A thrifty mum known for her money-saving hacks has revealed how she is able to stretch just one roast chicken for a whole week of meals for her family of three.

Heidi Ondrak, 51, from Plymouth, is making it her mission to help others during the cost of living crisis, having hit the headlines in the past for sharing how to cook 24 meals for less than £20.

The mum is also a TikTok star with over 41,700 followers, (@duchessofthrift ) who love her unique tips – with a recent clip about her chicken gathering over 21,000 views.

“It was the end of the month and one of the leaner weeks where I was trying to stretch out cash a bit," Heidi told NeedToKnow.co.uk.

“But if anything, I have found it [stretching food and money] easy.

“Buying a large chicken means that you can do a roast, make a stir fry or curry, and use that for sandwiches.

“I also boil up the carcass in the slow cooker to make a great soup or casserole base.

“The key is using veg and the plate too, to bulk out the meat, I do think that as a nation our portion sizes have got really big.

“I get lots of comments saying that the [my] portions are small but I tend to make sure that everyone gets 125g of protein, carbs, and veg with their meal, which is a sensible amount for maintaining health.“But I do get criticised.

“On the other hand, I also get lots of comments asking how, as a middle-aged woman and mum I stay slim and it’s because I practice healthy portion sizes at mealtimes.”

In the clip, Heidi can be seen standing in front of the camera, as she explains to the audience that her one XL chicken will make lunches and dinners all week.

She then shows all of her frozen veg, which has been put on to boil, and the chicken covered in seasoning, as well as stuffing balls.

The mum then seasons her potatoes and carrots, before popping them into the oven to roast with the chicken.

Heidi spent £42 in total on the ingredients, which will feed her, her husband, and their child for a week.

“Budget meals, feeding us for 42 quid, how far will my chicken stretch?” the video is captioned – having racked up hundreds of likes and comments.

Jennie said: “Leftover chicken and veg in little pies goes a long way too!”

Karen added: “Looks amazing.”

Someone else wrote: “I’m surprised, that’s a good plate full.”

“I really admire you doing this. Your energy is infectious! I love doing stuff like this at home,”
Jill added.

“Looks wholesome healthy and a good size,” said Sarah.

In her following three videos, Heidi also shares how she made chicken sandwiches, soup, and stir fry from her one roast.

ENDS