As the cost of living crisis continues, a woman has revealed how people can feed their families for as little as £10 per week.
Grace Mortimer, 29, has created recipes that can feed up to four people for just 22p per person.
The mother of one shares the recipes on her Instagram page, @_MyFirstMeals, and says she came up with the idea when she was worrying about how she and others will cope with the cost of living crisis this winter.
“I’m very worried about the cost of living crisis for my own family, it’s terrifying,” the Gloucester author of cookbook My First Meals said.
“Thankfully we can heat our home and eat but I know many people are having to make a choice between the two. That’s just awful.”
She continued: “It’s very depressing, and isn’t getting any better as it gets colder. I just want to help people who are on a really tight budget.
“I love cooking so it felt like a good way to help. People just can’t believe how much food you can make for just £10.”
Mortimer says her weekly budget used to be £50 to feed herself, her husband Tom and their six-year-old son, but this has dropped since she began cooking cheaper meals.
Mortimer’s meals contain a small number of ingredients and are simple to cook, needing no fancy or expensive kitchen equipment.
She posts five meals a week which feed a family of four, with leftovers for lunch to get them through the working and school week.
For example, from September 27 to October 1, she posted five meals which come to a total of just £8.89.
They were Bolognese Bake (£2.57), Cajun Rice (£1.69), Veggie Pie (£1.75), Chilli Con Carne (£1.66) and Veggie Pizzas (£1.22).
Mortimer consulted with specialists and food banks to make her meals easy, nutritious, and to ensure she was using ingredients readily available in peoples’ homes.
Prices are all based on Aldi, because other supermarket basic ranges are all price-matched with the store, Mortimer explained.
She added: “£10 is the lowest limit I think, or you start having to cut out important food groups like protein, or eating less, neither of which is a good idea.
“I just wanted to encourage people on the lowest budgets. And it’s simple, not too wordy and few steps, so people can do it and don’t worry about making mistakes and wasting ingredients.”
She added that she hasn’t extended her recipes to the weekend yet, but that she would like to get the recipes on school newsletters.
“I wish the government would promote things like this through public messaging,” she added.
Bolognese Bake recipe
Serves: eight.
Cost: £2.57 in total, or 32p per person.
Ingredients
- Half a packet of celery (14p)
- Tin of chopped tomatoes (28p)
- 1 500g packet of Pasta (65p)
- Half a packet of Mince (250g) (90p)
- 100g of grated cheese (60p)
Method
Turn to the oven to 180C.
Fry the mince off in a frying pan with a little oil.
Roughly chop the celery and once the mince is browned off, add the celery and fry for a few minutes.
Then add the chopped tomatoes and fill the empty tin with water, adding that too.
Simmer until the sauce has gone thick and then switch off the heat to thicken further.
Add a little of the cheese to the sauce and stir until melted. Season if you wish.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to packet instructions, drain and set aside.
Combine the pasta and sauce and tip it into a large dish.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake for 30 minutes at 180C.
You can follow Mortimer and find more recipes at @_myfirstmeals.
Additional reporting by SWNS
