to say that fasting has massively cut down our food bills?

[streth]

I know it's not for everyone but I’ve been doing intermittent fasting one meal a day for a while now and I’ve noticed a huge difference in our food shopping bills. I just eat once a day usually a good sized balanced meal in the evening and I’m genuinely less hungry the rest of the time. I don’t snack anymore and I’m not constantly thinking about food which has been surprisingly freeing.

My teens off their own backs have started eating just twice a day they say they feel fine and they're old enough to make those choices themselves. We still eat nutritious food but we’re just eating less often and wasting far less.

Food bills have gone down significantly and with prices being what they are right now it’s honestly been a relief I know this wouldn’t work for everyone and I’m definitely not saying it’s suitable for people with eating disorders or anyone with specific health needs. But for us it’s made a real difference both financially and in how we think about food.

AIBU to think this kind of fasting can be a practical option for some people in tough times?

The flip side to fasting is that the 1-2 meals you do eat need to be really nutritious and well thought out. This means you cut out the junk but also you are eating more expensive food. I find that it costs nearly the same if you eat fewer expensive meals versus 3-4 meals where the main additions were in fact cheap things (bread, snacks, savouries, oats etc). Cost goes down but it’s not significant.

Yes, this. Sad but true. I used to think only kids ate lunch and mums just didn’t when I was growing up, but now I know the truth 😢

Eating too much is also an eating disorder, and is far more prevalent than disorders that involve eating too little, though to be fair, it takes a lot longer to kill the sufferer.

Great tip OP! Thanks.

Here’s another ‘life hack’ I’ve discovered: pressing the middle pedal of my car helps me to slow down when approaching busy junctions.

I don't think intermittent fasting is 7 days a week 52 weeks a year. The 16:8 hours or 5:2 days is what I regard as intermittent fasting. The clue is in the name.

Not necessarily. Calorie intake alone does not define whether a meal is healthy. You can hit a perfect calorie target and still be eating ultra processed junk with barely any real nutrition. On the other hand, a meal that is rich in whole foods, balanced in protein, fats, and carbs, and full of fibre, vitamins, and minerals can be very healthy even if you are not tracking the exact number of calories.

Focusing only on calories misses the bigger picture. Health is about what you eat, how you feel, and how your body functions, not just a number. I pay attention to the quality of the food I eat and how it makes me feel. I am not eating now for restriction or weight loss, so I have no need to count calories. For me, healthy means nourishing my body properly, not hitting a number on a calculator.

we seem so quick to forget food gives you energy, fuelling your body. That’s what it’s for. The ideal isn’t to eat the minimum an dismiss everything else as “UPF/ food advertisers/ modern lazy life/ obesity”

getting up at 5am to be a farmer/ chimney sweep (not modern jobs) after not fuelling your for 12 hours? Does that really sound like it’s a made up “cultural construct” to you, or that someone off to do 6 hours physical labour might need fuelling?!

I get that it might seem confusing if it is not something you have experienced, but hunger is not just about the clock or habit. Your body adapts. When you stop constantly grazing or eating out of routine, your hunger signals can actually stabilise. I used to feel hungry all the time, and now I don't. I eat a proper, balanced meal and feel full and energised. There is no deprivation involved.

Fasting is not just skipping meals for the sake of it. It is a conscious eating pattern that many people follow in a structured and healthy way. It has been practiced in cultures and religions for centuries. It is recognised in research as a valid approach for some people, depending on their needs and routines. It is not the same as starvation or disordered eating.

As for role modelling, I am showing my teens that food choices can be intentional, flexible, and based on what works for your body. I have not told them to copy me. They made their own decisions about eating less often and they still eat full meals. I watch them carefully, and if I saw any signs of harm or restriction, I would intervene. Making assumptions about someone’s family and comparing it to an eating disorder without knowing the full context is unfair and frankly a bit irresponsible.

Eating too much is not an eating disorder. Eating excessively can be an eating disorder but certainly isn’t the case for everyone eating more than 2000 Cals

You are right, but it's perhaps not the most tactful post to make in a cost of living crisis when adults are telling their children that they aren't hungry or ate earlier to hide that there isn't enough food in the house for all of them.

I was under the impression that fasting wasnt all about eating less. Why all the comments about 'No shit sherlock, eat less costs less'?

Fasting for me is about eating similar, if not the same amounts but in a smaller eating window. I sometimes eat more. The benefits are that my gut health is improved. I no longer have indigestion, my sleep is improved and i regularly wake now without being hungry so i am able to wait until 12 before i want/need to eat. I thought the theory is that your body has longer to digest the food, not that you cut down on food.

