I've decided to challenge myself to 'live below the line' surviving on five pounds for five days. I'll be donating the money I save on food towards a charity helping to prevent hunger and starvation across the world.
I and many others in this country regularly eat at the height of luxury, with varied and exciting ingredients in every meal. I want to strip back and pare down to the survival basics as I believe that I deserve no better than anyone else in this world - everyone deserves food and by cutting back on my own budget, I can help to feed others too.
I say stripping back, but as a food lover and blogger I have already managed to design a five day menu of delicious foods for the grand total of £4.74. That's a whole 26p unnacounted for - perhaps I'll treat myself in the reduced section. As well as helping charity, this project proves how easy it is to save money on food whilst eating well, which is perfect for students and anyone struggling with the cost of living.
It would be easy to buy a block of cheese, a tin of beans and a sack of potatoes, but I feel that my menu is more exciting, more healthy and generally more satisfying. While designing this it made me realise how much I actually spend on food, which is not even a lot comparatively, but I now realise how unneccessary it is to have every mouthful at the taste of perfection. When stripped back, food is fuel and its primary function is to feed. I'm happy to be able to do that with the added bonus of the taste. So please enjoy my menu and use it either for money saving reasons or for your own five day challenge!
(Please note these prices are portion-based, e.g 75p for 500g of oats at 5x 30g portion)
Shopping List:
Oats 0.12
Sweet Potato 0.35
Chana Dal 0.45
Wholemeal Pittas 0.32
Eggs 0.50
Tinned Mushrooms 0.39
Red Onion 0.34
Cabbage 0.49
Tinned Mackerel 0.59
Tinned Tomatoes 0.39
Bananas 0.60
Herbs & Spices 0.20
MONDAY TUESDAY
Porridge Porridge
Baked Sweet Potato & Cabbage Dal & Pitta
Dal 3 Egg Omelette with Mushroom & Red Onion
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
Porridge Porridge
Scrambled Egg Pitta Sweet Potato in Tomato Sauce with Pitta
Cabbage & Sweet Potato Wedges Mackerel Dal & Boiled Egg
FRIDAY
Porridge
Omelette
Baked Egg & Red Onion Shakshuka
There you have it, it's possible! A nutritionally balanced five day meal plan for under a pound a day. I challenge you to try it, and donate the money you save to a good cause! I know a lot of people spend at least five pounds a day just on lunch, and here exemplifies the reasons not to. I've set a target of £220, which is probably the cost of two families weekly shops, please help to stop hunger across the world by donating, whether you scrimp on your shopping list or have the money spare, no one deserves to starve.
https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/fivepoundsfivedays
The time I tried Crack
I know everyone says you shouldn't do it.
I know how it affects your brain, your body and your health.
I know it's addictive, I know it's bad.
But it's so, so good.
Having had my first hit from the side of a van at a festival
back in 2013, I was instantly hooked and suffered severe withdrawal symptoms,
trying to supplement my addiction with the placebo of Sainsbury's own caramel
and peanut soft scoop.
It wasn't the same.
I tried everything: squeezy caramel sauce and dollops of
melted peanut butter, vanilla ice cream sprinkled with sea salt and drenched
with sugar. My housemate found dirty spoons and used wrappers in my handbag,
and I knew it was time to stop.
I went cold turkey for a while, six months went by and I
couldn't even look at a jar of skippy. I was ready to accept that my search for
that rosy-pink truck with its supply of unbeatable quality would never again be
on the market. Never again would I reach that high.
Life was okay, I ate chocolate fudge brownies and gorged
myself on jam doughnuts whilst watching the mundane world go by. In an attempt
to feed my adrenaline craving, I turned to the vice of piercing and tattoos,
which by fate or fortune led me to Affleck's Palace, home of all things
alternative. Amongst the webs of gothic jewellery, salvaged 80s footwear,
pothead paraphernalia and offensive t-shirts I stumbled to find the dream-like
sight of Ginger's Comfort Emporium. Was this real? Was I hallucinating? Plush
velvet booths in deep crimson, an Alice-Through-The-Looking-Glass chessboard
floor, and a towering chalkboard listing the reams of flavour combinations of
which my heart had eyes to see only one.
