LET’S GET SAVVY WITH OUR WEEKLY FOOD SHOP

By Ruth Chubb, Three Bears Cookery Club

Buying jars & ready meals is always going to increase your shopping bill. Sticking to simple ingredients, just because they are simple it doesn’t mean they are in anyway boring and they will be far more nutritious because you will have made it yourself with natural ingredients, no sneaky preservatives or extra sugar!

You may be happy to potter about in the kitchen and whip up new meals or you may be horrified at what i have just suggested and think NO WAY this isn’t for me at all! Well before you go just read my tips, i promise you it is not as hard as you think.

First thing to do, look at your food bill, do you plan your weekly shop? do you go armed with a list to the shops? do you know what you are going to have each night for tea that week? if the answer is no, planning your weeknight teas alone will save you some ££££s! check out our top tips on how to plan your weekly meals:

• Plan out your weekly meals; this is the most important part of this, plan, plan plan! if you plan your weeknight meals, lunches; are you eating at home, taking food to the office or do the kids need a packed lunch and don’t forget breakfast!

• Once you have a rough idea what meals you are having check in the fridge, freezer and cupboard. What do you have leftover? What needs to be used up? is there a meal you could perhaps swap with something already in the cupboard?

RUTH CHUBB, OWNER OF THREE BEARS COOKERY CLUB

• Think ahead, if you are making a lasagne for example make a larger lasagne and save it for another night that week or freeze it for a meal next week. You don’t have to buy extra mince to bulk it out, just add some lentils to your mince and sauce while cooking it and this will bulk up the mince.

• if you have lots of veg left over then make a big pan of soup, this is great for easy lunches or a light tea throughout the week. Plus, you can save any extra portions and freeze them for another week.

• Once you have written out your weekly meal plan then write down the ingredients what you need for each of those meals, do you need any extra things like juice, tea, coffee any household items like toilet roll, kitchen roll etc.

• You should have a list for the week & ready to hit the supermarket! Though remember to eat before you go as shopping when you are hungry means you just add more food to your trolley…..

remember to make ingredients from scratch as much as you can it is cost effective and tastes so much better. if you’d like some meal inspiration & some yummy weeknight recipes then head over to The secret mums Baking club Facebook Group for busy parents or our blog where you will find lots of recipe ideas & inspiration for your weekly shopping!

www.threebearscookeryclub.com/blog