🌴 Budget-Friendly Caribbean Meal Plan (Dairy & Egg-Free, Child-Friendly)

 

🌴 Budget-Friendly Caribbean Meal Plan (Dairy & Egg-Free, Child-Friendly)

🛒 My Updated Shopping List (with Prices & Stores)

Here’s what I bought this week, all on a tight budget, from Lidl, my local fruit & veg market, and the Caribbean shop:

Item	Store	Price
🍌Bananas (1 bunch)	Fruit & Veg Market	£1.50
🍉 Watermelon (1/4 or small piece)	Fruit & Veg Market	£2.00
🍇Grapes (2 small boxes)	Fruit & Veg Market	£2.50 (2 for £5 offer)
🍌Plantain (3 pieces)	Fruit & Veg Market	£2.00
🥥 Coconut milk (2 tins)	Lidl	£0.89 each → £1.78
🫘Kidney beans (2 tins)	Lidl	£0.55 each → £1.10
🫘Butter beans (1 tin)	Lidl	£0.55
🐟Grace mackerel in tomato sauce (1 tin)	Caribbean Shop	£1.69
🐠Sardines (4 tins)	Lidl	£0.49 each → £1.96
🥕Carrots (2 bags, 1kg each)	Lidl	£0.47 each → £0.94
🍠  Sweet potato (2 bags, 1kg each)	Lidl	£2.00 each → £4.00
🧂Seasonings (Tropical Sun 🧅 everyday, garlic, parsley, coriander)	Caribbean Shop	£0.69 each → £2.76
🧅 Onions (6 pack)	Lidl	£1.00
🥒Frozen mixed vegetables (1kg – peas, carrots, long beans, sweetcorn)	Lidl	£2.00
🍚 Tilda basmati rice (13kg bag I already had at home)	Costco (previous shop)	~£25 (but cost not included this week)

💰 Total Spend

• Fruit & Veg Market: ~£8.00
• Lidl: ~£13.83
• Caribbean Shop: ~£4.45
  ✅ Weekly Spend = £26.28

Here are some seasoning and cupboard items on Amazon if you need to restock 

(Remember, the rice was already at home, so not counted this week.)

🍽️ Meal #1 – Caribbean Rice & Beans with Mackerel, Mixed Veg, Fried Plantain & Fresh Carrot Juice

This fed me + my two kids today, with enough leftovers for tomorrow’s dinner.

Ingredients I Used

• 4 cups rice (served ~1 cup cooked each, rest saved for tomorrow)
• 1 tin kidney beans (£0.55, Lidl)
• 1 tin coconut milk (£0.89, Lidl)
• Thyme + 1 tsp Tropical Sun everyday seasoning (£0.69, Caribbean shop)
• 1 medium onion (£0.17, Lidl pack of 6 for £1)
• ½ sweet pepper (optional, ~£0.50, fruit market)
• 1 tin Grace mackerel in tomato sauce (£1.69, Caribbean shop)
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (£0.40 portion, from £2 bag at Lidl)
• 1 plantain (£0.66, fruit market – from £2 for 3 deal)
• Olive oil (already had at home)

Fresh Juice

• 7 carrots (~£0.33 from Lidl 1kg bag at £0.47)
• Water (no sugar added)

Method

1. Rice & beans:
   
• In a pot, add 1 tin kidney beans (with liquid), 1 tin coconut milk, thyme, and seasoning. Bring to boil.
• Wash 4 cups rice and add to pot. Add water so liquid just covers rice. Cook until fluffy.
2. Mackerel & veg:
   
• Sauté chopped onions + sweet pepper in a little oil.
• Add mackerel (remove bones), mash into sauce.
• Stir in 2 cups frozen mixed veg. Cook until heated through.
3. Fried plantain:
   
• Slice 1 plantain, fry in a little oil until golden.
4. Carrot juice:
   
• Peel & chop 7 carrots. Juice Strain if needed.

🥣 Portions

• Rice: 4 big cups cooked (enough for 2 dinners).
• Veg mix: 2 cups (shared between today + tomorrow).
• Protein: 1 tin mackerel stretched across 2 meals.
• Plantain: 1 fried plantain served as a side.
• Carrot juice: 7 carrots made ~3 glasses.

✨ This shows you can make a nutritious Caribbean meal (with protein, carbs, healthy fats, and veg) for around £5 total, feeding 3 people for 2 days.

🍛 Nutritional Highlights of This Meal

• Mackerel (Omega-3s, Protein) 🐟
  
• Great for brain development in kids, heart health, and reducing inflammation.
• Helps with sports recovery and muscle repair.
• 
  
• Rice (Carbohydrates, B Vitamins) 🍚
  
• Provides energy for active kids and mums on the go.
• Easy to digest, keeps energy stable.
• 
  
• Kidney Beans & Butter Beans (Plant Protein, Fibre, Iron) 🌱
  
• Builds strong muscles, supports red blood cell health.
• Keeps digestion healthy and helps you feel full longer.
• 
  
• Coconut Milk (Healthy Fats, MCTs, Potassium) 🥥
  
• Supports brain health and steady energy release.
• Good for skin and hair — mums love this bonus!
• 
  
• Plantain (Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium) 🍌
  
• Boosts immunity, supports vision, and provides quick recovery fuel for muscles.
• 
  
• Carrots (Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A) 🥕
  
• Great for eye health and glowing skin.
• Helps build immunity, especially as the weather gets colder.
• 
  
• Thyme, Garlic, Onion, Seasonings (Antioxidants, Anti-inflammatory) 🌿🧄
  
• Boosts immunity and adds flavour without needing lots of salt.
• 
  

💡 We could also add calorie + macro breakdown (per portion):

• Calories: ~450–500
• Protein: ~22–25g
• Carbs: ~60–65g
• Fat: ~12–15g
• Fibre: ~9g