To think we don’t need that much food

[Moonpiecake]

I feel portions in restaurants and takeaways are bigger than most of adults need and also majority of people buy and eat more food than is necessary for our bodies.

If you are over 30, fit, healthy and manage to remain within the healthy body weight for your age and height how much do to eat.

I want to save money on food but also loose a few kilos and look and feel good so looking for advice

Cut down on bread. If I eat too much bread I put on weight.

It's not internet godding to call out BS
It's pretty fucking damaging to claim you can eat filling and healthy food for tenner a week per person. It means that certain groups can go and say "what do you mean you need more money? £10 a week is plenty for simple and nutritious food".

So either admit it's BS and you are making something up or cost 80 quid a month for 2 people to prove that everyone is wrong.

What about
The 5/2 diet. Suggest drop carbs as easy way to drop calories on the 2 days.
So eating less 2 days a week.

Leave 14 hour break between last meal of the day and breakfast. There are health benefits.
This will save on snacking too, at least in the evening.

Michael Mosley has some interesting info on food and health.

It’s not damaging. I spent most of
my childhood growing up in Latvia and Ukraine in poverty, trust me they are not topping you up with benefits and you know it’s cold because it’s -20 and adding another layer to wear isn’t going to fix that. Everyone was wearing second hand clothes and I remember 97 when my ‘new’ boot got a hole two days after wearing it and we couldn’t afford to get it fixed for three weeks, I was so cold at school that bloody boot making me think my foot was going to fall off because it leaked. Remember of course the snow is at least 1 metre high at a minimum.

In Ukraine and Latvia babushkas remember the genocide and the hunger from USSR occupation, they instil the importance of vitamins and health from food into the younger generations because people they knew died of starvation. No one is really doing that in the UK, many meals are heavily substituted with convenience food because people are time poor or not interested in cooking or the health benefits.

I’m a busy mum who works ft, I’m overcooking the meal so there is leftover for the freezer or another day. I batch cook meals for my son one evening a week so there’s plenty available for the week or two ahead. A lot of meals have an onion, celery, carrots and garlic base - healthy and cheap. Buy your pulses from the world food section in large quantities to save money. I don’t eat meat but my partner and son do, so that does save some money. Look for the veg on offer that week and plan the meals. Aldi and Lidl even do a magazine to tell you what vegetables and fruit will be cheap the following week.

We spend £80-100 a month, of course basics need topping up but not every week. If there was a special occasion or birthday I might spend a max of £150. You only have to check Google for cheap, healthy recipes, instead of using their time on mumsnet people could do that. Luckily I’m set with recipes for a while 😉

So you thought it appropriate to state it as simple easy fact, when it's specifically for very niche reasons and only when doctor recommended.

Irresponsible at best.

I don't agree with most either! Three meals a day is just a habit. It's not compulsory.

Is it your basal metabolic rate that you should be working towards?

Australia is 7, two fruit and 5 veg so you can't just eat a load of fruit.

Yes, margarine has always been terrible but at least they'd have had real bread in workhouse days. I think you'd be better off buying brown rice these days, you get 8640 calories in a 2kg bag for £2.85. I know there's a pulses/rice ratio they use for food aid. I'd go the rice and pulses route as its not UPF.

@babybons

I'm pretty sure you didn't read the full thread or you would have read, the many people questioning it. You would also have seen that she clarified HER mistake. You just look like a dick now 😂

I posted upon reading around the 8th person who was obsessing about the poster living on £80k per month . Fair enough if you think I look like a dick - personally I don't think I look half as much a dick as those (and there were several obsessing) who hadn't spotted the obvious mistake . Which of course has now been confirmed- that my assumption was correct 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️
Perhaps I'm not the one who looks like a dick !

In fact @babybons you are the one that hasn't read the full thread . People weren't questioning the typo - they were going on in some length as to how impossible it was to line on £80k per week when it was obvious it was a typo .

Please don't call me a dick .

A cheap cheerful soupy stewy recipe that might even help you live to be 100
https://www.bluezones.com/recipe/sardinia-minestrone/

I eat quite a lot of dishes like this.
Just use the nearest you can get from your local supermarket and remember that tinned beans are fine.

