Strictly Cheese Sandwiches

GrannyGravy13

Doodledog Blimey, I have just had a sandwich for lunch which included lettuce and tomatoes that I purchase over two weeks ago, still perfectly fresh and tasty.

I buy fresh veggies every 7-10 days, only very occasionally have they gone past their best during that time.

Same in our kitchen.

We do use more spinach, rocket, kale, cos, cabbage - I think those last better into 2nd week than butterhead or red loose.

Rocket grows well, 8-9 mos a year, trim often - keeps on.

I’m in north Norfolk Doodledog. Of the salad items I purchased last week only the tomatoes (still perfect and would certainly have lasted longer) were imported. The rest was grown in the UK. All the veg I purchased was also homegrown.

Doodledog Blimey, I have just had a sandwich for lunch which included lettuce and tomatoes that I purchase over two weeks ago, still perfectly fresh and tasty.

I buy fresh veggies every 7-10 days, only very occasionally have they gone past their best during that time.

Lucky you. I find that salad goes off much more quickly since Brexit. Maybe it depends how close you are to the ports where it sits for ages before getting to the shops.

I have a weekly supermarket delivery which includes salad items, vegetables and fruit for the whole week. Everything keeps well for the week. I have just eaten a salad made with items delivered last Tuesday - perfectly fresh. I never run short or find things are going off. I plan the week’s meals in advance and buy what I will need. No waste.

I've been on my own all week with no Mr D to get shopping in the car, and it has really brought home to me how difficult it is to eat fresh food every day when you can't get to a shop.

I have a fridge and a freezer here, but things like salad can't be frozen and don't last a week even in a fridge. I'm going home for a couple of days and plan to come back on Friday for another week on my own. I have just been doing a Sainsbury order for Mr D to pick up when he drops me off, and I had this thread in my mind when I was populating my list. By far the easiest way is to buy carbs and more carbs, as at least they freeze or keep for long periods. I am trying to keep to a low carb diet just now, so am a bit stuck, and I can afford to pay over the odds for food if I want to. I can buy nutritious items for the main part of a meal, but the accompaniments are much more difficult if I want them to last beyond Tuesday.

As I said upthread, without a car the choice would be to get a bus or a taxi (a bus is not available to me from where I am) and someone on a low income won't have that option. I'll manage, but if I were trying to feed four people with those constraints I don't think I'd be able to do that without bread, potatoes and pasta, and I can see the appeal of a pizza (in fact I would kill for one, although that could be because I've had a very low carb week and I'm missing them )

M0nica (for the) Price of tomato slice, a few rocket leaves, a slice of tofu - if not a sum under 30p quite close. Sandwiches, as you know only use small bits of veg. My weekly shop of tomatoes and rocket will last all week. I drain, press, slice tofu, marinate, spice, fry. Wrap slices. Freeze. A box makes 10 sandwiches.

Comments like the above make me realise what an alternative world so many people on this thread live in and how judgmental they are.

Where in the inner cities and food deprived areas of this country do you find shops selling tofu and bags of rocket at prices that any one trying to feed a family on £50 a week would even think of buying? How many of these families would even know what tofu is or where to buy it?

Well, M0nica, you quoted me, replying to a question of what we eat in sandwiches. The person asked about meatless and cost.

I said what our sandwiches that day consisted of. Quite cheap food one can find anywhere. I also said what our other usual sandwiches contain: "Chick pea salad, avocado fava salad, mushroom and pickled onions, veg and avocado, crispy tofu, hummous peanut or almond butter. Aquafaba mayo (chickpea boiling liquid). Anything really, without meat or cheese."

I stand by what I posted. Not judgmental, a factual answer to what we eat.

Everyone knows tofu, it exists, has for decades. Some may think they don't like tofu, doesn't mean it's not available and reasonable. Same with pulses, dry chick peas, rocket and tomatoes.

Ann Widdecombe made a wrong comment.

I also posted: "I suspect if we are not poor we really have no idea what goes on in the homes of poor people with children. It must be quite hard, perhaps not judging others would do us well?

We all need basic nourishing food, heated homes, clothing, transport - everyone has those needs, or it seems so to me."

"Quibbling about cheese, bread, and sandwiches solves nothing, perhaps we need to vote for people who can put good policy in place."

Poverty is not restricted to families with children. It affects households of all ages and compositions.

It is children that twang the heart strings, but adults caught in the poverty trap are just as deserving as children.

I thought you were an advocate of the markets found in towns and cities and selling veg very cheaply MOnica? Why suddenly apply supermarket prices? And assume that poor people won’t know what tofu is? How pretentious. No need to be so harsh about Norah’s costed food choices.
My husband is also descended from people who fled the Irish potato famine. We will never know what happened to the family members who didn’t come to England.

Quite Blondiescot. Poor little poppets going to school hungry. And then growing up to repeat the cycle.

And as I always say on threads which end up like these, whatever the reasons why children are going hungry, let's not forget that it is never the fault of the child.

