MyFamilyClub - Money Saving Made Easy

My meal plan this week is all about subtle ingredient changes. Changes which make eating tastier and healthier e.g. brown pasta instead of white which helps you feel fuller for longer and stops the need for snacking in between meals.

Introduce new salad ingredients into your regular Dip In Dip Out Salad and make your own salad dressings instead of buying expensive bottled varieties.  Above all enjoy the last of the summer weeks by eating simple meals together as a family and if possible with friends.

About our family meal planner
This week's family meal planner
Shopping list

Did you know? - The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets for keeping hearts and minds healthy. Along with getting plenty of exercise, this diet emphasises, plant based fruits and vegetables whole grains etc in your daily diet, using olive oil instead of butter and limiting red meat to no more than once a week. Fish and poultry for protein and using herbs and spices instead of salt.

About our family meal planner

These meal planners for families are made up of recipes that are child friendly and all form part of a daily diet that is balanced for the whole week. It will give you plenty of nutrients from each of the food groups (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals), says Sian.

The plans for the week are inclusive of animal and plant protein such as white meat, fish, red meat and eggs.  You'll find nuts, chickpeas, cheese and seeds on the meatless day. Sian says the secret to affordable, healthy meals is to plan ahead to make sure you are stress-free, and have the right ingredients in the correct amounts in your kitchen ready to cook.

Each week, Sian provides you with five easy recipes to plan for the week. You can decide when to make them, on whichever day suits you best. There is also a shopping list (below) that can be printed ready to take with you to the supermarket.

This week's meal planner

• Grilled chicken with sweet pepper salsa and basmati rice
• Strawberry / raspberry cheescake
• Chicken and vegetable pasties
• Two potato cheesy mince pie
• Three cheese pasta
• Pan fried citrus glazed salmon
• Warm potato salad

Shopping list

Bakery goods

Ginger biscuits - 250grms
Caster sugar - 30grms

Cereal, grains, pasta

Cornflour - 15grms
Plain white flour - 2tsp
Basmati rice - 200grms
Pasta (preferably brown) - 200grms

Dairy, egg

Eggs - 1
Butter  (alternatively Flora Green) - 100grms
Butter  (preferably olive oil) - 15grms/mls
Cheddar cheese - 160grms
Brie cheese - 60grms
Goats cheese - 60grms
Cream cheese - 300grms
Parmesan cheese  or cottage cheese - 3tblsp
Double cream - 250grms
Natural yoghurt - 2 tblsp

Fats and oils

Olive oil - 30mls
Mayonnaise - 3tblsp

Fruit and fruit juice

Strawberries  or raspberries - 200grms
Fresh limes - 3

Herbs & spices

Mint - 20grms
Basil - 20grms
Ginger root - 1tsp
Paprika (dried) - 1 pinch

Meat, poultry and fish

Chicken fillets - 6
Salmon fillets - 4
Lean mince beef - 350grms

Store cupboard ingredients

Worcestershire sauce - 1tsp
Vegetable stock - 100mls
Chicken stock - 300mls
Beef stock - 600mls
Mustard - 1tsp
Ground black pepper - Pinch
Puff pastry - 150grms

Vegetables

Salad potatoes - 500grms
Garlic clove - 1
Onions - 3
Red pepper - 2
Yellow pepper - 1
Carrots - 6
Sweet potato - 2
Peas - 4 tblsp
Potatoes - 4 large
Green vegetable e.g  rocket for 3 cheese pasta - 1 bunch
Green vegetable for two potato e.g broccoli - 1 bunch
Lettuce (your choice) - 1 bunch
Cucumber - 1
Cherry tomatoes - 20
Spring onions - 1 bunch

Sian is a home economist with over 25 years experience as a secondary school teacher and now running her own private cookery school with a focus on meal planning. After years of seeing people struggling to provide healthy meals everyday for their families, she created her own meal planning system at Siansplan.com.