Is it actually possible to eat healthily on 50 euros a week?

28-10-2014 11:11AM

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

This thread makes me wish I could cook

It's pretty easy. Stick stuff in a frying pan or an oven

kylith · 28-10-2014 11:15AM

bluewolf wrote: »

It's pretty easy. Stick stuff in a frying pan or an oven

Just remember to stop before they turn black.

Tokyo · 28-10-2014 11:18AM

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

This thread makes me wish I could cook

1. Google recipe
2. Off you go....

The Backwards Man · 28-10-2014 11:21AM

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

This thread makes me wish I could cook

If you can light a hob, you can cook.

Clearlier · 28-10-2014 11:22AM

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

This thread makes me wish I could cook

Go into a bookshop, read through a few cookbooks. Pick one that has straightforward recipes in them. Make a list of the ingredients required for two of them meals that you fancy. Buy them in the shop and then cook. You'll probably screw up a few times at first but you'll quickly get the hang of a few recipes and then you could just add to your repertoire.

You can use the internet too but personally I like having the books. BBC Good food books are great options for somebody starting out IMO and they're available on the internet as well as in book format.

I'm in the UK and food is noticeably cheaper here. I certainly don't spend more than £80 a week for us and the 2 kids so about €100. I used to use the greengrocer but Aldi is cheaper and better, Tesco for some of the stuff that Aldi doesn't do well like fish. The local butcher is awful. Difficult to get good meat here without travelling a fair distance and then paying through the nose for it so I go for cheaper cuts and slow cook or make my own burgers (Avoca's meatball recipe makes great burgers).

28-10-2014 11:23AM

I use bbc goodfoods for baking recipes but they have cooking stuff on it IIRC. Comments from people who've tried the recipe and adjustments they made, step by step "turn oven to this temp, do this to the food" etc instructions

Tar.Aldarion · 28-10-2014 11:40AM

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

This thread makes me wish I could cook

Start of with things that are a few ingredients, this peanut butter stew is delicious
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eLFINTgi6t4/UWTWa9zEqWI/AAAAAAAAGBw/m9l2VVK7EyE/s1600/TheVeganStoner-PeanutStew.jpg

gutenberg · 28-10-2014 11:52AM

Myself and the boyfriend did our weekly shop in Aldi here in the UK on Sunday, came to £28! So around €35, for two. We bought meat & fish (steak for a stew, pork chops, turkey, and some mackerel), as well as plenty of fruit and veggies and a few householdy things too. I do think it's possible to eat well for not very much, especially if you take advantage of things like Aldi's Super 6 offer (they had butternut squash for 69p this week, so I made a big batch of soup and that is lunch for a few days).

IrishCule · 28-10-2014 11:52AM

moc moc a moc wrote: »

Are you, perhaps, of the rotund persuasion?

He would be needing 3,000 if he is a decent size and goes to the gym or plays a sport a lot. Don't need to be fat to eat that much.

Tarzana2 · 28-10-2014 12:22PM

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

This is wrong, you don't need to combine proteins and there is essentially no plant food that isn't a complete protein anyway. They just have varying percentages of each. Very old common misconception.

It's not about percentages, it's about how bioavailable the protein is.

Egginacup · 28-10-2014 12:25PM

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

There is so much information out there on what is good for our bodies and what foods we should and shouldn't eat but taking a single male adult who has a budget of 50 a week for food can all your nutritional requirements be met? There is so much advice on supplements, fancy and healthy foods which are expensive and sometimes hard to get. I have no problem with Aldi or Lidl, in fact thats where I purchase most of my foods.

Is 50euros a week enough to stay healthy and still slip in the odd treat?

I'd say you could probably eat very well on 50 euros a week if you put your mind to it. Thomas street is a great place to get your fruit and veg. 6 oranges for 1 euro, bunch of bananas 1.50, 3 grapefruits 1 euro, big bag of grapes 1 euro.

So for a fiver you've already got enough fruit for a weeks worth of exotic breakfasts. A sack of muesli and a 2 litre of milk will set you back another fiver. So that's brekky for the week sorted for a tenner...and a healthy brekky at that.

Up around the corner then you have the butchers on Meath street. 15 chicken wings for 3 euros. The guy will give you 30 for a fiver. Put them in a roasting tin with a drizzle of oil and you have healthy "junk" food to snack on for at least 2 evenings.
Kilo of really good mince from the guy will set you back maybe 4 Euros. Sack of spuds, garlics, onions that will last you 3 weeks available across the road in Aldi...all for a tenner. You've got a couple of large shepherd's pies out of that....so what are we up to 30 quid.
Get a ham for boiling too and a big cabbage. 6 quid right there and you've got the cold ham for sambos for work for a couple of days.
Then get a load of cans of various beans, kidney beans, butter beans, chick peas, etc and a thingy of stock cubes. You got vats of soups right there. You've got a tenner left.

6pack of Perlenbacher pils at Aldi + a bar or two of some weird but good European chocolate and you're sorted.

