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Does good food have to be expensive?
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"Many say that good food is expensive. I dont think it necessarily have to be expensive, do you? Because quality food can be created with affordable ingredients and doesnt always have to be expensive ingredients. The key lies in skillful coking and with a nice presentation of it when you have cooked it, the key is to focus onfresh and whole foods, you can create delicious and satisfying meals without breaking the bank. What is your view about it, does good food have to be expensive and can you create it at home without breaking the bank, what tips would you give that one should focus on too? "There is definitely a real cost difference between fresh whole foods and processed meals, and not just in terms of money. Time, energy, and even kitchen space all play a role too. While a lot of people say it is cheaper to cook from scratch, the numbers do not always support that, especially when you consider access to these items too. For example, a ready meal like a pizza or chicken curry can cost just a few pounds and be ready in minutes, while buying fresh vegetables, meat, and all the seasonings to make it from scratch could easily double the price and take over an hour to prepare. A 1.2 kilogram whole chicken might be around a fiver, but then you need oil, seasonings, sides, and maybe stock if you are stretching it into soup. Meanwhile, a frozen chicken dinner is £2.50 and goes straight in the oven. That price gap matters when you are budgeting week to week. And yes, the cheapest whole foods like dried lentils, beans, or pearl barley can go far, but they also take the longest to prepare. If you are already stretched thin with work, family, or health issues, soaking beans for hours and cooking everything from scratch just might not be realistic. That time cost is often overlooked in these conversations. Then there is the assumption that people have a well stocked pantry of herbs, spices, sauces, and oils. But building up even a basic set of seasonings can be expensive, especially when you are starting from nothing. That is rarely considered when people talk about simple meals. Cooking good food is a skill, and for many people it is also a luxury. I am not going to judge someone for choosing fish fingers and chips after a long day on their feet, or because cooking drains the energy they need to get through the rest of their day. OP, I know you are not judging anyone, and your point is a fair one. But threads like this often drift into a divide between those who can and those who cannot, or choose not to. And the advice to just cook from scratch can feel disconnected from the real circumstances that many people face. | |||
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Luckily I like to eat rice quite a lot and have a cupboard full of spices, so just have to buy some meat and a a bit of veg and can always knock up something at a reasonable price. | |||
"Also the cost of pans, knives etc" I’ve just got myself a lovely new kitchen knife… never in my life did I think I’d reach an age where I get excited about a nice chef knife 😂 | |||
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"...there's 5 tubs in one of the freezer drawers at the mo......🤦♂️🤦♂️" 5 ..??!!  | |||
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Forward planning would include buying ingredients that I don’t necessarily need right now but are on reduced and can be frozen, then dragged back out when required, it all helps with the costs.
Does this mean I never buy precooked shite, no, sometimes plans don’t go right and I just want something hot and instant. | |||
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"Many say that good food is expensive. I dont think it necessarily have to be expensive, do you? Because quality food can be created with affordable ingredients and doesnt always have to be expensive ingredients. The key lies in skillful coking and with a nice presentation of it when you have cooked it, the key is to focus onfresh and whole foods, you can create delicious and satisfying meals without breaking the bank. What is your view about it, does good food have to be expensive and can you create it at home without breaking the bank, what tips would you give that one should focus on too? "Depends on the definition of good and expensive. Good fresh food, sourced locally, without additives, dyes, e numbers, hormones, chlorine is expensive. | |||
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"...there's 5 tubs in one of the freezer drawers at the mo......🤦♂️🤦♂️ 5 ..??!! "I'd have bought more, but didn't have space in the freezer. 😀 | |||
"Many say that good food is expensive. I dont think it necessarily have to be expensive, do you? Because quality food can be created with affordable ingredients and doesnt always have to be expensive ingredients. The key lies in skillful coking and with a nice presentation of it when you have cooked it, the key is to focus onfresh and whole foods, you can create delicious and satisfying meals without breaking the bank. What is your view about it, does good food have to be expensive and can you create it at home without breaking the bank, what tips would you give that one should focus on too?
There is definitely a real cost difference between fresh whole foods and processed meals, and not just in terms of money. Time, energy, and even kitchen space all play a role too.
While a lot of people say it is cheaper to cook from scratch, the numbers do not always support that, especially when you consider access to these items too. For example, a ready meal like a pizza or chicken curry can cost just a few pounds and be ready in minutes, while buying fresh vegetables, meat, and all the seasonings to make it from scratch could easily double the price and take over an hour to prepare. A 1.2 kilogram whole chicken might be around a fiver, but then you need oil, seasonings, sides, and maybe stock if you are stretching it into soup. Meanwhile, a frozen chicken dinner is £2.50 and goes straight in the oven. That price gap matters when you are budgeting week to week.
And yes, the cheapest whole foods like dried lentils, beans, or pearl barley can go far, but they also take the longest to prepare. If you are already stretched thin with work, family, or health issues, soaking beans for hours and cooking everything from scratch just might not be realistic. That time cost is often overlooked in these conversations.
