grocery shopping on a budget

[ProudGrandma]

We are used to eating pretty healthy (but we don't go over board...green smoothies are NOT in our diet.:) )...but for a little while I need to really tighten our belts and try to not spend a ton on food and groceries.

 

If you are a healthy eater,  what are some things you might consider giving into in order to stay within a budget?

 

For example: are Ramen noodles even remotely "ok" to eat...or are they just horrible for you?  (I am not big into the processed foods...so I am not even sure anymore).

 

I am looking for ways to stretch our meals (we have 5 people...including my hubby and 2 growing boys).  They aren't used to eating beans much or things like lentils...even I don't  really like those things too much.  How can I stretch meals and actually have my kids (and me) eat them??

 

thank you for your help!!!

 

 

[regentrude]

Ramen have a ton of salt, and MSG.

Are Ramen really that much cheaper per mass (not per package) than regular cheap pasta?

 

What about incorporating more potatoes into your meals? They are cheap, filling, and you can prepare them  in many different ways.

 

Use meat in recipes like stir fries, pasta sauces, and fajitas where the meat is cut up; it will stretch farther than in recipes that are whole chicken breasts or cutlets.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Seems like everyone disses beans.

 

 

We learned to like them, we stretch most meals with beans and rice.

 

 

We will be doing it more now that dh lost his job.

 

 

Beans can be sweet or savory too. Black bean brownies are thick and fudgy. Leftover lentil spread is good on tortillas or crackers. Homemade hummus can take on a variety if flavors.

[kewb]

Ww are on a very tight budget these days and I found my kids are not big bean eaters but I have found if I grind lentils into flour and mix it into meatloaf or meatballs it helps stretch the meat. Mine will eat certain beans so I buy them dried and soak them and cook them myself. It requires sone advance planning on my part but it is worth it.

I buy popcorn kernels and pop it on the stove.

In a nutshell if it is not seasonal and on sale it does not go in the cart.

It requires a lot more planning and advance cooking then I like to do but it keeps us eating fairly well.

[FO4UR]

Eat more carbs and less meat.

 

Ex: Instead of chicken breast with a side of potatoes, make a chicken casserole of some sort where the main ingredient is potato or noodle. Instead of steak with veggies and rice on the side, make a stir-fry with veggies as the main ingredient & serve over a bed of rice.

 

Watch what you are drinking and snacking on.

[Storygirl]

Not to make this a Ramen noodle thread, but I have two points about them.

 

1) When they make them, they fry them, so although they don't seem like it, they are actually a fried food.

 

2) If you want to reduce the salt content, skip the seasoning packet and season them with your own choice of seasonings. Or use half the packet. Or use only three packets for four packages of noodles. You get the idea. You can cut it down.

 

Still not healthy. They are an occasional treat here.

[Amira]

We focus on vegetables instead of fruits, legumes instead of meat, and whole grains to fill in the gaps when we're being really frugal. We don't do Ramen, ever. It's not very filling and there's no nutrition.  If noodles or pasta are too expensive, I buy giant bags of whole wheat, grind it, and make our own whole wheat pasta.  It's cheaper, but a lot of work. 

 

Have you tried red lentils?  They cost more than brown lentils, but their flavor isn't as strong and I think they're easier to get used too.  I feel the same way about garbanzo beans.  I like to use ethnic recipes because there are a lot of things you can do with beans and lentils. 

 

How do you feel about tofu?  It's usually cheaper than meat and a good source of protein. You can make tofu with chickpeas if you like.

 

Find a place where produce is cheaper than a regular grocery store. It might take some time, but we've always been able to find either a local market or an ethnic grocery that sells produce for much less.  This is also a great time of year to fill up the freezer with produce for the winter.  It doesn't take any special knowledge or equipment to freeze stuff (which is why I like it).  

 

Try making your own whole wheat bread.  It's way cheaper than buying it and it's filling for teenage boys (as long as you're not opposed to grains).  You can also make your own peanut butter if you can find a good source for peanuts.  It might not be much cheaper than peanut butter with hydrogenated oils, but it'll be cheaper than good, natural peanut butters.

