see if there are any recommendations for local discount shops, factory food/overstock/end of line/short dated stores, sometimes these kind of shops have food at absolutely knockdown prices. They're only worth it if you can afford to get there for less than the saving you will make on the food though.

I hadn’t heard of that I’ll get that thanks

@itwasntaparty

That sounds really tight. I'm thinking Dahl, chickpea curry, veg curry. You may have to adjust your expectation is what you eat when.

Miso with rice noodles for breakfast
Can you make flatbreads with GF flour?
Do you have rice in your cupboard?

I'd try and emulate a vegan Indian diet.

Yes have rice and pasta for this week.

Have a few tins of soup too as just had a look through so not too bad really

I might get In touch with food bank too as the local one isn’t too far and I think they deliver

For Breakfast: since you have lots of spread, toast with that would be the cheapest

For lunch: I would recommend making Dhal with whatever vegetables (frozen or tinned) you have at hand. A good recipe is here --> www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sweet-potato-dhal-curried-vegetables

For dinner: Sandwiches with fillings according to dietary needs (eggs, shredded carrots, shredded red cabbage, cucumber, mayonnaise, vinaigrette etc.)

I could eat dal every day. Once you’ve got a store of spices, it’s very cheap. Look at the world foods aisles for cheaper coconut milk and dried/tinned pulses.

This is the easiest one I know. Cook in bulk ans freeze in portions. Spinach is optional and I’d use frozen for ease and cost.

www.tinnedtomatoes.com/2013/10/spinach-and-coconut-dal.html?m=1

You can vary the lentils used (just cook for longer), add different spices, add roasted sweet potatoes/squash, add chick peas, fried tofu etc etc…

Potato and quorn mince pie. Omit the pastry crust for the GFs
Veg curry and rice
Pasta bake using GF pasta / vegan cheese where needed

I’d also add, if the vegans are vegan by choice, then I wouldn’t be buying expensive vegan stuff for them! Your priority is to ensure the GFs (if they are genuinely GF as opposed to omitting gluten by choice) get a good choice of meals.