Then there is the assumption that people have a well stocked pantry of herbs, spices, sauces, and oils. But building up even a basic set of seasonings can be expensive, especially when you are starting from nothing. That is rarely considered when people talk about simple meals.
Cooking good food is a skill, and for many people it is also a luxury. I am not going to judge someone for choosing fish fingers and chips after a long day on their feet, or because cooking drains the energy they need to get through the rest of their day.
OP, I know you are not judging anyone, and your point is a fair one. But threads like this often drift into a divide between those who can and those who cannot, or choose not to. And the advice to just cook from scratch can feel disconnected from the real circumstances that many people face."You are spot-on. I totally agree. This is people like Jamie Oliver really wind me up. They are so patronising. It’s easy for them. It’s easy for me actually I worked in restaurants from age 14 and love cooking but for a lot of people it’s damn hard. | |||
"Many say that good food is expensive. I don't think it necessarily have to be expensive," · If you can find me affordable caviar, truffles, saffron, gravlax and foie gras I would be much appreciated. 😉 | |||
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"I blame the education system, it is vital that domestic science, woodwork and metal work classes are reinstated to teach folks food prep, off cuts from woodwork to make fire and metal work to make some pans." And don't forget bartering skills | |||
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"I’m with . It doesn’t have to be expensive. If there’s only one or two of you then yeah it’s not that expensive to pop into M&S for meals. I cook for 3 or 5 every day and never buy ready meals. I work full time as well as lots of other commitments. I have very little spare time. Often I’ll get up half hour earlier and chuck everything in the slow cooker. I’ve never been a ready meal person, apart from them being pretty tasteless anyway. It would cost me a fortune to buy enough ready made lasagne to feed my lot! " Hi nora, yes, you are right there, it doesnt have to be expensive, that is good how you put everything in the slow cooker, as you dont have much time, same here. I have never been a ready meal person either. I like it cooked from fresh too | |||
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"Quality fresh foods do cost any lot more, and in my opinion is worth every penny. I also find it's cheaper in the long run for meats/fish as it has not much water coming out of it and it doesn't shrivel up. But yes, you can make good tasty food cheaply in some cases. And nothing wrong in a ready meal/processed food occasional. Again that's my opinion " Hi longleggedblond, yes, you are right there, it is worth every penny, no, there is nothing wrong with ready meal or processed food occasionally too | |||
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"I'd love to cook more from scratch. But living alone, unless I batch cooked and froze meals it's just not cost effective for me. It's not that I don't have the time. I just don't have the storage space. And buying smaller quantities of different ingredients is definitely more expensive per head than if you're feeding a family of four. Admittedly Farm Foods selling vegan Ben & Jerry's for 99p a tub is partially to blame as there's 5 tubs in one of the freezer drawers at the mo......🤦♂️🤦♂️" That is good. I also like to cook from scratch too | |||
"Everything seems to be expensive nowadays!
Luckily I like to eat rice quite a lot and have a cupboard full of spices, so just have to buy some meat and a a bit of veg and can always knock up something at a reasonable price."That is good you can do something at a reasonable price. I also like rice too | |||
"Forward planning, slow cooker, batch cooking
Forward planning would include buying ingredients that I don’t necessarily need right now but are on reduced and can be frozen, then dragged back out when required, it all helps with the costs.
Does this mean I never buy precooked shite, no, sometimes plans don’t go right and I just want something hot and instant. "Yes, it is important with forward planning too | |||
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"I think getting the ingredients together can be initially expensive Once you have the store cupboard well stocked, I think you can make good food relatively inexpensively It's knowing what you can put together using ingredients that you already have in that makes all the difference I make my own houmous I make my own chilli jam I make my own ice cream I make my own cereal topper Also, buy fresh plant herbs They can be re-grown to save you keep buying the pre-packed stuff, plus the kitchen windowsill near the sink smells awesome "Yes, once you have the store cupboard well stocked, it will be relatively inexpensively too | |||
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"Many say that good food is expensive. I don't think it necessarily have to be expensive, · If you can find me affordable caviar, truffles, saffron, gravlax and foie gras I would be much appreciated. 😉" None of that is good food. Saffron is a couple of quid from any Asian supermarket for 1g , considering you need about three or four strands for pan of rice it should last awhile and meet your budget | |||
"I spend £50-£60 a week at the supermarket Breakfast lunch tea & all household bits for myself & A hungry teenager I buy all my meat reduced , batch cook & freeze, bread I buy reduced & freeze Only take out what I need I make my own yogurt . Come august I’ll be out picking wild fruit to make crumbles & jam etc It can be done with planning & a big freezer " Smart. My chest freezer full of reduced meat and bagels 😂 Come and pick some fruit in my garden I have raspberries, blackcurrants, cherries, strawberries, blackberries, Logan berries i’m from next year Merlot grapes | |||
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