Need Your Healthy Budget Meal Ideas...

[HSMom2One]

My family is going through a time of tightening our belts. Dh has a steady job now, but his new job comes with seasons of full-time work with plenty of overtime, as well as seasonal lulls that we will need to adjust to over time. In the long run, it will be worth it, but we're just starting out and are experiencing the first seasonal lull with shorter hours. Ouch!

 

I am going to try to pull together some menu plans that will help get us through the lean weeks. We are members of a CSA all but 6 weeks of the year, so have a good supply of organic veggies on hand most of the time. What we need to do is build meals around the fresh produce that are low cost, yet healthy. We do eat meat, but at least once a week I slip in a vegetarian meal (despite dh's mild complaints). Along with veggies, we do enjoy whole grains, lean meats, tuna, cheese, eggs, legumes, nuts, pasta, rice, etc. We prefer homemade over convenience foods, and we grind grain and bake bread, cookies, and so forth. We do our best to eat a variety of all the food groups.

 

I'd love to get ideas from you all, and would appreciate recipes that are healthy yet low cost to feed a family of four.

 

Thanks in advance for sharing whatever you've got. Maybe there are others that would love to have the same.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[Tap]

I like to bake a chicken (actually I bake 6 at a time and freeze the left overs). Take the broth, chill, remove fat, and set aside for stock. I clean the meat off the bones, and boil the bones for an hour. The broth is used for soup. Some meat is added to the soup, the rest is used for another meal.

 

We add carrots, celery, zucchini, yellow squash, beans, broccoli, onion, garlic, peppers and any misc root veggies or kale I have around.

 

I add bulk with a pasta, grain, rice, potato, or a mixture of several. I like to add a variety of items.

 

Sometimes I make a beef soup with beef broth.

 

It just depends on what I have on hand. This is a good use for misc veggies/meat in the fridge.

[Audrey]

There are tons of great ideas on this site. She cooked everything in a crockpot for a whole year (and then some!). Nearly all of it uses real food ingredients, and the vast majority of them are very budget friendly.

 

Other budget friendly ideas are to hunt for good bargains on meat and then freeze stuff. You can prep it before freezing for faster meals later -- like, cooking up a bunch of hamburger or making meatballs or meatloaf, then freezing, or putting chicken pieces in a freezer bag with marinade, then freezing. As it thaws it marinates.

 

Frozen veggies are the next best thing to fresh. Look for sales. Don't buy the stuff that is pre-sauced. It's a waste of money as the packages are deceptively larger than what is inside, plus you waste good money on a chemical-soup sauce that could be made better, healthier and cheaper yourself. Frozen fruit isn't so bad, either. You can use it for smoothies or fruit salads.

 

Lastly, there are lots of books out there on exactly this topic. Get a library card (free!) and browse your library's offerings.

[cjzimmer1]

We really like this recipe

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Black-Beans-and-Rice-2/Detail.aspx

 

I use brown rice and dry beans to increase the healthiness and reduce the cost. I do add chicken boullion to it as well. I've made it as the recipe states and we really liked it. Yesterday, I left the vinegar out and added more basil and that was fantastic too. Oh, I frequently use a quart of tomatoes instead of the dab of tomato paste to get more veggies in. I just simmer longer and let the rice soak up the tomato juice.

[Amira]

We eat lots of beans and lentils when we need to be cheap. This post has some of our favorites, and we also like this rice with garbanzo beans (I use the variation at the end) and these lentils with lime.

 

When I make beans or lentils, I either serve them with rice or homemade flatbread and whatever vegetables I have at day. Tonight we had dal with lime, whole wheat skillet bread, cucumbers in vinegar, and nectarines. For our family of five, the meal easily cost less than four dollars, and that's typical for us.

 

Another cheap and simple thing we like is to make a big pot of jasmine rice and let everyone add what they want to it. Mostly we add vegetables, but I also make a bunch of sauces to put on and sometimes stir-fry some tofu if it was on sale.

Edited September 16, 2010 by Amira

[sarahf.]

Hmmm...when we need to be frugal we eat falafel in whole wheat pitas, homemade whole wheat veggie pizzas, black bean and brown rice burritos in homemade whole wheat tortillas, and we love breakfast for dinner:)

[3littlekeets]

I find that I'm most frugal when I do Once a Month Cooking. It forces me to plan and nothing is wasted :-).

