How much do you spend on each main meals?

[Notgoingbacktofuture]

I'm wondering if we are spending too much on each family meal at home.

I grew up with meals cooked from scratch and served warm. So I couldn't do sandwich at home. When I worked full time before DS2 was born, we regularly bought readily marinated or prepared meat from the supermarket and just popped them into oven. But since now I'm not working and DS2 is out of his toddlerhood, I have a bit more time at hand, I cooked a lot in the past few months just from scratch. They taste much better than those readily prepared from the shop. But since I can't feel full without a bit of meat, each meal has proper chunk of meat for everyone (less for DS2 obviously). DS1 is 9 and he can eat 1.5 times the size of DH's portion.

I reckon we are spending about £4-6 a meal (just the materials excluding gas consumptions and etc.) if everyone is at home. Sometimes there's a bit leftover enough for 2 more portion, sometimes not.

We are in London/Herts.

Is this a lot?

God i haven't thought about it. But we all eat really large portions of meat (no MN chicken in this house)
We never have a meat free day. Even if like a quick pasta bake with a jar! ( yes its bad but it takes seconds when in a rush after clubs) I add 300g chicken diced and 2 packs pancetta)
Its so silly when i look at it. But i really need to

Another example. 1kg mince to do spag bol. Sometimes we freeze a portion, if ds isnt here ro eat. So that then does 2 adults, 1 frozen, 2 kids 1 toddler

About 30-40 p maybe. But we mostly don't eat meat. Including teenagers.

Obviously it will vary depending on your dietary habits. Which is why there is no point comparing, I think.

It doesn't sound like too much, but if you can switch to veggie even two days a week you might see a difference. Eg if you were going to have pulled pork/chicken - swap that for two cans of tinned jackfuit- In a curry or wraps it has the same texture, especially cooked with nice seasoning and spices. I love a good steak etc but my absolute favourite meal is spaghetti with garlic, chilli flakes, parsley and olive oil, which is super cheap to make! So have that once a week at least !

£4 - £6 each or all together?

The latter is very cheap.

@Mojitomogul , I need to look up how to make vegetarian meals. I know it's healthy and DH really believe I can get over the meat craving bias. But two things stopping me: one is all the bits I have to stock for making vegetarian meals as the recipe always seems to contain at least a dozen ingredients; two is that I found fresh veggies are expensive too if buying more than one type!!!

£4-6 each meal for all...
Cooking from scratch certainly help.

I got some smoke sausage chopped and cooked with celery and carrots with some eggs this evening. Pleasantly received by all, despite DS1 mumbled that could do without the celery. 😂

Cottage pie is probably the cheapest I make. Tend to use about 500g mince and it makes 5 portions. Then it's just cost for potatoes, carrots/celery/onions in it and stock

That's cheap. I buy ready marinaded meat etc for convenience and loads of vegetables or salad plus nice sides. Plus deserts. I'm spending more than that some meals and less on others.

I forgot mince! Yes, I shall use that more. Thanks for the tips!

Ah, I do meatball soup in winter. Always very popular too!

I think our meal average £10-£13 a night.

That's for 3 adults, 12 year old ds who eats more than me and dad.

Not normally any left over either. We spend way to much on food!

We vary. 5 of us, three massively sporty teens. Tonight we had a big lentil stew cost about 60p a portion. Last night we had spag bol about 75p/p so £3.75. We often have a pudding usually ice cream, or rhubarb crumble. They then continually eat until bed time (eggs, toast, cereal) tbf they are well over 6 foot and do about 2 hours of sport a day!

Vaguely
£3.50 mince
£1 potatoes (I don't use a full bag)
30p wonky carrots
Onion and celery... 50p?
Call it 50p for the spoon of marmite and a stock cube

£6 ish but sometimes I add cheese on top
Even with cheese it's about £1.50 per portion

Pasta bake is a fairly cheap one too if you use up odd bits of veg, bacon, whatever ends of cheese you have

Anything you can bulk out with veg and sides too because you notice chunks of meat missing but not if it's shredded or minced. Chilli (black beans are good in it) and use the leftovers to make burritos
Fajitas with lots of peppers and onions, salad on the side, corn on the cob

I'm struggling to see what meals you can make with "a proper chunk of meat for everyone" that come to £1-1.50 per person. Surely the meat alone would cost this much or, if decent quality, more?

