Food News, with Christine Rutter

TEENAGER Mark Parry lives on a diet of chips.

Debbie Clemance is a 16-year-old expectant mother, who survives on tins of beans costing 10p and the occasional salad she finds reduced in price at the supermarket. She worries her unborn baby may not been getting all the nutrients and minerals it needs for a healthy start.

Alan Davidson would love his favourite meal of meat, potatoes and two veg but instead lives on snacks such as biscuits and noodles.

As well as a meagre diet, the three Blackburn teenagers have another thing in common. They have all experienced the despair of homelessness and have struggled to eat healthily on a rock-bottom budget in hostels.

Paula Kaniuk, who works at the Nightsafe homeless shelter in Blackburn, said: "Young people living on their own are on a very low budget. They don't know how to shop or what to buy, so they tend to buy convenience food. They buy fish and chips four days on a run and then they've run out-of-money. They have to learn to eat healthily and cheaply on a low budget." She added: "Homeless people are forced to eat out because there is nowhere for them to cook. They tend to buy cheap, unhealthy food. Some who have come to Nightsafe have had to be taken to hospital with malnutrition."

The toil to find something cut-price and wholesome became so difficult, young people from Nightsafe put together some tried-and-tested recipes for people on the breadline.

Their No Dosh: Good Nosh booklet features easy-to-follow nutritious recipes which cost pennies rather than pounds to create.

Former-boarding school pupil Mark, 17, who became homeless after being evicted from his home, said: "I lived in a tree house at the start and ate very little. I dropped from 12 to eight-and- a-half-stone.

"Staying in a hostel, I didn't know what to cook with so little money. I mainly ate chips, sometimes mash and beans. I know now I have to budget to eat well and shop around for cheap food." Alan, 16, said: "At first I didn't buy proper meals, just snacks like biscuits and pot noodles. When I first went shopping, I didn't have a clue. I now buy proper food but have just £10 a week to spend on it. I eat cereal and toast for breakfast, go to Nightsafe where dinner costs 20p and have an egg sandwich for tea. I'd love meat, potatoes and veg but I can't afford it."

Debbie said: "I eat whatever I can get. I don't like veg but I try to eat salad. It is often too expensive unless I go for the sale bargains. I spend £7 a week. I sometimes treat myself to a curry. I worry that there are foods, vitamins and drinks that I should be having now I'm pregnant but can't afford. This booklet should help me to budget."

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