I'm talking of course about Chorlton Crack, Ginger's Comfort
Emporium's intoxicating combination of salted caramel and peanut butter in an
ice cream. It's available in Elvis-style dosage between brioche toast and
smothered with jam, Ginger now even cooks up
with a brownie for the hard-hitters, but I personally like it pure.
Now there's a steady supply, I'm back on the wagon and my
habit is under control. Why get clean when I can afford not to?
Chorlton Crack, 500ml, £7.50
Pick up: 52 Church Street, Manchester M4 1PW
Five Minute Chilli Peanut Hummus
1 can chickpeas, not drained
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsps olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsps olive oil
Empty the chickpeas plus their juices into a microwaveable bowl, along with the peeled cloves of garlic and set the timer to 5 minutes. While this is going, plug in your food processor and assemble the other ingredients. Add hot mixture to machine along with everything bar the olive oil. Whiz one tablespoon of oil into the processor until it reaches your preferred consistency. I like mine smooth but not liquid.
Spoon into a sealable tupperware and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil and a pinch of paprika. Experiment with other add-ins such as lemon, cumin, or tahini instead of peanut butter. This is a super-easy, super-quick recipe which is great to have on hand if you have a can of chickpeas in the cupboard. It's cheap and versatile and great smeared on a multi-grain sandwich with leftover roast sweet potato and kale, or as a twist on a classic snack served with carrot sticks.
Sonnet 167
'In poetry, the volta or turn, is a rhetorical shift or dramatic change
in thought and/or emotion.'
Volta, Didsbury seems an appropriate place to visit as my deadlines have
come to an end with the last hand in of an essay on Shakespearean tragedy -
this is the turning point at which I experience a dramatic change in thought or
emotion. It could be a sense of freedom and release, or a descent into a
maddening search for life purpose. There was a lot resting on this visit.
We began in celebration with wine,
The bottle name escapes my memory;
A certain assurance that it was fine.
With a side of dough from Trove Bakery,
We opted for the tapas style menu:
The chorizo, lamb, shrimp and beetroot dip,
Showcased talent as a small plate venue.
First dish soft and flavoursome, worth the trip;
Though the shawarma I did not savour,
What redeemed this dish from spoiling the mood,
Was the wide accompaniment of flavour,
Exploding from the vibrant ray of food.
So please, my experience let alter,
Your new urgency to visit Volta.
Volta Eaterie & Bar,
167 Burton Rd,
Review: Urban Cookhouse
Accompanying fellow food writer Hester Lonergan on her route
to Uni, we passed by the beginnings of the now open and operating Urban
Cookhouse. Intrigued by the artsy logo and stylish purple lettering, we made
reservations for an early lunch accompanied by cocktails.
Hester arrived slightly before me and made the first move
with a nibble of popcorn, though I had to ask what flavour it claimed to be as
it tasted of nothing. Unperturbed by this bland appetiser, we moved to decide
on our samples of the real food.
The menu at Cookhouse is refreshingly different, a fusion of
cuisines are presented to make a beautiful, intriguing and innovative
collection of dishes. Too excited to choose one thing, and too scared of not
having room to try it all, we opted for a tapas-style collection of starters in
place of a main meal each. Our choices in agreement, we went for the crispy
whitebait in lemongrass aioli, tempura cod cheeks, scallops and black pudding,
harissa duck breast and the mushroom parfait on rye.
Everything was presented beautifully, and delivered in ample
time as we sipped our celebratory - it’s Easter- cocktails. Mine the Florasion
Invasion, a cool and fresh balance of gin, chartreuse and bitters finished with
a sprig of rosemary. After discovering the infusion of this herb into cocktails
on my 21st at the Chester Grosvenor, there was no doubt about my
preference for this glass. In exchange for the tempting signature Negroni, my
companion opted for the Mezcal Mess Gal, a fitting swap due to its content of
sweet vermouth, mezcal and Campari. This came with the option of pickled worms,
clearly an option for the thrill seeking adrenaline junkies, which evidently I
must not be (or maybe I just don’t want to eat a worm). Hester took the
challenge and experienced the thrill of the slimy worm popping in her mouth
while I happily twiddled my sprig of rosemary. We both agreed on the taste of
the drinks: not too sweet, not too potent, a perfect mix of flavour.