I certainly cook lots of meals that are around that mark, but they tend to be lighter on the meat. We tend to mix up cheaper meals and more expensive ones. All cooked from scratch.

Sounds convincing to make me try!

@FrecklesMalone , what do you put in the lentil stew? We all love lentils (except DS1).

I mostly buy meat from 3 for 10 deals. Otherwise, something like pork loin steaks cutting into thin slices before stir fried.

I'm not sure on costing exactly... we eat mostly vegetarian, sometimes vegan as im intolerant to dairy and wheat and I hate cooking different meals so we all eat the same!

I also cook as much from scratch as I can as the less processed the better for my IBS!

Our current favourite dinners, I would say all are under £2.50 per meal (min 4 portions).
Creamy lentil dahl & rice.
Chilli & rice & tortilla chips.
Jacket potatoes, salad, beans & cheese (I sometimes have boiled egg or ham too)
Bolognase Risotto.
Keema pie - made with quorn mince instead of lamb (this is probably a bit more than 2.50)
Vegan sausages, homemade chips, mushrooms, beans and fried egg (or with mash and beans).
Mushy pea curry & rice.
Pasta pesto & frozen veg.
Saag aloo & rice & poppadoms.

I use any recipe I like the look of and adapt it, so change the mince for quorn and lentils, change stock cubes. Most favourites can be easily adapted, the exception is a roast which I do use meat and dd2 will have some veggie nuggets and separate gravy with hers! I mostly use pinch of nom recipes atm but if you want cheap meals a girl called Jack is a good recipe book, ive cooked lots of those too before and always nice!

Obviously, it's before the living cost hikes - as the 3 for 10 deal looks like in exit from the market!

I’ve been vegan and vegetarian before. Eating meat again now. Vegetarian is by far the cheapest.

Go veggie once or twice a week

When I budget food taking my scouts camping I plan for £5 per head per day.
I actually spend less than that I think it was under £4 per person per day.
Meals are generally 2 hot meals and one not or Somme times 3 hot meals.
I don't get the cheap meat either.
It's all brought for the camp so no cupboard staples.
Cereal with a hot option like bacon, eggs & hashbrowns or eggy bread etc.
Lunch could be hotdogs, burgers, fajitas etc.
Dinners of pasta, stews, chops, curries.
Lots of fruit and veg
No one was hungry
It can be done but buying in bulk does work out cheaper which is why batch cooking is often the go to for people trying to save overall.

Mixed bean chilli con carne... 1 tin kidney beans, 1 mixed beans, 1 tin tomatoes, 1 tin chick peas... About £2

I'm assuming you'd have basics like an onion, some garlic (fresh, granules or puree) chilli powder and seasoning to taste.

Rice. Job done.

Jacket spuds 4 for 50p, toppings like beans or cheese or coleslaw.

Baking tray of onions, peppers, carrots, any veg, lots of veg (can be frozen). Drizzle in oil and curry powder - bake for 20 mins, add tin of coconut milk (NOT blue dragon etc, you can find it for 50p) back oven for 15. Rice. Done.

£3 chicken, 50p jacket spuds (cut up to roast) 20p sage and onion mix, frozen peas, frozen carrots - cheap roast. Bung rest of chicken in curry - see above.

Jollof rice - cook the rice in tomatoes and spices.

I'm off on one 🤣

She'd loads of veg in a slow cooker. Stock. Dumpling mix for posh.

27p packet of spaghetti.

£1 ish on nice cherry tomatoes.

Roast or fry tomatoes with Olive oil, garlic and salt - stir spaghetti through.

Pasta and pesto. Rub clove of garlic on toasted bread for cheap garlic bread.