The great british menu - food poverty... AIBU?

[Bogeyface]

I hate myself for thinking this but, AIBU to think that Lady Whatsername who said in the 90's that the reason poor people couldnt manage on benefits was because they lacked the ability to cook good simple nutritious meals, may have had a point? The way she said it was totally U and she was very sneery, but I cant help thinking that there might be a grain of truth in it.

Of the three families I have just seen in this program I saw what 2 of them ate in a day. one was a mother and daughter who's only meal of the day was a microwave burger each costing £1 each, and the other was a family where the children had fish fingers or nuggets and oven chips, while the parents had tinned veg.

£14 per week that the first family spent is enough for a bag of baking potatoes, some basics pasta, baked beans, passatta, a pack of frozen sausages, a bag of porridge oats, some cheese, some sandwich meat such as Haslet from the deli counter (35p per 100g in my tesco) and milk. The DD would be getting free school meals if I heard correctly about her age and their income. Far healthier, more filling and more than one meal a day!

The second family, again, for the price of nuggets, fish fingers and oven chips they could make a spag bol using basics ingredients that would feed them all well.

RAther than focussing on the cost of food, which is only going to rise, surely it would be better to focus on educating people who eat badly because the food they choose is more expensive than cheaper, healthier alternatives that require a bit of cooking knowledge?

I think it's quite telling that even when they have true to do budget cookery shows (there was a BBC one a few years back with a man and woman presenting? They made a lot of stock?) The budgets are actually quite high from an actually being pretty broke PoV.

Sainsbury's ran it's feed a family of 4 for £50pw meal planner which was really good - until it disappeared (presumably because it no longer cost £50!)

I'd like to see an honest budget tv show that worked out the cheapest you could do a balanced diet for from reasonable provisions - eg only using ingredients from one shop, low cooking times it if high doubling up oven use etc.

I think what made me think is that I save a lot of money bulk buying, storing [often under beds or in silly places!) batch cooking, freezing etc. But this is because we have been lucky enough to have just enough to forward plan. I.e. I have so much for the month ahead and can buy, rather than just a fiver left t=for the week if that makes sense.

And my freezer
And my slow cooker, big pot, good plastic tubs for storing etc.

We eat cheeply and have low income but would be impossible if we hadnlt saved for the above [mainily my Xmas pressents!]

And buying for one seemed a nightmare.

I really want the 20p pressure cooker. My kids love beans, but the electric is so expensive (key meter).

I think the price of quality second hand stuff is really variable, and I suspect that in wealthier areas you can get better bargains.

Also I like the gas barbecue idea.... How much is one of those second hand? I have a calor gas bottle already...

Oh mer gerd, Thanks for your description. Especially the chafing.

All well and good mrsjay and I would - I really would - but it's not just about the goodwill and willingness unfortunately. You need premises, hygiene certificates, insurance and so on and so on...........and that's before you have to be CRB checked and God knows what else and all this just because you'd be willing to do something good for someone else. Or am I just being defeatist?

MalcolmTuckersmum - you* need to get in touch with your local college or - in this county - Somerset Skills and Learning. You can do a short, one-term course that will give you all the skills you need to teach adults.

(*Or anyone else who thinks they'd like to teach.)

That's what I did 20 years ago, when I retired and I've never looked back. I teach breadmaking, but recently, my line manager told me I was the only cookery teacher in her area - and could I please (as well as the breadmaking courses) run a 5 week vegetarian cookery course? So I'm running one in the autumn.

Once you're trained, hopefully there will be work for you, but if not, then my advice to you would be to volunteer where ever you can. I volunteer my services quite a bit, and it almost always leads to paid work.

ATB, B&W

Ps. I haven't read all the thread - sorry if this has already been said.

Masterchef was just an example, it would just be nice to watch a programme that based in reality! One that showed recipes that dont require ££££ worth of ingredients, but is also entertaining enough to watch.

One question, I have "Nick and Margaret, we pay your benefits" recorded, should I watch it or will it make me shouty? It says that these people will go through the claimants spending habits.......even describing it makes me feel angry.

