With its affordable price tag and versatility, it's no surprise that mince is one of the top three cuts of meat purchased by home cooks every week. Delicious and nutritious, beef mince is the perfect solution to mid week meal dilemmas.

Here are some top tips to cooking with beef mince...

• Cooking mince into a sauce like bolognaise or savoury mince

  Cook the mince in a couple of batches. Crumble the mince over the base of the pan rather than adding it in one clump. Avoid overcrowding the pan or the mince will stew.

• Buying and storing mince

  Refer to use-by-dates on packaged mince and use well within that time. Loose mince purchased from the butcher is best used within 1 to 2 days of buying it.

• Mince can be frozen for 2-3 months

  Lay it out flat to freeze as it will then defrost evenly and quickly. Thaw frozen mince in the fridge or in the microwave. Thaw it on the lowest shelf in the fridge, away from any ready to eat food. If you thaw mince in the microwave it must be cooked right away.

• Ideas for kids

  For fussy eaters who get bored of sandwiches, why not pack a nutritious lunch with leftover meatloaf and raw vegetables cut into fun bite-sized sticks.