[HSMom2One]

By what I'm reading so far, many of you are doing what we've done already. We get at least two, if not three, meals out of a roasted chicken; we eat beans and rice; we also cook up lentils. These are all great ideas, and I love the recipes that have been listed. I guess I should have said that we've had to be frugal during long unemployment periods too, but my ideas feel a bit worn out.

 

How about more recipes? I'd love to get new ones to add to my good ol' standbys. What does your family enjoy eating when you need to spend less on groceries?

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[FriedClams]

I love vegetable risotto. It seems like it grows when we cook it - and it's great reheated. We'll do that with a huge salad.

 

I also like Baked Potato Bar. Kids love it too. Again, paired with a salad.

 

Cowboy beans and cornbread are great, filling and cheap. I love the Pioneer Woman's recipe.

 

Breakfast for dinner - always a hit and cheap. We love crepes with apples and cinnamon. Super cheap when you get apples in bulk in season.

 

Soup and homemade bread.

 

Homemade pizza. Grilled pizza makes it fancy (and super fast to cook).

 

...and the cheapest way - eat anything and everything that's in the freezer/pantry.

[HSMom2One]

I love vegetable risotto. It seems like it grows when we cook it - and it's great reheated. We'll do that with a huge salad.

 

I also like Baked Potato Bar. Kids love it too. Again, paired with a salad.

 

Cowboy beans and cornbread are great, filling and cheap. I love the Pioneer Woman's recipe.

 

Breakfast for dinner - always a hit and cheap. We love crepes with apples and cinnamon. Super cheap when you get apples in bulk in season.

 

Soup and homemade bread.

 

Homemade pizza. Grilled pizza makes it fancy (and super fast to cook).

 

...and the cheapest way - eat anything and everything that's in the freezer/pantry.

 

Yeeeee haw!!! Love it -- thanks so much!!

 

Keep 'em comin' ladies, PLEASE!!

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[AK_Mom4]

We stretch our budget out with mexican-style food. Tortillas and beans are very filling and low cost. You can even make your own tortillas for healthier low cost (they really are pretty easy to make). Enchiladas, burritos, tacos - all these fill up the kids pretty well.

 

We also eat alot of red beans and sausage (it doesn't take much sausage in the pot to give it good flavor). Eggs and biscuits for dinner. Pancakes are filling too.

[Pippen]

I've also found that shopping sales on meats makes a big difference on the food budget.

 

We really like this recipe for Risi e Bisi and I've found it to be very flexible. The original recipe makes sort of a thick rice soup, but I alter the amounts to make it thick like a risotto,

 

Risi e bisi (Rice and Peas) from Ada Boni, Italian Regional Cooking

 

(left is US/ right is UK)

 

3 T butter /1 1/2 ounces

2 1/2 T olive oil / 2T

2/3 c diced lean bacon /3 ounces

1 green onion, sliced / 1

3 - 31/2 c shelled green peas / 1 pound

*10 c stock / 4 pints (I use 1 quart)

*1 2/3 c rice / 10 ounces (I use 2 cups)

salt to taste

3/4 c parmesan cheese / 3 ounces

2-3 sprigs parsley / 2 -3

 

Heat the butter and oil together in a large pan, and gently saute the bacon

and onion. When the bacon is brown, add the peas and moisten with a few

tablespoons of the stock. Cook gently for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the

stock, which must be hot, and bring it to the boil. Pour in the rice, stir well,

lower the heat and cook gently for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and

still fairly moist. Add salt if necessary, and sprinkle generously with parmesan

cheese and parsley.

Serves 4 to 6.

 

My family also likes this turkey meat loaf. I know ground turkey isn't cheap but I always wait until there's a buy one get one sale and stock up. For us it's one of those satisfying meals that no one feels they need to reach for more.

 

Turkey Meat Loaf

 

1 pound ground turkey

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1/ 4 cup applesauce

¼ cup ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

scant 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme

scant 1/8 teaspoon sage

1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs

2 T finely chopped onion, or to taste

 

Mix together well (it will be soft) and shape into oval loaf.