 

Buy in bulk whenever possible.  It's really hard to make your meals cheap and healthy on $10/day, for example, but if you have $300 for a whole month, it's a lot easier.

 

[BarbecueMom]

Seems like everyone disses beans.

 

 

We learned to like them, we stretch most meals with beans and rice.

 

 

We will be doing it more now that dh lost his job.

 

 

Beans can be sweet or savory too. Black bean brownies are thick and fudgy. Leftover lentil spread is good on tortillas or crackers. Homemade hummus can take on a variety if flavors.

I have no problem with beans (about the only thing in the world that agrees with my stomach), but we've realized that DH gets very sick if he eats them more than twice a week. Like, cancel outings not near a bathroom and the yard doesn't get mowed sick. So one dinner plus leftovers, then no more beans for at least a week. How do you make them easier on the digestive system? I do all my pintos, black and white northern beans from dry, and do the whole soaking/rinsing/cooking thing. Red beans are canned.

 

I'm working on tightening our budget too, and this is the newest wall I've hit.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

If you absolutely can't eat them that's fair. But so many have posted on various food threads they aren't used to or don't like them. When you have no money you have to make do.

 

Eggs are (or were) cheap, I can't eat them because of allergy. So we don't do eggs.

[Slartibartfast]

Ds and I love beans but dd is not very fond of them. I usually serve them in a soup or chili where they are disguised among other things and won't annoy dd as much.

 

During the day my kids eat

 

bean burritos (dd won't eat bean burritos :()

fried egg sandwiches

fruit

fried rice (I use brown)

Peanut butter sandwiches or with apples

lunch meat sandwiches

soup

eggs (usually poached, scrambled,  or fried and toast

hard boiled eggs

cottage cheese with fruit 

hummus and veggies

 

I cooked this recently http://www.marthastewart.com/335091/ham-and-egg-crepe-squares It was good and cheap to make

 

Dd likes making ham and eggs like this since it is easier than making crepes

 

http://www.themeaningofpie.com/2010/04/ruffled-egg-cups/

 

When I make soup I make a HHUUGGGEE pot rather than the correct amount for a normal meal. It usually provides lunch for a day or two afterwards.

 

My dinner meals aren't always consistent because I usually hit the sales pretty hard. I also use coupons.

 

This soup is pretty cheap but I usually make it when smoke sausage is on sale so it is extra cheap

 

http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2014/01/easy-smoked-sausage-spinach-and-white-bean-soup.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+TheComfortOfCooking+(The+Comfort+of+Cooking)

 

I just pinned this pentil and red pepper soup on pinterest but I haven't had the chance to make it yet

 

http://www.ricardocuisine.com/recipes/5214-lentil-and-red-bell-pepper-soup

[Slartibartfast]

A person put out this "good and cheap" recipe book as a free download.

 

http://www.leannebrown.ca/cookbooks/  I thought some of the recipes looked pretty good.

 

 

[Tanaqui]

How do you make them easier on the digestive system?

 

First, when you soak them overnight, are you adding a bit of baking soda to the soaking water? And do you change the soaking water once in the morning and once before cooking? (That is, don't cook them in the soaking water, and rinse them before cooking.) Both those things will really help for some people.

 

Secondly, I hate to say it, but for many people the only way to make beans less of an issue is to eat more of them so their body can adjust.

 

Of course, we don't know why NEPrairiemom doesn't like beans. If it's a taste or texture issue, maybe we can find some bean recipes she and her family will enjoy.

 

Or, if she's really anti-bean, maybe it will help to see beans not as a meal, but as a stretcher - lentils work well to reduce the amount of meat needed for meatloaf or shepherd's pie, kidney beans are great in chili, black beans go nicely in enchiladas, all you're really doing is reducing the meat you use in those meals while not reducing the amount of food you prepare.

 

[TammyinTN]

I have always been on a pretty tight budget so here's my take.