(for the) Price of tomato slice, a few rocket leaves, a slice of tofu - if not a sum under 30p quite close. Sandwiches, as you know only use small bits of veg. My shop of tomatoes and rocket will last all week. I drain, press, slice tofu, marinate, spice, fry. Wrap slices. Freeze. A box makes 10 sandwiches.

Comments like the above make me realise what an alternative world so many people on this thread live in and how judgmental they are.

Where in the inner cities and food deprived areas of this country do you find shops selling tofu and bags of rocket at prices that any one trying to feed a family on £50 a week would even think of buying? How many of these families would even know what tofu is or where to buy it?

It is so easy for those of us with adequate incomes and a choice of supermarkets and the time to price shop around them, the kitchens to spend time cooking in and the knowledge that comes from the above to have a knowledge of the wide range of foodstuffs and eating patterns that we can choose from.

When, as Glorynanny points out those with very limited budgets face the difficulties accessing any food shops that she describes and are more likely to be ill or disabled or have disabled members of their families to care for, one cannot but think back to Marie Antoinette and her comment when told the poor could not but bread suggested they ate cake, except, I understand that story is apocryphal.

I am descended from Irish immigrants, who fled Ireland during the potato famine of the 1840s. A nation reduced to living only on potatoes because it was the only crop to feed a burgeoning population, when legislation limited what else they can do. Corn was grown to be sold to pay rent. The British government and public blamed the irish for their own poverty and dependence on one crop.

It is depressing in th extreme to read so many posts that show that too many people in this country still think like mid-19th century Conservative politicians and blame the poor for their plight and criticise their food choices.

Glorianny sorry I can only speak for myself but I am totally aware how poor people/families struggle and the decisions they have to make on a daily basis.

I think a lot of us think we know how the poor live. But there are many kinds of poor. The vicar with several children, the nurse who’s a single parent, the very low paid working two jobs, the family living on benefits, the family with a big mortgage or rent that leaves little over to buy much else, and so on. And only poster thought fit to comment on my very pertinent post about those at the bottom of the heap who don’t feed their children hardly at all, and I pointed out some of the reasons. It was ignored. Probably what most don’t want to hear.

I've just read through this thread and it brought home to me how little some people know about the way others live.
Being poor today is much worse than it ever was.
You are likely to be living in expensive private rental property instead of a reasonably priced council house.
Your house is liable to be in an area some distance from a decent supermarket and your nearest shop will be an over-priced newsagents which stocks a small range of expensive/carb rich food.
You will pay more for your energy because you are likely to have a coin meter which costs loads more.
Travel by bus is more expensive but if you have a job you will need to use it or have a car.
You will probably be on a zero hours contract at minimum wage

DD buys family packs of wafer thin ham for the GC, the cost in Aldi is £2.19 (last Friday) exactly the same product £5 in Lidl (also last Friday)

Whenever I pop into Aldi I pick one up for her rather than her adding it to her lunch time shopping basket when at work.

There is a huge Lidl next door to where she works, and her and her co-workers have begun to notice that some things have sky rocketed in price but stayed cheaper in Aldi. Whilst things that have sky rocketed in Aldi have remained cheaper in Lidl.

Makes you wonder if they are conspiring with each other?

MOnica Thank you for your post. I think you know where I'm coming from on this. I'm fairly health savvy and I understand quite a bit about nutrition - especially if it's related to my own situation, so I'm not somebody who buys rubbish food or doesn't know what to do with food. I know - because I've met them - that there are many other people in the same situation.

We've found a way of eating which works for us. We don't have much choice because there are constraints about cost and health benefits.

After years of trial and error, I've found a way of eating that is good for me, I can afford and I can maintain without feeling that I'm constantly depriving myself of things I'd like to eat.

Unfortunately, most of those items have rocketed in price. For example, I buy a big pot of Greek-style yoghurt every week. I eat it for breakfast or dessert and put a dollop in soups to increase the protein and fat and IMO improve the taste. It's almost doubled in price over the last year. That's probably the biggest increase I've noticed, but other items I use regularly have increased by over 30% too, which means that my total food bill would be unaffordable, if I didn't have access to free food every week. I'm strict about not spending more than £25 a week on food, which includes coffee and tea. Until the beginning of the year, it was £20.

I've stopped my Tesco delivery because they've increased the price and increased the minimum spend, although I'm not sure how much that saves because I now have to factor in fuel and it's not so easy to monitor how much I'm spending. I've also stopped buying bottled water, which unfortunately means I don't drink much water now because our tap water is so horrible.

For me, I have a "backstop", if the worst came to the worst, but I don't like sponging. Many people don't have the support I do.

But Dickens, it's not just about having knowledge. Many people do have the knowledge to prepare meals on a shoestring budget and have been doing so for years. The fact is that food prices have risen on average 19% over the last year - more if you're already buying the basics - and there just isn't anything spare to cover that cost.

The argument that people don't know how to cook is victim-blaming.

