Top tips to help families manage meals on a budget

Families facing rising food bills and, in lots of cases, lower incomes, are being offered top tips and advice on how to manage mealtimes on a budget.

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Newcastle City Council’s public health team has produced an online information guide, including a video packed with tips, to help people plan meals.

As well as ideas for easy-to-make, low-cost meal options, the information also includes price comparisons of shop-bought products compared to home-cooked food, information about foods that can be frozen to avoid waste and tips for getting children involved in preparing family meals.

Cllr John Paul Stephenson, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and public health at Newcastle City Council, said: “We know that lots of families are facing higher food bills during the ongoing restrictions that are in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“In many households, with people not going out to work or to school, more meals are having to be provided at home which has had a big impact on the weekly shop.

“And some families, particularly those whose household income has gone down or whose children who would normally get free school meals, are really feeling the pinch.

“We’ve pulled together lots of information and advice that will hopefully help and inspire people to plan healthy and nutritious meals that won’t break the budget.”