Cost-of-living budget cooking classes with air fryers 'life-changing'

Classes used air fryers or slow cookers to save energy costs

A group that helps people cook on a budget said the coming months could be the toughest for some families since cost-of-living pressures began.

MK Melting Pot runs cooking classes with air fryers and slow cookers in Milton Keynes.

Co-chief executive Adewunmi Jade Jaiyeola said January and February could be the most difficult months due to cold weather and a "hard economy".

One person who attended the sessions said the classes were "life-changing".

Sarina Saatchi, 20, is one of more than 1,200 people who have joined a class in just over 12 months.

Sarina Saatchi lives with her mum in Milton Keynes

"[The classes] can change your life and it happened for myself," she said, before she explained that they helped her to "save my budget" and "live a healthy life".

The sessions focus on meals that can be prepared with air fryers or slow cookers, which are cheaper to run than traditional ovens.

Theresa Dadzie, one of the teachers on the project, said: "Some people do not even have potatoes or rice [at home].

"Some of them don't know how to budget."

Adewunmi Jade Jaiyeola wanted to encourage families to cook together

The classes, which take place above a sports pavilion, showed participants how to prepare stews and soups in slow cookers that can be divided up and frozen to be eaten over several days.

Ms Jaiyeola said households with just one income particularly benefited from the project but "people on medium wages, average wages, are still struggling".

The classes also encourage families to share tasks.

"Batch cook together and your children are learning skills and you are also finding out from them the challenges they are going through," she said.

Another participant of the classes, Jennifer Abbuy, is a single mum and said attending made a big difference.

"I learnt lots about how to spend and how to keep healthy," she said.

Top tips

Ms Jaiyeola has three top tips for eating healthily on a budget:

• Plan and batch cook: Strategically plan your meals for the week, buy ingredients in bulk, and batch cook to save time and money. This also helps minimise food waste

• Embrace affordable protein: Opt for budget-friendly protein sources such as beans, lentils, eggs and canned tuna

• Buy seasonal and frozen produce: Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables as they tend to be more affordable or frozen produce which is often more cost effective