under £10
Quick midweek meals under £10 (UK family of 4)
Some nights you don't want a project, you want tea on the table before the kids start chewing the table. These six meals all come in under £10 to feed four people, and the longest of them is 30 minutes start to finish.
Nothing fancy. No 14-ingredient "30 minute meals" that secretly take 90. Just proper midweek tea.
Total weekly shop: £38 to £42
the plan
A week of meals
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Monday
Egg fried rice with peas
5 minutes, £4 for four people. Cooked rice, frozen peas, two eggs, soy sauce. That's it.
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Tuesday
Tomato soup with cheese toast
A tin of soup each, slabs of cheese on toast in the grill. Twelve minutes.
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Wednesday
Pesto pasta with frozen veg
Boil pasta, stir through a jar of pesto, throw in frozen peas and sweetcorn. £6 the lot.
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Thursday
Sausage pasta bake
Sausages browned, chopped, mixed with pasta and a jar of sauce, cheese on top, oven for 15 minutes.
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Friday
Beans and cheese on toast
A proper Friday tea when nobody can be bothered. Tin of beans, cheese, thick-cut toast.
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Saturday
Chicken and veg stir-fry
Chicken breast strips, a bag of stir-fry veg, a jar of sauce, noodles. On the table in 15.
the trolley
Your shopping list
Grouped by aisle so you walk the shop once. Prices reflect a typical UK supermarket basic range.
Meat & fish
- Sausages 8-pack £2.00
- Chicken breast 500g £4.50
Fresh fruit & veg
- Onions 1kg £0.95
- Stir-fry veg 1 bag £1.30
- Bananas 6 £0.89
Frozen
- Frozen peas 1kg £1.40
- Sweetcorn 1kg £1.40
Cupboard staples
- Pasta 1kg £1.10
- Microwave rice 4 packs £3.00
- Noodles 4 nests £0.85
- Jar of pesto £1.80
- Jar of pasta sauce £1.20
- Stir-fry sauce £1.50
- Soy sauce £1.50
- Tomato soup 4 tins £3.20
- Baked beans 4 tins £2.60
Dairy & eggs
- Eggs 12 £2.50
- Cheddar 500g £3.80
- Butter 250g £1.80
- Milk 4 pints £1.95
Bakery
- Thick-cut wholemeal loaf £1.30
Prices are guides and may vary by store and region.
good to know
A few tips
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1
Microwave rice pouches are the unsung hero of midweek cooking. Two minutes, no pan, no wash-up.
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2
Always have one "nothing-in" dinner on the plan. Beans on toast on a Friday isn't lazy, it's smart batch energy management.
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3
A bag of frozen stir-fry veg in the freezer is your emergency tea for any night you'd otherwise order a takeaway.
your own plan
Want a plan built for your family?
These ready-made plans are a great starting point. For a plan that fits your exact budget, your dietary needs and the kids' fussy bits, make your own in about five minutes.
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