Encourage healthy eating

[TheVoiceOfReason91]

So I've been thinking a lot about food I for one do give my children and my self more processed food then I would like to main because of the cost comparison to eating fresh food everyday
So would it be unreasonable to say that more people me included would eat better if for instance all fresh food meat veg and fruit was sold compulsory VAT free so it all became 20% cheaper but to pick up the loss make all processed food have a say 25-30% vat on them so it would be a financial incentive for people to eat fresh and better food.

It will never happen but it would be great wouldn’t it, if fresh fruit and veg had a reduced or zero rate of vat for retail only

i do believe it may need to be fully VATable if the fruit and veg was being used in food processing and then resold to customers .

So VAT-exempted only on totally fresh produce or minimally processed products (eg chopped, washed, frozen or canned).

It would be quite complicated but I do like the idea.

Fresh food is already zero rated for VAT and most snacks and fizzy drinks are 20%. Not perfectly as you suggest as lots of unhealthy foods are also zero rated but not far from what you’re suggesting.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-of-vat-on-different-goods-and-services#food-and-drink-animals-animal-feed-plants-and-seeds

Ps I totally agree - I am always astonished how much of my supermarket shop is fruit and veg.

I guess you already look out for canned and frozen produce - in Tesco this week for example frozen veg was 3 for 2. That seemed quite a good deal. And my top tip to always grow your own herbs - it makes home cooking so much nicer and herbs in stores are very expensive. I have got parsley, rosemary, thyme, basil and sage happily growing through the winter this year.

This is already the case OP! Although I think that the VAT on ultra processed foods should be much higher than the current 20%, and the money used to subsidise unprocessed foods.

However, if you are reasonably competent at cooking (or willing and able to learn, which I appreciate isn't everyone) then eating healthy unprocessed is actually cheaper. You do need to eat seasonally though, and eat the less fancy cuts of meat etc. To be extra frugal you also need to use batch cooking and a freezer.

Eg -

• cooking a whole gammon, slicing and freezing. Cheaper by weight of ham than buying sliced processed ham.
• Bolognese made with mince but bulked out with lentils and grated carrots, courgette, and turnip.
• homemade soup

Yeah I am quite competent in the kitchen I just find that for instance if I spend for example £60 on fresh ingredients I would have far less and it wouldn't last as long as if I was to spend the same amount on on more processed food

For example let's say my kids want chicken nuggets and chips home average price
4 chicken fillets cost around £6.50
Bag of flour £1.10
6 eggs £1.90
4 large white potatoes £1.30
Total cost around £11 to prepare the meal where if I buy processed
Chicken nuggets £2.50
Bag of frozen chips £1.80
Total cost oof around £5.00
And I know it can be argued that some of the ingredients from fresh would carry over to the next time but considering you can get all the processed for less then the fresh protein just winds me up

I see! So you are trying to copy ultra processed meals exactly? Yes, that will be tough.

I just tell my kids they can't have nuggets. They get chicken curry instead. Or baked chicken breasts wrapped in bacon. Or whatever.

Yes, your kids will moan. But it's really yoir choice whether you cave to the moaning or you stick to your desire to feed them better food. Up to you!

Another way to do the nuggets if this is a deal-breaker:
Chop the chicken in nugget sized bits. Freeze any you don't need this time. Breadcrumb the ones you need tonight. Give them less nuggets than you would if using supermarket ones (because the chicken quality is better they will still get enough nutrients) and bulk the meal out with chopped potato wedges or extra veg or whatever. Don't buy "4 large white potatoes", buy a large bag of Maris Pipers and use them again two more nights. Much cheaper by weight.

Yeah I suppose I do make it harder for myself but I find for my kids at least they are what I described as visual eaters so if they don't like the look of it or it's not something there used to seeing them they have already convinced themselves they don't like stuff before they try it so I tend to try make things in a way they recognise it

Play the long game @TheVoiceOfReason91. I’m have responsibility for healthy eating in the residential children’s home I work in and nothing changes overnight. Meal planning really helps reduce the cost of meals cooked from scratch. Obvious example, we had a roast yesterday. Dinner today is leftover pigs in blankets with roast vegetable hash made from all the left over vegetables mashed & fried in a pan. It’s similar to bubble & squeak. Pizzas work well: make the bases with half wholemeal & half white flour. The tomato layer is fried onion & garlic with chopped tinned tomatoes & herbs simmered until thick enough to spread on the bases. Then slice mushrooms, peppers & more onion & grate cheese for the toppings.

I honestly dont think buying fresh healthy food is more expensive at all.

A whole chicken breast each is a lot. Chopped into nugget size pieces you should get two meals out of 4 chicken breasts. Or certainly 6 portions. (And yes, I do feed teens). You could buy a bag of ready made chips to make life easier, or a bag of potatoes - dont buy the 4, just get white potatoes. Whilst the oven is on, shove some of the larger potatoes in to make baked potatoes for another day.
The eggs on your list , you will only need two for the nuggets, use the ither four for egg mayo for lunches, or fried egg sarnies. Add veg - a bag of carrots are about 69p. You can even roast these when you're doing chips/nuggets. You missed some kind of crumb foe the nuggets. I'd get a loaf of bread, fry a couple slices in the oven ans whizz up. You then have bread for the egg sandwhices anither day.

It does take a bit more planning to eat cheaper/healthier, but i genuinely don't think it is cheaper. Cooking from scratch always means left overs/extras in our house. Cooking ready made never means that.

Did you see Tim Spector on What Not to Eat last week (episode 3), revealing what's in chicken nuggets? I wouldn't serve them to Donald Trump!!!!

www.channel4.com/programmes/what-not-to-eat?cntsrc=social_share_android_what_not_to_eat

Your proposed meal of chicken nuggets and chips won’t cost as much as you say though.

A portion of mini breast fillets is £3.85 at Tesco (you could go cheaper if you used thigh fillets probably). This makes a full baking tray worth.

Flour - 1 kg bag of plain flour is 80p, but you need at most 10p worth

Eggs - you’d probably need 2 eggs, maybe stretch with a bit of milk, £3.30 for a dozen large eggs, 30p each

Breadcrumbs - £1.25, you may use nearly all of these

Potatoes - 2kg is £1.80, but you won’t use all of those, maybe half ish for a family of 4, 90p

£6.70 total cooking from scratch, those are Tesco prices because that’s where I shop but others may be marginally cheaper.

Yeah, I think your calculations are off. 4 chicken breasts is a lot. I do chicken schnitzels, so basically posh nuggets, and I can feed four of us on max 3 chicken breasts - and DH and DS eat a LOT.

The other issue is that whether you. make chicken nuggets from scratch, or use convenience food - the way you're preparing it is a problem. If my children have chicken nuggets (or schnitzel), I serve them with lots of veggies, which also means they dont' need as much chicken or as many chips.

Most fresh food is already not charged with VAT so I don't think that makes a difference.

The reality is that a lot of ready made food IS cheap and easy, because it's poor ingredients, and yes, cooking from scratch has hidden costs. But I think that often the issue is as much time/effort as it is cost. We are all time poor these days, and if your'e cash poor as well, well... it's easy to see why convenience food is a more appealing option.