LIVING ON A BUDGET MENU PLAN WHEN YOU DON’T LIKE TO COOK OR DON’T HAVE THE TIME
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Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
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Breakfast |
(Frozen) orange juice (1/2 cup) Whole grain cereal Milk |
Frozen orange juice is cheapest and a good source of vitamin C. Where possible buy one enriched with calcium and vitamin D. You only need ½ cup to make a serving. Whole grain cereal includes quick oatmeal (easy to microwave,) shredded wheat and bran flakes. Skim milk powder is cheapest. If you make it a day ahead, it’s more palatable. |
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Lunch |
Vegetable soup or salad or raw veggie Sandwich Fruit |
Most nutritious canned soup is tomato and vegetable. These go on sale regularly. Cheapest salad is cabbage with a little mayonaise. Cheapest raw veggie is carrots. And both are very nutritious. Use whole wheat bread. Multigrain is not necessarily whole grain. Cheap, fast sandwich fillers include peanut butter or cheese or egg salad (hardboiled egg w. mayonnaise) or tuna salad Cheapest fruit is normally apples but do check the reduced rack for more variety.
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Supper |
Frozen or canned vegetable (or fresh if on sale) Starch Meat or alternative Raw vegetable |
Frozen peas and mixed vegetables and green beans are always well-priced. Check the reduced rack for fresh vegetable options for cooked veggies. Starch can be rice, potatoes, pasta or other cooked grain such as quinoa. Alternatives to meat include baked beans, a mix of beans and lentils, nuts and seeds Cheapest animal protein tends to be chicken and frozen fish – on sale. (Hamburger is very high in fat – best to avoid.) Watch the reduced section in meats for even better deals – but cook right away and freeze extra portions. Cabbage and carrots are nutritious and cheap. Check reduced rack for others i.e. broccoli, green peppers, spinach.
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Cheap snacks: |
Air-popped popcorn with a little margarine, Soda crackers with cheese or peanut butter, Raisins, Bulk pretzels |
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GROCERY LIST Note: Do not buy premade foods i.e. frozen dinners. Avoid highly packaged foods i.e. individualized servings.
Grains: |
Oatmeal, dried whole grain cereal Whole wheat bread Rice Pasta Reduced rack for variety of breads |
Vegetables: |
Canned soup Spaghetti sauce Canned veggies on sale Cabbage, carrots Reduced rack |
Fruit: |
Frozen orange juice Apples Frozen fruit on sale Reduced rack |
Meat and Alternatives:
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Peanut butter A variety of canned beans i.e. baked beans, lentils, kidney beans, etc. Cheese on sale, parmesan cheese (for pasta) Eggs Canned tuna Chicken, frozen fish Reduced section |
Other: |
Salt & pepper, Mayonnaise, Margarine, Oil, Ketchup, Coffee, Tea, Sugar, Popcorn kernels, Soda crackers, Raisins, Bulk pretzels |