Basket total
The money due for the items you actually buy, including whole packs. Delivery or other service charges are separate unless the example explicitly includes them.
Learn · UK shopping terms
UK meal-planning and shopping glossary
Plain-English explanations for the terms used in our UK meal plans and shopping examples. They do not set retailer prices or provide individual health advice.
See the terms in our guidesTerms from A to Z
Use these definitions while adjusting a guide to the packs and offers you actually find.
Batch cooking
Preparing more than one portion or meal in a cooking session. Plan how you will store and use extra portions; do not assume every cooked item can be kept for the same length of time.
Best-before date
A date printed on a food pack about expected quality. It is different from a use-by date. Follow the product’s storage instructions and relevant food-safety advice.
Bought quantity
The number and size of whole packs you need to purchase. It can exceed the amount used in a recipe.
Cross-contact
The unintended transfer of an allergen from one food, surface or utensil to another. An ingredient list alone cannot establish that a meal is safe for an allergy.
Delivery area
The postcodes or locations a retailer can serve through a specific delivery service. A national brand name does not prove delivery to your address.
Drained weight
The weight of solid food after packing liquid is removed, when a product states one. It differs from the pack’s net weight and matters when a recipe uses the drained ingredient.
Loyalty offer
A price or promotion that may depend on a retailer’s membership or other stated conditions. Check the offer that applies to your own basket before treating it as a saving.
Meal plan
A list of intended meals for a stated period and number of people. It is a planning example until you adapt it to your household and actual food.
Pantry
The food you already have, including suitable ingredients in cupboards, the fridge and freezer. A shopping list should account for usable stock rather than assume you must buy everything again.
Portion
One share of a recipe as stated in a guide. Actual appetites and serving sizes differ; an example portion is not personalised nutrition advice.
Unit price
A price expressed per standard quantity, such as per kilogram or litre, to help compare packs. It does not replace checking the whole-pack amount you will pay.
Used quantity
The amount of an ingredient placed in the recipe. It should not be confused with the quantity bought or with any usable remainder.
Use-by date
A food-safety date printed on some packs. Check and follow the label and storage instructions; a meal plan or photograph cannot override them.
Food-label sources
For date labels, read the official food-labelling guidance and Food Standards Scotland guidance. For allergens, read the allergen-labelling guidance.