We thought it’d be useful to have a few quick and easy family recipes you can put together in case of a shortage of ingredients during lockdown, using long-life ingredients from your cupboard or freezer.
We’ve got a whole section dedicated to helping you and your little ones get through this uncertain time – from online classes and groups to things to keep them busy at home, free educational resources and craft ideas– see our ❤️Coping During Coronavirus section here ❤️
We looked for recipes that are:
- Family-friendly
- Cooked using as few ingredients as possible
- Cooked using ingredients you are likely to have at home already – check your cupboards, and the Use By date on each item.
We’ve included here:
- 10 family dinner recipes
- 10 family lunch recipes
- A shopping list*
*We’ve given you a list with the cupboard and frozen products you’ll need – not the fresh and chilled ingredients as these don’t last very long. But please remember to only buy what you need and keep other families in mind when you shop.
A few things to keep in mind…
- Canned foods are high in sodium. You may want to buy unsalted products when possible.
- Door delivery businesses like Milk & More may still be able to deliver chilled and fresh items during a lockdown; including dairy products, eggs, etc. Please check in your area.
- Canned fruit usually comes in syrup or juice, so it’s high in sugar. Not a healthy option in large portions but if you drizzle with a little condensed milk they make a yummy pudding.
- When using canned meat for casseroles, bring up the flavour with a little splash of red wine.
- Some supermarkets make tinned curries and casseroles, ready to heat up.
- Add a can of sardines in tomato sauce to tomato-based pasta like puttanesca, it’s delicious.
- You can buy frozen vegetables and other ingredients like chopped chorizo, and cook from frozen. But always check cooking instructions.
10 super easy family dinners
10 super easy family lunches
(F) Fish and seafood
(V) Vegetarian
(P) Pork
(B) Beef
Shopping List:
Carbohydrates |
Rice |
Microwave rice pouch |
Risotto rice |
Pasta |
Noodles |
Dry Pulses |
Red lentils |
Canned pulses |
Baked beans |
Black beans |
Canneli beans |
Chickpeas |
Kidney beans in spicy sauce |
Canned meat and fish |
Canned salmon |
Frankfurters |
Minced beef (with onion) |
Tuna |
Sauces and canned milk |
Chopped tomatoes |
Coconut milk |
Passata |
Plum tomatoes |
Salsa (ready-made) |
Canned condensed milk |
Canned Soup |
Your favourite flavours |
Canned Fruit and veg |
Sweetcorn |
Roasted peppers |
Carrots |
Canned potatoes |
Your favourite canned fruit |
Home baking |
Brown sugar |
Plain flour |
Self-raising flour |
Other pantry ingredients |
Balsamic vinegar |
Bouillon powder |
Capers |
Chilli powder |
Cumin |
Dried chillies |
Garam masala |
Ground coriander |
Lemon juice |
Mixed herbs |
Mustard |
Olive oil |
Olives (green and black) |
Oregano |
Sesame oil |
Soy sauce |
Stock (vegetable, chicken, beef) |
Sweet chilli sauce |
Tomato purée |
Turmeric |
White wine vinegar |
Crisps, crackers and other snacks |
Tortilla chips |
Tortilla wraps |