Top tips for cooking on a budget
Senior Food Editor
Heather Taylor
Budget cooking tips
We’re all looking for ways to save on the family shop, but that doesn’t mean compromising on flavour. A little planning and organisation can help you reduce food waste, get organised and spend less. Our Remarksable Value range, available across the Foodhall on everything from store cupboard staples to fresh M&S Select Farms fruit and veg, omega-3 enriched free-range eggs and slower-reared, higher welfare Oakham Gold chicken, is a clever way to get the quality food you love at great everyday prices. Plus, keep reading for our batch cooking recipe ideas, expert hacks and tips to help you eat amazing food while sticking to your family's food budget.
Plan your meals
Establish your family's food budget first, then get planning. Spending some time at the weekend writing a meal plan will help you only buy what you need and saves your mental energy, too. Get the family involved so everyone knows what’s coming, and leave a night or two free for some treats (check out our Pizza Night Dine In menu for when you don’t fancy cooking). Before you start, ‘shop your cupboards’ and fridge to determine whether you’ve got foods you’d like to use up, and use this as a base for your recipes. We’ve got hundreds of flavour-packed, budget-friendly ideas online.
Stock up on great value basics
Having some store cupboard staples on hand means you’ll always have a range of budget-friendly dinner options. Our Bigger Pack, Better Value range includes everything from 100% traceable British beef mince to tinned tomatoes, pasta and rice, all of which are handy staples to draw from. Think of your store cupboard a bit like a capsule wardrobe that’s full of the building blocks of delicious dinners, be it risotto, pasta bake or curry – then ‘accessorise’ with seasonal veg, protein and other ingredients that take your fancy.
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Save food from the bin
Taking a few simple measures to reduce your food waste can help you save money in the long run. Whether you start by designating an “Eat Me First” section in your fridge (to keep on top of food on the turn), switch up how you plan your meals or make dressings using that last bit of the pesto jar, soon you’ll be saving food from the bin, reducing meal prep and saving some cash, too.
Next time you’ve got overripe bananas, make this peanut butter banana muffins recipe.
Go big on batch cooking
If you’ve got a little extra time at the weekend, invest it in some meal prep to reward your future self. This doesn’t necessarily mean eating the same dish every night. Try roasting a big tray of seasonal veg, such as squash, red onions and courgettes, ready to be tossed through pasta, blitzed into sauces and served with grains and houmous for a quick packed-lunch. Add a few jacket potatoes to the oven at the same time, which can be eaten as they are with beans or tuna (both part of our Remarksable Value range). Or halve cooked potatoes and remove the flesh, mix with our Remarksable Value cheddar and a finely diced onion, load back into the skins and bake until bubbling.
Eat seasonally
Not only does in-season produce taste better, but it’s usually a cost-effective choice, too. Check out Tom Kerridge’s seasonal guide to see what’s at its best right now, and look out for our Fresh Market Specials fruit and veg at the front of the Foodhall. They change with the seasons, offer brilliant value, and are our sourcing experts’ choice.
Embrace your slow cooker
Slow cookers are a weeknight lifesaver for anyone wanting to save money and time in the kitchen. They’re energy-efficient, ideal for prepping large meals with zero effort and great for turning affordable cuts of meat into tender, flavourful dishes. Stock up on everyday essentials from our quality Remarksable Value range or Bigger Pack, Better Value staples, and get ready to make the most of your slow cooker.
Here are some of our favourite slow-cooker recipes:
Got leftovers? Pop them in the freezer…
Fill the freezer
Frozen food is great value, packed at its peak for freshness, and, since you only use what you need, eating more of it will help you cut down on waste. Stock up on great value staples like our frozen peas – picked and packed within 48 hours to lock in the flavour – and fish and seafood, which is 100% responsibly sourced. Frozen mixed berries are a budget-friendly choice, and as good blitzed into smoothies as they are topped with apples and crumble then baked.
New ways with old favourites
Whether it’s a bag of frozen peas, a pack of mince or a tin of tuna, we’ve all got those trusty, budget-friendly ingredients we turn to again and again. Shake up the routine with these mouth-watering ways to use everyday, money-saving staples.
Save some new recipes
We’ve got lots of budget-friendly recipe ideas online using M&S quality, Remarksable Value ingredients. Not sure where to start? Head to our budget family meal plan, which includes five days of wallet-friendly dinners, from oozy spinach and cheese strata (pictured) to French fry-topped cowboy pie and a vibrant green bean spaghetti. Login to save all five to your own personalised meal plan so you can see them at a glance.
More budget recipes we love:
Published 12.27.2024
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