Feeding a family takes up enough mental space as it is, but trying to
feed a family dinner each night that is healthy, ticks all the boxes
nutritionally, and comes within a budget is close on miraculous. The organisation and creativity required to keep every belly full, on a budget, is immense. So lets take out some of the hard work. Here are 5 tried and true dinners for the health-conscious family on a budget.
Polenta Parcels
Polenta packs a considerable punch in the nutritional arena, but
isn’t too shabby on the gourmet stakes as well. There are a million ways
to use it to make the family happy- I like polenta and ratatouille made
from any leftover veggies in the veggie drawer- but it can be a perfect
snack with nuts and herbs mixed through it. It also goes a long way-
1kg of polenta can last for weeks and provide countless meals.
Pork Chops
Eating meat on a budget
can be a tricky. How do you keep your family happy (and if they’re
anything like mine, banana curry night after night is seen as a moral
outrage) without having to spend huge amounts on meat? Especially if you
happen to also be concerned about the provenance and treatment of the
animals and meat in the production? Pork chops are are a nice cut of
meat and a significantly reduced rate to other meats such as lamb and
beef. They’re also incredibly easy to make into a delicious dinner- a
honey and soy glaze, or good ol’ fashioned apple sauce are always
popular. A stew is also always a great way to get all your veggie
serves, with a bit of tasty meat into the bargain.
Roast Dinner
A Sunday roast can always seem a bit intimidating when you’re first
setting up outside of home, especially price-wise. But if you can ditch
the lamb, roast any and every veggie you have leftover in your fridge,
and use chicken, then it can be quite the frugal meal. If you’re worried
about tough, flavourless chicken, then quench those fears. Stuff the
chicken with lemon, rosemary and whole garlic cloves, making small
incisions into the skin and rubbing lemon and oil into these as well.
Pop it in the oven and you have yourself a Domestic Goddess roast
dinner.
Pumpkin Party
Buying fruit and veg seasonally is a great way to stay on top of
prices, and there are lots of guides online as to what you should be
buying and what will be cheapest at the moment. Pumpkin, especially at
the minute, is pulling some great prices and there are so many things
you can do with it at an amazingly frugal price. Want something cheap to
take to the party on the weekend? A sweet pumpkin pie will cost you
less than $5 in ingredients and will garner you a whole lot of praise.
If you’re eating at home, look at making your own pumpkin gnocchi. It’s
lower GI than the store-bought equivalents, and is super easy to make.
Top it off with a tiny bit of butter and sage picked from the garden and
you’re onto a winner. It can also be used as a mash on top of a
Shepard’s Pie. The opportunities really are endless.
Bean Burgers
Kids are always requesting burgers, but the costs (to our waistlines
as well as our wallets) can sometimes make it a difficult request. If
you’re looking for a healthy frugal meal, consider swapping meat patties
for beans or lentils. Or try your hand at homemade felafels (one of the
easiest things to put together in a hurry) and have felafel burgers
instead. Using wholegrain buns and some fresh salad, it’s a satisfying
meal for a wintery night.
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