Unsure where to start with our stunning array of food, we
continued in Spanish style by having a little of everything on one plate. The
whitebait was piled generously on a wooden board and delivered the perfect
crunch when dipped in the aioli, though I personally prefer this to be a little
more garlicky. The cod cheeks manifested yet another generous serving, with
five little battered fish pieces on a bed of Asian slaw. This was one of my
favourites; the chilli and lime jam an interesting change from what would
commonly be sweet and sour sauce. As a disliker of black pudding, I relied on
my companion’s judgement to approve that the scallop dish was excellent and
cooked to perfection, ‘like velvet’. We agreed that the harissa duck tasted
like steak – albeit very good steak, it was a way of duck that I have not had
before and am used to associations of sweet Asian flavours rather than the
earthy chilli-pepper taste of harissa. The mushroom parfait was delicious,
essentially mushroom pate delivered in a small (but more than sufficient) clip
top jar with pear chutney and soft grilled rye bread.
Our 2nd round of cocktails was slightly
disappointing: we ordered the first two from the signature menu, which was
essentially prosecco with cordial - there wasn’t much distinction between the
tarragon & pear and the elderflower & lime. I’d rather drink it
straight up and classic in a flute than fuss with the sweeteners. However, our
final round more than made up for this marginal flaw, with espresso martinis
that were dark, deep, earthy and delicious. The perfect light dessert.
The staff were eager and responsive to our cocktail-induced
enthusiasm for asking questions, and offered an informed response to all of our
queries, as well as being consistent with the timing of each course. There were
a lot more things on the menu that I’d definitely come back and try, with a
variation suitable for any time and any company. Though definitely placed in
the expensive bracket, Urban Cookhouse is honestly priced and the cost is
reflected in their stunning presentation, attention to detail and fluently
attentive service.
54 Princess St,
Manchester,
M1 6HS
Going Lentil
500g pack Heema Chana Dal: 89p
A range of spices: priceless
Well actually if you buy spices from the Worldwide
supermarkets you can generally get a small bag for 69-89p. You could even
stretch to £1 if you prefer to have them in a plastic shaker.
Investing in spices will save you money on buying jarred
sauces, make your food taste a lot more interesting and generally transform
your cooking skills. Equipped with a range of spices, you can feed yourself for
at least 4 delicious meals for 89p.
I like the Heera brand as they have recipes on the back, so
if you pick up a pack of lentils and have no idea what to do with them, you can
confidently follow the directions on the back to ensure an authentic and
delicious meal. Which is exactly what I did with my little pack of split peas:
Ingredients:
1 cup chana dal/yellow split peas, soaked overnight in 4
cups water
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1/4tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1 tbsp tamarind (could sub honey or treacle)
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp garlic
Method:
After soaking the lentils, drain and add to a saucepan with
the 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil and simmer with the lid on for around 30
minutes, until the lentils are becoming soft. If you have a lot of time, you
can leave the lentils simmering while you go about other tasks for up to around
an hour - you can't really overcook them as long as there is enough liquid.
After the 30 mins, add the spices to the dal and stir, turn
the heat down and put the lid on. In a separate frying pan, heat the oil with
the garlic and mustard seeds until fragrant, then stir into the dal along with
the tamarind. The dal should thicken after around 3 minutes, at which point it
is ready.
Serve with rice and greens, or add more water and boil with
sweet potato and carrots to make a flavoursome soup.
Lentils are a great option for vegetarians, as well as the
health-conscious (who isn't these days?) They're cheap, easy to use and act as
a perfect base for lots of spicy dishes: soups, curries, stews and as an
alternative to rice.
Food Politics: The Underlying Struggles of Social Eating
Does anyone else have this problem?
As a 21 year old female, I know I don't need to ask that
question.
I opened up honestly with a friend recently about this topic
- expressing the struggle that is every day in the life of the food-obsessed.
Constant calculations of when I'm next going to eat, how can I make sure that
it's healthy, what is my backup healthy eating plan, would it be better to eat
now at uni something averagely healthy or to wait until I get home, or would
that be too late to digest? Should I just not eat?
In a world where every food on the planet is available to us
in a nearby supermarket, the suggestion that we be health-conscious is not easy
to dismiss. We have access to the ingredients, and thus no excuse not to
subscribe to this lifestyle.
How about when we're in Uni 12-8, and there is no time to
prepare a home cooked meal? Do we 'cheat' and buy a wrap or meal deal from
Sainsbury's? And not really enjoy it because we feel too guilty as we check the
scientific nutritional breakdown and wince at the numbers in red. I can't help
feeling that despite the numerous
benefits of a healthy lifestyle, the national obsession may be going too far.
