Diet on a budget

[Sarahkins]

After a full hysterectomy last march, on hrt put on 2 stone since then, I'm on a really tight budget so any ideas on budget conscious low spend low cal recipes would be great.(but I am allergic to eggs and any egg based food e.g. Mayo) I have my Fitbit on and I walk my dogs slowly bringing my exercise back up. As before my op I was in a fast paced retail store which I had to leave. I can't afford slimming world/weight watchers or joining a gym, thank you for reading all New to this 🙃

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome Sarah

I find soups, stews and casseroles to be the best meals on a budget and you can bulk cook and freeze, which makes it cheaper and much easier when coming to menu planning, or for days when you don't have the time, energy, or inclination to cook

Go to the Pinned Posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile) and take a look at the Welcome Newbie thread. If you have any questions, look at the Topics below, to see if they'll help you out, or ask on the forum

We are currently revamping our weigh-in's, so lookout for an update on that, or join in with the discussions on how best to move forward. It's always a good idea to be active on the forum, as that's where we glean our information, inspiration and motivation.

Download the 12 week plan, if that's something that appeals to you and don't forget to take initial measurements and photos, as it's a great way of seeing just how far you've come, especially when the scales aren't co-operating fully

Wishing you all the very best with your weight loss journey

[Hidden]

Hi Sarahkins ,

Getting in your 5 a day: Fruit - kilo bag of frozen berries that should be just about enough to have with your porridge (mega cheap) for a week. Fresh fruit in season - buy seven pieces for the week - currently I'm eating oranges before that it was pears before that apples. Tinned fruit in juice can be cheap but personally I'd rather have fresh fruit - you need to peel an orange, I always use a paring knife to eat apples and pears - it slows you down - I could wolf down a tin of pears/peaches without thinking.

Veg - some frozen veg works for me -peas/broccoli/green beans/cauliflower/sprouts are usually in our freezer for a stand. Again stick to seasonal - veggies tend to be cheap. If you're into stir fries you could always sprout your own - we do mung beans regularly - they cost pennies. It's a shame you can't eat eggs or I would have suggested nettle and feta cheese quiche - nettles are obviously free! You can even use them like spinach - but you need to prepare them wearing rubber gloves. Young dandelion leaves make a nice salad...

Oily Fish...

Tinned sardines - great way to get in some calcium and an oily fish - I have these once a week usually with a salad- less than £1for a tin

Salmon - other oily fish - and you don't need much a 125gr portion is sufficient - great if you can afford a fresh piece for about £2.

Trout - very affordable. I have this or salmon once a week.

Poultry...

This week we had a fresh chicken - roasted on Sunday with veg, as devilled chicken and salad on Wednesday (old SW recipe) - sandwich for hubby Monday lunchtime - the rest went into make chicken and veg soup. When we're feeling really frugal we buy frozen chicken thighs from Aldi and roast them in the oven with a tray of root veggies (cubed - shaken in a plastic bag with a tablespoon of oil and herbs)

Offal...I'm a big fan!

OK, I would eat this everyday if I could - slow cooked pig's cheeks - these are to die for. We make enough for four meals at a time as the cost is in the slow cooking.

Chicken livers - cooked and added to salad - very cheap nutritious meal. Calf's liver - we really cannot afford to buy this except as a special treat or if it's on promo.

We never buy branded anything and about the only processed food we buy is cheese. We make our own yogurt (very simple and you can even use UHT milk) and kefir (I think this is disgusting but hubby's big into it). He also does his own sauerkraut - but you need to be in love with this for it to be worthwhile. We eat loads of soup - favourite at the moment is a vegan carrot and lentil one - carrots are so cheap it's not worth me growing them. We keep a sliced loaf of wholemeal bread in the freezer and take out two slices at a time if we're making a sandwich.

If you've got any outdoor space - or even a sunny windowsill you could grow your own herbs.

You could always google 'life hacks' - loads of people doing blogs about eating well and eating cheap.

[JiminyCricket 7lbs in reply to Hidden]

What a fab answer - so many great ideas!

I've got an allotment and I'm into foraging/mushrooming so I'm really into eating seasonally. I'm sure its the healthiest way to eat as everything is fresh and food miles are at a minimum.

My favourite cheap meal of the moment is red lentil curry, which I make with homegrown onions/garlic/leeks/chives/shallots/welsh onions (whatever I have), red lentils of course, either pasata made from the summer tomato glut (though thats all gone right now) or cheap tinned tomatoes, chillies, fresh ginger and heaps of ground spices. I make loads at a time and freeze it.

Since starting the 12 week plan Ive been freezing 'ready meals' with calories on the labels, makes it so much easier to avoid weak moments if you have something easy to whip out of the freezer.

Do you have a yoghurt maker? I've tried before using my coolbox (thinking it would keep heat IN as well as OUT but it didnt work very well.

[Hidden in reply to JiminyCricket]

Hi JiminyCricket , yes we have a yogurt maker (it makes five small pots) we've tried all sorts of milks and they have all worked (UHT/Fresh, skimmed/whole, cow/goat). Red Lentils feature a lot in our diet too - that curry sounds tasty.

[JiminyCricket 7lbs in reply to Hidden]

It's so handy you don't have to soak them overnight!

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello and welcome Sarahkins ☺

I can sympathise about weight struggles after Hysterectomy 😕 I was doing great until my health issues and Hysterectomy in August last year. However, I'm not giving up, am keeping up with the exercise and my waist is slowly reducing despite weight staying fairly stable.

I'm back onto plan with a vengeance this week and my favourite winter meals are casseroles, cooked in my slow cooker with extra vegetables and pulses ☺ This really bulks out the meat and keeps cost and calories down ☺☺☺ I decide in advance how many servings and divide it up before we eat to help portion control.

Hope you enjoy the forum ☺ Best wishes Anna