Can't afford to eat healthy food...

Since when has a ‘tasty pie’ been a treat? It’s a basic food that was, and still is, cooked by many to make a bit of meat and veg go further?

And pizza???

And of course treat yourself to cigarettes (how much do they cost? ?) rather than ingredients, that’s going to be a real treat isn’t it?

Sorry Lazigirl but that's exactly the sort of thinking that’s behind this problem.

Sainsburys used to have recipes for weekday meals for a family of four for £20. This has probably been updated, but did show how you could eat cheaply and well.

How to cook vegetables app,

And indeed there is!

I think until you have been in the position of worrying constantly about money, how you will clothe the children, pay the rent, bus fares etc. it is very difficult to judge the choices people make in this regard. I can make lots of cheap meals out of a bag of lentils but if my life was so stressed and lacking in purpose I would probably want a tasty pie or pizza for a treat, and a smoke as well! I also don't want to patronise those who are short of money but do cook and eat healthily and cheaply as I'm sure many do.

However, I do understand that there are far too many people in this country who are on an extremely low income and do struggle to have enough food to eat and don't spend what little they have on takeaways and junk. It's so sad that in this very rich country of ours we have to have food banks trolleys outside each of our supermarkets because so many people are hungry.

There’s even an app on their iPhones joemaxster that allows them to order in from their chosen takeawaywithout getting up from their chair!

Wonder if there’s one that shows them how to slice and cook a carrot ?? ???

Can’t afford to eat healthily? Ha! It’s just an excuse to be lazy and fall for the advertising “Value for Money” ads.

Makes me cross when people say they can't eat healthily as they are on a low income, but they can afford to eat junk food take aways on a regular basis. I'm sure it's more expensive to buy the junk food than to cook and prepare your own food. I can't afford to eat a diet of takeways that's for sure, and I certainly couldn't when my daughter was tiny and I was living on supplementary benefit. I had to eke my pittance out very carefully.
Veg is not expensive and frozen veg has more nutritional value than fresh and generally comes ready prepared for those who can't be bothered to chop for themselves.
Nobody taught me to cook, my mother was terrible at it and regularly served us undercooked chicken! I taught myself and these days there is no shortage of cooking programmes, websites and youtube for those who do want to learn.

You don’t have to go to Lidl and Aldi either. How much are carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, frozen peas, etc.? None of these are going to break the bank.

I don’t agree it’s just lack of education. CBA’d to peel and chop a few vegetables more like.

I think the problem is that many people can’t cook. Even lasagne is cheaper if you make your own. Certainly fruit and veg are cheap if you look for Lidl and Aldi specials.
There is an issue for people living in temporary accommodation without cooking facilities and those working for long hours on minimum wage who really don’t have time. But mostly it’s lack of education and family tradition of cooking properly.

I usually recommend frozen fruit and veg to people who say they cant afford the fresh ones - they have almost as much nutritional value.

I’m with you starbox absolutely no reason that anyone can’t afford to eat well and cheaply, sadly some people only want to eat Pizza, Lasagna, pies and sweets, and it’s cheaper to buy these than make them and they aren’t interested in whether they are healthy or not.

TBH I don’t care if people want to eat badly and suffer the consequences but I get very cross that they inflict their bad choices on their children, who then go on to perpetuate the shopping habits of their parents......

Back to basics, Home Ec. for all school pupils, compulsory and half a day, like it was when I was at school. On another thread they are discussing school subjects that should prepare children for life rather than University, bringing back Home Ec. Metalwork, Woodwork and real life skills.

I Don’t know if it will ever happen though