To have found the best cheap lunch

[Overthebow]

with the cost of living going up I’m trying to find cheap lunch ideas for work.

this week: pot of pate £1, loaf of bread £0.80, bag of apples £1.50. Pate on toast and an apple, cost for the whole week only £3.30 and really filling.

anyone else got any cheap lunch ideas?

Our Tesco sell 10kg and two different types of 5kg.

All still heavy if you are carrying them!

Could you get the 10kg delivered? It's on offer for £4.50 right now.

So cheap for wholemeal flour.

Cornbeef stew- a package of cassorole/stew vegetables, tin of cornbeef and a beef stock salf and pepper

Don’t forget instant noodles at 20p a pack!

I’ve eaten a cheese sandwich for lunch almost every day for years .

multipack of Aldi ready salted is 62p so 12p a bag. Cheddar cheese slices 99p for 10 so 10p each and everyday sliced whole meal bread is 36p a loaf. 2p a slice.

Could do my stable lunch for less than 50p a day easy.

I never eat breakfast either, I think lunch is definitely one of those meals where you could make savings, it’s scary when a Pret sandwich could cost you a fiver and stick a coffee to go on top and the cost is outrageous.

That's really unhealthy though! Paté every day is a bad idea, too much fat, processed meat, basically, especially if you've bought the cheap stuff. I'd go for soup instead.

Doesn't the pate needs eating in a couple of days once it's open?

You can make your own very cheaply and can last 5 or 6 days in the fridge. I have not tried freezing it yet

Lentil and bacon soup is amazing, so tasty and cheap to make.

I make a curry with a tin of chickpeas, a tin of tomatoes, an onion, some garlic and ginger paste (but could just use garlic to save even more), some garam masala, turmeric and chilli powder (if you skip the chilli it won't be spicy at all), then whatever veg I've got that needs eating. My favourite combo is cauliflower and spinach, but I've put all sorts in there in the past. Could obviously use frozen as well.
Or I roast chickpeas in the oven in a little bit of oil until they are crunchy, then use them to bulk out salads or couscous. You can toss them in whatever herbs or spices you like- yesterday I did smoked paprika and garlic granules and they were lovely.

Veggie quiche. Use loads of veg, six eggs and some feta and it's golden. I reckon about £3 for 4-6 portions. I also put some baked potatoes in the oven while the quiche is cooking and have that with the quiche.

Also, the ubiquitous lentil and veg soup. Probably not even £2 to make enough for 6 portions.

3 carrots
2 onions
1/4 of a white cabbage
About 3 pints chicken stock / water
2 handfuls red lentils
Garlic, bay leaf

I find using homemade chicken stock and butter to sauté the vegetables before adding liquid makes a huge difference.

At this time of year, nettle soup.

2-3 potatoes
1 onion
nettle tops (toss in some wild garlic if you can find it)
optional: extra soup veg you have that may go off soon
veg stock
salt and pepper
cook and then blend

I usually have it with cheddar on top and then buttered sliced bread, but you could do whatever you fancy.

Leftovers usually work out cheaply. Plus you’ve only got the hob/oven on once then it’s a minute in the microwave. I always plate up an extra two small tubs for lunches whenever I make something suitable (dal, chilli, bolognese, curry etc).
My favourite cheap and easy dal is this one…
www.tinnedtomatoes.com/2013/10/spinach-and-coconut-dal.html?m=1

I either use frozen spinach or leave it out. It’s purely store cupboard ingredients but you can add extra toppings.

Chick pea curry - 2 tins of chick peas, one tin of tomatoes, plus onion, garlic and spices. Does about 6 meals, with pitta bread.

Made this really delicious soup today, which properly serves six

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/carrot-parsnip-soup

I used dried thyme and dried parsley too.

parsnips 40p
carrots 30p
celery - about 30p
double cream 75p
stock cubes - about 50p
total = £2.25
cost per serving = about 45p

we will have it with bread rolls

Dahl is my go-to quick / nutritious / easy lunch, although I prefer it with brown rice rather than chapati.

You can also throw in nice green leafy veg, such as spinach, kale or purple-sprouting broccoli, for an additional iron hit, depending on what's in season (I did try it once with sprouts in the depths of winter!).

Soup is brilliant for using up veg that’s a bit past it.

Sachet of microwave rice (35p) stir fried with some leftover veg (a whole head of broccoli is only about 50p, spring onions 39p a bunch, etc) and then topped with a fried egg and a good squirt of sriracha (ok the sauce costs more but a bottle lasts for ages). A sprinkle of sesame seeds on top is nice too if you have some kicking around.

I've been having noodles, egg, frozen veg and a sprinkle of five spice for lunch recently.

Bread or toast and marmite. Every meal, forever. This is mostly my diet anyway 😂

Half a dozen eggs for under £2 would give you some economical lunches, egg mayonnaise sandwiches, omelette, soft boiled with toast etc.
Sardine sandwiches or sardines on toast are tasty and quick to make.
Egg fried rice would use up any left over peppers or spring onions.

Something I often make for lunch is an Asian style broth with home made or stock powder stock. You can add leftover vegetables, salad leaves, noodles, rice, dumplings, small pieces of chicken or beef, mushrooms, whatever you have available. It's quick to make and easy to do just a single portion.

I also made butternut squash soup recently.. very cheap if you already have the spices in your store cupboard. I heated oil then added cumin seeds, nigella seeds and curry leaves, cooked for a minute then added most of a large squash (on offer in Tesco for £1), a diced onion, turmeric, curry powder and stock. Simmered for half an hour, tasted, seasoned and blended. I sprinkle a few chilli flakes before serving as well. Lidl then have six mini Nan breads in a pack for (I think) £1.39.
That said it’s a whole lot easier to do cheap meals if you’ve had room in the budget at some point for herbs / spice / oil / condiments. A lot harder if you’re starting from zero.

@livingthegoodlife
basic lentil recipe with tadka

Lentil gets it’s flavour from the ‘tadka’ which at its basic is onions and garlic
Recipe:
wash cup of lentils in water
add 1/2 tsp turmeric
Bring to boil in the water and simmer on medium for 20minutes until soft - add more water if needed
tadka: slice one onion and several garlic cloves
fry the onion and garlic in a couple of tbsps of oil until golden and add to the cooked lentils
you can add flavour at this point (I add some chillies, curry powder, chill powder, butter or ghee)
add 1/2 tsp salt
cook for a few minutes and done.
garnish with coriander if available

@OrangutanLibrarian you can buy packs of ready made chapatis (8/10) for £1 and they can be frozen as well.

And if you top with some tomato, cheese, chilli, olives or capers if you already have them etc you can make pizza crumpets.

I don't see why not. I did Spanish lentils in my slow cooker overnight. The only problem was the smell of chorizo woke me up at 5am 😆

Sorry that was for @AppleandRhubarbTart

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