Tips for larger families to get enough food

[SpruceTree]

First of all, and important to say, I am IN FAVOUR of the current restrictions supermarkets have to prevent panic buying. I can see that it is needed to ensure more families are able to get at least something.
I am just hoping to hear how other large families are shopping.

We have 4 kids and live rurally. We are also shopping for our 83 year old neighbour who lives a 10 min drive away. It's getting tougher to get enough food and I wondered how other large families are doing it?

Supermarkets are restricting items to 2 or 3 max of each item and Tesco (our nearest by far at 20 minute drive as opposed to 40 minutes for our next nearest) has a maximum of 80 items per shop - not enough for.

I have 2 teenagers with massive appetites, one tween and one age 10, plus DH, myself and elderly neighbour.

We have a local shop 5 mins drive away which (again I fully support) only allows one of each item.

I also have a son with Coeliac disease and am unable to get any GF bread, pasta or flour for him. He is currently having fruit and GF biscuits (we haven't got many of these left) for lunch.

All advice gratefully received.

Is it still possible to get gluten free food on prescription?

Thank you. In some areas it is but not ours at more.

Can you use things like mushrooms to really bulk out your meals. You can usually buy them in big punnets and if you chuck them into casseroles or bolognaise you can double your quantity of food for pennies.

This isn't advice but if I was in charge of supermarkets I'd be doing something like letting people bring in proof of number of kids (child benefit form maybe) plus ID, and then allowing more in proportion.

Doves farm are doing gluten free boxes on their websites of flour and bits. X I hope you can get one.

www.dovesfarm.co.uk/products/freee/gluten-free-food-box

Our local school suppliers have opened up to the public. I haven't got a larger than average family but I did a shop with them and shared it with grandparents. Things like 40 toilet rolls, 1k bags of chicken, creates of tinned toms. You're not taking food out of the supermarket supply chain this way and you're helping them tick over whilst schools are not buying their usual amounts.

I seriously wish I had a chest freezer right now though, bags of croissants, crumpets, veggies ect I would have loved to stock up on if I had the room.

My grandparents were very happy with their loo roll and sanitizer!

No suggestions but I am so glad I stocked up as there is no way we can cope with 3 tins of tomatoes etc with a larger family and also working full time for nhs I don't want to be in the shops everyday spreading bugs

If you have a farm shop near you then a huge bag of potatoes would be a good shout. They can be a meal by themselves as baked potatoes, a side as roasties, chips, boiled, mashed or added into a stew for bulk and texture.

You could also make gnocchi as a pasta/rice substitute from potatoes.

We're in a similar position, big family and shopping for neighbour who has cancer.

The only thing we've found is just going more frequently, about once every 5 days or so.

It's not ideal, but what else can you do? I think as we're shopping for our neighbours as well we're sort of taking their slot to, so I don't feel too bad about it.

Thanks everyone, some great ideas. I like the idea of contacting Doves Farm, I never thought to look at the big manufacturers websites.
MN is so great.

Ooh, making gnocchi. I like it. I guess if it goes wrong it will be mash potatoes so it can't be too bad.

Yes. I think you are right about going to do a big shop every few days. I feel bad but I think it might have to be done. The cupboards are getting bare now!

I eat gluten free foods and so far my local M&S have kept their shelves well stocked with GF bread, though they don't have any flour or pasta now.

MN is a lovely nest of vipers. @FizzyPoo did you just google school suppliers, or were you more specific? I'm getting lots of random stuff. And did they deliver? And did you do it early, before lots of places shut? TIA.

If you're rural, farm shops might be your saviour. They're often a bit more expensive but can have remarkable variety. Even if you couldn't usually afford it, you may be able to for a few weeks, especially if you are making savings in other areas from not being able to go out. Importantly for your set up, you may be able to get a sack of potatoes. It will be dull for your son if he is used to all of the varied GF foods you can get these days but it will be more filling for him.

Not the best idea but the only one I have. You do a shop. Pack it in your car. Then do another shop and so on. And / or your husband goes with you and does the same.

I know I'll get blasted for this but it's worth a try.

I have 5 adults and an adult sized teen at home at the moment. We are getting through a lot of food so the Tesco 80 items thing gave me a bit of a panic. But I checked my online order for the past six weeks and I’ve never gone over 80 items. I cook from scratch and half the family is lactose intolerant so all our dairy items are doubled up. It’s still okay though.

I have been using clock and collect to shop for three households. The 80 limit is therefore a challenge😊.

However, getting larger packs of things to split will hopefully work.

www.bfreefoods.com/gb/products-uk/?product-page=2

I got this as a FB ad. Haven’t used them but it looks like they would deliver in bulk?

I need to get into my kids that they need to stop eating so much. I can’t get a delivery slot now so when last night’s shop is gone, it’s gone.

Check the world food aisle for bigger bags of rice. We usually buy a 5 or 10kg bag.

Will they let you buy pasta sauce, tomatoes and passata as different items.
Dried pulses are more servings per pack than a tin.

Sorry that wasn’t helpful by me but I sympathise hugely. Could you put a shout out on a local Facebook group? I get a lot of gf pasta has been bought by those just wanting any pasta. Wrong but there may be some out there people can spare

Check the world food aisle for bigger bags of rice.

Lentils and nuts too.

I eat gluten free and I am simply avoiding food with gluten in. (

I dont have sandwiches or bsicuits for example. I use quinoa and rice instead of pasta etc...
One thing I found really helpful (and you will find some) is buckwheat flour. It's gluten free, you can use it as you would flour in a lot of recipes (it is heavier than wheat but still work). I am making pancake with it (the french way) to use instead of tortillas etc...

Basically you will find it easier if you just avoid trying to get gluten free stuff and concentrae on what he can that dosnt have gluten.

fwiw i am also dairy free and I know from experinece you can have fantastic meals with no gluten and no dairy that wont cost the bank.