cheap family recipes 

feed a family of 4 for less than £200 a month

Meal Plan Two

This monthly meal plan is vegan, with a little fresh fruit each day and a total of 6.5 portions of fruit and vegetables each per day. It is for 4 people, including 2 teenagers.

This nutrition article should also answer some of your questions about your family’s diet.

I would soak and cook all the chickpeas in one go if you can, then either make up the 4 different flavours of hummus or freeze the cooked chickpeas in the amounts needed. Please note that I have changed the chickpeas to Laila brand as the Laila chickpeas are half the price of the type we were using, but they are in a 2kg pack. We only need 1kg for the whole of the month. Chickpeas will last for a very long time in the larder. 

Last repriced at the end of January 2024, you will need £82.84 at the checkout for week 1, £42.05 for week 2, £36.66 for week 3 and £24.76 for week 4 and part of week 5, a total of £186.31 and 31 days – £1.50 per person, per day.  I have upped the weekly fruit allowance to £8.

Each week, for 4 weeks, you will need to make a batch of 5 loaves of bread, including 1 carrot loaf, and a batch of 5 loaves including one ginger syrup loaf.

In addition, in weeks 1 and 3, you will need to make a batch of 4 loaves. Allow the loaves to cool and firm up, then slice, wrap and freeze, ready for when you need them. I’ve found bread slices best on the following day

The anytime extras are just that. Make them to enjoy as and when you would like them. 

If you spot any mistakes, I’ll be glad if you let me know – Thanks! 

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Monday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread, on toast
Monday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Monday Dinner
pasta funghi
pasta funghi
Tuesday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Tuesday Lunch
walnut butter
walnut and pumpkin seed spread sandwich
Tuesday Dinner
panzanella
panzanella
Wednesday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread,on toast
Wednesday Lunch
pasta salad
pasta salad
Wednesday Dinner
curry in a hurry
bean curry in a hurry
Thursday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Thursday Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwich
Thursday Dinner
sweetcorn fritters
sweetcorn fritters and potato wedges
Friday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread, on toast
Friday Lunch
red pepper hummus
red pepper houmous sandwich
Friday Dinner
shepherdless pie
shepherdless pie
Saturday Breakfast
fruity pancakes
breakfast pancakes
Saturday Lunch
spicy pea soup
velvety pea soup
Saturday Dinner
calzone
calzone
Sunday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread, on toast
Sunday Lunch
swede cloddies
swede cloddies
Sunday Dinner
tomato and olive pudding
tomato & olive pudding or pie
Weekly Bread - 4 loaves
home made bread
A batch of 4 loaves
Weekly Bread - 4 loaves and a carrot loaf
carrot bread
A batch of 5 loaves including a carrot loaf
Weekly Bread - 4 loaves and a ginger syrup loaf
ginger loaf
A batch of 5 loaves including a ginger syrup loaf

Shopping List for Meal Plan 2, Week 127Jan24 Needed at the till
Fresh
2 Smart Price lemons£0.60
300g fresh ginger £1.85
400g fresh Smart Price mushrooms (2x250g)£1.40
700g swede£0.62
2 x 200g Smart Price peanuts£1.08
800g butternut squash£1.20
200g brazil nuts£2.40
3 x 150g walnut pieces£4.20
3 x 150g pumpkin seeds£3.60
2kg Smart Price onions£1.98
2 x 500g Smart Price raisins£2.35
2kg carrots£0.78
2.5kg potatoes£1.75
fruit of your choice£8.00
Frozen
1kg sweetcorn£1.70
680g frozen roasting parsnips£1.90
2 x 1kg peas£2.90
Tins, Jars & Cooking
100g garlic powder£1.00
100g garam masala£1.00
100g chilli powder£0.85
oregano 12g needed from 40g pk£1.20
tomato puree 142g (200g pk)£0.90
200g creamed coconut£0.85
340g olives stuffed with garlic£1.20
250ml balsamic vinegar£1.50
3 x baked beans £0.81
1 x kidney beans£0.33
3 litre vegetable oil (get a 5L bottle as it's cheaper per litre)£7.00
240g yeast extract £2.25
6 x plum tomatoes£2.10
mustard powder£2.30
Packets & cereals
500g green lentils£1.90
1 x 500g pasta shapes£0.41
500g red lentils (get a 2kg pk as half the price per kg)£2.50
1 x Thomas Allinson Dried Active Yeast (125g)£1.50
2kg Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar£2.15
1kg Laila chickpeas (get a 2kg pk as half the price per kg)£2.50
2 x 1.5kg self raising flour£1.40
1kg Smart Price rice£0.52
4 x 1.5kg bread flour£4.36
2 x 750g ready oats£4.00
Total£82.84

