Are You Cooking On A Budget?

Have you ever thought about the cost if the meals you produce? Maybe you have, maybe you haven't but unfortunately it doesn't take much to put together an expensive meal. Ready-meals may seem like a good deal but think how much it would cost to feed a family of four or more with them. And that's ignoring all the food safety fears that have occurred recently. No, by far the best way to feed ourselves is to cook using fresh ingredients. Nutritionally it's far better and when you think about it, it's cheaper too. If you're not convinced just consider the costs of the basic ingredients we all ought to "have in" - potatoes, tomatoes, onions, bread, cheese to name but a few and not to mention milk, meats (or substitutes) and any other veg. Add to this lot some basic herbs and spices and there are no excuses for not trying to cook something tasty, nutritious and value for money.

The internet has so many sites with recipes on them that can give us that spark of inspiration. One of my favourites is the BBC Food site, it even has short video clips from programmes included with some of recipes. If you aren't used to cooking form scratch with raw ingredients or are afraid of it then start easy and build up to something more challenging. You'll feel healthier for it and your wallet will too. If you're up for a challenge how about putting together a three course meal for four people for £10? It is possible, you just need to do some pre-planning and think very carefully about ingredients and the meal construction. If you can do this every now and again you'll start to get into the swing of it and build these principles into your day-to-day cooking. Go on - go for it!