To quote my elders and betters: "But you try and tell the young people today that... and they won't believe ya"

@Milkmani you don't have to explain USSR and eatong like an EE or Baltic. I am well familiar with that. I also can bring bill down thanks to eating stuff brits don't. Howevwr, let's also not "romanticise" how amazingly they did with barely anything. My own grandparents grew up on Ukrainian border in absolute poverty, GM had to have hip replacement in 40s and retire by 50, GD had to retire early too etc. Many, many people have had massive health issues due to poverty malnutrition.

I do not for a second believe that you manage to buy all or 99% of food for 2 for 80 a month and it being "filling and healthy". And will not.

Either prove that you can buy filling and healthy food for a tenner per person a week (and no the "well I have x and y and z in stock iin 7kg bags)") , or admit, you can't.
And yes, it is damaging to claim it's "fine and dandy, just add lentils" and you can do it. It's damaging to people who can't fo it (obviously) and it's damaging as politicians use it as "they don't need more".

Go on, price it up here, considering the amount of people who have money struggles, I am sure most MN will be absolutely grateful for filling and healthy meal plan for £10 a person which no one else has managed without fully stocked pantry which they don't add to costings.

I plan menus and cook for 3 adults. Main meals are generally 90 - 100g protein per serving, the rest of each portion made up with vegetables, pulses etc. My DM (brought up during rationing in WWII) always bought 4oz protein per person, but used fewer vegetables and never used pulses, so I’ve kind of updated that portioning.
We went out to eat last week and I’d guess that the portions were at least twice that per person - we don’t eat out much though.
Our normal meals are brunch and dinner and an occasional dessert or cooked breakfast.
I’ve noticed that if I don’t plan a menu, we do eat more so it’s all in the planning!

My family don’t go hungry, I know how to cook well on a budget. It’s not my problem if other people can’t be bothered to do their research and budget adequately. If you seriously think this is damaging you need to get a grip. I also believe this country is too soft on the majority of people who expect to be propped up by the government. Not everyone is restocking dry items each month or buying the same every month. Your disbelief isn’t my problem 🤷🏼‍♀️

Well since, you seem to be the only person in UK who managed to crack 80pm 2 people budget for healthy and filling food (that wouldn't even feed 2ppl in my native country healthy and filling food), then you either know something NOONE else knows, or you are ignoring lots of factors that mean it's actually not 80pm for 2ppl.
Jack monroe and her top up shop 2.0 here

Where are all these restaurants with the great big portions?

I don't understand why places do this.

I was in Wimpy at Southend once and only wanted a kids burger and chips meal, they wouldn't let me have one so I didn't buy anything. So, sale, although smaller than they wanted, or no sale, choice is theirs, but its fucking stupid though. Kids meals are the perfect size for lunch or if dieting.

Yep I know, it's annoying and a waste of food. Maybe they should re-name to full size portion and small size portion so adults who don't eat enormous amounts have the option to order a smaller size. I always feel embarrassed when they take away my plate as it looks like I have barley touched my food

Restaurants are a treat though- I would eat less the rest of the day if I'm eating out, or if I'm losing weight it probably means adjusting the rest of the week and would be gutted to still feel hungry at the end of the meal.

Food isn't just about fuel, it's about enjoyment and socialising. I'm sure most of us eat a bit more than we need to sometimes just because we are enjoying it so much, and less nutritious food can also be really delicious and moreish.

It's very unlikely to be 90-100g protein per serving as that is what most people get from three meals in a day, unless your meal is so large that it's like three normal dinners. It might be what the meat or fish weighs but that doesn't mean the meal gives 100g protein. For example I ate a 200g chicken breast on Saturday, which is quite high in protein at 32g.

But no order at all isn't a 'fucking stupid' decision for them if they will actually lose money on allowing kids' meals with no accompanying adults' meals at full price.

We were a party of 5 adults, and 3 children. It wouldn't have killed them to give 4 adult meals and 4 kids meals. As it was, they gave no meals and made no money.

And plenty of places run promo's for seniors, smaller plates for cheaper, so there's no reason why other places can't.

It's a shame half portions aren't a thing really in UK. And npt just for adults. Kid's menus are often quite... Meh