Meal Plan for a Family of 4

Adapted edited and updated by Pat Parker from an idea on MSE

WEEK1

Shopping list

• 1 kg of Porridge 79p
• Milk 4 pints x 2 £2
• 500g sultanas 97p
• 2 Wholemeal loaves @40p each = 80p
• Lemon curd 65p (value one not online)
• Chicken stock cubes 50p
• 5x frozen chicken breasts £3.82 (one kilo)
• Mixed veg frozen 1kg 95p
• Chicken noodles 50p
• 1kg spread -2x 500g tubs @£1 each = £2
• Salt 35p
• Potatoes 5kg 2×2.5 kilo packs = £2.70
• Coleslaw 500g 30p
• 15pk eggs £1.25
• Mayonnaise (value) 40p
• Sweetcorn tinned 35p
• Custard 25p
• Tinned peaches 35p
• Tin tuna 65p
• Tinned pineapple x2 £1.28
• 1kg of frozen sausages 20pk £1.19
• Pasta 500g 30p
• Tin of kidney beans x2 60p
• 1 pack dried mushy peas 70p
• Cooking bacon x2 = £1.20
• Tinned grapefruit 54p
• Rice 1kg 45p
• Rice pudding 25p
• Plain flour 55p
• Gravy granules 20p
• Fresh carrots 45p
• Cheese sauce x 3 -replace with the extra cheese and flour.
  Make a sauce with some milk and water Frozen broccoli £1.10

Total = £28.39

Swaps and Guidance

Some items will be left for the following week as well.

It is not quite 5 a day but it is not far off.

Because I’ve swapped dried peas for the tinned mushy peas work as follows:

Day 1

• Chicken noodle and vegetable soup served with a slice of bread and spread.
• Make it with 1 chicken portion boiled in chicken stock made with 2 stock cubes and 1 1/2 pints of boiling water.
• Add in 240g of mixed veg.
• Once the chicken is cooked remove it and shred into tiny bits.
• Part blend the soup to make the veg smaller and to help thicken it.
• Add the packet of noodles and the chicken back in.
• Simmer for another 5 minutes.

Day 2

• Jacket potato with coleslaw.
• 1 large potato, around 175g.
• Microwave for 7-8 minutes and top with 140g of coleslaw.

Day 3

• Egg mayonnaise sandwiches.
• Using 2 slices each and 1 egg each with a tsp mayo and a pinch of salt and 1/8th can of sweetcorn.
• A tin of peaches with custard.

Day 4

• Tuna mayonnaise sandwich using 1 tin of tuna, 4 slices of bread and the rest of the sweetcorn.
• Pinch of salt and mayo to mix.
• A tin of pineapple for afterwards.

Day 5

• Kidney bean pasta. Using 75g each of pasta mixed with mayonnaise ,a tin of kidney beans.
• Follow with a tin of pineapple.

Day 6

• Bacon and pea soup. Use half of the precooked frozen mushy peas add 1pt of stock and salt to taste.
• Blend then add 250g of bacon chopped into pieces.
• Simmer until cooked.
• Serve with 2 slices of bread and butter each.

Day 7

• The other half of the pea and bacon soup.
• Then share the grapefruit tin.

DINNERS

Day 1

• Chicken with vegetable rice.
• Roast the remaining 4 chicken portions
• Boil 300g of rice in stock
• Add 240g of mixed veg.

Day 2

• Sausage hash: Using 8 Sausages fried then cut in to chunks
• 700g of potatoes cut in to disks
• 240g of mixed vegetables
• Add 1 pint of stock
• Layer up in a dish and pop in the oven to slow roast
• Serve with 300g of broccoli and a portion of the peas

Day 3

• Sausage, chips and peas: Using 8 sausages and a bag of frozen of mushy peas
• To cook the chips put them in a freezer bag
• Once chopped with a spoonful of melted spread
• Then, cook as oven chips
• If the potato skin is nice, leave it on

