Gabbie S

Well "30p" Lee Anderson, Tory MP, would be proud of me these past couple of days. I've made homemade triple mushroom soup with leftover/reduced price mushrooms, my own blend of hummus & roasted chickpeas from my dried goods store in my cupboard & roasted aubergines from my Oddbox subscription box (saving fruit & veg from going to landfill) - which I was going to whip into a smoky melizanosalata dip, but they tasted so nice I ate them as they were. Plan for today, Zucchini cake & banana bread. You can eat well on a budget if you are careful. BUT... as Mr Anderson & the Government forget, people need a home where they can cook, have enough income to be able to afford food in the first place & fuel to cook with. Not to mention a safe appliance to cook on, the knowledge, skills expertise & good physical/mental health to be able plan ahead, purchase, transport & store food safely. Furthermore, access to the internet to shop around to get the best deals & have enough time & energy, especially if they are working more than one job, which for too many folk on a low income is a reality these days. It also assumes that your children will happily eat what you prepare - woe betide if you have a child with neurodiverse needs who simply can't cope with your menu, no matter how healthy, due to taste/texture aberrations so rely on staple "beige" convenience foods & takeaways for their nutrition. Yet thanks to Mr Anderson & others like him we are judged when the circumstances for our choices are so much more complex.