Pat yourself on the back and nip into the Clock House on Thomas Street for a pint. It'll push you over the 50 mark but sure feckit!

Egginacup · 28-10-2014 12:48PM

Chunners wrote: »

I can feed 2 people very healthy for less, get all your fruit and veg on moore street on Friday afternoon, they don't want anything laying over the weekend in whatever shed they store their cart in so after 2pm start selling things off in bulk for €1, you could get like 8 apples, 8 oranges, 8 tomatoes, 8 onions, 5 or 6 peppers, bunch of bananas, bag of spuds, a cabbage (or caulliflower or sprouts), head of lettuce, lb of mushrooms all for €10, 10 chicken breasts €10 which I use to make salads to store for snacking on, my butchers does 5 massive chicken thighs for €3.50 that can be roasted then used for curry, stir fry, chicken soup. Round steak is pretty much dirt cheap too or even better ask your butcher for brisket, it's the cheek muscles of a cow and looks and tastes exactly like steak it's just a bit tougher and a lot leaner so you have to cook it slower to make it tender but it is so cheap they practically give it away (it surprises me more Irish people don't use it or even know of it), 2lb of mince is like €4 and you can make anything with that really, 6 pepper steaks €5 and thats meat and veg for 2 people for a week for under €25, the other €25 would easily cover the basics (milk, bread, tuna, eggs, cheese, butter etc) and still leave enough left over for treats, I'd even have enough left for cat food for my 2 cats too. Honestly if you are spending more than €50 euro a week for 2 people let alone 1 person then you are doing it wrong lol

Wouldn't Saturday be the day they want to offload the last of their stocks and not Friday?

kylith · 28-10-2014 12:54PM

Egginacup wrote: »

I'd say you could probably eat very well on 50 euros a week if you put your mind to it. Thomas street is a great place to get your fruit and veg. 6 oranges for 1 euro, bunch of bananas 1.50, 3 grapefruits 1 euro, big bag of grapes 1 euro.

Anytime I've gotten veg on Thomas St. it's been gone off practically by the time I get it home. Waste of money.

Egginacup · 28-10-2014 01:11PM

kylith wrote: »

Anytime I've gotten veg on Thomas St. it's been gone off practically by the time I get it home. Waste of money.

The key is to take it home the same day you bought it, not leave it at a friend's house and then go on the piss for 6 days.

Maybe you should tell the woman to give you fresh stuff too and not get suckered with the crap that's almost gone off. You wouldn't buy a litre of milk that's past its sell-by-date in the supermarket would you? Same applies for buying from a street vendor.

Egginacup · 28-10-2014 01:12PM

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

This thread makes me wish I could cook

Everyone can cook. If you've got a functioning watch/clock and a functioning oven, you can cook.
A functioning sense of smell also helps.

RoboRat · 28-10-2014 01:41PM

You can easily feed a person for a week for €50 if you know how to cook. I generally make a list of dinners for the week and buy accordingly. If I see something on special, I change the plan. You do need to invest initially on getting some herbs/ spices / condiments such as fish sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar etc but they should last months (years if you get them somewhere like euraisa).

I get a whole chicken for €5 and that will last my wife, child and myself 3 days - roast day 1 and 2, curry day 3. Boil the bones and add some veg and you get a lovely soup that will do 2 days lunch.

I generally cook in bulk at the weekend, split it all up and freeze it so it doesn't take much time during the week. Learning how to cook simple things like home made pizza, flat breads and soda breads will cut the bill.

I always check the sell off aisle in Tesco and you can get a lovely cut of pork or salmon for next to nothing. Bulk out meals with lots of veg - I would do a huge pot of Bolognese using a regular portion of mince but adding peppers, onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms - can get 2 - 3 days of Bolognese and also a full lasagne from this.

Use cheaper cuts such as chicken thighs instead of breasts or beef that needs to be cooked for a few hours to tenderise. It all boils down to your understanding of food and how to cook it and most importantly, planning. It helps is you are able to think on your feet and create a dish with what is on special offer.

28-10-2014 02:05PM

Egginacup wrote: »

Maybe you should tell the woman to give you fresh stuff too and not get suckered with the crap that's almost gone off.

Asking someone not to rip you off is a really good way to get ripped off. :P

El Horseboxo · 28-10-2014 08:01PM

McChubbin wrote: »

Jaysus, I'd love to know where you do your shopping! :eek:

20 chicken breasts - 20 euro

Most butchers do 5 for 5, 10 for 10 etc. Sometimes there are offers if you shop around.

Kilo of minced beef - 7 euro

2 pounds of round steak mince is 6.50 in a lot of butchers. Even cheaper if you buy from packs in supermarkets and don't mind 20% fat.

40 eggs - 6 euro

Again most butchers do 20 large eggs for 3 euro. Can be got even cheaper.

2 bags of oats - 2 euro

Lidl or aldi.

2 sweet potatoes - 2 euro

Typically 1euro each. Sometimes even 3 for 2.