Day 4

• Vegetable burgers with rice: Using the remaining mixed vegetables, blend it with salt and the two slices of wholemeal bread that is left
• Gently fry in a little spread
• Serve with a fried egg and 300g of rice

Day 5

• Bacon omelet using the rest of the bacon pack and 2 eggs
• Add a splash of milk
• Add a pinch of salt
• Serve with the remaining coleslaw on a jacket potato

Day 6

• The last 200g of pasta mix with cheese sauce
• Mix 300g of broccoli
• Add 1 hard boiled egg on the top to serve

Day 7

• Toad in the hole. Using the remaining 4 sausages: Make your own batter with the last 1 egg, splash of milk and some salt and flour
• Melt a little spread to add the batter to
• Make mashed potato using 700g of potatoes, pinch of salt and splash of milk and a knob of spread
• Tin of carrots, 300g of broccoli and gravy
• Follow with rice pudding and stir in some lemon curd

WEEK 2

Carried over from week 1 is Mayonnaise, salt, plain flour, 2x cheese sauces, lemon curd, 5 stock cubes. 1.5kg of potatoes, gravy granules and 400g of rice and spread

Shopping list

• 500g of Cornflakes -Tesco Everyday 40p
• Milk 4 pints x 2 £2.00
• 500g dried sultanas 97p
• 2 Wholemeal loaves-Everyday 2at 40p each
• 1 small fresh chicken whole £2.78
• Mixed veg frozen 1kg 95p
• Mixed herbs 70p
• Potatoes 5kg 2 packs for £2.70
• Coleslaw 500g 30p
• 15pk eggs £1.25
• Sweetcorn tinned 35p
• Custard 25p
• Tinned peaches 35p
• Tin tuna 65p
• Tinned pineapple x2 £1.28 for 2 tins
• 1kg of frozen sausages 20pk £1.19
• Pasta 500g
• Stuffing or75p large packet(use half and save the rest) 30p
• Tin of kidney beans x2 60p for 2 tins
• 1 box of dried peas. (precook portion and freeze) 70p
• Cooking bacon x2 £1.20
• Tinned grapefruit 54p
• Rice 1kg 45p
• Rice pudding 25p
• Fresh carrots-keep in fridge 45p
• Frozen broccoli £1.10
• Cooking onions 75p
• Cheese 300g-deli counter £1.50
• 500ml natural yoghurt-basics 45p
• Orange squash 42p
• Teabags 25p
• Bananas 1kg 79p
• 8 pk of apples £1
• Sultanas 97p
• 2 packets of stock cubes to start building up supplies 60p
  I’ve done this shop inTesco to try to stick with one shop.
  Tesco: £28.22 Lidl: £34.57

BREAKFASTS

• Corn Flakes with sultanas and milk for 4 days.
• Lemon curd pancakes on the other 3 days.
• Make the batter up with plain flour, a touch of salt and an egg and a splash of milk.

LUNCHES

Day 1

• Egg mayonnaise with sweetcorn sandwiches.
• Followed by peaches with custard.

Day 2

• Jacket potato with coleslaw.

Day 3

• Leftover chicken & sweetcorn mayonnaise on jacket potato.

Day 4

• Bacon and pea soup with 2 slices bread and butter.

Day 5

• Bacon and pea soup with croutons made out of 1 slice of bread.
• Grapefruit for afters.

Day 6

• Chicken and vegetable soup
• This time made out of the carcass of the full chicken that is left
• Rest of the method is the same but the luxury of a pinch of mixed herbs this time as well

Day 7

• Kidney bean pasta.

DINNERS

Day 1

• Roast chicken with stuffing, home made yorkshires and carrots and broccoli and roast potatoes.
• Roast the full chicken but just use the 2 legs and 1 breast.
• (If you have your own herbs and a bit of bread to spare you can make it instead if you have the skills)
• Pineapple and custard to follow.

Day 2

• Chicken pie, made with leftover chicken breast, mixed veg and gravy.
• Make the pastry by mixing spread and flour with a pinch of salt and a dash of water to mix.
• Serve with peas or fresh carrots.
• The rest of the chicken meat pull of for lunch on day 3.
• Keep the carcass in the freezer ready for lunch day 6.

