Good, healthy, simple quick to make meals/recipes for a family on very small budget? Help?

Question

I hate doing this...but there are too many to choose from...it's gotta go to vote! I'm so sorry! But! I will post my vote once it does go to vote...but there are soooo many to choose from, I would hate to pick best answer myself! I promise to not let this lag for long!!

Answer 1

you can get a huge bag of fuisili pasta for around a pound (or a small one for 30p), tesco value pasta sauce is around 30p a jar, stir in grated cheese. you can add chopped onions/mushrooms if you choose,but without these you can feed a family of 4-6 for under a pound. i have done this when things are tight. its really yummy and fills you right up. you can also buy tesco value white bread for under 20p a loaf and beans for under 10p a tin, and eggs for under 40p for 6. you have beans on toast with fried egg on top, will fill you all up for well under a pound again.

Answer 2

Oh here is a super cheapy using that salsa again. And it is very healthy. I call it Mexican lasagna. I take a 13x9 Pam spray dish, and line the bottom with cooked brown rice. I mix a 1/2 pound LEAN ground meat, 1 can black beans, 1 can tomatoes, and 1 jar of that salsa. Add spices, whatever you want. I sprinkle 2% shredded sharp cheddar over that, not very much. Do another layer or rice, then the beef , salsa mix and then some more cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

I am big on buying boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale and freezing ahead. I use a simple marinade of soy and garlic or jerk spices, zap some frozen veggies, spray some brown rice with fat free butter spray adn it is a fast easy meal. I usually prepare two different flavors of chicken, one Asian inspired, on BBq or shake n bake coated.

For dessert I am always mixing a little fresh fruit into some fat free sugar free yogurt and setting it in the freezer til it hardens a little. Kiwi and lime yogurt, dark sweet cherries with cherry vanilla... are good mixes.

Also for breakfast you can never go wrong with oatmeal mixed with fruit. Tropical fruit blends, rinsed of the juices, is great in oatmeal as is some banana, almonds and a dash of vanilla.

Another thing I do is make a lot of that brown rice and use it under an egg and put it in the microwave and have an apple, it's fast, complete nutrition.Or, use a baked potato instead of the rice and sprinkle with the 2% cheese.

Answer 3

Anything with Rice or Pasta will be your most economical. They have endless possibilities for meals. Soup also are very economical or at least the way I make them.

Working in the restaurant industry I was told 'split pea and ham' soup is the most expensive to make, well I don't know what others are doing to make it but mine costs the same as chicken/beef and rice or chicken/beef noodle. If you want to save money, you can!! Be creative with inexpensive spices for a change of flavor.

Make out a menu plan for your month. Be sure to include any left overs that could be altered for the next days meal such as a baked chicken or roast can now be cooked down to a soup or stew the next day. The left over soup or stew can then be thickened and poured over pasta or rice for a hotdish / casserole for the next day. When growing up, my mother made a chicken last a family of 5 a whole week...NO KIDDING !! So I know all the tricks of s t r e t c h i n g food from a pro. AND I was fat kid so there was no shortage of food even on a VERY tight bugdet !!! If you would like more ideas just messege me. : )

Answer 4

Most so-called "quick" cookbooks have recipes that take a half-hour. This book has good things ready in just 10 minutes:

"The Weeknight Survival Cookbook: How to Make Healthy Meals in 10 Minutes" by Dena Irwin. (Amazon have it).

One my kids have always enjoyed is to mix a tin of tuna with a tine of sweet corn and a spoonful of mayo, heated together, and eaten with pasta.
And believe it or not, I've heard that baked beans on brown toast is a pretty well-balanced quick meal.

Hope that helps!

Answer 5

I make meals on small budget all time. You can take like:
Cook some hamburger - add a can of Mexican beans and a can of tomato soup and make some great chili.
Fry some pork chops and then put some cream of mushroom soup on them, put them in the oven to heat up soup.
Cook up some chicken (debone) ,cook some rice, then add chicken,rice,and some salsa for a great Mexican dish.
Take hamburger and add Lipton onion soup dry mix and add a can of tomato soup,eggs,crackers ( or dry oatmeal) and make a really good meatloaf.
Take mac & cheese and add your favorite meat such as hotdogs, hamburger,tuna to make like a helper.
Boil some chicken with some seasoning, take out and debone. While water is still boiling- take can biscuits and cut each onto four pieces and put in water. After they cook add chicken and you have chicken and dumplings.
For some other great quick recipes look on line.

