I am looking for inexpensive meal ideas for a family of 5 and a 6 month (besides spaghetti and Alfredo)
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Meatballs and noodles with gravy and veggies. Meatballs and rice with gravy.
Chicken ,stuffing veggies
Salads
Ground beef cooked
Mashed potatoes
1 can of green beans
1 can of corn
Heat and mix together
Tacos, burritos, nachos, tater tot casserole, chili, chicken broccoli and chz casserole.
Macaroni and cheese and a can of chili
Crisoy chicken strips,homemade chicken Pattie’s, hamburger gravy over noodles,rice or mashed potatoes,soups,stews,sloppyJoes, Enchiladas,chili,
Meatloaf,Swedish meatballs,ham and scalloped potatoes, chicken rice casserole, Shepard pie,stir fry,
Beef cubes and gravy,Beef veg soup, pork chops,Broccoli,Bacon and pasta.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup!
Pizza boat
Sausage biscuits and gravy
Goulash, chicken and noodles,chili, then the next day have chili cheese fries.
Meat and poultry in the U.S. is full of added hormones, antibiotics, pesticides. It’s bad for your health and raising beef cattle is horrible for the environment. It’s also very expensive, so use less of it.
Think vegetarian! Black bean soup over basmati rice with a squeeze of lime (I like Goya brand soup for this), felafel (homemade, mix or frozen), any recipe including tofu (awful by itself, great in food where it will absorb the dominant flavors); use tofu puréed instead of cream in recipes like cream soups, or creamy sweet pudding). Quinoa is a complete protein, easy to make and WAY cheaper than meat. Anything with beans or lentils and a whole grain. My kids liked these foods from toddlerhood and still like these foods 30 years later.
Use meat more like a garnish and not the centerpiece. Any kind of chili with beans and/or crumbled tofu or tempeh and cornbread. Hearty homemade soups and good bread. Taco or Greek salads. Pot pies: in a homemade or store bought pie shell add a little chicken or ground beef plus cream soup concentrate plus frozen vegetables topped by mashed potatoes and Parmesan cheese. Pork shoulder cooked in the crock pot or however you like, then shredded: add BBQ sauce, serve on buns with coleslaw. Add fruit for a meal.
Chinese stir fries with mostly vegetables and brown rice. Add peanuts or cashews after cooking instead of or in addition to chicken, beef or pork.
Look for recipes from third world countries.
Resist the urge to use lots of cheese and low nutritional starches like pasta and potatoes. Brown rice, whole wheat bread and pasta and sweet potatoes are better though. Try spaghetti squash instead of pasta for more nutrition and fewer empty calories.
Be sure to include the kids as much as you can in the preparation. Helps them learn to cook and be self sufficient and makes it more likely they will eat what they’ve had a hand in cooking.
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Hamburger pie, casseroles, patty melts, homemade soups… look up roast or chicken crockpot ideas!
Shepherds pie: cooked ground beef, veggies and either spaghetti sauce or gravy.mixed together. Add cheese on top and mashed potatoes on top layer