An air fryer fan has revealed her array of value-added dishes with meals for as little as 77 pence per portion. Leah Hancox got the new gadget a few months ago and says she's seeing savings in cost and time.
The 27-year-old is dishing up dinners including chicken fajitas, homemade chicken nuggets and steak with sweet potato mash - all without spending time slaving away in the kitchen. Leah, from London,
Among Leah’s favourites is jerk chicken with rice and peas. She says that she has enough leftovers to last a few days, costing just 91p per person.
She also whips up a tasty, filling breakfast bacon avocado egg bagel, working out at £1.08 a portion. The homemade chicken nuggets and rice were the cheapest meal, coming in at 77p per person.
Leah, who’s training to become a PT, has only recently bought her air fryer. She uses MuscleFood’s Ultimate Airfryer Collection and said it’s helping her cook up nutritious, protein-packed meals without stretching her budget.
Leah said: “I’m a new convert to air fryers - I was always convinced an oven was all I needed but since buying mine I rarely turn the oven on. They’re incredibly versatile and anything you cook in the oven you can do in it - it just takes less time and uses less electricity.
“For me just to leave chicken cooking, get on with some work and it’s ready in around 20 mins is ideal.”
Leah has always been mindful to keep food waste to a minimum and buy only what she needs. She does a big shop once a week and tops up when she needs to at local stores. She says getting meat in bulk from MuscleFood helps her to reduce costs and make sure she’s eating protein-rich meals to fuel her body.
Leah said: “The first thing I do when a hamper arrives is look at what I have and realistically portion it up. A portion of chicken for me is around 150g and a pack of six sausages will do for three meals.
“Once I know how many portions I have, I plan what I’m going to cook. Favourites include jerk chicken, fajitas cajun chicken, a tasty bagel burger and sausage and sweet potato mash.
“I then shop for exactly what I need - meaning I can keep my costs low. I reckon I spend around £15 -£20 a week on food.”
Hacks to help your air fryer be the best value
- Portion sizes - always serve the correct portion size to avoid overeating and stretch food out as best you can. Part of this is understanding when you are full.
- Own brand - always buy own brand to save cash. They’re as good as the branded versions and are a lot cheaper.
- Check the price per g / kg - if you look at the prices on supermarket shelves they’ll give a cost per g or kg. This will show exactly how much cash you’re saving if you buy in bulk. Look out for offers though - sometimes buying multiples of a smaller option will work out cheaper because there’s an offer on.
