According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Family Nutrition Guide, members of a family should aim to consume six to 11 servings of grains, three to five servings of vegetables, two to four servings of fruits, two to three servings of dairy products and two servings of proteins daily. Although these numbers may vary for each person, offering balanced meals is the way to encourage good family nutrition. It may feel like no small task to feed a large family healthy and balanced meals on a budget, but planning ahead is the key to success.
Determine the Budget
Determine your weekly grocery budget as the first step in the process. Make sure this number is compatible with your overall household budget as well as realistic when taking into consideration your family's size and nutritional needs. Fruits and vegetables are more expensive than chips and cookies, so if you are going to prioritize healthy meals for your large family, it is critical that you allow enough room in the budget to buy healthy ingredients for meals as well as snacks. Once this number has been determined, commit to taking no more than this amount of cash to the grocery store each week, and avoid using credit or debit cards to supplement your cash supply.
Plan Ahead
Plan ahead before going to the grocery store each week by setting aside time to browse for coupons in your newspaper or online. Clip or print the ones you can use now, and file the ones you can use later. Browse the weekly grocery store circular for sales, and create a weekly healthy meal plan that is influenced largely by the items that are on sale or for which you have a coupon. Look for opportunities to use coupons on sale items to get maximum savings, and don't hesitate to purchase the store brand versions of nonspecialized items or take advantage of a wholesale club to buy food in bulk. Following these guidelines will stretch your budget so that you can afford the fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry and whole grains that are all part of a healthy family diet.
Use Leftovers
Integrate leftovers into weekly meals. When cooking for a large family, it may be difficult to predict how much the family will eat on any given day. This can leave you with extra food to be forgotten in the refrigerator. Instead of allowing this waste to undermine your food budget, keep track of what foods are prepared and uneaten in the refrigerator, and incorporate them into meal plans for the following days. For example, if you have leftover meatloaf and mashed potatoes from last night's supper, store them in the front of the refrigerator and use them the following afternoon to make meatloaf sandwiches on thick slices of wheat bread with ketchup or tomato sauce.
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