Answer 6

Chili Omelet
sandra lee food network

Ingredients
1/2 pound breakfast sausage links
1 (15-ounce) can vegetarian chili with beans
1 (8-ounce) package 3-cheese Mexican shredded cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped chives
Sour cream, for garnish


Instructions
Cut the sausage into 1/4-inch chunks. In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, brown the
sausages. When brown, add the chili and heat through, about 5 minutes. For an extra-cheesy omelet, stir in a handful or
2 of the cheese.

While this is cooking, heat an 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat and melt the butter. Beat the eggs with half the
chives and pour into the pan. Cook until the egg forms a solid yellow circle. Cover half of the omelet with the sausage
and chili mixture, reserving 1/4 cup. Add a layer of cheese, reserving 1/4 cup. Fold the omelet and top with the
remaining chili and cheese. Slide the omelet onto a plate and garnish with a large dollop of sour cream and the
remaining chives.



Spaghetti and Meatballs

Answer 7

Can of chili beans $1.50
Green pepper $1
Zucchini, onion, or other veggie $1-2
Some salsa
Instant rice $2
Some water
Tortillas $1.50

Sautee veggies in a skillet until just tender. Add beans and about 1/2 cup salsa and heat until warm (don't boil). Add about 1/2 cup of water and one cup of rice. Cover and simmer on low for 5 minutes or until rice is done. Serve in tortillas - cost is about $7-8 and feeds 4 served with maybe some fruit or some tortilla chips. Can also put shredded cheese in them but it adds fat and doesn't really change the taste.

Answer 8

don't buy any processed foods and try to switch to all whole grains . . . whole oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice. these will keep you full longer and they're more nutritious and about the same price if you really shop around. i think the best bargains out there are canned beans, canned vegetables and dried lentils . . . you can do tons of things with these and if you're serving beans and/or lentils, it'll save you the expense of buying meat. if you want to buy chicken, buy the huge tray and freeze what you won't immediately use. also, i don't know if your family will eat tofu but it's really cheap and good for you, too. you can do anything with it. my favorite recipes are: homemade tomato sauce (sauteed onion & garlic with 2-3 big cans of stewed tomatoes added) served with whole wheat pasta or even just some italian bread baked brown rice and broccoli casserole (layer brown rice in the bottom of a casserole dish, stick pieces of broccoli up out of the rice like little trees and pour a can of cream of broccoli soup & 1/2 can of milk over top . . . cook for 45 minutes at 375) pulled pork made in the crock pot . . . cook it on low for 8 hours and all you have to do is put the meat in with 1/2 can of beer in the bottom (or water if you prefer, though the beer gives it nice flavor) and then shred it and put it on a bun with bbq sauce a big pot of vegetable soup: a can of each with their juice - green beans, yellow beans, kidney beans, beets and a chopped onion, 3 chopped carrots, some celery and 1/2 head of chopped red cabbage. add some salt & pepper, 6 cups of stock and serve with some sour cream and bread. good luck :)

Answer 9

Find a good deal on ground beef and buy a few pounds. Cook it and season it, one batch for spaghetti meat (garlic), and one batch for chili meat (chili powder, cumin). Freeze half of it so it will be there when you get ready to use it ,already prepared...
Chili meat can be used for chili, burritos, taco salad and tacos...
Spaghetti meat can be used for stuffed cabbage, spaghetti, lasagna, or whatever. If you build up a good stock in your freezer, that will take the pinch off the grocery budget.
If you really need specific recipes, please ask me! XXOO

Answer 10

Throw some chicken breasts in a grill pan, boil some pasta and add a frozen veggie of your choice in during the last few minutes to heat, cube the chicken, mix in with the drained pasta and veggies and then add your choice of seasoning or sauce. My fav is Classico Pesto and parmesan cheese, also super good with alfredo sauce! And cheap... the expensive part is the chicken.