It’s a struggle to feed a family on a tight budget. Soaring food prices have put added pressure on cash-strapped families with some resorting to cheap processed food and failing to eat enough fruit and vegetables. But it is possible to tasty, nutritious meals without breaking the bank. On a tight budget? It's not that difficult to feed your family well if you plan all your meals and take advantage of special deals and offers . Tecso's spring chicken casserole has courgettes, tomatoes and butter beans and costs just £3.85 to make . All you need to to do is budget judiciously and shop wisely. And while it will take time and some organisational skills, it can be very rewarding. Do your grocery shop towards the end of the day when supermarkets start to fill up their discount shelves with food that will be going off in a days' time. It's also always worth planning exactly what you are going to cook and buying the right amount of ingredients for that meal. Also remember to do a little research before shopping; some own-store brands are just as good as big names and can cost considerably less than what you would normally pay. At £5, Sainsbury's crispy mash hash is the costliest recipe featured . In December 2014, mother of three Deanne Wilson, from Headlingley, Leeds, who relied on benefits after being forced to give up her job due to cancer, said that she could feed her entire family for £30 a week, . She said she uses the bulk of her budget to buy quality meat, before padding out meals with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. 'The food is marked down because it's going out of date in a day or so, but because I cook everything fresh every day it makes no difference,' she said. And just because you're eating on the cheap doesn't mean you have to keep to boring options as these four recipes, contributed by four leading supermarkets, show. Prices of all the meals featured here come up to £5 or less . Aldi’s feta, vegetable and rice bake . Ingredients . 400g Easy Cook Rice: 89p per kg . One courgette: 89p per 500g . One pepper: 49p each . 200g cherry tomatoes: 65p per 300g . 45g Solesta pitted black olives: 45p per 230g . 200g pack Feta Cheese: 89p per 200g . Store cupboard essentials: Red onion,eggs, dried basil, olive oil and salt and black pepper . Total: £4.89 . Method: Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5. Cook the rice as per instructions on the pack and allow to cool a little. Peel the red onion and chop into medium size chunks. Chop the courgette and the pepper to the same size as the onions and courgette. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Chop the feta into chunks the same size as the vegetables. Mix all the above along with the olives in a bowl with the olive oil and the basil. Beat the eggs, add the grated Parmesan cheese and mix with the rice. Grease the dish with some olive oil, spread the rice mixture over the base and up the sides of the dish. Pour the vegetable mix in the centre. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Cut into slices or quarters and serve. Sainsbury's crispy mash hash . Ingredients . 150g frozen chopped onions: £1.50 . Four teaspoons frozen chopped garlic: £1.25 . Two tablespoons frozen parsley: £1.25 . 700g frozen mashed potato: £1 . Store cupboard essential: Olive oil . Total cost: £5 . Method: Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the onions and garlic, and cook over a low heat for three minutes. Turn the heat up a little, add the mashed potato and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally until crisped up around the edges. Season with black pepper, scatter over the parsley and serve. Asda's pea and ham frittata . Ingredients . Frozen peas, 1 kilo bag:  £0.98 . Onion: £0.11 . Courgette: £0.41 . 70g pack wafer thin ham: £0.75 . Six eggs: £0.89 . Smart Price salad bag: £0.44 . Bag of four jacket potatoes: £0.98 . Store cupboard essential: Sunflower oil . Total cost: £4.06 . Method: Cook the peas on a pan. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and cook the onion and courgette for about five minutes, stirring often. Add the peas and ham and stir. Lightly beat the eggs, season and pour into the pan. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes or until the egg is almost set. Finish your dish under the grill to set the egg, then cut into wedges. Serve with salad and jacket potatoes. Tesco’s spring chicken casserole . Ingredients . Chicken thighs: £2.50 for 1lb . Loose brown onions: £0.16 . Loose courgettes: £0.30 . 400g can butter beans: £0.55 . 400g can chopped tomatoes: £0.34 . Total cost: £3.85 . Store cupboard essentials: Olive oil and one clove garlic . Method: Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5. Heat the oil in a large roasting tray on the hob. Season the chicken thighs and add to the tin. Fry for three to tive minutes, until browned all over. Remove and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and courgette to the tray and cook for three to four minutes.Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée and rosemary and simmer for one minute. Season, then return the chicken to the tray and add the butterbeans. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked.
The price of Asda's super saver meal includes a salad and a baked potato .
Cheapest option is Tesco's spring chicken casserole at £3.85 .
Sainsbury's choice of Crispy Mash Hash comes in at exactly £5 .
