As a mom of 4 growing kids, nutrition is important for our family. My husband and I are trying to make sure we expose our kids to lots of healthy and nutritious food options so when they get to make the decision for themselves someday, they’ll want to enjoy vegetables on their own. I often hear that eating healthy is so expensive and time consuming but I have found that knowing where to look and how to cut corners is key! Frugal and quick meals to the rescue! None of these meals require more than 15 minutes of prep time!
Before I share some of my favorites with you, check out my tips on how to save money on feeding a family. Lots of these are incorporated into the recipes below!
Here are some of my family’s favorite recipes that are easy to frugal, quick, and healthy for a growing family that is trying to stay on budget!
Fajitas
Photo courtesy of Budget Bytes
If you’re trying to mix up your typical Taco Tuesday, look no further. We love fajitas and these are even easier because the oven does all of the work. All I do is dice up an onion and bell peppers and cut my chicken into small pieces. I then throw it in the oven with the seasoning. Could not be simpler! Serve with tortillas, rice, beans, and any toppings you’d like! This meal is healthy, quick prep, and a low cost per serving meal.
Recipe by Budget Bytes.
Sheet Pan Meal
If you want to feed large amounts of people with very little prep, this might be the easiest meal around. It’s only 5 ingredients! Chicken, green beans, potatoes, butter, and a packet of italian dressing mix. Prepare to have your tastebuds blown and your kids asking for seconds. I have also tried this with broccoli and would assume different meats would work as well. So feel free to freestyle with what you have on hand!
Recipe by House Hunk.
Eggroll in a Bowl
This might be my very favorite meal of all time! It’s so easy and so healthy. The winner in this one for me is no chopping veggies! I buy a bag of coleslaw mix and to shortcut it even more, I use frozen ginger cubes! If you’re someone like me who often browns a lot of meat at once and has some frozen or on hand for recipes, this can be made even quicker! My family loves this and I love that they are eating healthy.
Image from Stylish Cravings
Recipe by Stylish Cravings.
Whole Wheat Bread
You guys! Before this recipe, I thought homemade bread was a little on the high-maintenance side of things! I have enjoyed making various bread recipes over the last 4-5 years but I especially love this one because you just mix everything up and throw in the oven. It could not be easier (or yummier) than homemade bread! Trust me! You can also cut the amount of honey if you’re trying to reduce some sugar/sweetness. Talk about frugal and quick! One hour whole wheat bread will become a new staple in your house!
Recipe by Modern Honey.
Taco Soup
Cold days call for soup in our house. Any crock pot soup recipe has my name written all over it. Let it simmer and fill your home with aroma all day and then just take out the chicken to shred and voila, dinner is served! Sometimes the last 30 minutes I’ll add a tiny bit of cream cheese to make it a creamier rather than a brothy soup. Try both and see which you like best!
Recipe by Slender Kitchen.
Homemade Yogurt
If you have an instant pot, prepare to be amazed. I really had no idea how easy and simple making homemade yogurt was. The best part is, no added sugar! We’ve slowly transitioned our kids from sugar-filled, flavored yogurt to just plain yogurt with homemade granola and fruit on top and they love it so much more. This recipe is very much a set it and forget it kind of thing! I do like to strain mine a bit for thicker yogurt, but even that takes 2 minutes of actual hands-on time and then some waiting.
Recipe by PressureCookerRecipes.com.
Jalapeño Popper Chicken
If you’re not a fan of spice, don’t let the name scare you away! These are very mild as jalapenos are not spicy when the seeds are removed. If it really scares you, leave them out all together and I promise you, the bacon, cream cheese, cheddar combo is still bomb! SO quick and easy and I promise your kids will love it!
Recipe by Eating On a Dime.
Spinach and Kale Chicken
Have I mentioned I love to shortcut dinners? If there’s an easy way, I’ll find it! You guys, I just made up this recipe one night and it is a hit in our family! If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, look for their Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip. It’s 30 calories for 2 tablespoons but not devoid of flavor!
I just take chicken breasts (use small ones or butterfly a larger one so they are a little thinner), place them in a greased, glass baking dish and then sprinkle with salt, put a generous portion of the dip on top to cover, and then cover with mozzarella cheese. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. I also check them about 30 minutes and if the cheese on top is getting too brown, I’ll cover with foil for the last 10-15 minutes. I actually like the cheese to get a little brown and crispy, but to each her own! It is so good and healthy too! Serve with brown rice or quinoa and a veggie side! Boom. Easy, healthy, and frugal meal!
Marinated Chicken
This marinade recipe came from a family friend! It is our favorite to make for summer barbecues. I always try to marinade a BUNCH of chicken at once because leftovers of this chicken, warm or cold, are the best! It is tender and full of flavor!
Just toss all of the below ingredients in a blender and pour over up to 4-5 lbs of chicken! I like to let mine marinade overnight (or at least 4 hours), turning at least once.
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 3 TBS white vinegar
- 1 TBS mustard (just straight up mustard, not ground mustard)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Curry Chicken
As you can see, lots of these recipes involve chicken! I guess chicken is the most frugal and versatile meat! If you like curry, this is such an easy recipe to throw together! If you don’t like curry, this particular recipe is not spicy and has great flavor, so you might like it anyway! One suggestion in the recipe is to serve it over rice with golden raisins in it. We love this suggestion, as the sweetness of the raisins (we usually just use regular raisins) compliments the flavor of the curry quite well. Curry powder didn’t used to be a staple in our house, but because of this recipe, we now keep it on hand! That’s how much we love it!
Recipe by Family Food on the Table.
Homemade Granola
Because of the homemade yogurt kick we’ve been on lately, homemade granola is also a staple. It’s cheap, easy to make, and involves ingredients that you more than likely already have in your pantry!
Recipe by Mile High Mitts.
Do you have a favorite frugal meal that feeds your family?
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