Eating well on a tight budget: a store-cupboard list and how to stretch it

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When money is short, a well-stocked cupboard is what stands between you and an expensive last-minute takeaway. A store cupboard does not mean dozens of jars. It means a small set of long-lasting ingredients that combine into many different meals, topped up a little at a time. This guide gives a starter list, then explains how to make it go further.

The core list

You do not need all of this at once. Build it up over a few weeks, adding one or two items to each shop. Grains and starches

Rice, ideally a large bag, which usually costs less per portion
Dried pasta in one or two shapes
Porridge oats
Plain flour
Potatoes, kept somewhere cool and dark

Proteins

Dried red lentils
Tinned beans and chickpeas
Tinned fish such as sardines, mackerel or tuna
Eggs, which keep well in the fridge
Peanut butter

Vegetables and fruit

Tinned chopped tomatoes and tomato purée
Onions and garlic
Carrots, which last for weeks in the fridge
Frozen peas, spinach and mixed vegetables
Frozen fruit for porridge and yoghurt

Flavour

Stock cubes
Soy sauce
Dried herbs and a few spices such as cumin, paprika and curry powder
Vinegar and a lemon or bottled lemon juice
Cooking oil, salt and pepper

Why this list works

Almost every item appears in several meals. Tinned tomatoes, onions and garlic are the base for pasta sauce, chilli, curry, soup and shakshuka. Lentils go into dal, soup or a bolognese. Oats make breakfast, but also thicken a stew or form a crumble topping. The fewer single-use ingredients you buy, the less ends up wasted at the back of the cupboard.

How to stretch it

Plan around what you already have. Before shopping, look in the cupboard, fridge and freezer and plan meals that use them first. Write a list and stick to it.
Cook once, eat twice. A big pot of chilli or lentil soup costs little more in time than a small one. Portion and freeze half.
Bulk out with cheap ingredients. Add lentils, grated carrot or beans to mince dishes. Add frozen vegetables to pasta and rice.
Compare unit prices. Shelf labels usually show the price per kilo or per 100 grams. Bigger packs are often cheaper per unit, but not always, so check.
Try own-brand or value ranges. For staples such as rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes and oats, the difference is often small. Swap one item at a time and see what you notice.
Shop at the end of the day for reductions, but only buy what you can eat or freeze before the use-by date.
Use the freezer properly. Bread, cooked grains, grated cheese, chopped onions and portions of cooked meals all freeze well. Label everything with a date.

A sample day from the cupboard

Breakfast: porridge with frozen berries, or peanut butter on toast.
Lunch: lentil and tomato soup with bread.
Dinner: rice with chickpea curry made from tinned chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, spices and frozen spinach.
Snack: a piece of fruit or a boiled egg.

Keeping it healthy

Cheap does not have to mean unhealthy. The NHS Eatwell Guide suggests basing meals on starchy foods, choosing wholegrain where you can, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, and including beans, pulses, fish and eggs. Frozen and tinned produce counts towards your 5 A Day. Watch the salt in stock cubes and tinned foods by choosing reduced-salt versions or rinsing.

If money is very tight

If you are struggling to afford food at all, you are not alone, and there is help. Depending on where you live, local councils, food banks, community pantries and advice charities may be able to help, and some offer benefits checks to make sure you are getting everything you are entitled to. Your local council's website or a free debt advice service is a good place to start. What is in your store cupboard that you could not do without? Share your tips and favourite cupboard meals in the comments.