The Challenge – Complete

So its been a week. Did I meet my challenge? Well I had no choice but to meet it really. After all despite what my son might think I can’t magic money out of no where.

Despite the lack of meat (thank god for that pheasant!) I have had healthy tasty nutritious meals. The three main meals I posted did more than enough food for me for the week including half portions for my lunches.  I did also make a bean thing with 2 types of beans and lots of garlic, onion, tinned tomatoes and spices. It wasn’t bad. I also made a very tasty flat bread that staved off my carb craving midweek. Before putting it in the oven I brushed over a mixture of garlic olive oil, rosemary and a sprinkle of salt. Oh my! It was so tasty.

The whole week food wise for me cost £12.47. I had forgotten the cats needed feeding so the extra £4 I had in my bank went on them. So at the end of the week I had £1.53 left over.

Now the best thing was that in the end I wasnt just feeding me. The boy was eating the food as well. So technically speaking I fed 2 people on £2 a day.

The favourite meal for me was the butternut squash curry. Its so thick and tasty, but knowing how low in fat and calories it is meant I could eat loads of it.

I did miss my meat and I did have cravings for a nice slab of steak. On Thursday night I went out with the guys from site to celebrate the completion of the building. Thankfully it was paid for by one of the agencies we used. I had lovely nachos with shreaded beef for my starter and steak kebabs for my main. That meat was chewed, savoured and thoroughly enjoyed.

Unfortunately as of yesterday I am unemployed, but at least I know (well I guess I have always known, as I have lived on less in the past) I can still eat low fat and get my calories on a very limited budget. Just got to find a job as I hate not working. Hopefully something will turn up very soon. I just have to not get bored, because when I get bored I eat, and I don’t want to deviate from this path I am on.

Roasted Chickpeas

So on a budget I need something to snack on. In the past when the boy was little I made all sorts of different types of snacks that went in his pack lunches. Crisps, roasted chickpeas, various types of popcorn. I brought dried chickpeas yesterday so after leaving them to soak over night, then boiling them for an hour to cook I have decided to roast them. I’m doing some with a sweet flavouring and some with savoury. Really you can use any flavours you fancy.

Obviously to save time use tinned beans.. I have discovered about 130g dried chickpeas once soaked makes up about the number in a tin.

Rosemary and Salt Roasted Chickpeas

1 tin chickpeas
2 sprigs rosemary chopped
Spray oil
Salt

Preheat the oven to 230 degrees

1. Drain the chickpeas and make sure they are really dry.  Put them in a bowl add the rosemary and about 4 grinds of grinds of salt from your mill. Squirt 4 squirts of oil in and mix up so the chickpeas are coated.

2. Tip them out onto a linned tray and cook in the oven for 20 or 30 mins. Make sure you check them reguarly and move them about so they don’t burn. Your kitchen will soon be full of the smell of rosrmary.

3. Take them out and let them cool.

Honey Roasted Chickpeas

1 tin of chickpeas
2 tbsp runny honey
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt
Spray oil

1. As above drain and dry the chickpeas. Put them in a bowl with the honey, sugar, couple of grinds of salt and 4 squirts of the oil. Mix them all up and make sure they are all coated.

2. Tip them out onto a lined baking tray. Again roast them for 20 or 30 minutes.  Keep an extra eye on these because you are using honey and sugar and they will burn and go black within a blink of the eye.

3. When they have gone golden, they will be darker than the rosemary ones, take them put and leave to cool.

These are cheap and an easy way for me to keep my calorie intake up. 290 ish calories in a tin of chickpeas. And its all natural, no additives.

You can mix them in with some almonds and rasins/sultanas for an extra treat.

Give them a go and let me know what you think.

Spicy Root Veg, Spinach and Lentil Stew

So here is number 1 of my thrifty recipes.

A spicy root veggie stew. I don’t peel the root vegtables so I keep all their vitamins and nutrients.
It’s easy to make and cheap too. This does about 4 servings. So thats 4 dinners or some can be half portions for my lunches.

Ingredients:

Spray oil
1 onions
3 garlic cloves
750g potatoes
2 parsnips
4 carrots
2 tbsp curry powder
1litre stock
120g red lentils
20g pearl barley
150g Spinach
Salt and Pepper

1. Heat a large casserole pan, spray a couple squirts of the oil and cook the chopped onion and finely chopped garlic until softened, stirring occasionally.

2. Chop the potatoes, carrots and parsnips into quite large chunks and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables start to colour.

3. Stir in the curry powder and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the lentils and pearl barley, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the pulses and vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.

4. Mix in the spinach season and cook for another 4 minutes.

Serve up and enjoy!

According to myfitnesspal.com this is 365 calories per serving. Its lovely and filling and low in fat. Now that can’t be bad can it?

I would normally serve it up with some nann breads, pitta bread or wraps.
(Obviously thats not an option for me at the mo).

The Challenge Begins!

So day one. I am fully aware of the recent “live for a week on £1 a day”. But that is really not an option for me as I do need to keep my calorie intake up and I don’t want to ruin me loosing weight my messing with my metabolism. So for me its £2 a day.

So I’ve been to the shops.

Total cost £10.58.

Puy Lentils
Borlotti beans
Chickpeas
White butter beans
Butternut squash
Butter
Onions
Carrots
Parsnips
Potatoes
Tinned toms
Tinned baked beans
Spinach
(And yes a packet of pink n whites.. only 49p in Morrisons!)

From my cupboards I have

And

The cupboard stuff I am not including in my £2 a day as I already have it. But even if I did it would come to pennies added.

The contents of my fridge is rather sad I’m affraid. Not much to add to be honest.

(The tin at the top is cat food. I am trying to stay off the stuff these days.)

For breakfasts I have in my cupboards

I make my breakie at work during the week so I can use the milk there saving me a penny or 2.

In my freezer I have 4 pheasant breasts and a little rabbit. As that is game (and not from a shop) no additional charge to my £2 a day.

So I have left £3.42. Thats my emergency money.

Now to make some yummy bulk meals using as many of these things as possible. Keeping them low fat and low calorie but filling and hopefully nutritionally balanced. I do note the lack of dairy, again some of that will be milk raided at work, and I will probably buy a 4 pinter for a £1 from the supermarket.

Anyway wish me luck!!

(Edit: forgot to mention I have 1/2 bulb of garlic, dried chillis and some ginger as well)