To think the cost of food is rising significantly?

[NotWithABang]

Or is it just me? The last few weeks/months when I've been food shopping, I've noticed the cost appears to be going up and up.
I shop mostly in Lidl and Aldi too, so it's not as though I'm shopping in M&S or Waitrose (where I would expect my shop to be costly). It cost me nearly £1 for a pack of six small, unbranded fromage frais. I spent nearly £40 for three of us (one of whom is 3) and it won't last us more than probably the weekend, that was with only buying one pack of meat. No nappies or cleaning products included in that, nothing from the 'magical middle aisles'. All just basic food, some fruit and veg for meals and lunches this week. I used to be able to get away with spending £25 on the top up shop a week/every 10 days, after doing one big monthly shop for about £70. Now it's more like £100 for the monthly shop, and about £40 a week topping up.

Why though?! Why are plant based proteins less nutritional than dairy based proteins? 2 tbsp of peanut butter has 15g of protein in it. A sprinkling of chia seeds have 5g of protein. Half a cup of quorn has 13g of protein. Tofu, quinoa, lentils and black beans have even more and are also all high in iron. High levels of omega 3 etc can be found in flax seeds which can be sprinkled on things like porridge. Vit c found in fruits and veg, vit d found in fortified cereals, seeds and certain veg like sweet potatoes and mushrooms.
It’s often a diet high in fibre too which is great for the body.

Thought that yesterday while in Aldi. Big increases.

Lentils aren’t at all labour intensive. Just add dry ones to soups, spaghetti Bol, chilli con carne etc. There’s no labour involved at all. They’re healthy and filling.

Also iirc from my time as a vegan many moons ago, the main problem with veganism is that you could no longer get some nutrients (certain bvits I think) through vegetables due to over farming. I suppose this would be less of an issue for those who buy organic or grow their own?

Yeah I have to take a high dosage vitb12 supplement. Had all my other vit levels checked with blood tests and they are all spot on. I still eat meat and fish very occasionally but I have a lot of health problems (stomach related) and find a vegan/veggie diet much easier on my system

Thank you for putting me straight. I will go away and do more research. I clearly have outdated knowledge.

l've noticed it with milk and bread. l buy long life milk, and for ages it was 49p a carton, in some places it's up to 57p now. The bread l buy used to be £1, now it's £1.05. Not a lot in itself, but as others are saying, it mounts up across a shop. Thank goodness l don't eat meat and l live on my own, and to be honest l make sure l buy veg and herbs for my rabbits and do without myself if l'm strapped. l can manage - if they don't get the right stuff it costs in vet bills.

In a way this thread does prove that we’ve got very stuck in our ways when it comes to food. I was raised in the 70’s and 80’s where everything great seemed to be neon coloured and came out of a packet or tin. My primary meals were Coco Pops and Heinz chicken soup with some Lean Cuisine thrown in.

We’ve had some half truths on this thread that fizzy pop is food and lentils and pulses require hours of cooking. Then of course the recent posts stating that meat is a dietary requirement otherwise we will all become ill. I think we definitely need to bring Home Ec back into schools or future generations are doomed.

I think what you're confused about gussy is you can't get all your amino acids from oneveggie source if protein. But things we eat together naturally- e.g. Beans and rice- combine to get all the proteins. A vegan diet is tricky, a vegetarian diet where you don't just eat the same thing all the time is fine.

The problem is, it's possible to be vegetarian and just eat chips and cheese- those are the perils of a definition of a diet that just excluded. A mostly plant based diet is really healthy, esp if you have a mix of protein sources.

We don't eat meat at home: no fake meets ever, tofu on occasion, mostly black beans, green lentils, red lentils etc. A huge hearty chilli with three different types of bean/lentil, aubergine, butternut squash etc is usually something I can whip up four portions of for less than it would cost to have a chicken breast each.

I think it's really really hard to be forced into changing your diet however, and when money is tight is in many ways the worst time to start to experiment as there's so much pressure. Sadly I don't see food prices becoming cheaper anytime soon, so for people curious about more veggie meals it's a good time to start trying things out.

Lentils are difficult in that you have to plan to use them so you can soak them first. I wanted to do an impromptu soup the other day, and of course couldn't use any because I'd not planned ahead. Total pulse based disappointment. But once they're soaked they're a piece of piss to cook with.

Thanks Giraffes. My dd is about to start secondary school and I predict she will head towards a vegetarian diet. We aren't- mainly poultry and fish for our meat. But I want to be better prepared. I am happy for her to become vegetarian (I've flirted with it) but only if she eats a proper balanced diet.
Again, I'm really sorry if I offended anyone.

Beetle that’s just not true. Red split lentils can be thrown into chillis and spag Bol and they'll be cooked through by the time the meal is cooked. You just have to choose your lentils carefully. Other lentils require more cooking.

My red split lentils said otherwise, so I was forced to stick to veg and barley only. It was devastating.

Oh I fling red split lentils in anything: they only take ten minutes and make a v pleasing dhal.

I'm also a fan of tinned green lentils: they're a bit more expensive but again still much cheaper than meat.

I’ve just read mine and they’ve say rinse, boil for 10 mins and simmer for 15. Personally I think that’s overkill but if your frying off your mince and then simmering at the end then just shove them in at the beginning.

You’re obviously slightly afraid of them so you just need to use them more and get to know how to use them.

The little red ones cook to mush in no time - DS was weaned on lentil mush because I was too lazy to be peeling and chopping.

Me? I'm not afraid of lentils, I love them. I'd just been following the instructions on the packet.

Well perhaps follow some recipes instead

Your level of lentil based aggression is as bemusing as it is unnecessary sleepfreezone.

Can’t believe ive missed the chance to recommend the slow cooker. It’s great for pulses and cheaper cuts of meat which are generally cheaper.

Beetle I’m frustrated!!! People (including yourself) are coming on here and weaselling about perfectly good nutritious food and their insbility to cook it, whilst others are moaning they can’t afford bloody food that isn’t food! I just think it’s nuts.

RED lentils do indeed take 10-20 minutes, but I have a feeling you're correct about packet timings.

I wonder if they use a generic "lentil timing" on all lentil packages? Green lentils take longer, not hugely longer and they don't need soaking but def longer.

It was the face in response to beetle's comment about following the packet. Seemed weirdly irate when discussing lentils though maybe it wasn't meant that way. Hardly her fault she did what she was told and didn't assume the packet would lie to her.

I’m not going to defend an emoji. I just want people to be able to feed their kids.

I have noticed food prices increasing, in some instances quite dramatically, since the brexit vote and the £ weakened against the Euro and dollar, it was inevitable really. Supermarkets can't absorb all of these costs. I am concerned about how custom costs will impact food prices post brexit.

I find shopping the season is the best way to keep food bills manageable but I'm lucky that my family are easy feeders and there is very little they won't eat. My Dsis and SIL struggle to keep to budget, both BIL's are meat & 2 veg eaters and the children struggle with food (2 have ASD so texture is an issue) the others are just very picky eaters, won't eat anything that comes boned, fish must be breaded or battered and absolutely no pulses of any kind. It makes for expensive meal plans and no flexibility in deviating away from what the family are used to.