February 21, 2018
updated
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These five meals are fresh, delicious, and easy budget dinners that are perfect for families! Check out these $10 meals made with whole, fresh, foods!
At some time or another in our lives, we’ve all have had to create a budget for our household expenses; and the grocery expenses is the first place most families look to cut back on when creating a monthly household budget.
Unfortunately, this is approached with sadness by many because most people think they’ll have to resort to eating red beans and rice or ramen for days and cut back on many of the fresh food items that have become a staple in our weekly plans.
I’m here to tell you that with a Budget Meal Plan, that is not the case. However, if you want to eat healthy and fresh foods on a budget, a little planning will be needed.
With a bit of creativity and the tips below, you can successfully make fresh, wholesome, and delicious meals while sticking to that budget!
For instance, these Salsa Chicken Tacos, the entire meal costs $11.96, with 6 servings! Each serving is $2.99. I’ll break down the recipe costs below.
Not to mention this is made in the slow cooker, and the leftovers can be used for lunches the next day. Two meals with one slow cooker recipe… c’mon! Check out the full recipe and directions for Chicken Salsa Tacos.
Let’s compare this to a trip to the most basic, cheap taco chain restaurants, no names, to keep it fair. For 12 chicken tacos, no drinks, no sides, no toppings aside from what the tacos come with, which is lettuce and cheese, the total cost is $ 22.68. #Micdrop ;)
As with any budget, you will need to have a meal plan! That means selecting recipes and creating a shopping list. With a plan, you can put your food to use and make sure nothing goes to waste.
If you subscribe to one of our family meal plans, we take care of all the planning by providing 5 family-friendly lunches or dinners, prep tips, and a completed shopping list!
But, to give you a good idea of how you can eat well on a budget check out these five simple and fresh family meals, that feed 4+ for less than $12.00 a piece! That’s a fraction (about ¼) of the cost for one drive-thru trip chicken sandwich, fries, and drink!
Salsa Chicken Tacos (photo above)
Yield: 4 servings
Total Cost: $11.96
Per person: $2.99
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs – $5.86
- 2 cups salsa – $1.98
- Shredded lettuce, from one head Iceberg lettuce – $ 1.64
- Sour cream – $1.34
- Avocado, diced – $0.98
- 12 soft corn tortillas – $ 0.46
Sweet Potato Hash with Baked Eggs
Yield: 4 servings
Total Cost: $5.86
Per serving: $1.47
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (1 pound) – $ .98
- 1 medium onion, diced – $0.79
- 2 cloves garlic, minced – $0.15
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped – $1.68
- 2 tablespoon olive oil – $0.29
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed – $0.61
- 8 large eggs – $1.36
- Seasoning – $0.20
Easy New Orleans Jambalaya
Yield: 4 servings
Total Cost: $10.80
Cost per serving: $2.70
- 1 pound smoked sausage – $4.48
- 14-ounce can diced tomatoes – $0.98
- 1 cup rice – $0.29
- 2 tablespoons olive oil – $0.29
- ½ onion – $0.40
- ½ green bell pepper – $0.40
- ½ pound medium frozen shrimp – $3.76
- 1 ½ teaspoons Creole seasoning
Skillet Alfredo
Yield: 4 servings
Total Cost: $7.75
Per serving: $1.94
- 8 ounces rotini pasta – $0.69
- 12 ounces broccoli florets – $1.26
- 2 tablespoons oil – $0.29
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (purch. in bulk) – $3.44
- Butter – $0.32
- Seasonings – $0.23
- 1 cup chicken broth – $0.32
- 1 cup milk – $0.40
- ½ cup Parmesan – $0.80
Korean Beef Bowls
Yield: 4 servings
Total Cost: $10.72
Cost per serving- $2.68
- ⅓ cup soy sauce – $0.18
- 2 tablespoons honey – $0.31
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil – $0.70
- 3 cloves garlic, minced – $0.23
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger – $0.20
- 2 tablespoons oil – $0.05
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef – $6.50
- 1 ½ cup dry rice – $0.87
- 1 pound broccoli florets – $1.68
Total cost for all 5 meals: $46.92
As you can see, with a little creativity and using ingredients in multiple ways, you can stick to a grocery budget and still eat amazing food!
Check out our Budget Meal Plan Here.
What are some of your favorite budget-friendly family meals
5 Family-Friendly Budget Dinners
Ingredients
Easy Korean Beef Bowls
- 1 ½ cups rice
- ⅓ cup soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 16 ounce bag steamable broccoli florets
Instructions
- Prepare the rice according to package directions.
- In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat for 5 to 8 minutes, break it up with a spatula as it cooks. Continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink. Add the sauce to the skillet, bringing it to a quick boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 4 minutes or until the meat is tender and sauce thickened.
- Meanwhile, steam the broccoli according to package directions. Season as desired.
- Scoop rice into a bowl, top with beef and serve with a side of steamed broccoli.
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