Larger families.... shopping limits

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

Anyone else having issues in getting enough food to make a meal for their family? I can't afford (nor have time) to make seperate meals for everyone. But I can't get enough of the foods we eat as a family in some lines.

We use 4 packs of mushrooms and 5 packs of peppers per week. We are only allowed 3. Same for yogurts etc.

I am working, not from home. I don't have time for daily shopping as I finish at, rush back before after school club finishes and get the kids home for dinner which is already later than I'd like.

I have a delivery pass, but that appears to be totally useless at the minute. We are potentially to be isolating from today as one of the kids may possibly have a cough. Even if I could get a slot, I'd need several slots in the week and you can't even get half the stuff you need anyway.

We don't have anyone to bring us food either. 🤷

Is it worth approaching the supermarket manager to discuss individual requirements?

I saw a woman have 1 of her 4 muller bloody lights removed from her today. I mean I understand restrictions in some areas. But most people would not consider 4 yogurts excessive/panic buying.

Help!

Just rely on grocery deliveries, all my local food deliveries here in Spain were stopped at lockdown.

Don't rely = it is not considered an essential service

@Iriahm

I have literally just made 1.5l of oat milk and put it in the fridge. Can you make your own? It’s very quick and cheap.

I totally agree re people doubling up with trollies. That was happening in Asda this morning with husbands and wives having a trolley each. Disgraceful and greedy!

And for some people necessary

DH and I would have had to do exactly that if I wasn't one of the oft-mocked longtime preppers. We have us, the kids and MIL in our house normally. From tomorrow when schools close SIL's (ICU worker) kids will be staying with us as their childcare is also closing.

My youngest has significant health issues and going out shopping every day would be far too risky.

People with bigger families, or who are making a trip on the bus to get to the shop and can only afford to do it once or twice, will need both adults to shop for them to get through. There's a huge difference between that and the likes of the woman in the story online who tried to buy 80 tins of tomatoes in an Aldi store.

My mum was an evacuated child in WWll, so I grew up knowing all about rationing and changing things to fit what you have. We have 1 pescatarian in the family, 1 vegan, 1 vegetarian and one no dairy/no gluten. Shopping at the moment is a nightmare, but I’ve explained that either you eats what on offer or go without. This means mostly we are having vegan meals, , but for instance tonight is veggie kebabs with rice, haloumi on 2 lot of kebabs, salmon on another, only veg and tofu on another. My rationale is that this could be far worse, so let’s work with what we have, not what we haven’t. A bit of creativity goes a long way, and my lot certainly aren’t going to starve !!!

After going in once, put shopping in your car, take your coat off or put a different jacket or hoodie on tie your hair up or put a woolly hat on, you’ll look like a different person & shop again

There are no delivery slots it seems

Your five packs per week mean that others have no packs per week. Surely there are meals that you can make that you can pad out with less in demand products?
This situation has only arisen because so many people are grabbing far more than they need. OP actually needs the items.

Is it because not so many goods are coming through from Europe e.g. Spain

Oat milk is really easy to make yourself. And loads cheaper.

However much milk you want, use a quarter of that volume of oats. So if you make 100ml of oats milk measure out 250ml of oats.

Soak oats overnight in water (or at least 30min). Drain away soaking water. Add 4 cups fresh water for every 1 cup oats. Put in blizer and whizz. Drain through a napkin.

15 mins to prepare.

Easier version: use ready brek instead of oats = no need to blitz.

Easier still version: use ready brek and make only as much as you need to use immediately = no need to drain through cheese cloth (Will be thicker though, so slacks with extra water)

I really do despair. All these people thinking that they are different. Loads with lots of reasons why they should be treated differently.

As for the people saying change your coat and use two trollies. Shame on you. You aren’t starving, you just want what you want and stuff anyone else.

Well I was assuming that you couldn’t really be so entitled but I guess I’m wrong.

Actually it raises a problem. Large families are going to struggle more with the limits than small families. It's not being entitled to want to feed your family. Though people will need to make changes in what they eat, larger families are going to find this more difficult, as whatever they buy they will need more of it.

All these people thinking that they are different. Loads with lots of reasons why they should be treated differently.

Households with two to feed are different to a household with six to feed.

Idiots who buy, or try to buy, 80 tins of tomatoes mean that people with more mouths to feed are going to have to shop two or three times. That's not greedy, that's just fact

I work in a residential home for 8 vulnerable adults with severe learning disabilities, who do not have the capacity to understand a pandemic. We usually get a big supermarket delivery a week and do a few little shops in between. We haven't been able to get a delivery slot and are struggling to get enough to feed our residents - its not as simple as sending multiple people to multiple shops as that potentially leaves us without adequate staffing in the house. For some of our residents a change in their routines is really unsettling. I'm hoping all the panic buying and selfishness will be over soon for their sake

Thanks! Making my own is on my mind but as it’s a replacement milk source that’s fortified and with missing vitamins from their diets and I haven’t fully researched it...any tips?

I think apart from the issue of big families, maybe more food for home cooking is being bought because people who usually eat out or order takeout are realising this might not be an option soon.

Lots of people order takeaway 2 or 3 times a week. This must be having a big effect on demand as well.

I second Milk and More.

ffs most supermarkets are in meltdown and the staff are run ragged and under threat of infection themselves leave them alone and sort out your own problems.

as it’s a replacement milk source that’s fortified and with missing vitamins from their diets

Take a multivitamin as well?

Milk and More are no longer taking on new customers due to 'unprecedented demand'.
The same for Riverford.

Also, the three item limit with Tesco also applies to loose fruit and veg. We are a family of 5 and I can only order 3 loose carrots or 3 loose bananas. Most of the bagged fruit and veg is sold out in my area.

Have you tried ethnic/Asian shops? Sorry don’t know if it’s been suggested already. They usually do big bags of rice 5,10 or 20kg. Sacks of onions and potatoes, large crates of tinned tomatoes, chickpeas etc and big bags of lentils etc. With a large family it may a better and more economical option.

These are tough and unfortunate times for everyone. Yes we would all like to give our children and ourselves and we’ll nutritions and balanced diet. But let’s be realistic, we can survive on less. I’m sorry you can’t find enough food but This really still is first world problems.
Get some yellow/red lentils and brown lentils and make dhal. Very nutritional and balanced and cheap.

*a nutritionally and well balanced

In fact we need to remember that during world war II rationing when people were forced to eat set foods the health of the nation as never been as good.