Things I have done in the name of 'health':
- got distracted in 70% of lectures while planning
nutritious meals
- obsessively scoured menus in advance to avoid
choosing an unhealthy option in a
rush/under pressure
- felt unable to enjoy 'bad' foods due to 'guilt'
association
- felt disappointed in self for eating 'bad' foods, also
associated with lack of restraint, willpower and weakness
- eaten 3 slices of cake to replace meals for fear of
calorie overdose
- panicked at the thought of going to a restaurant socially
- no one wants to be the girl with a salad, or get plate envy, or spend the
entire evening thinking about food/weight when the real purpose of the event is
the interaction (supposed to be enjoyable)
The last one is tricky. I'm sure people experience varying
levels of food anxiety, and I have felt envious of those who seem to have got
it down - nonchalantly ordering what they fancy and eating as much as they feel
like. In public, I have previously felt obliged to choose something that
doesn't say 'I'm on a diet' and even points more towards the 'I don't give a
---- about weight loss, look at me feast'. I would then eat more than my
stomach was asking for, thus enlarging it and my lack of confidence.
So what is the solution? Maybe menus and quick conveniences
need to universally cater for the health conscious. Maybe.
Maybe we all just need to chill out.
I think the real issue here comes back to the notorious size
zero/photoshop perfection that is
forcefully present across advertising.
Does anyone feel good when they see these images? How many
people look at clothing posters in shops, try on the model's outfit and think
'yes, I look like that' in the changing room mirror? Bodies come in so many shapes and sizes and the world needs
to be more aware of that. Health is an important factor in life but it stops
being healthy when the need for it becomes a mental obsession.
While I'm still personally trying to find the balance with
this, I'd like to share some ideas for maintaining a healthy and nutritious
mind as well as body:
- Enjoy every meal, whether it be healthy or not - you need
food to survive and you shouldn't feel guilty about that
- You are your own harshest critic, no one is judging your
'imperfections' in the same way as you, positive people look for positive
things
- Work on your personality over your image. it's easier to
change a personality flaw than an appearance based one
- Not being a certain size or weight does not make you
inadequate
- You are beautiful, and happiness comes from within
These are very important things to remember. Of course I
believe in healthy eating most of the time, but I also think we need to be
assured that it is okay to have something that does not necessarily satisfy the
recommended quota of our daily amount.
As long as you are a healthy weight for your height and make
sure you apply a reasonable amount of restraint at the urge to eat entire trays
of brownies, tubs of ice cream and third helpings of chips, you should be
happy. A basic knowledge of what's good for you and what isn't should be held
on to, but the moment food starts affecting your confidence, social presence
and ability to focus on other tasks, then it is time to rethink.
Why are so many of us aiming for this elusive 'perfection'?
Confidence is the biggest form of attraction, and it can hide a world of
complexes than can eventually lead to their eradication. So you have excess fat
on your thighs, is anyone else going to change their opinion of you based on
that? If they are, do you want to be associated with them? Same goes for
stomach, arms, hips, chin, neck, ankles etcetera etcetera; the list of
potential body-anxieties is virtually infinite.
This is a socially constructed anxiety which should not
exist. The problem of obesity and binge eating cannot be ignored but the
negative effects of the opposing side are not as openly discussed. Something
non-existent can actually hold us back in life, make us sad and even loathsome
of ourselves.
We should stop aiming for perfection and view that it's
already there, right now. Look in the mirror and see a bump or a bulge? Embrace
it, it's you, it's alive and natural and not stopping you from doing anything.
It doesn't make you any less of a person than the photo-shopped model with a
thigh gap and a flat stomach. Not to say that she isn't beautiful too.
That said, if we want to choose something less calorific at
a restaurant, we should not feel embarrassed to make that choice. The friendly
urges of 'go on, treat yourself' actually exacerbate anxieties with regard for
the need to please others whilst caring for the self. We should all be more
open about this topic and I would not be surprised to find that many of our
consciences are alike. Having the perfect body is not a competition; there is
no prize. Live for yourself, make your own choices and be comfortable with who
you are and what you decide to do.
We're all beautiful for who we are, not what we look like. Let's
be proud of that and get on with the more important things in life.
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