Day 3

• Tuna pasta bake. Mix the tin of tuna with home made cheese sauce or some chicken soup,mushroom soup and broccoli.
• Day 4
• Bacon hash. 1/2 pkt of bacon.
• (if a one kilo pack use about 300g but if a600g pack use half) the last of last weeks potatoes cut in to discs, 2 x onions roughly sliced. Layer up, top with 50g of cheese and serve with broccoli.

Day 5

• Sausage, egg and chips with a slice of bread and spread
• Use 4 sausages for this. Follow with pineapple

Day 6

• Veggie burgers made from the remaining mixed veg, two slices of bread as bread crumbs and some stuffing mix for extra flavour
• Serve with kidney beans and rice

Day 7

• Make some pastry as before
• Roll out in to a flan tin
• Fill with 5 eggs, some bacon and an onion
• Add some cheese 50g with a pinch of salt and dash of milk
• Serve with the remaining coleslaw
• There is plenty of fruit, yoghurts and dried fruit for snacks
• And a lot more can carry over until the following week
• Sausages as an example

WEEK 3

• Carried over from week 2 is salt, herbs. 22 stock cubes, 2 kg of potatoes, gravy granules (enough for 1 meal) and 1kg of rice
• 1/2 pkt of stuffing
• Dried sultanas
• Onions
• 1 frozen bag of mushy of peas
• 16 sausages
• 1/2 loaf of bread
• 200g of pasta
• Always freeze the bread so that it lasts longer
• 40 tea bags

Shopping list

• Milk 4 pints x 2 £2
• 500g sultanas 97p
• 1 small fresh chicken whole £2.78
• Mixed veg frozen 1kg 95p
• Jam 39p
• Garlic sausage 150g (deli) 90p
• 15pk eggs £1.25
• Custard 25p
• Tinned peaches 35p
• Tin tuna 65p
• Tinned pineapple x2 £1.28
• Pasta 500g 30p
• Plain flour 55p
• Spread £1
• Stuffing (use half from previous week)
• Tins of beans x4 =£1
• 1 box of dried peas-precook, portion and freeze 70p
• Cooking bacon 2x60p packs £1.20
• Tinned grapefruit 54p
• 700g stirfry £1
• Celeriac 80p approx
• Chicken noodles x2 £1
• Cheese 150g £1.50
• Yoghurts x4 40p
• Bananas 1kg 79p
• 8pk of apples £1
• Curry sauce x 2 50p
• Aubergine 70p
• Again there will be carry overs to help build a store cupboard

Total £25.75

BREAKFAST

• 5 days of porridge with added dried fruit.
• 2 days of toast with jam

LUNCHES

Day 1

• The bread left over from last week, filled with garlic sausage.Followed by Peaches with custard.

Day 2

• A cheese and onion toastie using 75g of cheese and an onion. Bread from last week. Toast under the grill until melted. Follow with a tin of pineapple.

Day 3

• Sausage stuffing wrap. Make the wrap from Flour, water and salt.Dry fry in a pan. Cut open 4 sausages and dry fry with the stuffing mix and a portion of mixed veg. Stuff the wraps.

Day 4

• Chicken and vegetable soup with a slice of bread. Add an onion in as well this time.

Day 5

• Cheese and onion omelette.

Day 6

• Beans on toast.

Day 7

• Mushy pea curry and rice.

DINNERS

Day 1

• Roast the chicken with home-made chips and the tin of peas from last week. Again just use the two legs and 1 breast.

Day 2

• Chicken stir fry with the other breast and the stir fry pack and the 2x noodles.

Day 3

• 4 Sausages, 2 tins of baked beans and mash on the top. Add 35g of the cheese.

Day 4

• Bacon, cheese sauce pasta. Use half the bacon pack.

Day 5

• Bacon and celeriac hash. Slice the celeriac in to very thin slices, mix with bacon and gravy and onions. Serve with mushy peas.