 

Combine 1/3 cup catsup and 2 Tablespoons brown sugar and spoon over loaf. Cover and bake at 350 degrees until done.

 

[Ottakee]

Chicken (or Turkey) Corn and Rice over spinach

1 pound ground chicken (or ground turkey)

2 eggs

1 large yellow onion, minced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon ginger powder

2 ears of corn when in season, or 1 bag frozen (12 ounces)

1/2 (10 ounces) bag spinach (washed, spun dry, de-stemmed, leaves torn)

2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

4 cups cold, cooked long-grain rice, brown and white combination, preferably day-old so it’s nice and dry*

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Canola oil

 

Heat a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat with oil. When oil shimmers add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown, breaking up any large chunks with wooden spoon or spatula. Remove chicken to a plate. Add about 1/2-inch oil to wok and allow to heat; add eggs, which will puff up. Cook scrambled eggs and remove to a paper towel-lined plate. If necessary, add more oil to wok to lightly coat, then add onions, garlic, and powdered ginger, and cook until nicely caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add corn, rice, chicken and egg, and toss to combine. Add naturally brewed soy sauce, toss to combine, and check for seasoning. Place mound of raw spinach in center of four dinner plates. Drizzle with lemon juice and season. Top with fried rice to cover. Enjoy!

 

*********

That recipe is from the Simple Dollar blog. It sounds weird but is VERY yummy and easy to make. It makes a LOT. You can even cut down the meat to 1/2 pound and it would still be good. You can also make it with peas and carrots instead of corn. I bet many fresh veggies would work---even a mix to clean out the fridge.

 

************

Last night I made a very good Vegetable Beef Barley soup--here is my sorta recipe

 

6 cups beef broth

1 lb carrots sliced

1 onion chopped

1 quart frozen tomatoes (or 1 can diced/sliced/stewed, etc)

1/4 cup barley

1 cup or so of diced left over roast beef

1 tsp. chili powder

2 cloves garlic chopped (or use garlic powder/minced, etc)

 

I threw it all in the crock pot for the day and it was very yummy with fancy day old rolls.

********

 

ANother easy and cheap one

1 can diced tomatoes, partially drained

1 can corn drained

1 can black beans rinsed and drained

1 packet taco seasoning mix

1/2-1 lb ground beef or diced chicken (TOTALLY optional--most of the time I don't use any meat)

1-2 cups cooked rice (again totally optional but will help stretch it)

 

Simmer together on the stove until warm. Serve on flour tortillas with some shredded cheese.

 

These can go together in 5 minutes and again are flexible to use up some leftovers.

 

**********

Hope those help.

[HSMom2One]

Hmmm...when we need to be frugal we eat falafel in whole wheat pitas, homemade whole wheat veggie pizzas, black bean and brown rice burritos in homemade whole wheat tortillas, and we love breakfast for dinner:)

 

I've decided to try making homemade tortillas! Dd and I will do it together after school one day next week. It sounds like fun, will save money and taste good too.

 

Also, I pulled together a two-week food plan of frugal meals, and dh and I went to our local Winco store last night for the groceries. (Winco is a west coast chain with super low prices.) We gave ourselves the challenge of staying strictly to the list, and we used the calculator all the way. Although we've done this before, it has always been tough for us at the grocery store, as we tend to spend more than we'd budgeted for. Last night we were determined to buy as much as we could for as little money as possible, staying within the limits of our budget. In the end we got everything on our list and stayed within the limits -- spending HALF of what we usually spend on groceries this time in the month!!

 

For meats, we ended up buying a beef roast, frozen chicken thighs, some bacon, ground turkey, sausage, and tuna. We also got dried beans from the bulk section, some peanut butter, and several packages of cheese. I buy eggs from a local farm, so have plenty of those on hand nearly all of the time. Anyway, I'm going to make several dishes from the recipes y'all suggested, plus a few of my own and we'll be good for two weeks.

 

I'm putting together a book of frugal recipes and meal plans, so if anyone has more to share I'd love to hear from you.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[LarlaB]

I've decided to try making homemade tortillas! Dd and I will do it together after school one day next week. It sounds like fun, will save money and taste good too.

