Thread: hello & cheap family friendly reciepes

hello I'm Helle and am on a mission now to shift my flab. I lost 19lb from xmas to may then stopped rejoined in oct and faffed lost another 9lb. I am after some cheap family friendly meals bored of the same stuff and will be mega skint after xmas no pasta bakes (hubby wont eat) no soup as the kids wont eat it.

Hi, and welcome!

What kind of things do hubby and the kids like? Have you tried some Sw magazines or the website? Often some good ideas there? Alternatively the recipes section on here.

If you're thinking of things that hubby and kids won't eat (like pasta bake or soup), why not make these for you and still give them what they'd normally eat?

Good luck with your weight loss xx

Not a recipe but i have been saving money by buying chicken thigh fillets rather than chicken breast its half the price. have only seen it in sainsburys as i dont like the thighs with bones :s!! I made burgers tonight with extra lean mince and i usually go for the 3 for £10 in the shops. Make bolognaise and turn it into chilli!!

I m quite lucky as my boyfriend will eat almost anything xx

Agree with the above, soups can be frozen as can bolognaise sauce. Bolognaise is a cheap meal if you swap extra lean mince for quorn mince!! And use smart price mushrooms, packets of spaghetti.

Using chicken as your main meat will make things cheaper than using beef or pork.

Sorry not loads of help as I mostly eat meat free things and hard to suggest things as I don't know what your kids and husband like to eat lolx

Hi There.
Do you like curries? I find that they are easy to make and there are lots of recipes on this forum.

Debsxdiet - Tesco do the skinless, boneless thighs too. They are so much cheaper and so much tastier than chicken breast I think

For cheapness it all depends on where you've got time to shop. If you can pop to a high street a couple of times a week I find their fruit/veg much cheaper though it doesnt last as long. Also ALDI ITS FAB!!!!! I can save loads shopping there. My kids love those crunch corners but they arent cheap - Aldi do a version at half the price and my kids prefer them (even the cat only will eat Aldi cat food!)

I have chilli con carnes, curries, bolognaises and they can all be made in bulk for the family. Also its quite an easy one is the sunday dinner, chicken, veg and roast potatoes done the SW way and you could have gravy and syn it.

Stir frys are quick and easy to make to. I have been eating turkey more than chicken recently as its lower in fat and a bit cheaper.

I always keep an eye out for meat that is on offer and then bulk buy it and freeze it. The 3 for £10 packs are mostley good value but just check against any other offers first.

I do get some veg from morrisons but i get most from Aldi there is normally something decent in there super 6 that you can turn into something nice.

Lentils!!! Lentils are so cheap and really good for you and so filling!
I made a lush lentil and veg curry in my slow cooker the other day. It prob cost me less than £3 for all the bits and bobs, and i made 6 portions!

and you can add them in to bolognese and chill and stuff like that to make them further.....love my lentils! had never eaten them until about 6 months ago!

Originally Posted by Noddynoobs

Lentils!!! Lentils are so cheap and really good for you and so filling!
I made a lush lentil and veg curry in my slow cooker the other day. It prob cost me less than £3 for all the bits and bobs, and i made 6 portions!

and you can add them in to bolognese and chill and stuff like that to make them further.....love my lentils! had never eaten them until about 6 months ago!

Noddy could you share the recipe please as Id like to make this

There's loads of "family friendly" recipes you can turn into SW friendly recipes. Just have a search on the SW website or on google - so much choice!

Chicken nuggets (coated in smash for free or breadcrumbs for a few syns)
Bangers & mash (get some low fat sausages and make syn free gravy - lots of recipes)
Meatballs (extra lean mince) - same for spag bol/chilli con/etc - or get them eating meat free soya mince
Fajitas (syn the wrap and serve with oodles of veg and salad as well as chicken/beef/whatever!)

The list is endless in my opinion!

Personally, I think literally any dish you can think of can be made SW friendly! I love cooking and always have, I cook pretty much the same meals as I always have but in a slightly different way (all hail fry light and the EE plan).

Potatoes tend to play a large part in my diet as do eggs egg and sw chips chips and mushy peas (tastes like chippy doused in vinegar) chip butties on hex B bread fried egg butties ham egg and chips low fat sausage chips and beans quiche with hex a cheese (i make in a frying pan Cook on low and grill to set top but you do need a good non stick pan) fritatta omlets chickpea curry Is tasty and cheap and have you ever made mushy pea curry ..... Beans on toast hexb bread sometimes its the simple foods that are the best

Originally Posted by Supermaiden

Noddy could you share the recipe please as Id like to make this

hhmmm, lets see if i can remember!
i boiled the lentils for 10 mins 1st and then rinsed them.
then i bunged them in the slow cooker with a tin of chopped toms,an onion, some mushrooms, butternut squash, and a few blocks of frozen spinach which i defrosted in the microwave 1st. i just bunged in a load of curry powder and various other spices that i found in the cupboard.(my fave is a tandoori spice blend) Im not too technical when it comes to cooking, you might be able to tell. i got the idea from my friend when i went for tea one night, and she had put some chicken in hers aswell. It can be a bit of a left over curry, as i think anything would work in it really!