Don't have a massive food budget for fresh stuff, will this still work?

[Iaminshapeitsaroundone]

Hi All,
I've been toying with the idea of slimming world for a little while. One thing holding me back is cost. I don't mean the cost of the weekly classes, more the cost of buying a lot of fresh food etc.

The reason I have put on the pounds is our food budget has not been able to increase in line with the price increases in the shops. So the same money has to stretch more which has lead to things like buying jar sauces instead of making from scratch, having more pasta and rice, using more processed meats. I used to love cooking and trying new things but we simply do not have the money to do that now.

I want to lose the weight but I'm not sure if I can change the way I shop so I increase the fresh unprocessed food intake that would be needed.

Has anyone been a similar situation and made it work?

I find making own sauces are cheaper than jars, I used a jar the other day to make chilli because I cba to make own… 99p it cost! Where as when I make my own it’s like 35p a tin of tomatoes then herbs and spices from the cupboard (which obviously you have to pay for but get so many meals out of).

Plenty of frozen options for fruit and veg

I don't know if this helps:-

https://audioboom.com/posts/7530450-losing-weight-on-a-budget

Thanks@Wilma55 , I will give that a listen 😊

You need to fill half your plate with speed food but this can be done with frozen and tinned food as well as fresh.

This.
I only use frozen veg. and have frozen fruit for breakfasts etc.

I think we are all feeling the pinch with the COL, I certainly am but I manage ok on sticking to SW

I only buy frozen berries - cheaper and more flavoursome and no waste. Im careful with the rest of the fruits I buy, which tbh isnt much. A couple of apples or pears and satsumas so theres always something to reach for, but I buy loose so Im not throwing any away

Ive swapped to a lot more frozen veg, used to be only peas and sweetcorn, now its spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, stew mix and those bags of small mixed veg - the carrots/beans/peas mixes

I buy salad veg a couple of times a week. Just enough that it will get eaten. I also eek it out, like rocket is expensive but nice, so I shred iceburg - cheap and tastless and mix some rocket through it. I dont buy salad onions - brown onions I have will do rightly sliced thinly and using pickles which have a long shelf life helps - pickled beets, gherkins, onions, cabbage - all add variety and all on plan

Tin of tomatoes is 35-40p - thats the base of tomato sauce - no need for jars. If you dont already have a good selection of herbs and spices its worth picking up just one a week. Home bargains/lidl/B&M are cheap and its worth buying garlic and ginger in either paste, jar or frozen form

Meat there is no denying its not cheap and SW concentrate on Lean meat - so 5% mince, all fat and skin removed from whole meat. Even here you can still save. Turkey and Chicken mince is often cheaper to start with then beef mince and I often find it YS. YS skinny burgers dont have to stay burgers, smash them up and make meatballs to feed the whole family. I got a load of packs of 2 at 90p and stuck them in the freezer. Even Jamie oliver has a programme on all4 about meals for a £1 and they are all SW friendly

The SW app has a whole lot of budget meals , and every recipe I have tried from the app has been pretty tasty to be fair. Like no one refused to eat it.

I find root vegetables very cheap and nourishing. Sweet potatoes, parsnips, swede, carrots etc. Put them in the oven and your dinner is ready. Frozen fish or even occasional tinned fish is cheaper than fresh alternatives.