I’m a mum & I’ve discovered how to feed a family of 6 for 41p – there’s surprising shopping hacks, anyone can do them
A MUM has shared her cost of living meal plan that lets you eat healthily on a budget – feeding a family of 6 for as little as 41p per meal.
Terri-Ann Nunn, 38, has had to adapt to the cost of living crisis and learn how to eat healthy on a budget.
She says: “Over the years, I have heard so many people express that they can’t afford to eat healthily.
“But with the cost of living crisis, these statements have increased dramatically.
“It’s got to a point where people are now saying they can’t afford to eat properly cooked meals at all, let alone healthily.
“Being healthy isn’t just about fresh fruit and vegetables.
“It’s about living a balanced life that enables you to feel happy and healthy, and being worried about your food bill does neither.
“That’s why I’ve put together a budget meal plan so that families struggling with the cost of living crisis can eat healthier, but also reduce their shopping bill in the process.”
Here Terri-Ann, who is founder of the Terri Ann 123 Diet Plan, shares tips from her brand new Budget Loss Plan that feeds two adults and four children for 41p a portion.
Budget-friendly breakfasts
For a cost-effective but highly nutritious breakfast, opt for filling options such as porridge, muesli, or eggs served with toast.
Not only are these options packed with slow-release carbohydrates, which are better than sugary processed cereals or spreads, but are a cheap source of protein that can help you feel fuller for longer, as well as help you stay alert until lunchtime.
Options include: 2 sausages served on 2 slices of bread and butter, 40g porridge oats made with 300ml skimmed milk, or 35g muesli served with 50ml semi-skimmed milk.
Cheap but tasty lunches
Lunching on a budget doesn’t mean grabbing a meal dea.
Fill yourself up with a nutritious and fibre-packed vegetable soup, or give yourself an energy boost to beat that afternoon slump with a carby jacket potato or sandwich that is as cheap as it is tasty.
Simply fill with your favourite budget-friendly high-protein toppings like tuna, ham or egg to keep you full – you won’t even miss those pre-packaged wraps.
Options include: 1 tin of tomato soup served with 1 whole meal bread roll, 2 slices bread with 1 slice of ham and 30g cheese toasted, or a 3 egg omelette made with 1 slice of ham and 30g cheese.
Shopping hacks that won’t break the bank for dinner
It can be hard to feed a crowd when budget healthy options are usually boring soups or salads.
But when buying your meat go for cheaper cuts like chicken thighs – which are loaded with more flavour than their more expensive counterpart chicken breasts.
You can easily make tasty but healthy dinners that won’t have you wincing at your shopping bill.
A chicken casserole is a great way to use chicken thighs and can be bulked out with filling but cheap veggies like potatoes and peppers – you can even pop in any leftover or wilting veg like spinach to reduce waste.
Replacing meat can also keep costs down, and you can use tinned vegetables to keep things convenient.
Meals like stroganoff go great with mushrooms, with their meaty texture working well with the creamy sauce.
Whereas canned veggies like sweetcorn are a cheap way to make a tasty pasta bake – simply mix with a pasta sauce and your choice of pasta shape for a nutritious but budget-friendly dinner everyone will love.
Options include: sweet and sour chicken thighs served with rice, mushroom stroganoff served with mash or spaghetti bolognese served with garlic bread.
Super cheap and tasty snacks
Snacking can become super expensive very quickly, with most pre-packaged snacks not able to keep up sustained for long enough, leading us to go through packets quicker than we expect.
Not only does making your own snacks help cut your costs, but you’ll benefit from having more fibre, healthy carbohydrates as well as various vitamins and minerals that will keep you feeling satiated in between meals.
Options include: 4 Carrot sticks, 1 banana, low-calorie yoghurt pot.
To help families during the cost of living crisis, Terri-Ann is giving away the basic version of her Budget Meal Plan for FREE.
That includes a full weekly meal plan, 7 tasty recipes, a full shopping list and a free exercise plan.
The free 17-page eBook can be found here.
The TerriAnn Budget Loss Plan is currently available on TerriAnn’s 123 Diet Plan website as an eBook for £9.99.