 

• stock your pantry with the things you will use at the lowest price possible
• If you love to eat out...find a way to make those things at home.  So much cheaper and better ingredients.  
• Make a menu and stick with it.  
• Portion out your meals so everyone gets what they need to be satisfied and take leftovers and portion into meals for quick grabs in the refrigerator and nothing is wasted. 
• I shop at Costco and buy things in bulk when on sale and freeze in meal portions. 
• Keep a list of what your family really likes and serve it often as you want have waste.  
• Give everyone protein for breakfast--eggs, bacon and toast is a standard around here.  People stay satisfied longer.
• I don't like ramen as it's basically crap for your body--I stick to whole foods--beans once a week in some form--example:  I make Pioneer women's loaded nachos and add 2 cans of pintos--it helps the meat last longer and everyone love it.  
• Basically I've found that it doesn't matter what deal I get on something if they don't like it ...they want eat it and then we have waste.  

Hope this helps!  

[happypamama]

Frozen vegetables are my friend. I buy them on sale when they're $1 or $1.25 a pound, and I buy many bags. I can easily add another pound of vegetables to fill tummies without adding more meat (expensive) or carbs (not healthy for us).

[meena]

 

We recently had to reduce our food budget severely. Here's what's worked so far:

 

1. No eating out. Planning ahead has helped us stick to this, as it's easy to make takeout the default option if we are out running errands, getting home late from an activity, or just tired of cooking. If we are going to be out I pack filling snacks (fruit/veggies/PB&J). If we will be out in the afternoon, I try to make sure that everyone has had an especially filling breakfast (oatmeal or eggs). If we are going to be out in the evening (after lunch but before dinner), I'll make sure everyone has a snack before we go. I love eating out, so this has been the most difficult step. But it's made the most dramatic difference in our budget.

 

2. Cooking from scratch. I try to buy as few convenience foods as possible and cook from basic ingredients. I'll occasionally buy jarred pasta sauce or a frozen meal to keep around for super quick meals. I also buy convenience foods that are either cheaper or significantly easier than scratch made as long as the ingredient list is good--for me uncooked tortillas and sliced bread (especially since baking in the summer heat is less than desirable). 

 

3. Shop wisely. I shop with a list that I've compiled when I plan my meals for the week. I try not to stock up unless there is a killer deal that week. Know good prices when you see them (either with a price book or by memory). I know in my area Aldi has the cheapest milk, eggs, OJ, white rice, cheese, and some produce. Although I hate Wal-Mart with a passion, I will get chicken breasts there, as they honor other store's BOGO's which makes the chicken about $1/pound.

 

4. Choose inexpensive, not cheap. Ramen is cheap food--it gives you very little nutritional bang for your buck. Same for hot dogs. Plain pasta and cuts of meat may appear to be more expensive but they have more nutritional 'heft' without the chemical nastiness. I wait to get pasta BOGO, which makes it about $.75/lb. I'm not sure how much ramen is--let's say $.15/package. Each package is 3 oz., so that's $.80/lb--not the deal that it seems at first. Also, pasta is just semolina/durum wheat, while ramen is flour, veg oil (typically soy), preservatives, and MSG flavorings. A pound of cheap hot dogs are $1/lb. I can get chicken breasts for that. Even if you can't get that deal on chicken breasts, you can usually get chicken quarters or whole chicken for around that much. And you can stretch that by boiling the bones for nutritious broth. Not so with hot dogs.

 

5. Go with what's in season. Here in FL strawberries are extremely cheap in the spring. Now they are 3-4 times the price because they are out of season. Turkey and ham are cheaper around the holidays. This stinks sometimes because I'll crave a certain food but will have to say no because it is the time of year when it's at a premium price. In that case, I may forsake something in our food budget and splurge. For example, we had guests this week so I bought grapes (when I would normally go with just bananas which are about $1.50/lb cheaper). I didn't buy as many apples as I had planned to make up for the difference.

