When you've got a busy working week, it's easy to end up spending more than you intended to on your lunches, but a bit of preparation can make all the difference. Now a money-savvy chef has shown how she makes up five tasty lunches for just £5, and it really couldn't be easier.
Thrifty foodie Mimi, who runs healthy eating platform Beat the Budget, describes this dish as one of her "favourite meal prep lunches", declaring "it's so filling, it's freezable and sooo delicious." All the ingredients come from ASDA’s brand-new Just Essentials range, adding up to a total cost of just £5.63.
Taking to TikTok, Mimi, who goes by the username @beatthebudget, began by chopping up one onion (10p) and a garlic bulb (39p), frying these together in a pan with oil and a sprinkling of chili flakes.
She then grated some ginger (50p) into the pan, seasoning the ingredients with a pinch of cumin, before chucking in some dried lentils (£1.35) and filling the pan with stock.
After garnishing the dish with some fresh coriander (50p), Mimi allowed everything to simmer for a bit before pouring in some spinach (£1) and a can of coconut milk (85p).
Popping the lid on, clever Mimi allowed everything to simmer until her ingredients were soft enough to blend, adding a tin of chickpeas (41p) before serving up with rice (48p) in five separate portions.
The finished result looked hearty and delicious, leaving Mimi with enough lunches to last right through from Monday to Friday.
At the time of writing, Mimi's video has clocked up 12.9K likes and counting, and a number of her followers are keen to give it a whirl for themselves.
One person wrote: "This looks so good."
Another approved: "Yummy."
For those curious to discover more affordable recipes, Mimi is releasing a book called Beat the Budget in June. The book is available for pre-order on Amazon now for £14.29.
Do you have a foodie hack to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
