londonfoodstrategy.org.uk

There are so many deals online now for cheap restaurant meals it is stupid not to use them.
I recently ate at Zizzi’s and managed to print a voucher off which entitled me to, two meals for £12. Bargain!
Some of the vouchers have restrictions such as weekdays only or maximum of 4 people eating, but I think they are great value. Some even have two courses and a drink for £10!
I have seen vouchers for Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Prezzo, Bella Italia, Pizza Express and also takeaways from Dominos and Pizza Hut.
The best places for vouchers are vouchercodes.co.uk or just looking on the restaurant websites and signing up for their newsletter. If you are a student sign up for studentbeans.com.
Image by Chiot's Run

For most of us the recession brought tough times. Money worries and struggling to find a job. However, there were a few winners, McDonalds, Domino Pizza and Subway all reported profits in the downturn and have even began to expand.
It is easy to turn to fast food and processed food when you don’t have money. At lunchtime I could buy a cheeseburger, fries and a drink from McDonalds for just £2.97. Then for dinner I can get a mega bucket from KFC, which feds four of my friends too,for just £9.99.
Then with cheap promotions on processed food at supermarkets, it’s hard to keep eating healthy. When you look at the label on processed food they sometimes are only made up by 50% of meat.Which is very worrying.
Keeping healthy is a struggle. When you see experts on the news talking about obesity, and they say ‘it’s their own fault for getting that way’, it does make me think that maybe they can’t afford to eat healthy food. Organic fruit and vegetables are not cheap. It is definitely hard to eat healthy on a budget.
Image By ulterior epicure

If you're in London and looking for some great restaurants, the following three would be my top choices:
Zilli Green: this is a vegetarian restaurant. However, do not be fooled by this fact or think that the food won't be as good since there's no meat or chicken available. The menu is exhaustive and has a number of great items you're sure to like regardless of what your usual choice of food is.
Stef's: this joint off Oxford St. is a great place for those looking to have Italian food. The food is just delicious and two people can have a great meal for about £20. The service also is great and you won't regret spending money here.
Clos Maggiore: this is for those looking for a French experience -- romantic atmosphere, hanging flowers, a glass roof, etc. Of course, the list of available wines is just enormous. You can even opt for a six-meal course, which is something you're sure to remember for a long time.

I have decided to try something new every week, in order to find alternative healthy meals and get me cooking! This week I opted for a salad, which is not normally anoption for me. I usually like hot, hearty meals, but I was pleasantly surprised!
Chilli and Lime Linguine & Prawn Salad
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
175g/ 6oz linguine
100g/ 4oz cooked, peeled prawns
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 (150g) bag sweet and crunchy salad leaves
For the dressing:
3 tbsp light olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
Pinch of caster sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 8-10 mins according to packet instructions or until al dente. Drain in a colander, then rinse in cold water until just cold and drain again.
2. Place the prawns, tomatoes, onion and coriander in a large bowl. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together, season to taste, and pour over the vegetables in the bowl.
3.Drain the pasta; add to the bowl along with the salad leaves. Toss well and serve.
(Taken from www.salad-recipes.co.uk)

These are two of my favourite places in London when it comes to food.
Ginger Pig: this place boasts of very high-quality meat and also features a number of cooked meal options including cassoulet, lasagne, cooked ham, beef, and even corned beef.
The speciality of this place is that all the meat available here is reared on their own farm, therefore, they have total control over the quality of the stuff they sell.
This is definitely a great place to shop for food regardless of whether it is to buy raw material for cooking or for a cooked meal you'd like to eat at home.
La Fromagerie: If you love cheese, this is the place to be. Its owner, Patricia Michelson is an avid lover of cheese and has dedicated a lot of time finding and bringing a large variety of cheeses from all over the world.
This shop has two branches in central London -- one off Marylebone High St., and the other at Highbury Park, N5.
Check it out and let me know what you think.