My household is me, my husband and our 2 year old daughter so I need to figure out a way to stretch our food budget which is currently about -/week I am not really big on freezing foods simply because my freezer is very small. I am in nursing school so we live paycheck to paycheck. I just need some simple ideas that are not time consuming that a 2 year old will enjoy along with my husband and I.
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Hulk M - said
October 18 2009 @ 00:22
Soups are generally cheap, healthy, and filling. You can be very inventive with soup, and vegetables are generally reasonably priced (and what veggies aren’t used in the soups can be used to snack on)
Some ethnic cuisine that is affordable are the Asian, Mediterranean, and South American diets. Beans and rice are especially affordable, and they can be nutritious (I recommend whole wheat rice). Don’t resort to garbage like mac n cheese, ramen noodles, or fast food. There are tons of options.
CheddarCheese - said
October 18 2009 @ 00:22
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Tuna Burgers
1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns
1 tomato, sliced (optional)
4 leaves of lettuce (optional)
4 slices of cheese (optional)
4 slices of onion (optional)
Combine tuna, egg, bread crumbs, onion, celery, red bell pepper, mayonnaise, hot chili sauce, chili sauce, dill, salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Shape into 4 patties (mixture will be very soft and delicate). Refrigerate for 30 minutes to make the patties easier to handle, if desired.
Coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray; fry tuna patties for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. These are fragile, so be careful when turning them.
Serve on buns with desired optional toppings.
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Cheesy Beef Macaroni
1 pound ground beef
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), shredded
2 1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the corn and soup. Set aside 1/2 cup cheese for topping; stir remaining cheese into meat mixture until melted. Gently stir in macaroni until coated.
Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Top with reserved cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
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Easy Chicken and Pasta
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut up
1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
2 cups frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
2 cups uncooked corkscrew-shaped pasta
grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned, stirring often. Set chicken aside.
Add soup, water, basil and vegetables. Heat to a boil. Add pasta. Cook 10 minutes. over medium heat, stirring often.
Add chicken. Cook 5 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring often. Sprinkle with cheese.
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Black Bean Chili
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
10 fresh mushrooms, quartered
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sautee the onion, red bell peppers, jalapeno, mushrooms, tomatoes and corn for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Season with black pepper, cumin and chili powder. Stir in the black beans, chicken broth and salt. bring to a boil.
Remove 1 1/2 cups of the soup to food processor or blender; puree and stir the bean mixture back into the soup. Serve hot by itself or over rice.
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Doreen N - said
October 18 2009 @ 00:22
Fresh fruits and veggies are best found at the local farmers market. These are usually more affordable and much fresher. Or if you have the space or inclination, you can plant your own garden.
You can still by the larger and often cheaper packaging of meat by using it for more than one meal. Grilled chicken breast one night, chicken salad the next, or chicken fajitas using the whole wheat tortillas.
Visit recipe for great recipes. They often allow you to adjust the recipe to suit small families and they have kid friendly recipes.
Tom - said
October 18 2009 @ 00:22
The good news is that all the foods you are supposed to be eating are less expensive than all the foods that most people eat.
If you use the plan to shop the perimeter of the supermarket, you can meet your budget. It’s when you start shopping the center aisles where you can get into trouble. Junk food and processed foods (anything that comes in a box or a pouch or a can) is significantly more expensive than fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and lean protein.
Focus on a cooking schedule, not by the day, but by the week. If you prepare a ham or a roast, you can turn it into 2 or 3 meals. Casseroles are often better the next day than on the day they are prepared. Try to minimize the "mayonnaise" salads that don’t stretch your dollar and aren’t all that healthy for you.
Make a double-batch of rice one night. Serve half of it with roast chicken, then the next night, make a fried rice dish which requires leftover rice.
This is a basic recipe for fried rice that you can add to as desired. If adding other ingredients, increase the number of eggs to 3.
Need a bit of help? Here are step by step photo instructions showing how to make basic fried rice.
Ingredients:
1 – 2 green onions, as desired
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
4 cups cold cooked rice
1 – 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or oyster sauce, as desired
Preparation:
Wash and finely chop the green onion. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.
Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.
Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. Stir in the soy sauce or oyster sauce as desired.
When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the green onion. Serve hot.