Response to rising food prices

Reading through my earlier post it all seemed a bit vague and theoretical. Now I am going to concentrate on my way of shopping and feeding the family.

Meal planning is the way ahead for me. I try and I fight it, beloved is dead against it because he thinks it will restrict our creativeness with meals, but it has to be the way forward because it all owes you to buy at the best prices and to minimise (wipe out?) waste. I do, but not very often, ending up chucking stuff out because it has gone off before we get to the cooking it stage. Beloved doesn't want to change anything about the way we currently shop and cook and so my changes are mild baby steps. We don't really waste food or money on food but we could do better.

Yesterday we made plans about what to have for the next few days. I am breaking him into it gently! He suggested chicken & potatoes with lemon and garlic, so I said that would be good and if you are buying potatoes then get enough for a corned beef hash. No, he doesn't like corned beef hash but his mum used to cook something with corned beef and eggs which is good. I agree, we will have that but how about some potatoes in it to make it go further. (aha, corned beef hash but with eggs, very sneaky!). Whilst you are at the shops look out for a couple of aubergine which we can stew with tomatoes later in the week and two tins of chickpeas to make some houmous (I don't like it much but my family eat kilos of it- must be in their genes.)So we managed to painlessly plan for about 4 days of meals. We therefore had all of the ingredients and nothing went to waste. Success. Next I aim for a week at a time, after that we can work on longer periods.

IN the meantime I am working on a planner. It is in Excel and has columns for lunch and breakfast but also a diary, so that we know who will want meals, who is eating t work etc. I pinched this idea from someone blog during the week but I cant remember who so if anyone has seen it elsewhere then please let me know and I will post a link. My aim to feed every one and feed them healthily and on a good budget, without waste. After we are in the flow of it we will work on methods of shopping (price books. shopping diaries, where to shop, taking advantage of offers, keeping a good store cupboard, own produce). The possibilities seem to be almost endless.