Do you have a family to feed with a smaller food budget? It is entirely possible to feed your family filling, healthy, and affordable meals no matter what your budget is. Here are some frugal meal ideas for your family.
1. Use a Whole Chicken or Turkey
Instead of getting individual chicken breasts or thighs, consider purchasing an entire chicken or turkey. They tend to be less expensive as a whole bird, and it is more than enough to feed your entire family. You will save the most money by purchasing them from the meat section of your grocery store, then roasting it yourself. However, you can also get a cooked rotisserie chicken if you are short on time> It is still going to be more cost-effective than most other packaged foods.
2. Make a Casserole
Another great option for making healthy meals for your family on a budget is with casseroles. So many ingredients that go in casseroles are budget-friendly, like rice, beans, frozen veggies, eggs, and many more. Casseroles are very budget-friendly, since you control what ingredients are used to make them. Often times, this means rice, some veggies, and lean protein like chicken, tuna, or turkey.
3. You Can Make From Scratch
As you begin putting meals and snacks together, think of packaged foods that you could easily make yourself. While it is a little more work, you definitely save more money doing it this way. Some foods that you can make from scratch with just a little more effort include granola, hummus, applesauce, and nut butters.
4. Chili and Soup
Lastly, you can’t go wrong with chili and soup. It helps you use up all those veggies that you won’t use before they go bad, and can be close to free if you have a veggie garden in your backyard. Chili is just a mixture of tomatoes, different beans, and seasonings which is very budget-friendly as well.