 

6. Use up what you have. Before we were on a strict budget, I used to throw out so much food. I'm embarrassed to admit it's mostly due to my laziness and pickiness. *blushing* We now have regular leftover meals, where we eat up whatever's in the fridge. When I plan what I'm going to make and what's going on my shopping list, I look at what I have in the pantry/freezer already and figure out how to best use those items.

 

7. Know what's important to you and your family. So many people get hung up on organics, pasture-fed, etc. I know that those principles are probably the best way to eat. But I can't bankrupt our family trying to eat a certain way. So we eat conventional foods. If organic or GMO-free or pastured is very close in price to conventional and won't break our budget, then I'll get it. But there are very, very few foods that meet that criteria.

 

It's important for my family to be able to feed visitors. We will do with cheaper, more simple meals throughout the rest of the week in order to provide a nice (but not extravagant) meal to visitors. I also try to have a repertoire of meals that stretch out the more expensive ingredients like meat. This weekend I served breakfast (bagels, eggs, bacon, fruit, and smoothies) and lunch (homemade chicken taquitos, black beans, and salad) to visiting family and didn't break our budget. Homemade chicken noodle soup/rolls and lasagna/salad/garlic bread are also go-to visitor meals.

 

We also like to have 'fun' foods, so I try to make a way to fit them into our budget in moderation. I'll buy a bag of chips and make homemade dip to go with them. Usually we have fruit for dessert, but I'll make ice cream or cookies a couple times a week. We make a 'special' breakfast usually once a week--DH and I will make pancakes, crepes, or waffles and the kids will make toppings. 

 

I know that we are not big bean eaters, so they would just go to waste if I tried to use them to stretch our meals. Instead, I try to combine what my kids love (carbs!) with healthy fats and proteins that will keep them fuller longer. For example, if we have all-fruit smoothies (carbs), we'll also have hard-boiled eggs, cut cheese, and whole-fat yogurt. If we have pizza, we'll also have raw veggies with homemade ranch for dipping.

[Slartibartfast]

I buy many vegetables in bulk, I get big bags of carrots, celery, and onions I chop almost all of them up, add garlic,some herbs de Provence, as well as random fresh herbs. I then separate it all into quart size bags and freeze them for soup. It makes some meal prep a bit easier.

[almondbutterandjelly]

I have found that bread items made from scratch seems more filling (and certainly healthier and cheaper) than store-bought.  If you have a bread machine, use it frequently.  There are some easy bun recipes.  Biscuits are easy, too.

 

Gravy is a great stretcher and filling.  Made from scratch, I don't know that it would count as unhealthy, especially if you're trying to stretch your meat.  Biscuits and gravy.  Creamed tuna on toast.  Open faced pot roast sandwiches.  Pot pies.

 

Homemade waffles and pancakes are easy and cheap.  Make homemade fruit "compote" or jam or marmalde with about-to-go-bad fruit and a little sugar in the crockpot.

 

 

[Slartibartfast]

One thing I have found that helps us loose interest is the realization that many restaurants are serving poor quality, frozen food that one could probably make themselves at home and it would be better. I hate Olive Garden, Applebees and many other chains because they don't have anything I cannot cook myself. I hate being served food that tastes like it has been frozen and reheated and there  my kid is eating a $6 plate of mac-n-cheese that I know came out of a box.

 

So many restaurants are taking the lazy route anymore, it just isn't worth it to me to eat out unless I *know* they are preparing my meal fresh and it isn't something that I could make in less than thirty minutes at home. We eat out *rarely* and when we do we tend to eat Thai (Thai is dd's favorite :lol:)

 

[Slartibartfast]

Gravy is in no way healthy but it is  delicious.

[meena]

Gravy is in no way healthy but it is  delicious.

 

I make this gravy from America's Test Kitchen. It's healthy--and don't try to convince me otherwise.  :leaving:   :lol: 

Seriously, I love gravy. Sausage gravy is probably a less healthy option. But with the new thinking about fats not being so bad nutritionally, maybe it's not as bad as once thought. 

