1. Supermarket Shock: The Trolley Game Your budget is £ 10 Choose items from the cards which would be part of a balanced and healthy diet, and allow you to provide 3 good meals for your family. Instructions are printed on the final slide

2. Meat £ 2.50 Milk £ 1.00 Cheese £ 2.00 Meat £ 5.00 Milk £ 1.50 Cheese £2.25

3. Loaf of Bread £ 1.00 Eggs £ 1.00 Vegetables £ 2.00 Loaf of Bread £ 1.50 Eggs £ 1.50 Vegetables £ 2.25

4. Crisps £ 1.50 Sweets £ 1.00 Fruit £ 2.00 Crisps £ 1.00 Sweets £ 1.00 Fruit £ 2.50

5. Bottled Water £ 1.00 Rice £ 1.00 Breakfast Cereal £2.00 Bottled Water £ 1.00 Rice £ 1.25 Breakfast Cereal £2.25

6. Fish £ 3.00 Soup £ 1.00 Oil / Butter £ 1.50 Fish £ 3.50 Soup £ 1.00 Oil / Butter £ 2.00

7. Instructions Print off and cut out the cards (sufficient sets for each group / pair depending on how the activity is organised) Hand out the blue cards first: the shopping budget is £10 to buy food that will create 3 meals for a day e.g. Meat and vegetables would be a meal. Discuss the possible combinations and which foods were more expensive – what is not included are other pricing factors e.g. Organic, Freedom foods, specialist bakery items etc. Now hand out the yellow cards, and complete the same activity. The prices of some items have risen, and the rises have not been at the same rates. How difficult is it to continue to eat the same meals ? What substitutions have to be made to cut costs ? Which items disappear from the list ? Some supermarkets are discounting certain items which are not always the healthiest food. This could be an opportunity to discuss other issues which arise from the social changes that the credit crunch is starting to create or exaggerate. Image credit: Shopping baskets: Flickr user TikTak