Day 6

• Aubergine curry with rice. Use half the aubergine.

Day 7

• Flan made with 5 eggs, milk and aubergine. Salt well.

WEEK 4

Carryover from week 3:

• Salt
• Herbs
• Stock cubes
• Onions
• 400g of rice
• 1/2 a pack of sultanas
• 8 sausages
• 520g mixed vegetables
• 400g pasta
• Plain flour
• Spread
• 1 box of stuffing

Shopping list

• Porridge oats 79p
• 2 x 4 pints milk £2
• Dried sultanas 97p
• 1kg sugar 70p
• 400g cheese £2
• Wholemeal bread 40p
• 12pk rolls (2 six packs) £1
• Jam 39p
• Gammon joint 1300g £4.49
• Potatoes 2 packs for £2.70
• Eggs £1.25
• 4x beans £1
• Passata 35p (or use tinned toms)
• Kidney beans x2 60p
• 1 box dried peas precooked , portioned and frozen 70p
• Stir-fry £1
• Noodles x 2 £1
• Mayonnaise 40p
• Tinned pineapple x2 £1.28
• SR Flour 55p
• Tinned peaches x2 70p
• Tesco value fruit mince meat £1
• Teabags 25p

Total £25.52

It will take a while to build up a decent stock cupboard at this rate, not impossible but very slow. At least in theory you now will have sr and p flour, salt, herbs, teabags and sugar. Also stock cubes. I think if I work out another week then it will have to be mainly meat-free to help build the stock cupboard quicker.

Use the sweet mincemeat to make up mini mince pies or scones for snacks.

BREAKFASTS

Porridge with mixed fruit for 5 days
Toast with jam for two days

LUNCHES

Day 1

• Egg mayonnaise rolls, follow with pineapple.

Day 2

• Beans on toast: Follow with some sultana scones made with self raising flour, sugar and spread
• Stir in a handful of sultanas
  The rest of the batch can be snacks

Day 3

• Mix the last tin of kidney beans with mayonnaise
• The remaining 100g of rice and the last 200g of pasta
• Make some cheese scones for after as above but with a handful of cheese

Day 4

• Mushy pea soup: Use 2 portions and 1pt of stock, salt and herbs to taste
• Add diced onion as well
• Serve with toast or make croutons from the bread

Day 5

• Jacket potato with beans and a sprinkle of cheese
• Follow with pineapple

Day 6

• Make an omelet from the last two eggs, and cheese
• Add onion
• Serve it with the last of the beans
• Follow with a tin of peaches

Day 7

• Gammon sandwich: Follow with a scone and the peaches.

DINNERS

Day 1

• Gammon roasted, slice each served with egg and home made chips
• Slice an extra slice each for a roll on the last day

Day 2

• Pasta with cheese sauce and little bits of gammon cut through it

Day 3

• Make a flan with home made pastry, and:
• A pinch of salt
• Little bits of gammon
• 5 eggs and a dash of milk
• Use 75g of cheese
• Serve with a baked potato with beans

Day 4

• Mix the passata with an onion, 4 x sausages cut up and a tin of kidney beans
• Serve with rice

Day 5

• Vegetable burgers (use 4 x rolls to serve it in)
• Use up 280g of mixed vegetables with a 1/4 of the box of stuffing
• Mush it all together and shape into patties
• Dry fry, top with a little cheese and serve with peas

Day 6

• Use the last 4 sausages cut up
• Stir fry with the stirfry pack and serve with the noodles

Day 7

• Put the Gammon into a pot. This is really nice and we eat it a lot
• Place the remaining bits of gammon in to a pot with stock
• Cube the potatoes, and the remaining vegetables and onions
• Serve with bread to dip in the juices
• I have amended the tinned mushy peas to dried processed peas as these are cheaper.
• They need to be soaked overnight then cooked in the morning
• Portion them up into 5 portions and freeze for future use

There is also a mention of scones but I cannot see these listed earlier so these need to be made and frozen so that you can take out one at a time.

All prices and quantities updated and amended 22/10/2017