[ProudGrandma]

oh wow....these are great ideas thanks.  I hope more come.

 

What is a good Humus recipe?  Someone mentioned that you can make it different flavors?  I need good snack ideas...and I would like to think my kids might eat that.

 

Please share more recipes that stretch meat.

 

What pasta is the best...and the healthiest without breaking the bank?

 

I do have and use my bread machine all of the time.  I never buy loaves of bread.  I still buy buns...I just can't take the time to make them.  Right now with garden produce, that is helpful.  I hope to can a TON of tomato sauce and soup. 

 

Thanks again for your ideas.

 

 

[MrsRobinson]

A quick word about Ramen for those that may have some in the pantry. Try only using 1/2 the seasoning packet and dropping an egg in it like egg drop soup. Also some frozen carrots or peas if you have any. My grandmother gives us a box of groceries every now and then and sometimes it includes Ramen. Those little additions help me feel less guilty about eating it!

[ProudGrandma]

also we hardly ever eat out...ever...we just prefer to stay home.  So that does help our cause, except the fact that we can't take that away and notice a big difference in our food budget.  kwim??

[texasmama]

I made this today.  I tripled the recipe, used some chicken I had on hand and chopped up some raw carrots.  The kids loved it, even my picky eater.  It was inexpensive to make and filling.  More veggies would make it healthier, and carrots are cheap.

 

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/05/crockpot-fried-rice-recipe.html

[happypamama]

If you can get chicken livers cheap, you can use them in meatloaf to stretch the ground beef and to add some nutritional punch.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Just speaking for our family rice, potatoes, pasta and bread stretch a meal. I make most of mine (biscuits/bread/muffins) etc.

We use very little meat(lb/8people). About once/week we have a meat, starch, bread meal.

If your family doesn't like beans there is no savings. If beans don't work how about egg based meals. Quiche isn't expensive. Frittatas are good and both of these can use up leftover bits.

Ditch cereals if your kids will eat oatmeal, muffins, pancakes, toast, etc.

Soups are a great way to fill up or stretch ingredients. Have them with a sandwich if you have heartier appetites.

We make our own pizzas, cookies, popcorn, breadsticks.

My kids like peanut butter and saltines or graham crackers for snacks.

I find it easiest to just dedicate a day to cooking stuff and pull it out through the week to make all the homemade thing work.

[cjzimmer1]

Growing up I thought I hated beans.  As an adult I realized it was just that I don't like kidney/red beans or split peas.  Of course those were the only kinds my mom ever served.  I used to make pinto beans and add them to taco meat but the kids complained.  Turns out they just don't like pinto beans.  They will eat black beans or white northern beans without comment.  So if you haven't already try some different kinds of beans because they might just not like the type you typically serve.  Also for stretching meat we like brown lentils(they have a more meaty taste than some types and are less noticeable when added to hamburger).  I buy dry and then cook and mix with equal parts with hamburger.  Then I use it in my meat heavy dishes like tacos, spaghetti and chili.  I can get 1-2 meals out of a pound of hamburger that way.  Also when making tacos I will frequently add rice to the meat filling to stretch it further.  If I serve the items separately everyone loads up on the meat and ignores the budget stretchers so I mix it all together with the seasoning to get the most bang for my buck.

 

As far as what things I would give up to save money, for us it's the unhealthy treats that cost us us the most money not the healthy stuff.  So the bag of chips that we occasionally splurge on or maybe the packages of noodle/rice mix that I buy when I'm exhausted and need a fast meal.  In other words the processed food is the first to go when things are tight.  I really do spend far more per month when I allow convenience and processed foods in our diet that when I cook whole foods.  But I buy in bulk.  So I can buy a 50# bag of brown rice at about $1.00 a pound.  We use about $1.00-$2.00 worth per meal for simple baked brown rice with butter.  However, any type of noodle/rice package from the store we will need 4-5 packages for the family plus the butter/milk to make it with.  Guaranteed it will cost more than $2.00.

