As part of my series about living in London on a tight budget, I want to explore different ways to keep costs low but enjoyments high. One of my favourite things about every day is eating. I love preparing food, planning meals, and obviously eating all of it. When living on a really strict budget it's easy to fall into the trap of only eating pasta or noodles because of their really cheap face value, but when it comes down to it they're not that nutritious or that cheap!
A bag of pasta may only cost you 55p but it also only lasts for a few meals whereas a bag of rice is a little more expensive but will last you way longer and is more versatile! And don't even get me started on the noodles, not only do they not fill you up they often leave you more hungry. And while they might sound really cheap there are a lot better options for you that will still keep you within your budget.
Since I lost one of my jobs I've been forced to live on a strict budget of £200 spending money each month. Within this, I have to pay for my streaming subscriptions, any food I eat, the things I buy, and all my transportation. I try to keep my weekly food shops under £30 and that should cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the entire week.
If you too are struggling to find cheap food ideas to cook then look no further, in this post I'm giving you three different tips for each time of day and hopefully, it will help you be able to meal prep, enjoy your food, and still stick to your budget.
Breakfast
I'm the type of person who has to eat breakfast before doing anything. Unless I eat in the morning I would struggle through the day. However, I always find breakfast to be one of the more expensive meals as it often requires multiple ingredients. Take a sandwich, you'd need a couple of slices of bread, butter, ham and cheese, and possibly even some veggies. This can quickly add up when you're in the shop which often results in me very rarely eating sandwiches, they're just too expensive for my tight budget,
Overnight Oats
I love porridge but if I have an early shift or it's too hot outside then preparing a bowl of hot porridge in the morning is not the most optimal thing to do. So, by preparing your oats the night before and popping them in the fridge you have a delicious breakfast ready to be eaten and it saves you lots of time in the morning. On top of this, it's also super filling and delicious!
All you need is a portion of oats, some chia seeds, plant milk, and a topping of choice. Chia seeds may seem a little expensive but I buy mine in Aldi and the bag lasts forever as you only need a spoonful. My favourite plant milk is the Alpro Coconut/Almond mix and I usually top my oats with frozen blueberries and some honey. Mix it all together in a mason jar and put it in the fridge overnight! Like cooking rice you want about a one finger knuckle of milk covering the top of the oats, that's the trick to a perfect overnight oat.
Scrambled Eggs on Toast
I know I said that sandwiches were really expensive but hear me out. Get a 15 pack of eggs, some nice wholemeal or seeded bread, some ketchup and bit of pepper to taste and you have the perfect scrambled eggs on toast. And yes I did say ketchup!
For this you obviously need the eggs, I usually use two, two slices of bread, a splash of milk and some butter. Cook the scrambled eggs in a saucepan on low heat. The smaller the pan the better the scramble as you don't want it to cook too quickly! Make sure to continuously stir the eggs to create that creamy texture. Pop the slices of bread in the toaster, I set it to 3 as it makes the perfect toastiness, and once it's all done butter the toast, put the scramble on top, pepper and a nice squirt of ketchup. Trust me, the ketchup is good!
Bran flakes with banana
Okay, hear me out. No, I'm not an eighty-year-old granny I just really love bran flakes! And if you get your butt to Lidl you can pick up some really cheap ones. Get yourself some milk too, if plant-based I recommend almond milk, and slice up some bananas. It's super quick, super cheap, super filling, and yes super delicious!
Lunch
It is super easy to fall into the trap of eating lunch out but you can save an incredible amount of money by cooking your own food and bringing it with you to work. Eating out can cost you anything from a £3 meal deal to a £10 burger meal. Five days a week, four times a month and you're looking at at least £100 just on lunch. That's half my entire month's budget. If you instead meal prep and bring your lunch you'll be paying a fraction of that cost.
