Budget supermarket swap recipes

If you can find bunches of basil or other soft herbs at a reduced price, you can make a batch of homemade pesto – that’s often more cost-effective than buying jars, plus, you can use up herbs that are slightly past their best. Pine nuts are traditionally used to make pesto, but you can add almonds or cashews instead. And, while fresh pesto doesn’t keep for as long as jarred, you can freeze it in portions.

Satay sauce can be made in minutes – use it to marinate chicken, toss through noodles and stir-fries or dress a salad. A jar will keep in the fridge for up to a week. If you’re a fan of salads, you can also make classic French dressing: mix extra virgin olive oil with red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and a pinch of sugar with seasoning. Shake together just before using each time.

Homemade classic pesto

French salad dressing

Bread, flatbreads and pizza

If you want to save money and reduce food waste, start by baking your own bread. A simple white load made at home can cost about half the price of a shop-bought one, even when factoring in energy costs. Because homemade bread doesn't contain the same additives that mass-produced bread does, it has a shorter shelf life. Wrap your bread in a clean tea towel or bread bag and store in a bread bin to keep fresh. You can freeze loaves, or use leftover stale bread for breadcrumbs, bread and butter pudding or French toast. Flatbreads are also easy to cook yourself and often taste much better than any you can buy in a supermarket.

Alternative pizza base recipe ideas

Snacks and dips

Hummus without tahini with crunchy veg on the side

Snacks and dips often suffer from some of the most severe price-to-ingredient cost rations - after all, when we're hungry and reaching for something to fill the gap, cost isn't always our main priority. But, with a little planning, you can prevent spending too much money on expensive snacks.

Blitz a can of chickpeas, drained, in a food processor to make hummus. It will keep in the fridge for a week - serve with crunchy vegetable crudités or pittas. You can replace the tahini that's normally in hummus with peanut butter or leave it out all together.
If you suffer from mid-afternoon energy dips or often forget breakfast, combine porridge oats with any nuts and/or dried fruits you have to make snack bars that will keep you going until dinner. Wrap them in a baking parchment or beeswax wraps, and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Hummus

Hummus without tahini

Breakfast bars

Protein balls

Oaty hazelnut cookies

Find out which supermarket loyalty cards are worthwhile, plus how to get the most from them – see loyalty cards compared on Which.co.uk.