 

Also I will give up having a large variety of fruit.  Currently we have 5-6 kinds of fresh fruit in the house.  However, when money is tight we drop that down to bananas and whatever one single seasonal fruit is cheapest (currently grapes).  We will eat frozen fruit if the freezer is stocked or we simply make do with less variety. 

 

Same thing with veggies.  I won't give up fresh veggies but I will reduce the amount of variety we have.  Currently the garden is producing so less of an issue for us but for instance, we would still have salads but if money we tight we would probably just do cucumbers and tomatoes for toppings instead of our current selection of cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers, onions, mushrooms, cheese, bacon bits and radishes.  I would also do alot more things with cabbage.

 

Overall I would do more soup meals.  When things are tight I make a huge (my pot is 4 gallons) pot on Sundays and we eat it for lunch all week.  I rotate the varieties so we only repeat flavors once every 6 weeks or so. When I do this I can turn a 3 pound rotesserie chicken from costco into at least 4-5 meals for my family of 8. Same with a chuck roast or small ham.  A little meat goes a long way.  i also make some type of fresh bread/bisquit/tortillas/naan/cornbread to go with the soup and makes it last even longer.

[meena]

I think it's interesting how many times meatloaf has been mentioned in this thread. To me meatloaf is a splurge meal. Maybe because I can never find ground beef very inexpensively, unless it's an ultra-fatty blend (like 80/20) that ends up being even more expensive because the fat cooks off. When we have ground beef I use it as more of an accent and less of a main component, like in tacos, sloppy joes, or casseroles

[ProudGrandma]

Ok...so quickly help me here...I made a BBQ beef roast yesterday....we ate that with potatoes and green beans for supper last night.  How can I take the leftovers (which I have plenty of) and make 2 more different meals with it....how can I stretch it that far?  i am just not used to thinking this way.

 

thanks.

[Gentlemommy]

Planning meals, all of them. And snacks.

Only water to drink.

Stick mostly to the outside aisles of the grocery store. Fresh produce, eggs, very little dairy, cheaper cuts of meat/poultry/fish. I do get beans and organic brown rice or quinoa, but it's rarely more than once a week.

Cheap proteins-eggs, beans, nut butters.

Taking snacks/picnic lunch whenever we head out so I'm not tempted to grab food out.

Buy raw/plain/whole ingredients and season, add to, or turn them into the prepackaged things...For example, I only buy the big tubs of plain Greek yogurt, then we can add fruit, or a bit of sugar and cocoa powder or vanilla extract.

[meena]

Ok...so quickly help me here...I made a BBQ beef roast yesterday....we ate that with potatoes and green beans for supper last night.  How can I take the leftovers (which I have plenty of) and make 2 more different meals with it....how can I stretch it that far?  i am just not used to thinking this way.

 

thanks.

 

Is it like pulled/shredded BBQ? If so, I would freeze about 2/3 of it for a later meal, if possible so that my family didn't get tired of having the same meat for 3 meals in a row. At a later date I'd use it as to make a casserole such as a BBQ version of shepherd's pie or one that uses cornbread as a topping. Or maybe I'd use it to top baked (or twice baked if I was being indulgent) potatoes. I'd use the other 1/3 of the meat to make hearty salads--kind of like the BBQ Chicken salad from Panera but with beef instead of chicken.

 

ETA: I just googled leftover bbq beef and found someone who uses it in a breakfast burrito with hashbrowns and eggs. Maybe I'm just hungry, but that sounds tasty!

Editing one more time: I forgot about BBQ pizza. I used to always get this from the pizza buffet place. It is different but delicious and you could make a little go a long way.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Here are just a few ideas for hummus flavors.

 

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/13-different-ways-make-hummus

 

 

I've made hummus with chick peas and with lentils.

[meena]

We are not big hummus fans but we *love* seasoned, roasted garbanzo beans. You can roast them in the oven or in a skillet on the stove. They are good as a side dish or as a salad topping. 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

This is the lentil spread my 11 year old likes.