Egg and Bacon on Toast
Sainsbury's does an amazing sourdough bloomer for £1.50 and it goes incredibly well with eggs and bacon. This is easiest eaten at home so perhaps save this one for the weekend or days when you're working from home. Scramble your eggs, fry the bacon, and pop the sourdough in the toaster. Assemble your sandwiches and yes, you guessed it, squirt some ketchup on that bad boy and you have a filling lunch for barely any money at all!
Swedish Oven Pancakes with Cranberry Sauce
Ugnspannkaka (oven pancake) is literally a pancake mixture that you cook in the oven. It's so easy to make, incredibly tasty and will fill you right up. These store really well too and can be reheated for you to impress all your colleagues with your international culinary skills!
For this, you need some bacon bits that you put in the pan and pop in the oven while it heats up. You also need 4 eggs, 8dl milk, 4dl flour, and a pinch of salt. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and then pour it over the bacon. Pop it into the oven for 20 minutes and serve with cranberry sauce. This is also a great idea for dinner and even a brunch alternative.
One-pan Roasted Chicken and Veg
One-pan meals are the best, especially when they're cheap! They're easy to prepare and doesn't leave a lot of washing up to do. I like to buy a couple of chicken breasts, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and onions. Cut them up, season the chicken with paprika, garlic and pepper, and season the veg with thyme. Throw them into the oven and roast them up. Serve with a cold garlic sauce made from soured cream, crushed garlic, pepper, and soy sauce. It's so simple and incredibly tasty! Make it on Sunday and you have quick and easy lunches prepared for the week!
Dinner
The second I wake up the first thought I have is "what's for dinner?". It's the thing that gets me through the day, the light at the end of the tunnel. But sometimes, if I haven't prepared for this meal it'll close in on dinner time and I'll start craving something and end up spending a fortune on Deliveroo. Don't get me wrong, I love a good old Deliveroo but we're on a tight budget here so we can't be treating ourselves too often.
Ham and Cheese Pasta Salad
Vegetables, in general, can be quite expensive which leads to a lot of people not eating them however, if you make them the main meal then they won't be an additional cost. By this, I mean that if you were to make chicken and potatoes with a side salad the salad is going to hike up the price of the meal. But if you take the potatoes away and make the salad the meal then it's more affordable!
I love a good ham and cheese salad and if you throw in a portion of pasta it will keep you full for longer. For my salads, I usually choose a bag of leaves or gem lettuce, cucumber, radishes, and cherry tomatoes for my base. I then boil one portion of pasta and cut up half a block of cheese and a packet of ham. Mix it all together once the pasta has cooled down and served with a dollop of tzatziki and you've got yourself a tasty salad for a couple of days.
Tortellini Bake
One of my ultimate fave dishes to eat is this tortellini bake my mum makes. All you need is two packets of tortellini, I usually choose the ones with spinach and ricotta or the sun-dried tomatoes, a packet of bacon, garlic, cheese, and a thing of creme fraiche. While the oven heats up, boil the tortellini for 2-3 minutes and fry the bacon. Drain the pasta and mix in the creme fraiche, bacon, cheese, and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Place in oven-proof dish and top with some more cheese before popping it in the oven until golden.
This is best served with a simple side salad and a squirt of ketchup!
Korvstroganoff
The meal I cook the most is another Swedish culinary experience, korvstroganoff (sausage stroganoff). It's a staple in the Swedish kitchen and it was my favourite thing to eat in school. Best of all it's super easy to make and won't cost you a fortune! For four portions you need a packet of frankfurters or bratwurst, passata or a can of chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, an onion, single cream, and garlic to taste. Served with rice.
Simply chop the onion and slice the sausages, fry them up, and when the onion is brown add the tomato puree and garlic then the chopped tomatoes. Let this simmer and reduce a little. While this is cooking boil four portions of rice. Once the rice is cooked you can stir in the cream to the tomato sauce. You can add however much you want depending on how creamy you want it. I usually add 1.5dl of single cream. Salt and pepper and then it's ready to serve!
