Food

[eyesbiggerthanstomach]

Apologies if this is in the wrong section but I’m not a prepper as such which is why it’s not in that section.

It’s just me and my 2 year old as I have recently separated from my husband. I have no family nearby. I tend to live day by day. He’s at nursery 5 days a week. I don’t do a big food shop but just buy food as and when I need it. Our fridge is bare as are our cupboards pretty much. Freezer just has some frozen veg. I just buy the food I need for the next few days. Partly as I’m disorganised and I only really have to feed my toddler at the weekends as he only has a small snack during the week. It’s also as I hate cooking so would eat beans on toast or a cheese sandwich. Due to nursery fees of £1200 p/m I don’t have much disposable income.

I’m against stockpiling but I’m now worried that any of the following will happen
-nurseries will be shut and I have to feed DS 3 times a day on limited income
-There is a lock down and I have no food in the house
-People will continue to stockpile and there is nothing left in the shops and we have no food in the house

I don’t mind so much for me but I have a duty to DS.

Can anyone recommend what I should have in as a minimum? I feel as though there needs to be something in the house to last at least him for 14 days but Im conscious I don't want to put pressure on shops when there are vulnerable people

You could make different porridge each day. It's reasonably inexpensive and filling:
Cartons of unsweetened oat or almond milk (because it is longer life than dairy) assuming no nut allergies .
Rolled oats
Cinnamon
Frozen berries
Bananas

Tinned chopped tomatoes
Pasta
Dried Italian herbs (oregano & basil)

1 min pouch rice for microwave (if you don't feel confident making it from scratch)
Once cooked mix in -
Tins of beans (low sugar, low salt variety)
Grated cheddar cheese

Eggs for boiled, scrambled, poached, fried, omelette

Halloumi is good to have in. Lasts a while and has a meaty texture.

Lots of sliced bread if you can fit it in the freezer

If you have an Iceland near, you can get 3 thin frozen Italian style pizzas for £4. I add extra frozen veg as toppings, such as spinach, onions, mixed peppers.

Bread
Tinned pasta shapes / spaghetti / beans / cheese / eggs

'Thingy' on toast is fine for a while.

My DS loved spaghetti hoops, and boiled egg and toast soldiers, at that age. Still does tbh.

Have you even looked at the prepper threads?

I'd recommend searching out bellinisurge's posts on the topic good, practical non scaremongering advice.

But basically as you say, enough to see you both through 2 weeks without needing to shop.

Fresh is nice but really you need to be thinking non perishables or frozen or at a push long lasting perishables

Non perishables:

Pasta/rice/noodles/cous cous depending on your preference. Plain cheaper than flavoured versions of course

Bread & biscuits - keep a loaf in freezer if you can it's absolutely fine toasted.

Passata (bass for many sauces comes in cartons and lasts ages unopened)

Long life milk (doesn't need to be refrigerated but I think it tastes better chilled)

Tins - for "on toast", soups, "meal in a can" (things like Bolognese, ravioli, chilli, curry), tinned veg (carrots, peas, corn etc), tinned fruit, custard, pulses and lentils which can be used instead of mince, meat (corned beef, spam, hot dogs, meatballs), fish (tuna, pilchards)

Sundries that make life easier/food more palatable - oil for cooking, herbs & spices, condiments, soy sauce, mustard, marmite you get the idea

Pot snacks keep for ages too - pot noodle, pot pasta etc and are easy to make if you don't feel like cooking.

Dried fruit - bit of a sweet treat that keeps well and also nutritious

Freezer:

Bread/wraps
Veg
Meat & fish - the more versatile the better I'd say

Long lasting perishables:
Eggs
Processed cheese
Fruit juice
Smoothies
Yogurts
Root veg
Certain fruit - apples, pears, oranges all last at least 10 days if stored well.
Bananas and grapes freeze well.

Hope that helps to get you started

I know you only asked about food but don't forget also

1st aid supplies/basic medicines
Toiletries

Can you buy the reduced bread and freeze it?

Yellow ticket items from your nearest supermarket (Asda is the cheapest for yellow ticket items)

Add a little to your freezer, buy a bag of potatoes and make chips.

Coconut milk is the nicest out of the alternative milks. Asda own coconut milk is lovely in porridge.

Oops! Snacks too!

Crisps, rice cakes, cereal bars, chocolate, sweets.

And don't forget drinks. I know there's nothing wrong with tap water but depending where you live it doesn't always taste nice. I personally also like my water well chilled. And hot drinks supplies if that's your thing - coffee, bags, sugar/sweetener

Im conscious I don't want to put pressure on shops when there are vulnerable people

From reading your post I would class your household as vulnerable, for the reasons you gave. Being altruistic is great, but there's nothing wrong in securing your own family's safety first. Though hopefully it doesn't come to that.

Ideally, look at what you and your ds eat in a fortnight and make sure you have that. Frozen fruit/veg in place of fresh. If budget is tight you could buy a big bag of porridge oats and a big bag of pasta. And sign up to local community pages on social media for updates. If you did end up self isolating it's possible local food banks/charities may do deliveries so it would be handy to be connected to local information.

I'd personally just stock up on own brand basics for freezer/cupboards, less than exciting but you wouldn't starve. Big bags pasta/rice, tins of soup, beans, porridge oats, powdered milk, tinned veg, frozen veg, pasta sauce, tinned fish, frozen fruit (for smoothies), frozen meat packs (mince), long life orange juice, bread/milk are freezable, jam, honey. Iceland is good for big packs of sausages, frozen joints, local butchers often do 'meat packs' to freeze which are a competitive price. I'm no cook but even I can cobble something together out of not a lot with the basics. I've also a tub of meal replacement powder (vitamins included), so if the very came I'd substitute a meal/2 a day with that.

Thanks for all the suggestions. They are really helpful. I need to get my head around the fact it’s okay for DS to eat non fresh food which isn’t necessarily as healthy as the food he usually eats as it’s just a temporary measure. He eats so much fruit and veg and not much in terms of tinned food.

I don’t class myself as vulnerable and would not go to a food bank etc. as there are many much worse off than me. Worst case scenario I whack the shop on my credit card and pay it years down the line. My salary is £51k but it’s just with the nursery and mortgage alone, it means that if I did a food shop it has to be for food that will be eaten over the next few weeks rather than a back up I.e stuff that stays in the cupboard for a rainy day which is a big extra shop as things are that tight.

I do sense the time has come now where that big extra shop needs to be done as I have a feeling it will be all change with the government’s response early next week.

Fuck me £51k lone income?! No, no you'll not be eligible for a food bank, no! I'm not saying it's crazy money in London, but unless you're living the very high life wtf are you shopping in Aldi basement daily bargains for?

She's said already @Lalala205, her childcare bill is probably about a quarter of her take home pay, mortgage is going to be at least the same, if not more. Household bills, transport expenses, any debts or savings and there isn't always lots left at the end of the month. I say this as someone who's joint household income is about the same. We're far from rolling in it.

FYI I didn't suggest the food bank it was suggested to me and I explained why it's not appropriate.

Not living the high life believe me. When childcare is 40% of your salary as a single parent before any other costs you aren't left with much. Believe me.

Well it's good to see empathy on good old mumsnet. OP is probably paying 1k or more a month out of her pay just in childcare, then funding rent/,mortgage/travel costs. Anyone with small dc who works full time has tight years and it's terrible being chucked into this crisis.
I do empathise OP. It's pretty hard to get your head around 2 weeks worth of supplies. Like you, I have spent years shopping as and when. Do you have freezer space?