 

Monday Breakfast
peanut and pumpkin seed butter in a small white dish
brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Monday Lunch
onion houmous
roasted onion houmous sandwich
Monday Dinner

lunch time risotto
pea and sun-dried tomato risotto
Tuesday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Tuesday Lunch
walnut butter
walnut and pumpkin seed spread sandwich
Tuesday Dinner
spicy bean burger
spicy bean burgers
Wednesday Breakfast
peanut and pumpkin seed butter in a small white dish
brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Wednesday Lunch
red lentil pate
red lentil pate sandwich
Wednesday Dinner
sweetcorn fritters
sweetcorn fritters
Thursday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Thursday Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwich
Thursday Dinner
calzone
calzone
Friday Breakfast
peanut and pumpkin seed butter in a small white dish
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Friday Lunch
red pepper hummus
red pepper houmous sandwich
Friday Dinner
shepherdless pie
shepherdless pie
Saturday Breakfast
peanut and pumpkin seed butter in a small white dish
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Saturday Lunch
lunch time rice salad
rice salad
Saturday Dinner
saag aloo
saag aloo
Sunday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Sunday Lunch
soup
vegetable soup
Sunday Dinner
nut roast
nut roast with bubble and squeak
Weekly Bread - 4 loaves and a carrot loaf

carrot bread
A batch of 5 loaves including a carrot loaf
Weekly Bread - 4 loaves and a ginger syrup loaf
ginger loaf
A batch of 5 loaves including a ginger syrup loaf
Shopping List for Meal Plan 2, Week 227Jan24 Needed at the till
Fresh
2 x 200g smart price peanuts£1.08
1kg raisins£2.35
1kg carrots£0.39
5kg potatoes£3.50
4kg onions£3.96
fruit of your choice£8.00
Frozen
850g spinach£1.50
2 x 1kg peas£2.90
Tins, Jars & Cooking
1 x roasted red peppers 480g£1.80
sun dried tomatoes 280g£2.75
2 x kidney beans£0.66
yeast extract 240g£2.25
4 x plum tomatoes£1.40
Packets & Cereals
1 x 100g garlic powder£1.00
self raising flour 1.5kg£1.40
1kg rice£0.52
2 x strong bread flour 1.5kg each£2.18
2 x ready oats 750g each£4.00
pasta shapes 500g£0.41
Total£42.05
Monday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Monday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Monday Dinner
tarte tatin
onion tart tatin
Tuesday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Tuesday Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwich
Tuesday Dinner
pasta red pepper
red pepper pasta
Wednesday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Wednesday Lunch
pasta salad
pasta salad
Wednesday Dinner
curry in a hurry
bean curry
Thursday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Thursday Lunch
red lentil pate
red lentil pate sandwich
Thursday Dinner
panzanella
panzanella
Friday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Friday Lunch
walnut butter
walnut spread sandwich
Friday Dinner
shepherdless pie
shepherdless pie
Saturday Breakfast
fruity pancakes
breakfast pancakes
Saturday Lunch
green pea soup
green pea soup
Saturday Dinner
calzone
calzone
Sunday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Sunday Lunch
swede cloddies
cloddies
Sunday Dinner
tomato and olive pudding
tomato & olive pudding
Weekly bread - 4 loaves
home made bread
Weekly bread - 4 loaves
Weekly bread - 4 loaves and a carrot loaf
carrot bread
A batch of 5 loaves including a carrot loaf
Weekly bread - 4 loaves and a ginger syrup loaf
ginger loaf
A batch of 5 loaves including a ginger syrup loaf
Shopping List for Meal Plan 2, Week 327Jan24 Needed at the till
Fresh
1 x 200g smart price peanuts£0.54
brazil nuts 200g£2.40
pumpkin seeds 150g£1.20
500g raisins£1.25
1kg carrots£0.39
2.5kg potatoes£1.75
fruit of your choice£8.00
Frozen