 

 

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/leftover-lentil-spread/138245

[cjzimmer1]

Ok...so quickly help me here...I made a BBQ beef roast yesterday....we ate that with potatoes and green beans for supper last night.  How can I take the leftovers (which I have plenty of) and make 2 more different meals with it....how can I stretch it that far?  i am just not used to thinking this way.

 

thanks.

 

I would saute  a large amount of onions, mushrooms and peppers, add some meat and enough BBQ till all lightly covered.  Then I would take tortillas and fold in half, spray outside with cooking spray.  Lay on pan fill with BBQ filling, sprinkle with just enough cheddar cheese to be the glue and to hold it together, Fold tortilla over top.  In my oven I bke this in the convection oven at 450 for 8 minutes (watch closely so they don't burn you just want to get the tortillas crispy.

 

Second meal,  would depend on how much BBQ was on the meat.  Perhaps a BBQ pizza, perhaps a BBQ/teriyaki type stir fry over rice, Possibly add chunks of meat with roasted potatoes (my kids love BBQ sauce on roasted potatoes) and a salad. 

[Cinder]

Ok...so quickly help me here...I made a BBQ beef roast yesterday....we ate that with potatoes and green beans for supper last night.  How can I take the leftovers (which I have plenty of) and make 2 more different meals with it....how can I stretch it that far?  i am just not used to thinking this way.

 

thanks.

 

Mix in black beans and serve with tortillas; side of cole slaw or salad.

 

Freeze some for serving later over baked potatoes; add salad or fruit side.

[Storygirl]

Ok...so quickly help me here...I made a BBQ beef roast yesterday....we ate that with potatoes and green beans for supper last night.  How can I take the leftovers (which I have plenty of) and make 2 more different meals with it....how can I stretch it that far?  i am just not used to thinking this way.

 

thanks.

 

I agree with freezing. You can bring it back out in a week or two, or even longer, and it won't seem like you just had it. I might put it on buns for BBQ sandwiches. Or spoon over some noodles or rice.

[rwjx2khsmj]

Ok...so quickly help me here...I made a BBQ beef roast yesterday....we ate that with potatoes and green beans for supper last night.  How can I take the leftovers (which I have plenty of) and make 2 more different meals with it....how can I stretch it that far?  i am just not used to thinking this way.

 

Throw the roast and 1/2 cup of bbq sauce into a crock pot. Cook on low until meat is easy to shred. Serve on buns. If you have more leftovers you can serve it over rice or use it as a nacho or pizza topping.

 

Another way to save $ is to buy cuts of meat that are less expensive and cook a little differently. Chicken legs and thighs rather than breasts, or roast a whole chicken and use the extra meat in soups, casseroles, or enchiladas. Buy a.large pork roast and have the butcher slice it into chops.

[greenvneck]

 

I just pinned this pentil and red pepper soup on pinterest but I haven't had the chance to make it yet

 

http://www.ricardocuisine.com/recipes/5214-lentil-and-red-bell-pepper-soup

 

That looks so good! I am going to try making it this weekend but I only have orange bell peppers, so that's what I will use.

[ProudGrandma]

Here are just a few ideas for hummus flavors.

 

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/13-different-ways-make-hummus

 

 

I've made hummus with chick peas and with lentils.

 

you buy chick peas in a can?  Are they healthy and economical that way?  and what in the world is tahini and where do you buy that??

[greenvneck]

We need to make a lot of changes in our food budget, too, but we do have the added difficulties of celiac + allergies--everything I cook must be vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free. I hope to get some ideas from this thread. 

[ProudGrandma]

wow...you guys are good at this....i need to ask about other meats...I am such a NOT out of the box thinker....and so I can't seem to come up with even "put the meat on a baked potato"...that is brilliant...I should have thought of that....but I didn't...so I am glad you did.

 

keep it going...how about non-BBQ roast, chicken, ham, pork roast....how do you stretch those meats into a variety of meals...so that I use less meat and my family won't miss it??

