Focusing your meals on healthy whole grains can keep you full for less.
When you are on a tight budget, you can save money by spending less money on food. The best place to start is to cook at home and build your meals around foods that are on sale, as well as on the most reasonably priced grains and starches.
Red Beans and Rice
Beans and rice are among the most reasonably priced foods available, and they offer health benefits too. Beans contain fiber and protein, which can help you stay full, and, when combined with rice, make for a well-rounded meal. Start by cooking bacon in a pan. When it's finished, remove it and sauté onions, celery and peppers in the leftover bacon grease. Add red kidney beans and 1 1/2 cups of the water they were cooked in, as well as Cajun spices, cayenne pepper and the sautéed bacon and cook for about 15 minutes. Serve the mixture over rice.
Italian Herb-Roasted Chicken
A whole chicken makes for a great cheap meal because you can use the leftovers in sandwiches and make soup from the bones. Make a mixture of olive oil, basil, oregano and rosemary and rub it under the skin of the chicken, then roast it in the oven for about 1 hour. Serve it with frozen vegetables and rice.
Lentil Chili
Lentils have the highest amount of protein of any bean variety and are easy to cook because they don't require soaking overnight. Sauté onions, then add a can of tomatoes, 1 cup of water and 1 cup of dried lentils along with two tbsps. of chili powder. Serve this with corn bread.
Hot Dogs and Vegetables
Hot dogs are an inexpensive food, so they can make a great base for your meal. Cut them into small pieces and stir-fry them with frozen vegetables, then serve the mixture over rice for an easy meal.
Pasta Variations
Pasta is another food that is usually very reasonably priced. Serve the variety of your choice with ground beef added to tomato sauce to give it extra protein. Alternatively, you can make a salad of tuna, peas and mayonnaise and mix it with cold pasta.
Pancakes and Eggs
Have breakfast any time of the day. Pancakes are affordable whether you make them from scratch or from a mix, and adding fresh apples or another fruit to the batter will make them more nutritious. Eggs are a good source of protein and are also quite reasonably priced. Prepare them scrambled, over-easy or as an omelet. You can also add a breakfast meat, such as bacon or sausage, to make the meal more substantial.
Tags: reasonably priced, frozen vegetables, make them, mixture over, mixture over rice