Trying to make positive changes

[Mumstheword1983]

Groceries (76 items)

1 Alpro Almond Milk No Sugars Long Life Dairy Alternative 1L £1.40
1 Alpro Dark Chocolate Flavour Dessert 4 x 125g £1.85
1 Alpro Greek Style Plain Dairy Free Yoghurt Alternative 400g £2.50
2 Belvita Breakfast Honey & Nut with Chocolate Chip Cereal
Biscuit Snack Bars Pack 5 x 45g £2.00
1 Blue Dragon Sweet Chilli & Garlic Stir Fry Sauce 120g £0.75
1 By JS Digestive Biscuits 400g £0.59
1 Cathedral City Mini Mature Cheddar Cheeses 6x20g £1.65
1 Dairylea Dunkers Ritz Cheese Snack 3x43g £2.25
1 Green & Black's Organic Ginger Dark Chocolate Bar 90g £2.75
1 Hovis Seed Sensations Seven Seeds Medium Sliced Seeded
Bread 400g £1.00
1 Jason's Sourdough The Great White Bread 450g £2.20
0.924kg JS Broccoli Loose £2.02
1 JS CHOC CHIP COOKIES 250G £1.30
1.872kg JS Fairtrade Bananas Loose £1.78
2 KTC Chopped Tomatoes 400g £0.90
2 Little Ones Sensitive Baby Wipes x60 £1.12
1 Mcghees Scottish Pancakes x4 £0.60
1 Naked Rice Long Grain Rice Japanese Katsu Curry 78g £0.75
1 Nutella Hazelnut & Chocolate Spread 200g £1.90
1 Peppa Pig Kids Strawberry Yoghurt Pots 6x45g £1.00
1 RYVITA Thins SWEET CHILLI 125G £1.25
2 Sainsbury's 320g British Fresh Skinless & Boneless Chicken
Breast Fillets £4.68
1 Sainsbury's Baby Plum Tomatoes 325g £0.89
1 Sainsbury's Baby Potatoes 1kg £0.85
1 Sainsbury's Baked Beans In Tomato Sauce 200g £0.35
1 Sainsbury's Basmati Rice 1kg £1.79
1 Sainsbury's British Cooked Honey Roast Ham Slices x10 115g £0.88
1 Sainsbury's British or Irish 5% Fat Beef Mince 250g £2.69
1 Sainsbury's Chantenay Carrots 400g £0.80
1 Sainsbury's Choco Hazelnut Squares Cereal 375g £0.86
1 Sainsbury's Choco Rice Pops 375g £0.95
1 Sainsbury's Easy Peelers 600g £1.20
1 Sainsbury's Egg Mayo Deli Filler 220g £1.45
1 Sainsbury's Fusilli Pasta 500g £0.60
1 Sainsbury's Ginger Snaps 300g £0.59
1 Sainsbury's Grissini Bread Sticks, Sesame Seed 125g £0.55
1 Sainsbury's Iceberg Lettuce 200g £0.69
2 Sainsbury's Little Ones Organic Pear, Prune & Banana Smooth
Puree 6+ Months 70g £0.90
1 Sainsbury's Multigrain Hoops Cereal 375g £0.79
1 Sainsbury's Pitted Green Olives 120g £1.40
2 Sainsbury's Pure Pineapple Juice 3x200ml £2.80
1 Sainsbury's Red Kidney Beans in Water 215g (130g*) £0.45
1 Sainsbury's Roasted Red Pepper Houmous 200g £1.00
2 Sainsbury's Scottish Semi Skimmed Milk 2.27L (4 pint) £3.30
2 Sainsbury's Small Whole Cucumber £1.06
1 Sainsbury's Soft Medium Sliced White Bread 800g £0.74
1 Sainsbury's Steak Family Pie 700g £3.40
1 Sainsbury's Table Salt Bottle 750g £0.65
1 Sainsbury's Thick Soft White Farmhouse Bread 800g £0.72
1 Sainsbury's Thin & Crispy Hawaiian Pizza 385g £1.50
1 Sainsbury's Thin & Crispy Pepperoni Pizza 305g £1.07
1 Sainsbury's Tomato & Basil Soup 600g £1.49
2 Sainsbury's Tomato & Three Bean Soup, Be Good To Yourself
400g £1.26
1 Sainsbury's Wheat Biscuits x24 £1.80
1 Sainsbury's White Large Flat Vitamin D Mushrooms 250g £1.00
1 Sainsbury's Wholegrain Malties Cereal 750g £1.14
1 Sainsbury's Wholemeal Pittas x6 £0.50
2 Stamford Street Co. Double Strength Apple & Blackcurrant
Squash 750ml £0.98
2 Stamford Street Co. Mini Apples x6 £1.98
1 Stamford Street Co. Mixed Size British Eggs Free Range x10 490g £1.95
1 Stamford Street Co. Prawns 250g £2.54
1 Stamford Street Co. Toilet Tissue Double Rolls 4 Equals 8 Rolls £1.65
1 Stamford Street Co. Tortilla Chips 200g £0.57
1 Stamford Street Co. White Rolls x4 300g £0.75
1 Vitalite Spreadable Dairy Free Butter Alternative 500g £1.70
Order summary
Delivery cost £2.00
Subtotal £99.82
You've saved* -£7.35

