Aibu to ask what you eat when you are broke?

[NCsobroke]

I don’t mean feed your family for £10, I mean dinners like baked potato and beans that cost a couple of quid. None of us are v picky and no dietary issues.

The kids mostly eat a v healthy balanced diet, lots of whole foods and tons of fruit and veg, maybe frozen pizza on a Saturday, don’t really have takeaways often etc. I hate the thought of them living off cheap freezer food not enough fruit snd veg.

Also needs to include lunches as we don’t qualify for FSM despite being on UC as husband works FT.

We are so broke. We usually receive universal credit which we live off as DH wages all go on bills and rent. We won’t receive any at all this month and can’t do anything about it.

2 adults, 2 children. £110 to last for the next 3 weeks (plus toiletries and cleaning stuff and petrol for DH 2 hour commute )

OP, please don't feel embarrassed about your new situation. Unfortunately a lot of families are going to be in this situation in the next few weeks due to the government changes to UC.

And the working poor are going to the ones who take the biggest hit with wages and top up benefits.

Also, have some treats! I usd to buy a box of value Tesco chic ices for around £1 and Aldi/Lidl massive multipacks if crisps but hide them and just bring a few out at a time. Although pittas/wraps are more expensive than bread, they are still relatively cheap and make children's packed lunches more like their friends - v important for my daughter especially)

Someone has already mentioned Jack Monroe who is brilliant. Loads of recipes online at [https://cookingonabootstrap.com/category/recipes-food/]. We like the 9p burger.

Getting less UC because OH's money was counted as double sounds like normal s̶h̶i̶t̶t̶y̶ behaviour from DWP. However, Citizens Advice Bureau can sometimes help and might even phone them on your behalf if you can get access to an appointment.
If iit'snot correct then they need telling about this

See if you have Welfare Rights in your area.(Google "Welfare rights area) and give them a call. They will at least be able to give you advice on whether there is anything you can do or apply for.

Sometimes you can qualify for an emergency payment or loan from DWP depending on circumstances.

I've been in this situation and it's horrible. Really feel for you. I hope you can sort something out.

I think some posters are very well meaning but have not quite grasped the budget OP is working with.

£110 for everything, for three weeks. Food, toiletries, everything. Thankfully DH has sold a console (?) which should take care of his petrol separately. Suggesting OP uses ingredients like chorizo, or Parmesan, or miso just is not feasible. Neither is suggesting budgets of £40 a week.

I KNOW people are trying to help but it's just not realistic.

As someone else said, cries of 'he needs to find a job closer to home' are not helpful nor are they feasible. If you're in the situation where you need to look for work and report to the job centre they would absolutely expect you to take a job with a 2 hour daily commute.

@NCsobroke I would echo previous comments that you should look for a food bank in your area. They are literally designed for situations like this.
Or if you have something like a Community Kitchen or a Fareshare? We have a Fareshare that sets up once a week in a local community centre, anyone is welcome and each person can basically take one bag and fill it for free. All stuff past it's BBE donated by shops/supermarkets but still perfectly safe to eat. Perfect for freezing. Also stops food waste.

I see the usual rubbish is being trotted out on here
Can I lay these 'tips' to rest:

1. Making your own bread is NOT cheaper than buying a value loaf

2 Likewise pizza

1. Likewise cake/biscuits

Assuming the OP wants primarily tips on how to eat cheaply rather than how to produce sourdough loaves, artisan brownies or handmade pizza at a lower cost.

1. It is categorically NOT cheaper to grown your own. I grow my own as a hobby. It is time-consuming, unreliable and can have set up costs. I always laugh at posts telling people they can save 'a fortune' if they grow their own herbs. As if anyone in such straightened circumstances is bothered about having fresh basil to hand

Not everyone likes lentils and you CAN taste them in mince! I like lentils, by the way

I see the usual rubbish is being trotted out on here grin
Can I lay these 'tips' to rest:
1. Making your own bread is NOT cheaper than buying a value loaf
2 Likewise pizza
3. Likewise cake/biscuits

Absolutely agree. I've costed up baking v shop bought and unless you're buying absolute top end cakes and bread, bog standard supermarket bread, biscuits, cakes and pizza are cheaper to buy than make.

Definitely recommend Jack Monroe op...really seriously cheap, fairly healthy recipes.

Other than that I'd be focusing on basic meals and getting to farm foods and Lidl of you can.

Farm foods do three very large bags of chicken for a tenner. And 5 bags of frozen veg for £4 the last time I was there. Then Lidls pasta, rice and spaghetti and tinned tomatoes and puree for cheap pasta sauces.

Bag of own brand porridge oats for breakfast.

I think a lot of the jack monroe stuff I tried was, not that nice, small portions, too low calorie.
I think on a low income you want to feel full. I’d start by making sure you are getting plenty of carbs, protein first.

Meat is cheap if you don't mind offal, and usually far more nutritious, too. I am currently cooking pig liver with a mix of apple and onion slices, with salt, pepper, a dash of sugar and mixed spices - seasonal and incredibly cheap at around £1.10 altogether to feed 3 people for a meal.

Jack Monroe's recipes do not have enough protein sources in them and are very small portions. It isnt a sustainable way to eat and stay healthy.

