Stock up on these hard-working food staples during the ‘big shop’ to get more from your meals during the week
When it comes to preparing meals, we all want to create tasty, nutritious food that will keep us satisfied and healthy.
However, it’s not always easy – especially with the price of certain meats, fish and vegetables that we’re advised to consume on a regular basis.
The fact is, while it is important to have a varied diet and reap the benefits of meat and fish from time to time (if you’re not a vegan), there are lots of other ways to get plenty of protein and other nutrients for a lot less.
Ashleigh Tosh of Muscle Food says these budget-friendly kitchen staples are great for bulking out your meals and keeping you feeling full:
Lentils
Add lentils to mince-based dishes to bulk them up and make the meal stretch further. You can buy cans of them from the supermarket – so you won’t spend hours soaking dried lentils – and they cost very little. Try also adding to lasagne, chilli and cottage pie.
Oats
Like lentils, oats are perfect for mince-based dishes. Add a few handfuls to a bolognese and they’ll blend in and take on the flavour of the meat your cooking. The general rule is not to add more oats to the dish than there is meat.
Shredding/cutting meat
A shredded chicken breast gives the impression of much more meat than simply putting a single one on a plate. Shred chicken to put in a pasta or rice dish and think too about cutting sausages into chunks.
Hidden vegetables
Vegetables are cheaper than meat and great for bulking up a meal. You can add grated carrot to a bolognese or chilli, leftover vegetables to soups or spinach to a pie. Mushroom and courgette are both good for tomato-based dishes.
Beans
Beans are great for bulking up a meal and they are very budget-friendly. Again, rather than spend hours soaking them, buy in a can from the supermarket. Then, simply drain and add to whatever you’re cooking.
Potatoes
If you have potatoes, then you have a meal and you can also use them to bulk out other dishes. Add potato to a curry or stew to really make them stretch.
Eggs
Eggs are a brilliant source of protein and a good addition to all sorts of dishes. They’re perfect for rice-based dishes and great in a salad, with noodles or even on a pizza.
Pasta and rice
It’s well known that pasta and rice can be added to other dishes to make them stretch further. But have you tried adding this kind of leftovers to soup? Risotto and pasta bakes make a delicious meal and you can reduce the amount of meat you use in them.