Hi I'm looking to make changes to my weekly food shop. Currently spending around £85 I can afford to up this. I'm trying to wean the kids off sugary cereal and only have these at weekends. We eat a lot of biscuits as we have weekly visitors of around 8-10 family members and often get the biscuit plate out. I've cut back this week! We would normally have 6 packets in. We are a family of 6. Young children. I haven't bought any break time snacks for the kids this week. I would normally buy Oreo packs or crisps. Again I am trying to cut this back and choose something healthier but I struggle for ideas. My children all get free schools (universal free school meals here) apart from the oldest.

I'm looking for ideas on what to change/ add in as on another thread I took quite a beating about the unhealthy food shop (understandable) it's something I've been wanting to change for a long time. We both work and I was brought up on food like this so it's partly learned behaviour.

I didn’t say there was. I just personally tend to prefer fresh.

OP - frozen blueberries are great - good for putting on porridge or yoghurt. Somebody mentioned the bought pancakes- I think they’re fine if turned into dessert with yoghurt and berries. Yes, of course homemade would be better, but we don’t always have time for that. I can link to an easy blueberry muffin recipe (vegan) if you fancy it though.

Somebody else mentioned the cheese portions and I agree. You get so much more for your money if you buy a block. Sainsbury’s do very good Cheddar and the kids might like their absolutely gigantic blocks of orange cheddar- could have with tinned pineapple as a snack instead of biscuits sometimes!

Oh and cheap natural yoghurt, frozen berries and a drop of vanilla essence will go much further than the Peppa Pig pots.

Husband is dairy free so all the dairy free on there is for him. He can't have milk. - I wondered if there was a lactose intolerance.

That means that the semi-skimmed is for you and the DC.
If you buy whole milk it will go further in tea/coffee and on cereal will fill you for longer.
Children need full-fat milk to take in the nutrients.
Full-fat milk is only 4% fat. It's not bad for you.

Cereal is OK if you go for the ones that have fibre and are not sugary. Shredded Wheat and Weetabix not Coco Pops and Cheerios.

Buy a tub of yogurt and flavour it with berries, you are paying a lot for a picture of Peppa Pig on the cute little pot, and you'll have more control over what's in it.

There's a LOT of carb-heavy food like bread, cereal and biscuits on the list.

Admittedly we aren't eating enough veg. i would normally have broccoli as a side with most dishes or some frozen veg which I normally have in all the time. Kids always like tomato and cucumber with meals. In stir fry I have broccoli, peppers, onions. Husband hates mushrooms but I add for myself.

Girls get free school meals as it's universally free here so that's why there isn't as much lunch stuff. We eat out on a Saturday mostly a take away or some weeks a restaurant (pay day!)

Husband takes left overs for lunch. I have the katsu curry rice or a soup at work. I only need lunch 2 days at work. Girls like pancakes and Banana/berries at the weekend with yogurt. I normally top up midweek around £10 on more fruit, yoghurt maybe bread. I'm going to use these suggestions to make a change each week.

If you want to start cooking more yourself, google supermarket meal plans, 5 for £25 inc everything except absolute basics like oil or salt and pepper. Tesco is the main one I can think of but I'm sure others do it too. They're handy for cheap, easy to prepare and very nutritious meals with no waste whatsoever, everything on the shopping list is used up.

I would vary the veg a lot more. If the DC don't like the different veg then you don't have to buying them again.

Girls like pancakes - I bet they do

You are getting the right idea, and as pp your list is a lot better than many.

