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Tesco £25 Food Shop Challenge
Think eating well on a budget is impossible? I put Tesco to the test with a £25 food shop and challenged myself to make breakfast, lunch and dinner using simple, everyday ingredients. In this blog, I’m sharing everything I bought, the cupboard staples that helped me make it work, the recipes I made, and a few easy tips to help you make your food shop go further.
Can I Make Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner for Under £25?
After putting Lidl to the test, it’s time to see what I can make with a £25 budget at Tesco.
With the cost of food still high, I know lots of people are looking for ways to make their weekly shop stretch further without sacrificing flavour or filling meals. So, I headed to Tesco with one goal – spend less than £25 and create simple, delicious recipes that are perfect for busy families, meal prep and anyone trying to save money. This week’s shop came to just £24.87, and from that I made:
Breakfast: Banana Bread with Greek Yoghurt & Fruit Compote
Lunch: Chicken & Stuffing Sandwiches
Dinner: Chicken Mince Dan Dan Noodles
Not bad for less than £25!
Can you really eat well on a £25 food shop?
Absolutely. The secret isn’t buying the cheapest food you can find – it’s choosing ingredients that give you multiple meals and using what you already have in your cupboards. Store cupboard staples like herbs, spices, flour, oats and tinned tomatoes can transform simple ingredients into meals that are packed with flavour, while planning your recipes before you shop helps reduce waste and stops unnecessary spending.
My top tips for shopping on a budget
If you’re trying to cut the cost of your weekly food shop, these are the things I always do.
Plan your meals before you shop
Knowing exactly what you’re cooking means you’ll only buy what you need and you’ll be much less tempted by impulse purchases. My meal planner is super handy for this!
Check your cupboards first
Before buying herbs, spices, oils or baking ingredients, see what you’ve already got at home. You’d be surprised how much money this can save over time.
Buy ingredients that work across multiple meals
Choosing ingredients that can be used in more than one recipe helps reduce waste and makes your budget go much further.
Don’t forget frozen food
Frozen fruit and vegetables are often just as nutritious as fresh, last much longer and are great value for money.
Batch cook where you can
Recipes like lasagne freeze brilliantly, making them perfect for meal prep or having a homemade dinner ready for those busy evenings.
My Tesco £25 Shopping List
These are the ingredients I bought for this week’s £25 Tesco challenge. Everything below came to around £25, and was enough to make breakfast, lunch and dinner, with plenty of ingredients used across multiple recipes.
Protein & Dairy
1 large whole chicken (1.7kg)
500g 5% fat chicken mince
Greek yogurt
Carbohydrates
Porridge oats
Medium egg noodles
Wholemeal bread loaf (used for both sandwiches and homemade breadcrumbs)
Fruit & Vegetables
Frozen mixed fruit
1 onion
Pak choi
Spring onions
Fresh parsley
Baking and Cupboard Bits & Bobs
Dark chocolate chips
Walnuts
Smooth peanut butter
Rice vinegar
Chinese 5-spice
Below are all the ingredients I already had in my cupboards, fridge and freezer, so they weren’t included in the £25 Tesco shop. If you cook regularly, you’ll probably already have a lot of these everyday staples at home, which can help keep your weekly food shop costs down.
- Bananas
- Self-raising flour
- Eggs
- Butter
- Light mayo (or extra butter)
- Olive oil
- Sesame oil
- Dark soy sauce
- Honey
- Garlic
- Chicken stock
- Lemons
- Dried mixed herbs
- Dried sage
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Chilli flakes
- Salt and pepper
Keeping your cupboards stocked with these everyday essentials means you can create a wide variety of budget-friendly meals without having to buy every ingredient each week. Many of these staples are used across multiple recipes, helping you save money and reduce food waste.
Breakfast: Banana Bread with Greek Yoghurt & Fruit Compote
This is one of my favourite budget-friendly breakfasts because it’s a brilliant way to use up overripe bananas that might otherwise end up in the bin. Made with simple cupboard ingredients like oats and flour, it’s filling, naturally sweet and easy to make. Serve it with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt and frozen fruit compote for a breakfast that’s packed with protein and fibre to keep you fuller for longer.
Lunch: Chicken & Stuffing Sandwiches
Buying a whole chicken is a great way to make your budget stretch further. You’ll get plenty of chicken for sandwiches, leftovers for other meals, and you can even use the bones to make homemade stock. Making your own stuffing with stale bread is another simple way to reduce waste and save money.
Dinner: Dan Dan Chicken Mince Noodles
These Chicken Mince Dan Dan Noodles are a budget-friendly dinner that’s packed with flavour and ready in just 20 minutes. Using affordable chicken mince, noodles and a simple sauce, it’s an easy way to feed the whole family without spending a fortune. Plus, the leftovers reheat really well, making it a meal you’ll happily come back to throughout the week.
Happy Cooking!
This Tesco challenge shows that with a little planning, you can create a week’s worth of delicious meals without spending a fortune. For less than £25, I made a filling breakfast, an easy lunch and a comforting dinner using simple supermarket ingredients, many of which you’ll probably already have in your kitchen.
Eating well on a budget doesn’t have to be complicated. By planning ahead, making the most of cupboard staples and choosing ingredients that stretch across multiple meals, it’s possible to save money while still enjoying homemade food. I’ll be putting another supermarket to the test next, so let me know where you’d like to see me shop!
Happy cooking!
Nathan 🙂
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