Jack Monroe's recipes do not have enough protein sources in them and are very small portions. It isnt a sustainable way to eat and stay healthy.

Don't be ridiculous. They're probably healthier than what 90% of the population eats. If you're concerned about protein add more pulses to them.

One of my favourite child hood dishes that I make for us now is chicken casserole.
Tinned sweetcorn
Couple of carrots
Onion
Tin chicken soup
Veg stock cube
1/2tin tap water
Tin chopped toms(optional) I like them in my daughter doesn't
Skinless chicken thighs
If any other veg in can throw bits of that in too to get your 5 per day up
Sever with mash

Brocoli and almond soup
Snap of florets of large head of Brocoli and roughly chop the stalk
Cover with just enough water
Add veg stock cube boil until Brocoli tender
Then blend until smooth
Place back on a low heat and add a tablespoon of ground almond tasting each time to your desired flavour its a really filling tasty soup

@TheKeatingFive

Not ridiculous. Entirely factual. You might not like it but that doesnt change that factual information I've given.

When people recommend her recipes, they never mention that lack of protein. It is not a healthy diet to maintain. When those recipes are recommended, you also need to say that more protein sources need to be added to maintain a healthy diet.

As @FellInLoveWithABanana said togoodtogo app is an excellent call just have to be regularly checking through the day but can get really good selection of food at rock bottom prices in your local areas

Not ridiculous. Entirely factual.

Nope. Ridiculous.

Actually the vast, vast majority of people get more than enough protein. And if they are worried, plant based protein is as healthy as it gets.

Most of us would do a lot better on a Jack Monroe style diet.

@TheKeatingFive

Did I say meat? No. I said protein source. Plant based is included in that.

But her recipes do not include enough protein. Living on them is not a way to maintain a healthy diet. It has fuck all to do with what other people are eating. It has nothing at all to do with anyone else's meals

If you are living off Jack Monroe recipes then you are not getting an adequate amount of protein.

In not sure what you find so offensive about that. Her recipes are public. This is easily accessible, public information. If you recommend her recipes, you should also recommend upping the protein content.

Have a read of this and educate yourself

www.bbc.com/future/article/20180522-we-dont-need-nearly-as-much-protein-as-we-consume

In uni I used to eat a lot of jacket potatoes as they are cheap and easy to make, plus very filling, I added a tin of tuna and some mayo for protein. Jackets are also very versatile and can be had for lunch and dinner.

Frozen veg. When making dinners like chicken nuggets make a few extra for kids lunch the next day. Beans on toast. Homemade veg soup with crusty bread. Again, save some and heat into a flask for school? Spaghetti with Lloyd gross man jars of sauce, maybe add some chicken or onions and mushrooms, or chop up pre cooked sausage. Again, save some for kids lunch. My kids love cold spaghetti ( although I couldn’t eat it!) pre packed meatballs with spaghetti and jar sauce. Pre cooked chicken with lots of frozen veg and chips or potatoes. Mashed potatoes and sausages. Sausage stew with gravy and chips/potatoes. Har of curry sauce, pack of cooked chicken, onion and mushroom served with rice. Even simple
Like chips and chicken but make a large salad as well.

@TheKeatingFive

Your coming across as very confused.

Jack's recipes have nothing to do with other people's diet. These are entirely separate issues.

Maybe people do eat too much of everything. Maybe people have far too much protein. This is true.

But Jack's recipes dont just cut down protein to the correct level. They cut it down below that.

If you live off Jack Monroe, then are you not consuming enough protein. This can be true as well as saying that a lot of people eat too much protein.

What you're saying is that because a lot of people eat too much, then the poor people living off Jack Monroe will be fine. That's not how it works. Half the population eating too much does not make those eating too little healthy.

She does not include enough protein. I'd you recommend her recipes, you need to recommend upping the protein content.

*many not maybe

But Jack's recipes dont just cut down protein to the correct level. They cut it down below that

Can we have some evidence to back this up please?

I would buy a big bag of porridge oats for breakfast (you can make with just water or half milk/half water). Stir through some jam or honey if your DC doesn't like plain porridge.

Lots of jacket potato based dinners - with baked beans or tuna/sweetcorn for protein.

Spanish omelettes are tasty and cheap.

Pasta e ceci (chickpea pasta).

Spaghetti bolognese - use less mince and more soffritto (celery, carrot, onion), no one will notice. (I do this all the time to make the DC eat veg)

This:

We are mainly hard up.
I make macaroni cheese with packet sauce and extra veg. I use gluten free pasta actually as the one I get has Quinoa flour in which is protein rich.
Roast chicken can be fairly cheap if you use the meat to make a few meals. I do it with mash, packet stuffing and lots of vegetables. It will do a few meals. Then you can boil the carcase and make stock for soup.
Lentils cooked in tomatoes with garlic and tomato puree. Nice with cheese.
Veggie quarter pounders with vegetables.
I buy quite a lot of frozen vegetables as there is no waste.
Vegetable curry with coconut milk.
Quorn is fairly good value. So a big Quorn mince bolognese.
I don't think any of these meals are really all that cheap, except for the lentils.
It's hard to eat cheaply in my area, there is no market.