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Tahini is a sesame sauce of a sort, you could google substitutions. Otherwise it might be least expensive at a ethnic foods store. I usually buy dry beans, but splurge on canned if I get a good deal.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

Oh and in case anyone doesn't know, garbanzo beans and chick peas are the same thing.

[rwjx2khsmj]

My crew enjoys leftovers only when they are disguised. Typically, I roast two whole chickens. We eat roast chicken with veggies on the first night. I strip the meat off the bones and use the bones to make chicken stock in the crockpot overnight. I use the meat to make chicken enchiladas or chicken pot pie or chicken and broccoli Alfredo later in the week.  

 

 

[ProudGrandma]

Oh and in case anyone doesn't know, garbanzo beans and chick peas are the same thing.

that is very helpful...I didn't know this...thanks.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

that is very helpful...I didn't know this...thanks.

I didn't know either :)

[Tanaqui]

The cheapest way to get tahini is to make it. Buy sesame seeds, buy olive oil, peanut oil, or, if you can afford it, sesame oil, and grind up the seeds with the oil in a spice grinder (a coffee grinder dedicated to spices is what I use) or a powerful food processor (depending on how much you want to make). Add salt. You can make nut butters the same way, which may or may not be cheaper depending on the quality of the peanut (or almond, or sunflower) butter you purchase.

 

Repurposing chicken (or turkey, if you prefer that) is easy. I love to buy a roasting chicken. Everybody gets one serving of chicken at dinner, which is all they really want because they fill up on potatoes and stuffing (great way to use up the heels of bread) and salad and green beans and gravy. I take the meat off the bones and shove the carcass in the freezer. The

 

The next day I use the chicken flesh in chicken paprikash (cooked with peppers, paprika, and a tomato and served with potatoes). The day after that I make chicken and bean enchiladas. Neither of those meals use too much chicken, because they're stretched out with potatoes in one case and beans in the other. When I have two or three chicken carcasses I boil them with some vegetable scraps (always including a potato, carrot, onion, stalk of celery, and head of garlic and NEVER including cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli) to make stock, which can be used in soup, to cook rice, to add flavor to spaghetti sauce....

 

Ham is a very economical meat if you don't mind buying it all upfront. After we have a ham dinner I can use the leftovers in mac and cheese, in fried rice, with eggs and spinach, in soup (using that stock...!)....

[cjzimmer1]

wow...you guys are good at this....i need to ask about other meats...I am such a NOT out of the box thinker....and so I can't seem to come up with even "put the meat on a baked potato"...that is brilliant...I should have thought of that....but I didn't...so I am glad you did.

 

keep it going...how about non-BBQ roast, chicken, ham, pork roast....how do you stretch those meats into a variety of meals...so that I use less meat and my family won't miss it??

 

Uses for Ham

Soup (ham and potato or ham and white bean)

Quiche/fritatta/scrambled eggs

fried rice

ham/broccoli casserole can make with noodle or rice I tend to make a white/alfredo type sauce for it

 

Uses for chicken

soup (chicken noodle or chicken tortilla)

chicken tacos/quesadillas

stir fry over rice (leftover chicken and rice can then be turned into a third meal of Fried rice)

chicken enchiladas

chicken bbq pizza

chicken cacciatorie

chicken pot pie

chicken and dumplings/biscuits

 

uses for beef roast

soup (beef barley is my favorite)

shredded for tacos/quesadillas

chili (then leftover chili can be used as a topping for baked potatoes)

shepherds pie

pepper steak stir fry

beef stroganoff (I always add several pounds of broccoli or green beans to the sauce and meat so no one notices they are getting less meat)

beef/gravy over potatoes rice or toast

 

Pork roast we seldom eat this but when we do I shred it and use the leftovers in tacos/quesadillas.

[Tanaqui]

At the grocery store, in the bulk spices section. Which is weird, when you think about it....

 

I'd think you should be able to get them in an ethnic market, as well.