It’s a struggle to feed a family on a tight budget. Soaring food prices have put added pressure on cash-strapped families with some resorting to cheap processed food and failing to eat enough fruit and vegetables. But it is possible to tasty, nutritious meals without breaking the bank. On a tight budget? It's not that difficult to feed your family well if you plan all your meals and take advantage of special deals and offers . Tecso's spring chicken casserole has courgettes, tomatoes and butter beans and costs just £3.85 to make . All you need to to do is budget judiciously and shop wisely. And while it will take time and some organisational skills, it can be very rewarding. Do your grocery shop towards the end of the day when supermarkets start to fill up their discount shelves with food that will be going off in a days' time. It's also always worth planning exactly what you are going to cook and buying the right amount of ingredients for that meal. Also remember to do a little research before shopping; some own-store brands are just as good as big names and can cost considerably less than what you would normally pay. At £5, Sainsbury's crispy mash hash is the costliest recipe featured . In December 2014, mother of three Deanne Wilson, from Headlingley, Leeds, who relied on benefits after being forced to give up her job due to cancer, said that she could feed her entire family for £30 a week, . She said she uses the bulk of her budget to buy quality meat, before padding out meals with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. 'The food is marked down because it's going out of date in a day or so, but because I cook everything fresh every day it makes no difference,' she said. And just because you're eating on the cheap doesn't mean you have to keep to boring options as these four recipes, contributed by four leading supermarkets, show. Prices of all the meals featured here come up to £5 or less . Aldi’s feta, vegetable and rice bake . Ingredients . 400g Easy Cook Rice: 89p per kg . One courgette: 89p per 500g . One pepper: 49p each . 200g cherry tomatoes: 65p per 300g . 45g Solesta pitted black olives: 45p per 230g . 200g pack Feta Cheese: 89p per 200g . Store cupboard essentials: Red onion,eggs, dried basil, olive oil and salt and black pepper . Total: £4.89 . Method: Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5. Cook the rice as per instructions on the pack and allow to cool a little. Peel the red onion and chop into medium size chunks. Chop the courgette and the pepper to the same size as the onions and courgette. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Chop the feta into chunks the same size as the vegetables. Mix all the above along with the olives in a bowl with the olive oil and the basil. Beat the eggs, add the grated Parmesan cheese and mix with the rice. Grease the dish with some olive oil, spread the rice mixture over the base and up the sides of the dish. Pour the vegetable mix in the centre. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Cut into slices or quarters and serve. Sainsbury's crispy mash hash . Ingredients . 150g frozen chopped onions: £1.50 . Four teaspoons frozen chopped garlic: £1.25 . Two tablespoons frozen parsley: £1.25 . 700g frozen mashed potato: £1 . Store cupboard essential: Olive oil . Total cost: £5 . Method: Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the onions and garlic, and cook over a low heat for three minutes. Turn the heat up a little, add the mashed potato and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally until crisped up around the edges. Season with black pepper, scatter over the parsley and serve. Asda's pea and ham frittata . Ingredients . Frozen peas, 1 kilo bag:  £0.98 . Onion: £0.11 . Courgette: £0.41 . 70g pack wafer thin ham: £0.75 . Six eggs: £0.89 . Smart Price salad bag: £0.44 . Bag of four jacket potatoes: £0.98 . Store cupboard essential: Sunflower oil . Total cost: £4.06 . Method: Cook the peas on a pan. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and cook the onion and courgette for about five minutes, stirring often. Add the peas and ham and stir. Lightly beat the eggs, season and pour into the pan. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes or until the egg is almost set. Finish your dish under the grill to set the egg, then cut into wedges. Serve with salad and jacket potatoes. Tesco’s spring chicken casserole . Ingredients . Chicken thighs: £2.50 for 1lb . Loose brown onions: £0.16 . Loose courgettes: £0.30 . 400g can butter beans: £0.55 . 400g can chopped tomatoes: £0.34 . Total cost: £3.85 . Store cupboard essentials: Olive oil and one clove garlic . Method: Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5. Heat the oil in a large roasting tray on the hob. Season the chicken thighs and add to the tin. Fry for three to tive minutes, until browned all over. Remove and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and courgette to the tray and cook for three to four minutes.Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée and rosemary and simmer for one minute. Season, then return the chicken to the tray and add the butterbeans. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked.
right amount of ingredients for that meal. Also egg, then cut into wedges. Serve with salad and jacket potatoes. Tesco’s spring chicken casserole Mark 5. Heat the oil in a large roasting tray on is completely cooked.