 Claire Gillies, 45, has taken to the internet to share how she's able to feed her family delicious and nutritious in the cost of living crisis. Mum Claire says her favourite dishes include a healthy aubergine and lentil meal that comes in at just 63p a portion, and butternut squash mac and cheese for less than £1 per portion. The primary school teacher credits her upbringing with how she's been able to get creative with her food budget during these tough times. For Claire, from Harpenden, UK, nutrition is vital, and started to take cooking healthy meals from scratch seriously back in 2017 when she was beset by family tragedies. First, her father passed away from cancer, shortly followed by her brother, who died of the same illness a year later, and then her other brother, who had a heart attack. Claire said: 'We didn't have much money when I was growing up, and my mum had three children to cook for. 'I do not want to spend hours in the kitchen' (Picture: @deliciousandreal/ CATERS NEWS) 'There wasn't as much processed food back then. My mum would always be cooking potatoes and vegetables, and when I started thinking of my own healthy, cost-cutting recipes, I knew I wanted them to be simple. 'I do not want to spend hours in the kitchen. My meals are cheap, healthy, and you can cook an average one in about half an hour. 'For me, meal planning is the number one way to keep your costs down. If you have a plan, then you know exactly what you need to buy. You aren't going to be as easily tempted by special offers in the shops. Claire recommends batch cooking where you can (Picture: @deliciousandreal/ CATERS NEWS) 'Ingredient-wise, I keep costs down by shopping around. Once a month, I go to Aldi and I stock up on all of my store cupboard essentials because they're so much cheaper there.' One of Claire's favourite go-to recipes is a pasta bake, which can be made for){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Claire Gillies, 45, has taken to the internet to share how she’s able to feed her family delicious and nutritious in the cost of living crisis.
Mum Claire says her favourite dishes include a healthy aubergine and lentil meal that comes in at just 63p a portion, and butternut squash mac and cheese for less than £1 per portion.
The primary school teacher credits her upbringing with how she’s been able to get creative with her food budget during these tough times.
For Claire, from Harpenden, UK, nutrition is vital, and started to take cooking healthy meals from scratch seriously back in 2017 when she was beset by family tragedies.