You could try pitta bread pizzas:
spread pittas with a sauce (I use red pepper pesto, but you could use tomato puree with dried herbs and garlic stirred in).
Add sliced red pepper, onion, halved olives
Top with cheese - I use the basics mozzarella but you could use cheddar or a mixture.
Bake.

That's such a good idea and the older girls would like making them! I will try this.

I grew up on semi skimmed milk so I've just never considered this. Thank you. I did use whole milk after breastfeeding for a bit but as they got older I just reverted back to what I'm used to. Good advice.

Full-fat dairy has other benefits – it supplies vitamin A. This fat-soluble vitamin promotes growth and helps the body build strong mucous membranes, which is essential to help fight infections. Vitamin A is also needed for healthy skin and eyes.

Source Milk for kids: what parents need to know | Good Food

I'm a bit anti low-fat anyway. Reduced-fat foods tend to be not as good or have something I'd rather not eat added. Low-sugar us worse.

Looking at your shopping all the dairy free alternatives are expensive. I realise your husband can't have milk but that doesn't mean everyone in the family should be dairy free. If it was a child I would say have the whole family but your DH is old enough to have his own shelf in the fridge.

The soups are expensive, it is much cheaper to make your own and you can use the bits of veg you normally throw away such as the stems of broccoli and cauliflower. Yes I do have soups in the fridge but they are for 'emergencies' - sorry I can't think of a better word.

I know you said you are not a good cook or baker, I think you are just inexperienced. Could you get a children's cook book? Then you and your children can learn together? Scotch pancakes AKA drop scones are really easy to make.

I agree to making the pita pizzas. Get the children involved with other cooking.

You seem to have bought lot of bread, how do you use it?

Stir fry sauce is expensive, I understand you might be nervous to try making your own but you could go half way. Buy a sweet chilli sauce, a bottle of soy sauce (light looks better but I prefer the taste of dark) and some garlic, the garlic could be fresh if you're confident to chop / grate / use a press, other wise get a tube of garlic.

Start with putting a few spoons of the chilli sauce in a ramekin, then add a teaspoon at a time the soy sauce and garlic, mix together and taste, add more ingredients depending on taste and keep going. Once you have one down you can add chillies or spring onion or rice wine or whatever. Yes it will cost more to get the three ingredients to start with but you will get a load of stir fries out of it.

For breakfasts, at the weekend make a batch of pancakes (the difficult bit is stopping children eating them) once made wrap in foil, either the whole stack or in ones and twos. Freeze them. When you want pancake for breakfast either put in the oven / air fryer or take off the foil and microwave.

Make a batch of 'breakfast muffins', there are lots of recipes on line but basically lightly oil a muffin tin, in a bowl crack eggs and whisk, you can add cheese and / or herbs t this point. In the muffin tray you can add bacon, ham, spring onion, whatever you have in the back of the fridge.

Pour the egg mixture over the bacon or whatever, bake in the oven for 15 - 20 mins, they will rise and then sink. Once cold put in a bag and freeze, microwave in the morning for breakfast, if you are running late they can be eaten on the go.

Beans on toast is quicker than you think for breakfast.

Open the tin(s) of beans and put the contents in a plastic or Pyrex jug, cover with clingfilm.
Put the toast in the toaster, microwave the beans for 3-5 mins, once the toast is ready just pour the beans from the jug.

It's only my husband that's dairy free. The rest of us eat dairy as normal.

We go through the bread for mostly toast before bed as an evening snack (all) . The sourdough we have at weekend with eggs.

I really like those ideas. I would never think to freeze scones or pancakes etc. It is inexperience. As fab as my mum was she never baked so it's not something I'm into either. I have a friend that does all this, home made bread, burgers, kids birthday cakes and I always think I could never do that. But I could. I will start small.

Op, I am impressed you are trying to make changes. Rome wasnt built in a day so I think its ok to try small changes and build up.

I have a dairy intolerant fussy dd... the rest of us eat a really good balanced diet but its a constant process with her! So some of what I do for her might help you.

Try adding dofferent side veg to your carrots and broccoli. Corn is good - we buy baby corn for convenience or sometimes tinned. I have had mixed success with cabbage and courgettes and asparagus. She has started being OK with me adding cavalo Nero, chopped, at the end of.cooking to tomatoe based pasta sauce like the below.

