I have had the priveledge of cooking meals for a large family for years, six children and three adults. Here are some simple tips that really help to stretch meals.
1. Try giving time volunteering for a soup kitchen or food pantry. When you give you definitely receive the same of what you give. Sowing and reaping (give food to get food).
2. Cook fresh - it seems like we get more for our buck when we buy fresh and cook it. Somehow it seems to go farther.
3. Fill out the meal - Rice, potatoes, vegetables, and fruit are great items to use to fill out a meal (Fill the plates with more of these items and very little meat.)
4. Beans - a new staple. As a substitute for meat or a filler too. Beans are great. They add flavor and nutrients. Dry beans are very affordable and easy to cook. Soak them overnight. Invest in a slow cooker with a timer and cook them all day long. Your kids will fall in love with all kinds of beans. My personal favorites are black beans and navy pea beans over brown rice. DELICIOUS.
5. Hot cereals in the morning vs. cold cereals. Not the processed "instant" cereals but the whole cereals in the large containers. They go a long way and you can add your own flavor to them with cinnamin, nutmeg, apple sauce, bananas, strawberries, vanilla, etc or mix and match flavors to oatmeal, cream of wheat or farina.
6. Recycle meals - cook as much as you can then but the leftovers if any aside in the freezer for eating another time. Friday is our fat of the land feast. It is the day I don't cook but we eat all the leftovers.
7. Recycle meals Part 2 - (Example) Sunday's meatloaf (distrubute half for eating on Sunday, save the rest. Use 1/4 of that saved half for spaghetti on Monday and the last 1/4 for sloppy joes or to season some beans for Tuesday. (Example 2) Sunday's roasted chicken (distribute half for eating on Sunday, save the rest. Use 1/4 for seasoning beans on Monday and use the last 1/4 for soup on Tuesday.
8. Bake breads from scratch, flour, salt, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, shortening, are all relatively inexpense to get and you can make so much with them all. Go online and find simple recipies you can use to stretch your budget and meals.
Let me know how these tips help you stretch meals for your family.
