I need super cheap but healthy meal ideas?

MeganReid1991

So we are going though some financial struggles we have lots of children and I am desperately trying to lose weight. So I need some super cheap dinner ideas that can feed a whole bunch of people.
I like casseroles cause I can spread it out to last.
Also chilli but I need more ideas!

U2R2

Don't know about healthy but you could feed an army on the cheap with soup beans, taters, onions, pickle relish and cornbread. I know we had it twice a week growing up.

nutmegoreo

I chose to go on an aggressive budget some time back and had to figure out how to adapt my food accordingly. Some staples are inexpensive. Things like rice, beans (dried are cheaper than canned, but take some more prep work). Potatoes, beets, carrots can all be picked up relatively inexpensive.

Depending on where you live, you could grow some yourself, the seeds are inexpensive compared to the amount you get out of it. Although it's getting late in the growing season, but you could still get some faster growing items out.

There are apps out there where you can comparison shop the flyers that are local to you. I use Flipp myself, and that has been very helpful to shop for the cheaper locations. If you go first thing in the morning, you can get in and out pretty quickly. I have a run of 5 places in a big loop, and can be done in less than 2 hours.

I usually pick up my groceries and then pick the recipes. I like myfridgefood.com for recipes. Enter what you have available and it gives you a list of recipes.

nickssweetheart

Lentils. High protein, filling, incredibly cheap, and don't require presoaking the way dried beans do.

Lentil Stew
Lentil Soup

Depending upon how open-minded your family is, you can also use lentils in place of ground meat, like in spaghetti sauce or sloppy joes. Or if that wouldn't go over well, you can cook lentils and use them to stretch your meat dishes, bulking them up for pennies instead of dollars.

Buddie66

If you don't do so already, plan meals. It can be as simple as Monday: chicken, Tuesday: vegetarian. Nicksweetheart is right about lentils. They have more protein than beef. There are quick ways to cook dried legumes. You can pick them over, and freeze them in water. This breaks down the tough skins. Or put the cleaned beans into water and maybe some vegetables for flavor. Bring to a boil, then shut off. Leave the beans in water on the stove for 1 hour. Then cook on low until tender. Use vegetable trimmings and gravy, suitable leftovers items, and pan drippings to make soup of the day. It is filling and helps you to eat less for your meal. Don't waste any food. Freeze it and keep track of what you have in the freezer.

k8eekins

MeganReid1991 wrote: »

So we are going though some financial struggles we have lots of children and I am desperately trying to lose weight. So I need some super cheap dinner ideas that can feed a whole bunch of people.
I like casseroles cause I can spread it out to last.
Also chilli but I need more ideas!

If your family doesn't mind chickpeas (garbanzo), making falafel balls, patties, fritters, burgers, loaves which you may freeze and add to any soups, stews or salads, will help ease the struggle a little. When on an excursion as a family, consider garbanzo baked/roasted snacks.

100_PROOF_

Rice and beans!
You can season it differently so you won't get bored.

Oatmeal is always good.

Pasta. It's cheap and fills me up quickly so I don't need a whole lot of it.

kami3006

I like to boil cabbage and potatoes together until the potatoes are done and then add some smoked sausage to the pot to heat it through. Cheap, easy, and works well calorie wise particularly if you use smoked turkey or turkey kielbasa. We usually eat it for a few days. I don't add any seasoning except pepper to the cabbage once it's plated. It's an extended family favorite.

brazillit

budgetbytes.com has some great recipes.

