Hi Matt: Well, I didn't work it our precisely (this not being where I get paid for my writing, so I don't devote time to boring things like rigid research), but let's give it a run-through of how I could live on even a low-carb, high-protein diet relatively cheaply. I have to do it over two weeks and then divide by two.
Chickens - 2 for £3.99 Frying Steak, £5 for 6 portions of 6oz each Scoop of Broccoli - £1 Scoop of leeks - £1 Scoop of mushrooms - £1 Lettuce and other salad leaves - £2 Sweet peppers £1 Tomatoes £1 Cucumbers (3) £1 Celery sticks (3) £1 Yoghurt (supermarket) £2 Eggs (12 medium), £2 Oats (organic, supermarket) £1 Cheap fish (6 portions) £3 Flour for bread £1.50 (wholemeal, white would be cheaper, supermarket) Milk £2 Margarine, say £1
So that's £30 for a fortnight and there would be quite enough to survive breakfast, salad made for lunch and a light meal in the evening.
I consider an Eat sandwich the height of extravagance! And as for buying soup in a store -- their profit margin is about 2,000%. I always prepare my breakfast and salad lunch the night before.
Now, there are obviously some extras that I haven't included that are hard to allocate (salt, yeast, mustard, honey, marmite, sugar, sweeteners light coleslaw for the salad, other general stuff that goes to fill up the cupboard (tinned tomatoes for curries and stews, oxo cubes, rice, and so on) and, of course, coffee. Many of these I could buy cheaper if I made the effort, I admit. But adding all of these things in, I doubt that my food expenditure is much more than £25 a week, and, I am afraid, I throw stuff away!
So, not quite a tenner a week, but still remarkably cheap compared to the money wasted by buying foods ready-prepared by chains such as Eat, Pret a Manger or Simply M&S.
no subject
Chickens - 2 for £3.99
Frying Steak, £5 for 6 portions of 6oz each
Scoop of Broccoli - £1
Scoop of leeks - £1
Scoop of mushrooms - £1
Lettuce and other salad leaves - £2
Sweet peppers £1
Tomatoes £1
Cucumbers (3) £1
Celery sticks (3) £1
Yoghurt (supermarket) £2
Eggs (12 medium), £2
Oats (organic, supermarket) £1
Cheap fish (6 portions) £3
Flour for bread £1.50 (wholemeal, white would be cheaper, supermarket)
Milk £2
Margarine, say £1
So that's £30 for a fortnight and there would be quite enough to survive breakfast, salad made for lunch and a light meal in the evening.
I consider an Eat sandwich the height of extravagance! And as for buying soup in a store -- their profit margin is about 2,000%. I always prepare my breakfast and salad lunch the night before.
Now, there are obviously some extras that I haven't included that are hard to allocate (salt, yeast, mustard, honey, marmite, sugar, sweeteners light coleslaw for the salad, other general stuff that goes to fill up the cupboard (tinned tomatoes for curries and stews, oxo cubes, rice, and so on) and, of course, coffee. Many of these I could buy cheaper if I made the effort, I admit. But adding all of these things in, I doubt that my food expenditure is much more than £25 a week, and, I am afraid, I throw stuff away!
So, not quite a tenner a week, but still remarkably cheap compared to the money wasted by buying foods ready-prepared by chains such as Eat, Pret a Manger or Simply M&S.
Pete