Master one good tomato sauce eith LOT of veg. Choped onion, cooked in some oil to soften then as that isnhappening i am chopping other veg to add - from the from then ones that take longest to shortest so as they are chopped, they are added to onion..Eg based on whats in my fridge right now it woukd be red and yellow pepper, carrots, courgette. I often add cabbage, mushrooms too. Then once all softened, add some garlic. Then 2 tins of chopped tomatoes and some boiling water. You want it a bit liquid at this point. Then a generous teaspoon of dried oregano, and about half a teaspoon each of.paprika, thyme, basil (if you have them). And a generous teaspoon of sugar,. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and leave to simmer for about 15 -20 minutes.

At the end stir in some cream cheese or even just some milk. For dd i do it with oat milk. Serve with pasta. I do versions using sausage meat too - great way to make sausages fo further and the kids generally love it.

Similarly, i would recommend mastering a badic bolognaise recipe, with added veg, you can cook in bulk and freeze.

Have you tried making quaesadilla style things with wraps? I dont do this a lot but its an occasional holiday lunch time thing for us. At most basic, its cheese and refried beans. Sometimes I premake roast veg then shove them in with feta cheese.

Another thing we do often is large trays of roasted/baked chixken thighs. I would love to.do.more traditional tray bakes with different veg but dd is tricky. So i bake the thighs and serve with potatoes and veg. Then we use leftovers in sandwiches, risottos, chicken salads.
.

@Mumstheword1983 , with pancakes put greaseproof paper between them and freeze them.
Pancake recipe - BBC Food
(It's a Delia Smith recipe so if you follow it to the letter you should get good results).
Use butter not spread.

Are you not all really hungry? 2 chicken breasts between 6 and 250g mince doesn't seem much.

That aside, I would start with a few basic swaps. Today I made 3 soups. The easiest was add 1chopped onion, 3 garlic cloves into a tray, 2 celery sticks. Add oil, season. Add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes. Roast until soft. Transfer to a pan with 1 tin of drained white beans (any are fine), some veg stock and whizz. I added balsamic vinegar, but if you don't have any it's fine. And I had a little cream left, so popped that in. You could leave out if making for husband. This recipe will easily feed 4, 6 if they're little. Double up and you've got some gor the freezer. Serve with cheese toasties, or sweetcorn fritters.

Another couple of favourite soups include sweetcorn, miso and chilli or sweet potato, coconut and peanuts. Let me know if you want recipes.

I think all the snacking/toast for supper is probably because the main meals are not filling enough.

Something like a chilli with lots of vegetables plus rice and grated cheese should fill you all up, or pasta bolognaise with added vege/lentils.

I would start with your meal plan and then write your shopping list. Boring but true fact, it’s easier to eat well if you plan and it reduces food waste. Websites like taming twins, have 15 and 30 minute meals for mid week for when you need inspiration and supermarket magazines often have good ideas.

When I really can’t be bothered, I ask chat gpt to do the meal plan and shoppping list in a rough order of supermarket aisles.

If it helps, my cGPT question is.
“Plan 7 days of meals for a family of x. All meals should include at least 2 vegetables, use minimum UPFs and avoid shell fish (allergy). Include at least one vegetarian meal and one fish based meal. Happy to make some effort at the weekend, but midweek meals need to be quick to prepare and minimise washing up.”

I had 4 chicken breasts not 2. And that does us for 2 meals. Children are still little.

Love this. Thanks. I will add this to the list. I'm going to add in a change every week.

Yes I agree. And the girls eat half their dinner then want a snack and hour later! I need to be a bit harder on this.

That's great. I use chat gbt for planning at work. Never thought to try this.

Looking at the foods you cook, I would also say an easy step would be to add tinned pulses to things you already cook. This would increase the vegetable content, fill you up and help you balance your budget. Chick peas and butter beans in curries, mixed beans in Mexican dishes, soya beans in stir frys, sweetcorn or frozen peas with risotto or pasta are all easy additions.

the girls eat half their dinner then want a snack and hour later!
They should not be hungry an hour after their dinner.
Snacking is a bad habit and should be discouraged.

I'd be reheating the dinner if they did that.

I like this tomato soup! I might try it but with tinned cherry tomatoes. The miso sweetcorn one sounds interesting too... could you send a recipe? I used to do a lovely corn chowder recipe but I lost it!!

I think the original recipe had tinned cherry toms. I juat never buy them.

Here is the corn one. I use frozen corn and have used jalapeños if no chilli's. It's delicious.