 

Also, I pulled together a two-week food plan of frugal meals, and dh and I went to our local Winco store last night for the groceries. (Winco is a west coast chain with super low prices.) We gave ourselves the challenge of staying strictly to the list, and we used the calculator all the way. Although we've done this before, it has always been tough for us at the grocery store, as we tend to spend more than we'd budgeted for. Last night we were determined to buy as much as we could for as little money as possible, staying within the limits of our budget. In the end we got everything on our list and stayed within the limits -- spending HALF of what we usually spend on groceries this time in the month!!

 

For meats, we ended up buying a beef roast, frozen chicken thighs, some bacon, ground turkey, sausage, and tuna. We also got dried beans from the bulk section, some peanut butter, and several packages of cheese. I buy eggs from a local farm, so have plenty of those on hand nearly all of the time. Anyway, I'm going to make several dishes from the recipes y'all suggested, plus a few of my own and we'll be good for two weeks.

 

I'm putting together a book of frugal recipes and meal plans, so if anyone has more to share I'd love to hear from you.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

Great job!!!! Its hard & tedious work to buy enough healthy/whole food to feed your family, while sticking to a budget. I'm looking for the same, PLUS the option of using a slow-cooker. :)

 

Soups, particularly in fall, are filling, low-cost, healthy option for us that works w/ slow cooker. Once you have base ingredients (garlic, onion, carrot, celery, seasonings & stock) you can make tons of soups for very little cost. Serve w/ homemade bread or muffins & salad, and its a great meal.

 

-Sausage Potato Kale (variation of Olive Gardens "Zuppa Toscana"- a little sausage goes a looong way, flavor wise, and I add white beans) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sausage-Potato-Soup/Detail.aspx

 

-Baked Potato Soup http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Potato-Soup/Detail.aspx

 

-Vegetable Soup (w/ or without beef) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetable-Beef-Soup-II/Detail.aspx

 

-White Bean Chicken Chili http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Bean-Chicken-Chili/Detail.aspx

 

-Black Bean Soup (Black beans, Salsa, onions/garlic- simmered all day)

[Moni]

Great topic, and thanks for the post/links to particular recipes.

 

Any more? Please keep them coming.

 

Dishes with No Tomato/Sauce and Not Pasta would be particularly appreciated

;)

 

:seeya:

[HSMom2One]

Great job!!!! Its hard & tedious work to buy enough healthy/whole food to feed your family, while sticking to a budget. I'm looking for the same, PLUS the option of using a slow-cooker. :)

 

Soups, particularly in fall, are filling, low-cost, healthy option for us that works w/ slow cooker. Once you have base ingredients (garlic, onion, carrot, celery, seasonings & stock) you can make tons of soups for very little cost. Serve w/ homemade bread or muffins & salad, and its a great meal.

 

-Sausage Potato Kale (variation of Olive Gardens "Zuppa Toscana"- a little sausage goes a looong way, flavor wise, and I add white beans) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sausage-Potato-Soup/Detail.aspx

 

-Baked Potato Soup http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Potato-Soup/Detail.aspx

 

-Vegetable Soup (w/ or without beef) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetable-Beef-Soup-II/Detail.aspx

 

-White Bean Chicken Chili http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Bean-Chicken-Chili/Detail.aspx

 

-Black Bean Soup (Black beans, Salsa, onions/garlic- simmered all day)

 

Yeah - we LOVE soup during the fall and winter. It's always a big hit around the house. Add some fresh baked bread or rolls and it's like Heaven. I will check out these recipe links for sure because they all sound really yummy - especiall the white bean chicken chili!

 

We bought some beans last night from the bulk section of the store, one of which I've never cooked before. They are yellow Mayan beans. Anyone tried this type before? I'm really curious about how they'll taste compared to pintos and other types of beans.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[HSMom2One]

Yeah - we LOVE soup during the fall and winter. It's always a big hit around the house. Add some fresh baked bread or rolls and it's like Heaven. I will check out these recipe links for sure because they all sound really yummy - especiall the white bean chicken chili!

 

We bought some beans last night from the bulk section of the store, one of which I've never cooked before. They are yellow Mayan beans. Anyone tried this type before? I'm really curious about how they'll taste compared to pintos and other types of beans.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

Anybody?

 

Lucinda