I have read This review of the program and I rather think that I will be shouty!

Controversial i know, but am i the only one wondering how working people with children (and therefore child benefit and working tax credit) can possibly only have £1 per person per day for food? Whatever are they spending the rest of their income on?

And diehard right that the larger family dont receive watch, then they must be on a decent wage

Grr stupid spell check

And if I heard right, not diehard!

Try again,

If the larger family don't qualify for wftc then they must have a decent wage

Bogeyface you will be shouty ESPECIALLY when you come across Debbie.

topsy they are probably pissing away the majority of their income on rent (bedroom tax) heating, electricity, council tax (all people of working age now have to pay) water and sewage bills, television license and basic insurance. That's how I roll with my income as a carer to two disabled children.

Quite often, said children need new clothes and shoes. This is because they are growing, unlike me and DH who are now up to five years on the same winter coat and shoes and are prepared for another five.

And before you ask, communication is vital. I don't have the latest phone by any means but my internet connection is free with the package and is vital for moneysaving. Look at all the tips on this thread, and on the credit-crunch forum.

That's a winter coat and pair of shoes each for me and my husband. We're not that frugal!

Yet.

council tax (all people of working age now have to pay

Yep They got their poll tax through after all.

but if you even bought one thing a week/a fortnight (eg. tesco table salt 29p, stock cubes 15p) then that would gradually build up.

If you have that spare 29p or 15p.

Sashh, as I said in my post, it may mean having the same basic meal a couple of times in one week but that would make it possible to build up other supplies. Eg. The women eating a £1 microwave burger once a day. A jar of sauce and a bag of pasta would cost less than that £2 and the pasta would last more than one day - now there's a bit extra to buy something else etc. Again, I'm not saying that it's a nice or easy way to live but at least it's not microwave burgers everyday!

Audrina, I know you are bing, you know, funny, but having previously qualified for wftc I can tell you that there is no problem paying for all of those things you mentioned and a car and a holiday and two mobiles and the supermarket shopping and clothes and clarks shoes and outings whether you are under the salary limit so qualify for wftc, or just over the limit so you don't. The income limit is really quite generous.

You don't know what other people's costs are though do you? How much their mortgage/rent is, if they have other debt etc Topsy - the limits have all gone down lately anyway. We get no wtc or ctc as of April this year and it has been a big hit for us.

Have only made it through half the pages but wanted to add- my local church, who collect food for food parcels and distribute through social workers (no local official good banks) also run a lunch programme a few days a week for children who receive free school meals.

I'm thinking of trying to work out a below the line menu with my family but I'm pregnant so probably won't actually take part unless I can make it v nutritious. I'm sure there are pregnant folk on it though, with no choice :(

DP would happily eat spaghetti and toast daily

Why the whothefuck?

Gas & electricity prices must also make it difficult with cooking. I regularly do stews in the winter. They are on the hob or in the oven for a good 4 hours. We pay by dd but if you're on a key meter, especially in the winter, you'd be preserving the money for heating & eati food that cooks faster.

not sure about that, we have a key meter, surely a stew on the very lowest heat for four hours doesn't burn up the money?
last winter i had to turn the hot water off and only do quick lo temp machine washes....this i could not have imagined 10 years ago....

Our weekly food budget is £150 for a family of 4 and I don't think we eat that extravagantly. We cook meals from scratch, make our own bread, but do buy good quality meat, fish, fruit and veg which cost a fortune. If I had to save money on our weekly shop, fruit and veg would be the biggest cost-savers. Healthy food is more expensive and its a disgrace that only rich children have access to good nutrition. I think the real issue here is poverty and not really that poor people need cooking classes. Cannot believe there are food banks in the UK.

I've no idea how fast they eat away at money.
I remember going back over 20 years ago, living at home & we had one. We were needing to put on at least £20 per week on it. And that was with a coal fire & not having the water heating up etc...

It isn't only rich children who have access to good nutrition, I think your grocer bill is actually rather high.

We don't get any wftc and my weekly grocery bill for five incl nappies, meat and cat food and toiletries etc is about £100