We need a better system of taxation, and I'd also like to see government intervention to regulate the prices of utilities and basic food. Nobody should be even thinking about making 30p meals - it's ridiculous in a country that may be sliding down the tables, but is still one of the richest in the world

This.

I would add that budgeting, cooking from scratch with carefully selected ingredients, planning meals in advance, etc, all takes time and knowledge.

A working mother on ZHC, juggling family and work might not have the time nor the knowledge - or the time to even gain the knowledge that you need to be able to plan your family's meals. And if you are on ZHC, budgeting is difficult.

Someone I know is in this position. She needs more income and is trying to take on a second job in addition to her current ZHC. It's virtually impossible because she needs to be available at the drop of a hat. On one occasion, both employers needed her - not exactly at the same time, but one slot impinged on the other, so she had to turn down one 'offer'. And that usually works against you. She's been offered nothing further from the company she had to 'let down'. The company she works for really could use a full-time employee, but, it's cheaper for them to employ more people on ZHC.

This is your "flexible" labour market. This is often why jobs aren't filled and why companies are short-staffed. This woman is low-skilled, but is wanting and willing to work. She needs full-time, or part-time, guaranteed hours - but locally, there's nothing on offer.

I called in on her the other day with some shopping I'd got for her on my own online shop, she and the kids were sitting down to a breakfast of sardines on toast with thinly sliced tomatoes on top - she knows that sardines are cost-effective and a healthy food option. She's poor, having a rough time, but keeps her head above water. When I listen to people like 30p-Lee and Widdicombe pontificating about people like her, it makes my blood boil.

growstuff I am in agreement with you. We all make our own personal decisions about which of the huge variety of food stuffs available on this planet that we want to eat and most of us have reasons for our choices.

However, what sticks in my craw are all those people who believe that their food decisions somehow come with a heavy coating of moral rectitude and make them morally superior to anyone who makes other food choices - and you only have to read this thread to see how ubiquitous this attitude is.

Quibbling about cheese, bread, and sandwiches solves nothing, perhaps we need to vote for people who can put good policy in place.
This is the only way to move forward, I think. As long as we have people on wages that don't pay the bills, policies that encourage people to stay on lower hours in case they lose benefits, zero hours contracts, unaffordable housing and expensive utilities then no amount of lectures on 'making ends meet' will be of any use.

It is easy for me to cook from scratch and make tasty meals, as I can afford the fuel and have a pantry full of herbs, spices and condiments that add flavour. I usually just have to shop for the main ingredients when I make a meal, as the 'incidentals' are already in the kitchen.

I picked up a book in The Works which is called something like Vegetarian £1 Meals (I'm not at home so can't check the exact title), and yes, you can make some interesting things for under £1 a portion, but that assumes that you have seasonings as well as things like soy sauce and tahini, and that you are making enough to be able to use a small handful of chopped herbs or one sheet of lasagne each, and not have to buy a large bag or a pack of pasta to make a meal for one. Even doubled up, it would be impossible to make them for £1 a portion if you have to do that.

Also, there is often an assumption that everyone lives near an outdoor market where you can pick up a punnet of this or a bag of that for peanuts, which many (if not most) people don't. I live in a market town, but the market is once a week when a lot of people are at work, and it sells farm produce at a higher price than the supermarket. My nearest large supermarket is a car drive away, so if you don't drive and can't afford delivery you need to pay ££ for a taxi or only buy what you can carry on the (expensive and irregular) bus. That makes it difficult for people to have fresh food all week, as things go off before the next shop. There's M&S food hall, and a high street grocer, but both are expensive and the grocer is closed before most people are back from work. It's not surprising that a lot of people are struggling, and it must be galling to have people (like me) who are used to having Sainsbury's bring the weekly shop and top it up from the farmers' market telling them that they just need to plan and budget better.

We need a better system of taxation, and I'd also like to see government intervention to regulate the prices of utilities and basic food. Nobody should be even thinking about making 30p meals - it's ridiculous in a country that may be sliding down the tables, but is still one of the richest in the world.

Fleurpepper

Would be a really worthwile discussion and exchange - but we have moved a looong way away from the OP, AW's comment on cheese sandwiches.

Indeed.

Sorry I answered as to our own - decidedly not - cheese diet.

Do carry on about AW's comment.

Fleurpepper

Would be a really worthwile discussion and exchange - but we have moved a looong way away from the OP, AW's comment on cheese sandwiches.

Sorry yes we have. I meant only to answer Growstuff's question, not recommend any sort of diet. Her questions just seemed to indicate that she was looking for plant proteins with no carbs. I can't see a problem for you Growstuff if you aren't vegan.

Would be a really worthwile discussion and exchange - but we have moved a looong way away from the OP, AW's comment on cheese sandwiches.

Choughdancer --- Yes, I forgot tahini, use it daily.

Good in many recipes. Wonderful in salad dressings/ sauces, necessary in houmous, good in baked goods.

We make a lovely asparagus/ mushroom dish (LOTS of mushrooms), on quinoa with tahini dressing, sesame seeds on top - complete protein. Add a few slices of bread, green salad, fruit. Done!