Nutrition on a budget
Recipes show how to prepare meals for R20-R40
AS HOUSEHOLD purse strings get tighter by the month, is it possible to provide nutritious meals on a small budget?
Saffura Khan, head of skills development at the South African National Zakah Fund (Sanzaf), a Muslim faith-based social welfare and education organisation, believes that a family of four can eat a nutritious meal for between R20 to R40.
“This amount equates to the cost of two large bottles of cooldrink. However, you can use that same amount of money to prepare a meal, and instead of having all that sugar from the cooldrink, you can have water in its replacement, which is much better for you,” said Khan.
She, together with the team at Sanzaf and KZN-based Willowton Group, have put together a book called Budget Beaters Recipe Book which contains dozens of recipes that cost under R40 to prepare.
The book contains recipes from vegetarian and meat dishes, to sweet dishes, stews, pastas and breads. The ingredients used in the recipes include chicken, tinned fish and soya products.
“It will appeal to people from all backgrounds who want to prepare meals that won’t cost too much to put together. The recipes contained here are also easy to put together. For us, another important factor is getting families to eat a meal together. It’s a simple act but has so much importance in bringing families closer,” she said.
The book stems from the organisation’s Budget Beaters programme, which is held in collaboration with the Denis Hurley Centre in central Durban.
“As part of the work we do at the centre, we provide food hampers to those in need. Some families have very little and we began to show people what meals can be made with a limited budget.
“Workshops are held at the Denis Hurley Centre and this Monday, August 28, we will be preparing a few of the recipes contained in the book, so people can taste what can be made with a small budget,” Khan said.
Another initiative stemming from the book, said Khan, was showing those who did not have access to electricity, what meals can be prepared.
“There are many homeless people who do not have a stove to use to prepare a meal.
“We held a workshop recently showing what can be made using no stove, yet it’s still nutritious, such as a baked beans salad and tuna salad,” she said.
The 150-page full-colour book costs R50, and Khan said she hoped people would purchase a copy and gift it to someone in need.
For more information, call Sanzaf on 031 309 6786.