1kg peas£1.45
Tins, Jars & Cooking
tomato puree 200g£0.90
vegetable oil 3 litre£5.00
yeast extract 240g£2.25
6 x plum tomatoes£2.10
red kidney beans£0.33
Packets & Cereals
Allinson yeast 125g£1.50
1 x Smart Price rice (1kg)£0.52
2 x self raising flour 1.5kg£1.40
pasta shapes 500g£0.41
3 x strong bread flour 1.5kg each£3.27
ready oats 750g£2.00
Total£36.66
Monday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Monday Lunch
tomato houmous
tomato houmous sandwich
Monday Dinner
risi e bisi vegan
pea risotto
Tuesday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Tuesday Lunch
walnut butter
walnut spread sandwich
Tuesday Dinner
spicy bean burger
spicy bean burgers
Wednesday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Wednesday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Wednesday Dinner
moroccan rice
moroccan rice
Thursday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Thursday Lunch
red pepper hummus
red pepper houmous sandwich
Thursday Dinner
calzone
calzone
Friday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Friday Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwiches
Friday Dinner
butternut squash risotto
winter squash risotto
Saturday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Saturday Lunch
lunch time rice salad
rice salad
Saturday Dinner
saag aloo
saag aloo
Sunday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Sunday Lunch
green pea soup
vegetable soup
Sunday Dinner
nut roast
nut roast with bubble and squeak
Weekly Bread - 4 loaves and a carrot loaf
carrot bread
A batch of 5 loaves including a carrot loaf
Weekly Bread - 4 loaves and a ginger syrup loaf
ginger loaf
A batch of 5 loaves including a ginger syrup loaf
Shopping List for Meal Plan 2, Week 427Jan24 Needed at the till
Fresh
butternut squash 800g£1.20
2kg onions£1.98
1kg carrots£0.39
2.5kg potatoes£1.75
fruit of your choice top to last 10 days£11.42
Tins, Jars & Cooking
2 x plum tomatoes£0.66
2 x red kidney beans£0.66
Packets & Cereals
1kg smart price rice£0.52
2 x strong bread flour 1.5kg each£2.18
2 x ready oats 750g£4.00
Total£24.76
Monday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Monday Lunch
houmous
houmous sandwich
Monday Dinner
tarte tatin
onion tart tatin
Tuesday Breakfast
porridge
porridge
Tuesday Lunch
red lentil pate
red lentil pate sandwich
Tuesday Dinner
pasta red pepper
red pepper pasta
Wednesday Breakfast
brazil nut butter
Brazil nut and pumpkin seed spread on toast
Wednesday Lunch
tangy bean pate
tangy bean pate sandwich
Wednesday Dinner
moroccan rice
moroccan rice

 

The recipes in this table aren't all ready yet, so if you click on them, they may not be right
28p per day each
a pile of oranges
Fruit
one batch in the month
tomato chutney
Tomato Relish
one batch oil the month
a glass of home made lemonade
Lemon Cordial
one batch of 80 in the month, freezing surplus. Or make smaller batches more often
a plate of doughnuts
Doughnuts
make once in the month
a dish of rice pudding
Coconut Rice Pudding
makes an 8 portion tart, once in the month
a  slice of butternut squash tart
Butternut Squash Tart
make once in the month and serve with the tomatoey scones
a small dish of red pepper hummus
Red Pepper Hummus
make 2 batches in the month
a small pot of French dressing
French Dressing
Make 3 batches in the month. Serve as a snack with red pepper houmous.
plate of savoury scones
Sunshine Scones
make a batch twice in the month
a plate of raisin biscuits
Boodle Biscuits
make once in the month
a slice of walnut butter on toast
Walnut Spread
make 4 batches in the month
a plate of raisin scones
Raisin Scones
used in various places in the meal plan
a dish of potato wedges
Potato Wedges

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Take care of your family and your budget

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