Weeks veg - 4 euro (easily done with Lidl, aldi)

Lidl, aldi, Dunnes, supervalue all do those super 7 type offers. 49 cents for a bag or carrots, onions, broccoli, potatoes, etc. Often includes fruit.

Bag of rice - 1 euro

Easily picked up in any supermarket.

2 jars of peanut butter - 2 euro

Under a euro in most supermarkets for own brand stuff. Can get ones with low salt.

4 liters of milk - 3 euro

1.50 for 2 liters most places. Have seen cheaper.

Tesco and Dunnes reduced to clear can have some great deals on meats and fish. Can just freeze them.

No magic to anything I posted. Just a will to get value and trying multiple shops.

El Horseboxo · 28-10-2014 08:07PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Are you feeding an army?! :eek:

Nah just a 6' 2" 225 pound monster.

I eat even more than what I posted. I get free breakfast and lunch in work.

Demonique · 28-10-2014 08:13PM

I think it's possible to be healthy on less

Buying cheaper cuts of meat or cutting back on meat consumption (some of the nicest chillies I've had have been vegetarian)

Growing your own herbs in a pot on your windowsill or a herb patch if you have a garden

We save about €20 a year on apples due to having our own apple tree

Get a student cookbook, some of them are great.

Cut down on cooking by cooking a meal for four people and then freezing portions

barneyrubble46 · 28-10-2014 08:17PM

yes some great tips on this tread, I use a slow cooker, I put all ingridients in the slow cooker in the morning, put it on a timer and by the time I get in from work, I have a great curry, or stew all good to go, all made from the cheaper cuts of meat, all bulked out too with lots of veg. It saves a lot on electric too. You can even prep all the food for the slow cooker the night before and keep in the fridge then throw the lot in the slow cooker in the morning. I just gave myself a big pat on the back for being so efficient

Egginacup · 28-10-2014 08:22PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Asking someone not to rip you off is a really good way to get ripped off. :P

You can always point to the fruit you want

Demonique · 28-10-2014 08:28PM

Clockwork Owl wrote: »

Good tip, although I'd usually roast the chicken whole for a couple of hours. One Aldi 1.9kg chicken gets the fella and I two generous meals each, and he'll get a chicken sandwich or two from the leftovers.

Don't forget making a soup stock from the bones!

BrokenHero · 28-10-2014 08:31PM

It all depends on what you mean by healthily. Some people would consider pesticide saturated fruit and veg unhealthy and perhaps they'd be right. Some vegans think eating animals is unhealthy.

About the only thing they all would agree on is that processed food is unhealthy. Course, some consider all foods made with processed grains to be processed foods and so now bread and pasta falls into that category. Moral of the story is no fcuker knows what is healthy and so until that is determined, it's a pointless question, but I'll have a shot anyway:

Organic Green Curry Paste.
Dozen Sweet Potatoes.
Two Dozen Organic Bananas.
Two Dozen Organic Apples.
Two Dozen Organic Tomatoes.
Four Dozen Mandarins (hard to get organic).
Half Dozen Organic Pineapples.
Ten Heads of Organic Lettuce.
Dozen Stalks of Organic Celery.
Seven Organic Coconuts.
Two Kg of White Fish.
Small amount of Smoked Salmon.

Get the above for €50 no bother and would have then have fruit for breakfast, Tom Yum soups for lunch, Thai Curries for main meal. Salads in between.

To Elland Back · 28-10-2014 08:33PM

My local butcher always has a weekly €20 deal. The last one was

1kg round roast
4 chicken fillets
4 pork loin chops
450g Steak pieces
450g Steak mince.

Add in around €15 for veg, pasta, rice, tins of tomatoes etc and you are set for the week. Spend the rest on bread, milk, cereals, crisps, etc. It can be done

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 28-10-2014 08:44PM

I just did our weekly shop there tonight, for two people. 46 euro some odd cents.
Porridge oats
6 free range eggs
Salmon darnes
Cod fillets
Frozen king prawns
Fresh king prawns
2 chicken fillets
Turkey mince
2 pork chops
Leeks
Mushrooms
Oranges
Grapes
Apples
Carrots
Peppers
Pak choi
2 litres of soya milk
Small bag of potatoes
Pasta
Cranberry juice
Orange juice
Smoked salmon.
One of those stir fry sauces
And a sweet potato

Loads there and change from 50

28-10-2014 08:46PM

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

This thread makes me wish I could cook

I don't understand when people say they can't cook. Just follow a recipe! It tells you exactly what to do.. and it's fun!

Holsten · 28-10-2014 08:51PM

100% possible.

If you can cook and you eat healthy you're sorted.

Chunners · 28-10-2014 09:01PM

Egginacup wrote: »

Wouldn't Saturday be the day they want to offload the last of their stocks and not Friday?

Yeah but they start selling it cheap on Friday, most of them don't want to be there all day Saturday so they try sell the bulk of it on Friday so that then on Saturday they only have enough left on their carts for a few hours selling

dockleaf · 28-10-2014 09:06PM

One decent bottle of wine costs about 12 to 15 euro. Dunno how you'd survive on 50 a week.