Blog » Covid-19: 20 family meals from tins and frozen ingredients

Covid-19: 20 family meals from tins and frozen ingredients

A very useful blog from our one of our sister sites!

lockdown friendly meals

Covid-19 has brought lots of uncertainty to families in the UK. We all know a lockdown is likely to happen at some point soon, but it’s hard to predict exactly when.

Inevitably, many of us are thinking of ways to prepare ourselves and protect our loved ones. Many parents worry about how they’ll feed their families if people are not allowed to go out for a while, or if supermarkets struggle to stock items and we experience food shortages.

However, 12 of the biggest food retailers in the UK issued a joined statement over the weekend, aimed at reassuring the British public. In their words, they are working hard ‘to feed the nation’. They ask the public to remain calm and buy sensibly, and to avoid stockpiling items as there’s no need for it.

So we thought it’d be useful to have a few quick and easy family recipes you can put together in case of a lockdown, using long-life ingredients from your cupboard or freezer. 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

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