The Trolley Challenge: Only Buying Real Food.

[Kazbah]

I don't buy biscuits at all ... DH sometimes buys BBQ shapes but that's it (unless I'm stocking for biscuit bases for slices).

There's a great thread on here - "the jar alternative" or something similar ...

Unfortunately cookbooks like "4 Ingredients" rely heavily on pre-packaged food as the ingredients, so the meals are rather expensive. I like the challenge of getting a Veg basket once a fortnight and cooking from there. Ensures variety of veg and what's in season

And TBH, most people I know are surprised when they come over and I serve them scones, I find it very easy and they find it hard!!! I mean, really - you can't get much easier and yummy fresh!

[cindyb]

I have been shopping at butchers warehouses and f&veg markets for atleat the last 12 months and have to say I have got my food shopping down to about $150 per fortnight for our family of 4. we do one supermarket shop about every 6 weeks which is when i get my cans of tomatoes and tomato paste and cheeses etc but apart from that we go to the local milk bar for bread/milk and thats it.

I have heard that the trick with supermarkets is to shop around the edges...

[Pandora]

I have been shopping at butchers warehouses and f&veg markets for atleat the last 12 months and have to say I have got my food shopping down to about $150 per fortnight for our family of 4. we do one supermarket shop about every 6 weeks which is when i get my cans of tomatoes and tomato paste and cheeses etc but apart from that we go to the local milk bar for bread/milk and thats it.

I have heard that the trick with supermarkets is to shop around the edges...

Cool Cindy Im coming over and you can teach me.

[cindyb]

I'll take you shopping rach! for sure! the trick I think is having a chest freezer so i can buy meat in bulk and then all my tupperware for my fridge! But you of all people know all about the tupper

[beetle]

Bathsheba that lemon butter sounds delicious! I will have to try making my own.

I believe the grandma diet you guys are talking about is from Michael Pollan's great book "In Defense of Food". I highly recommend it.

"Food. There's plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it?

Because most of what we're consuming today is not food, and how we're consuming it -- in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone -- is not really eating. Instead of food, we're consuming "edible foodlike substances" -- no longer the products of nature but of food science. Many of them come packaged with health claims that should be our first clue they are anything but healthy. In the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become. "

[Mak]

Good ideas - I have been trying to cook as much from scratch as possible and get back to basics with our food. I had gestational diabetes and was amazed at the difference eating home cooked vs prepared items made to my blood sugar levels. Not that I should be surprised I guess but the difference was astounding - so I have resolved to make a few permanent changes, without turning the rest of my family into rebellious eaters!!!
Is it appropriate to ask for any recommendations for F&V markets/wholesale butchers in SE melb?

[Bathsheba]

Regarding recommendations: I find that as well as shopping at Farmers markets you can also find some good quality real food at places like Leo's and Phillipas (supermarket and bread). In Melbourne we are spoilt for choice... it's only that sometimes I find I have limited time and have to try to get everything at one place ie Coles/Safeway instead of going around all the specialty places. In an ideal world I would have the time to go and hand-pick everything from the best outlets. At least once a month I do... but sadly not every weekend.