Caitríona Redmond: How to eat well on a budget — plus my slow cooker vegetable soup

Caitríona Redmond's slow cooker vegetable soup.

It used to be that I selected whatever I wanted. I chose my shopping on a whim and tended to go with things that fit my lifestyle: Convenience food, food that could be cooked in the oven or micro waved straight from froz en and eaten on my way to or from work. All of these things took a toll on my body and my purse, but I never really gave it much thought. I enjoyed food, but I didn't care where it had come from to land on my plate so long as it hit the spot and didn't involve much effort. The price wasn't an issue.

There is very little I can control about our grocery budget apart from what I buy with it. I'm restricted in how much I can spend on food every week. Thankfully, I have discovered that my choice of what I spend on isn't as limited as you might think. Good food doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Fresh food cooked well and shared becomes one of the most nourishing ways to provide for your family and soul.

If you have to live on a tight budget, are trying to save for a big occasion, or would like to cut down on your food bill, there are essential coping skills that you can learn to help you feed everybody a healthy, balanced diet.

It doesn't make sense to keep too much of an item you rarely use on your shelves, but it will cost you money if you don't keep your commonly used ingredients in stock. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has run out of bread on an awkward day or time and had to pay more money to buy it from a convenience shop.

Some people don't like the rigid form of a meal plan, preferring to eat what they like when they feel like it. However, meal planning is a good idea if you're busy , if you tend to have a lot of food waste, or if you like to shop infrequently, and it is essential if you are on a restricted budget. Whether you have a meal plan or not, a shopping list is a crucial tool when you go shopping. It requires some discipline, but it will save you money.

There are days when I find this way of life draining, exhausting, and incredibly stressful. The last thing I want to do is trek between supermarkets to get good deals or stand at the stove for hours on end. I want to provide the best possible food for my family within our budget.

When some of my life is out of control, cooking and nourishing my family is something that I can control. It gives me great strength to take ownership and responsibility for the food we eat and where it comes from.

Slow cooker vegetable soup

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

Good food doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 3 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 3 hours 15 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced

• 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

• 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

• 1 half head of cauliflower, chopped

• 1.5l vegetable stock (made with a stock cube is fine)

Method

1. Slow Cooker Method: Put the onions into a covered dish and microwave for 1 minute on high. This is to take the astringency from the onions and stop the flavour from being raw and overwhelming the slow cooker soup.

2. Once finished in the microwave, empty the dish into the slow cooker. Add all the other ingredients and pour over the vegetable stock. Cover the slow cooker and turn to high. Cook on high for 3 hours, then mash a little using a potato masher. Serve immediately with fresh chopped parsley if you like a ‘chunky’ soup. If not, blitz using a hand blender before serving.

3. Hob Method: Sauté the onions in a little oil in a large saucepan until translucent. Stir in the potatoes with the onions and allow to cook a little in the oil. Add all the other ingredients and stir well. Pour in the vegetable stock. Cover the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer the ingredients until everything is tender. Turn off the hob, use a potato masher to mash the soup a little before serving, or use a stick blender for a smoother texture.

Home Truths: Protein Swaps on a Budget

My weekly grocery receipts show that the most expensive items are almost always meat proteins. Protein at mealtimes helps you feel fuller for longer, but you don’t need meat-based proteins with every meal or even daily.

You can get around how expensive proteins can be by being clever with your food shop. Instead of buying prepacked chicken breasts, you can stretch a whole chicken over several meals. Minced beef is incredibly versatile for a range of meals like bolognese or chilli, and it’s also much cheaper than buying a cut of stewing meat.

If you can’t persuade the family to ditch meat every day of the week, try moving to eggs for one main meal per week instead. Or bulk out meat-based meals by adding a tin of beans or pulses like chickpeas, black beans, or lentils.

By making these simple swaps, we can continue to support Irish producers on a tight budget.