TIPS FOR HEALTHY, THRIFTY MEALS WHY PLAN MEALS?

TIPS FOR HEALTHY, THRIFTY MEALS
WHY PLAN MEALS?

INTRODUCTION

How can you serve healthy meals on a limited
budget? It takes some time and planning, but you
and your family can eat better for less. This booklet
can help you save money as you prepare healthy
meals. It contains
• Tips for planning, shopping, and cooking healthy
meals on a tight budget
• Sample menus for 2 weeks for breakfast, lunch,
dinner, and snacks
• Recipes for healthy, thrifty meals
• Lists of the foods needed for each weekly menu

TIPS FOR HEALTHY, THRIFTY MEALS

WHY PLAN MEALS?

To help you and your family be healthier. When you
plan meals, you can make sure you include enough
foods from each food group. Pay special attention to
serving enough vegetables and fruits in family meals.
To help you balance meals. When you are serving a
food with a lot of fat or salt, you can plan lowfat or
low-salt foods to go with it. For example, ham is
high in salt. If you have ham for dinner, you also can
serve a salad or a vegetable that doesn’t need salt.
To save money. If you plan before you go food
shopping, you will know what you have on hand
and what you need. Also, shopping from a list helps
you avoid expensive “impulse” purchases.
To save time and effort. When you plan meals, you
have foods on hand and make fewer trips to the
grocery store. Planning also helps you make
good use of leftovers. This can cut your cooking time
and food costs.

TIPS FOR PLANNING

Build the main part of your meal around rice,
noodles, or other grains. Use small amounts of meat,
poultry, fish, or eggs.
• For example, make a casserole by mixing rice,
vegetables, and chicken. Or try Beef-Noodle
Casserole (p. 22) or Stir-Fried Pork and Vegetables
with Rice (p. 26).
Add variety to family meals. In addition to cooking
family favorites, try new, low-cost recipes or food
combinations.
• For example, if you usually serve mashed potatoes,
try Baked Crispy Potatoes (p. 49) or Potato Salad
(p. 58) for a change.

Make meals easier to prepare by trying new ways

to cook foods.

• For example, try using a slow cooker or crock-pot
to cook stews or soups. They cook foods without
constant watching.
Use planned leftovers to save both time and money.
• For example, prepare a Beef Pot Roast (p. 21),
serve half of it, and freeze the remaining half to use
later. You also can freeze extra cooked meats and
vegetables for soups or stews.

Do “batch cooking” when your food budget and

time allow.

• For example, cook a large batch of Baked
Meatballs (p. 20) or Turkey Chili (p. 39), divide it
into family-size portions, and freeze some for meals
later in the month.
Plan snacks that give your family the nutrients
they need.
• For example, buy fresh fruits in season like apples
or peaches. Dried fruits like raisins or prunes, raw
vegetables, crackers, and whole wheat bread are
also good ideas for snacks.


TIPS FOR SHOPPING
Before you go shopping



• Make a list of all the foods you need. Do this
in your kitchen so you can check what you have
on hand.
• Look for specials in the newspaper ads for the
stores where you shop.
• Look for coupons for foods you plan to buy.
But remember, coupons save money only if you
need the product. Also, check if other brands
are on sale, too. They may cost even less than
the one with a coupon.

While you shop

• When your food budget allows, buy extra lowcost,
nutritious foods like potatoes and frozen
orange juice concentrate. These foods keep well.
• Compare the cost of convenience foods with the
same foods made from scratch. “Convenience
foods” are products like fancy baked goods, frozen
meals, and vegetables with seasonings and sauces.
Most of these cost more than similar foods
prepared at home. Also, you can use less fat,
sugar, and salt in food you make at home.
• Try store brands. They usually cost less than name
brands, but they taste as good and generally have
the same nutritional value.
• Take time to compare fresh, frozen, and canned
foods to see which is cheapest. Buy what’s on
special and what’s in season.
• Prevent food waste. Buy only the amount that your
family will eat before the food spoils.

Using label and shelf information

• Read the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods.
Compare the amount of fat, sodium, calories, and
other nutrients in similar products. This can help
you choose foods that have less fat, sodium or
calories, and more vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
• Use date information on packages—“sell by” and
“best if used by” dates—to help you choose the
freshest foods.
• Look for the unit price to compare similar foods.
It tells you the cost per ounce, pound, or pint, so
you’ll know which brand or size is the best buy.
Most stores show the unit price on a shelf sticker
just below the product.