Libmatos

Been there...here are a few of my many ways to save learned on the road to raising 3 and supporting 4 more: buy nothing pre cooked. Buy in bulk. Never go to restaurants or fast food places. Read labels for sugar enhanced items and delete them. Sugar is expensive and unhealthy. Use farmer's markets and negotiate lower bulk prices. Cook all of it, and freeze it ahead so there's no waste or spoilage. Find community organizations that exchange farm and home products for volunteer work. Work with your kids to teach them how to help. Save more by using resale shops for clothing items. Reduce tv subscriptions. Take advantage of cell phone plan offers to reduce costs. Get new insurance quotes for cars and property as they compete for customers. All that will save you hundreds per month.

acpgee

Check out Jack Monroe's website. Before becoming a food columnist, she was a single mom on benefits (welfare in the UK) . She specializes in cooking on a bootstrap.

https://cookingonabootstrap.com/category/recipes-food/

apullum

Do you have a crock pot? Or can you buy a cheap/secondhand crock pot? If so, then you can use it to cook dried beans with almost no effort on your part. Spices can be expensive, but having a basic set of spices will give your beans some variety. Cooked beans also freeze nicely, so you can let your crock pot cook a big batch and then freeze whatever you won't eat right away. You can eat your beans with rice, put them in casseroles, bean soup, burritos, black bean burgers, falafel, hummus, put them on salads...

acpgee

The Skint Foodie is another blog featuring very cheap recipes. Written by a guy who used to have a high flying job who ate Michelin starred
https://www.theskintfoodie.com/about.html

acpgee

Whoops. Hit reply accidentally. Blogger used to eat at fancy restaurants but but was on benefits for a while following mental health issues. Good recipes and tips on how to shop if you are broke.

amusedmonkey

Load up on spices and herbs, they last long so you won't have to buy them often. They can make the most simple dish taste gourmet, or the same dish taste like a completely different dish.

A few days ago I had a fried egg. That's as simple as it gets. With a touch of dried oregano, it felt like I was eating something special and new.

tammytam72

Chicken cacciatore is a cheap meal and can make bunches. Onions peppers. Mushrooms. Boneless chicken of choice I changed it up a big to be more healthy friendly by adding 1 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce. Uses less sauce that way and adds great flavor. One pan cooking also.

TheArchyBunker

Good ol Army slop S.O.S. ground beef browned, mixed with gravy slopped over mashed taters or toast. My kids go nuts over this one! 40 years of eating I still do.

RaeM1818

Go meatless occasionally - make your own salad ( have your kids choose their own toppings) and make your own grilled cheeses ( each make your own creation).

jgnatca

Lots of great ideas upthread. I'll try and mention stuff that hasn't been brought up yet.

The expense of vegetables is the wastage, so either get sturdy vegetables that don't go bad quickly, or get frozen.

Sturdy vegetables include cabbage, carrots, and other root vegetables. Keep potatoes in the house.

Dry beans and legumes keep forever and aren't that hard to prepare. You just have to plan a day in advance of cooking.

Cheese is expensive and calorific. You can cut the cheese by a quarter in most recipes, and try grating finer to extend it longer.

I never let myself run out of onion, flour, or eggs. Eggs can be a little more expensive but they are so versatile, and a quick way to add a little protein.

I think you will find for chicken that the thighs, bone in, are cheapest. Lately pork loin has been very cheap here. I make a roast and freeze the leftovers for future casseroles.

You can save time with your meats by bulk cooking in the oven and packaging up the precooked meat to use later on in the week.

Go ahead and try substitutions if you are short one or two ingredients on a recipe.

If you are looking to diet on a budget, just eat less than everyone else is having, and bulk up on vegetables.

jgnatca

Here are some casseroles that are on my "proven" list.

https://www.pinterest.ca/janetkarasz/proven-mains/casseroles/

I freely skip green onion garnish, and replace shallots with regular onion.

CowboySar

Costco is great for your needs.

4lbs ground turkey $20.00
Large eye of round roast can be cut up $20.00
Fish is cheap

I eat a lot these days and do most of my shopping at Costco as if I bought the amount of food I eat from a normal grocery store I would not be able to afford it.

Ideas for meals with Costco shopping

Chili
Spaghetti and sauce
Turkey burgers
Stir frys
Steaks
Quinoa
Philly cheese

tons of ideas I could go on and on