How to Feed Your Family for £5 a Day

Beans

As well as baked beans, try red kidney beans for quick chilli con carne, butter beans in casseroles and chickpeas in curries and fresh houmous.

Tomatoes

Plum tomatoes, chopped and unchopped, are perfect for tomato-based sauces, pizza toppings, salsa, bolognese sauce and Neapolitan sauce.

Tomato purée

This is wonderful used in pizza toppings, tomato sauces, soups and casseroles.

Sweetcorn

Natural sweetcorn with only water added is perfect in pasta, salads or soups, or with tuna and mayonnaise in sandwiches or jacket potatoes.

Dry Food (#ulink_a0d576b9-4db2-5ce7-84f7-1d27d43df491)

Flour

Plain wholemeal flour is great for bread, pastry, crumble toppings and pancakes. Plain white flour can be used for sauces, cakes and for mixing with wholemeal flour.

Beans

Red kidney beans work well in chillies and salads. Black-eyed beans complement rice and peas. Butter beans are delicious in curries and stews. Mung beans are perfect in soups and for making home-sprouted beans.

Pulses

Green lentils/brown lentils taste great in pies, stews, curries, loaves and burgers. Red split lentils are so versatile and can be used in flans, pies, soups, stews, curries, loaves and burgers.

Sugar

Soft light brown sugar is best for cakes and crumble toppings.

Rice

Brown rice is packed with B vitamins and fibre.

Pasta

Wholewheat pasta is more nutritious than white pasta, and great for a quick meal.

Popcorn

Fast, healthy and delicious, popcorn is a great treat for kids.

Dried fruit

Raisins, currants, sultanas, apricots – add them to muesli, cakes and biscuits.

Spices / Condiments (#ulink_50a83d4e-79ae-59c7-a828-70f3ec07e84f)

Dried yeast to make your own bread.

Baking powder for cakes and biscuits.

Curry powder to make your own vegetable, fish, chicken or meat curries. Use in marinades and sauces.

Dried chillies are handy for spicing up meals.

Turmeric gives food a lovely flavour and yellow colour, and complements chicken.

Paprika is great in sauces, stews and marinades, and complements other spices.

Whole black peppercorns for freshly ground black pepper.

Coarse sea salt enhances flavours.

Nutmeg, whole cloves, cinnamon and ginger go well with sweet or savoury food.

Dried herbs such as parsley, sage, mint, basil and dill, for flavouring food with ease.

Jars / Bottles (#ulink_899607ee-16ac-5347-83f9-8726e084426a)

Honey is great with pancakes, yoghurt, muesli, marinades, cakes and sauces.

Wholefruit jam – try it with pancakes and ice cream.

Peanut butter – try it with banana on toasted wholemeal butties, in satay sauce, stir-fries, smoothies, biscuits and crumble toppings.

Marmite or Vegemite are both great for making stocks, go nicely with tomato purée, work well in soups, casseroles, stews, curries, sauces, marinades and bastes, and (last but not least) are great on toast.

English mustard is delicious in dressings and marinades, and with roast meat and grills.

Olive oil – sauté or roast vegetables in olive oil and then add the oil to salad dressings and marinades.

Sunflower oil is lovely and light, perfect for cooking with, and for using in salad dressings and flan pastry.

Vinegar – malt, cider, wine and balsamic are all good in dressings, sauces and marinades.

Soy sauce is handy for seasoning stir-fries, stews, casseroles, soups and marinades.

Ketchup can be used to make delicious sauces and marinades, and children love it.

Salad cream – children love it on salad, especially with cucumber, or blended with tinned tuna or salmon for sandwich fillings and pasta dishes.

Fridge (#ulink_d26cb843-524b-52f7-975a-04ee4af0ee45)

Meat