I must admit that it does have a slight effect of not chasing snacks etc because when you eat its usually a full meal and because my body has adjusted it doesnt seem to have any issues with longer periods without food.

I would guess the savings are more that people dont have to eat on the run all the time so save money. Proper nutritious meals that fill you up that get plenty of time to be digested.

I don’t constantly graze- you seem to think this is quite usual?

personally I couldn’t do it as I have adhd and my symptoms get much worse when hungry particularly if I don’t eat first thing in the morning. But I’m not hungry all the time at all. What you describe isn’t normal, you seem to have a strange baseline relationship with food

I absolutely understand that the cost of living crisis is hitting people hard, and I would never make light of the reality that some families are genuinely going without. That is a heartbreaking situation and completely different from what I was talking about.

I have never pretended this is a fix for poverty, and I have repeatedly said it is not suitable for everyone. But if something helps and feels sustainable, why should we not talk about it?

Also, people post all the time about expensive holidays, designer bags, new kitchens, private schools, and other things many families cannot afford. Should we tell them to stop posting because it is not tactful during a cost of living crisis? We all know how hard things are right now, but that should not mean we cannot share personal choices or discuss what is working for us, as long as it is done with respect.

There is a difference between being forced to go hungry and choosing to eat in a way that still supports your health while helping manage costs. This post was not meant to offend or dismiss anyone’s struggle. It was meant to be honest about how one family is adapting. People are capable of understanding the nuance. We need more practical discussion, not less.

“The latest fad”? 🙄

Since when was fasting “not a thing”?

AIBU to think this kind of fasting can be a practical option for some people in tough times?

I don't think telling people in poverty to save money by fasting and skipping meals is going to land very well, however much you personally love it.

You're reminding me of that woman on here some time ago who had discovered she could reduce her energy bills by not turning on the heat and wearing a jumper. She was quite pleased about it and was keen to tell people in fuel poverty (which she wasn't, she quite enjoyed the novelty) about this incredible solution.

Enough with the skipping meals comments. Fasting doesnt have to be skipping meals. At times i eat 2500-3000 calories per day WHILST FASTING. Its like saying you eat all day but only consume 1000 calories and expecting everyone to pat you on the back.

Fasting is about structuring when you eat, what you eat and giving your body the chance to digest and use the nutirents in the best way possible. This can be done without missing a single calorie of what you normally eat

That's amazing. When I was younger I could go for very long periods without eating, no problem, but now I am old I feel weak without regular food and perk up when I eat (no I am not diabetic).

I'd love to be able to fast for a day or two here and there, it is said to be very good for health.

need that laugh emoji

It depends what people are eating. Dosing kids up on bowls of sugar coated crap, emulsifiers, natural flavourings (whatever that means) and emulsifiers first thing in the morning doesn’t seem to be doing them much good.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is an ingenious marketing slogan. The catch phrase is widely credited to Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and fellow 7th Day Adventist James Caleb Jackson and their efforts to promote breakfast cereal.

This is exactly what I've found and why I also get annoyed when people say it's cheaper to eat better. To actually make sure the meals are properly nutritious meals - and I'm still learning so not fully there yet - it's costing me more. More fresh produce, a wider variety of sources of nutrition etc. The variety is really crucial.

But that is not what I said. I am not telling people in poverty to skip meals to save money. I am not offering this as a grand solution or claiming it works for everyone. I shared what I have been doing, which has helped both my health and food budget. That is a personal experience, not a lecture or a policy suggestion.

The comparison to someone bragging about wearing a jumper instead of turning the heating on misses the mark. This is not about playing poverty for novelty. It is about saying that in tough times, some people find changes that work for them, and sharing those ideas should not be automatically dismissed as smug or insensitive.

There is a big difference between telling people who are struggling to simply eat less, and saying that intentional changes in how we eat can reduce waste, lower costs, and even improve wellbeing when done safely and by choice. I have also been very clear that this is not suitable for everyone, especially those with medical needs or in active stages of growth or recovery.

It is possible to acknowledge the seriousness of poverty while also talking honestly about what is helping in real life. Pretending that even practical, sustainable adjustments are somehow offensive just shuts down useful conversation.

Religious fasting is based on practising and using your faith to distract from hunger and purify thoughts for a period of time with a specific spiritual purpose and outcome.

it’s not science based, nor physical benefit based, it’s puritanical and deprivation based, for spiritual purposes.

skipping meals to lose weight is not related in any way.

And yet, i find it the complete opposite. I eat 90% of my meals fresh cooked from the PON books and it saves me a fortune. Eating better.....do you mean less UPFoods? I can make a Passanda curry with lovely fresh ingredients and fresh chicken for 4 adults much cheaper than i can feed them with anything else for the same nutritional value.