Jamie Oliver has revealed his “can’t do without” cupboard essentials that will save you money when cooking during the current financial squeeze.
Chickpeas, beans or pulses, as well as tinned tomatoes and flour, were rated as key ingredients, while chilli sauce, curry paste, and pesto were also said to be brilliant for transforming humble staples.
In addition, he also tipped three essentials from the freezer – peas, sweet potato, and garlic – as key ingredients for plenty of dishes.
His advice comes as a poll of 2,000 adults revealed more than four in ten (43%) intend to try and cut their spending on essentials this year amid the financial squeeze.
And Jamie reckons you could create meals from as little as 40p per head – but no more than £1 a portion – using such items as a base for at least a week’s worth of delicious dinners.
The chef has partnered with supermarket Tesco, which commissioned the research, to create value-friendly store-cupboard dishes to give shoppers inspiration.
He said: “Research shows many people are trying to find ways to spend less on their food shop this year, and looking for ingredients that will make more meals for less.
“For that, the store cupboard is your best friend. It’s a brilliant library of non-perishable items that have the ability to make lots of delicious, nutritious meals on a budget.
“To highlight the wonderful ways these hard-working ingredients can help in the kitchen, I've teamed up with Tesco to share my store cupboard essentials.
“I’ve also included seven delicious recipes using them, that come in from just 40p per portion when you take advantage of the supermarket’s Low Everyday Prices, Clubcard Prices, and Aldi Price Match.”
In a video, the Essex-born chef explains how items such as flour, lentils, and tinned tomatoes can not only save you time, but also money, when it comes to preparing meals for the family – as well as how much you could save by revisiting your store cupboard essentials.
The guidance was inspired by the findings of the study, which found increases in energy bills in colder months was the main reason respondents were looking to spend less on their food shop.
Of those looking to tighten their spending this year, 63% were planning to do so by using up all the items in their cupboards, and 62% will cook frozen items they already have.
To make their money go further, 37% intend to plan meals and only buy what they need, while the same percentage will sign up to loyalty schemes for discounts, and 31% plan to shop in reduced sections.
It also emerged bread, eggs, pasta, and rice were consumers' most essential items, alongside baked beans, either vegetable or olive oil, and packet seasonings.
And the low-cost dishes respondents default to when trying to save money are beans on toast, a jacket potato, and soups – while stews, omelettes, and pasta bakes are also popular.
But more than a fifth (22%) of those polled, via OnePoll, always use ingredients in the same way, because they lack inspiration.
As a result, Jamie Oliver has suggested some new dishes to help those looking for inspiration on how to use up their store cupboard ingredients – including Sweet Potato and Pepper Tikka Masala, Spicy Store Cupboard Soup, and Odds and Ends Arrabbiata Al Forno.
TOP 30 ITEMS SHOPPERS KEEP STOCKED IN THEIR KITCHEN:
- Bread, flat breads, and wraps
- Eggs
- Pasta
- Rice
- Baked beans
- Oil
- Seasoning
- Condiments
- Chopped tomatoes and/or tomato paste
- Frozen vegetables
- Cereal/granola/muesli
- Soup
- Porridge oats
- Flour
- Stock cubes
- Garlic and other herbs
- Sugar
- Tinned fish
- Biscuits
- Pasta sauce
- Frozen fish
- Chocolate
- Beans
- Frozen meat
- Noodles
- Vinegar
- Lentils and other grains (e.g. cous cous, quinoa, bulgur wheat, etc.)
- Jam/marmalade
- Tinned vegetables
- Honey
