Controlling Portion Size Saves Money

One lb (454g) minced beef is on sale in Superquinn for €2, reduced from €4.69.

I bought 2lbs and made two lasagnas: four days dinners for two. Finally, we were able to resist the to resist the temptation for seconds –  normally we eat too much and are stuffed. It’s totally unnecessary and a waste of food that could be kept for more dinners. This time, however, we have enough for three days of more lasagna.

I usually find portion control quite difficult, especially with a dish such as this: if I make lots of food and it’s nice, I always want more. Ah, but this time:

• We bulked out on some home-made garlic bread, made using Superquinn bakery’s delicious  Hi-Fibre bread (€2.19)
• I only cooked enough lasagna for two while – from the same batch – preparing three dishes for the freezer (Assemble the freezer-bound lasagnas, don’t put them in the oven, freeze when cooled)
• For Italian food, finish the meal with a simple salad (rocket, celery, cherry tomato, red pepper, balsemic dressing). It helps in digestion and rounds off the appetite nicely – you’ll be unlikely to want any more rich, tomato, cheesy pasta

The total cost of eight generous portions of lasagna with ingredients from Superquinn (meat, onions, garlic, basil, cheddar cheese – €8.77) and from Lidl (1Lorganic milk for €1.19) – was €9.96. I already had tinned tomatoes and parmesan cheese. I’m pretty sure I could have made this cheaper while still using good quality ingredients.