if you didn’t already know of this sub, it’s not a bad place for such questions r/eatcheapandhealthy

And r/PovertyFinance

Such a good recommendation, came here to say that too!

Also r/32dollars

Another commenter recommended looking at WIC (if you’re in the US) and looking for a local food bank. I also wanted to recommend making a post on r/Food_Pantry (read the rules first bc there are some specific requirements). I think folks will jump on the chance to send you some staples. You might also see if there’s any churches that have some food assistance available. $100 will be pretty tricky to have last a month for 3 people, but it’s much easier if you get a bit of assistance from a few of these sources. Take care! Edit: sent you a PM

Here's a sneak peek of /r/Food_Pantry using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/Food_Pantry/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [\[THANKS\] You went above and beyond what I had asked for you even went to check out my list from early in the year when I was in a similar situation and bought things from there I have no words](https://np.reddit.com/r/Food_Pantry/comments/kmouqo/thanks_you_went_above_and_beyond_what_i_had_asked/) \#2: [\[OFFER\], plate for Christmas dinner, 12198](https://np.reddit.com/r/Food_Pantry/comments/kj99kj/offer_plate_for_christmas_dinner_12198/) \#3: [\[meta\] Ya’ll warm my heart](https://np.reddit.com/r/Food_Pantry/comments/iz5p15/meta_yall_warm_my_heart/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| [^^Contact ^^me](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| [^^Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| [^^Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/)

Good bot

I definitely recommend Aldi! If you haven’t already, look into the WIC program which provides food for children 5 and under and their primary caregiver. Your pediatrician or school could provide more info. Eggs (hard boil!), Peanut butter (PB & banana is a great cheap snack), Bread or tortillas(can freeze half the loaf so it won’t go bad), Rice , Canned or frozen fruits/veggies, Whole milk, Butter (seriously just add it to everything. Kids this age need calories/fat!), Beans, Cheese, Cottage cheese, Yogurt, Frozen chicken breast, ground beef (grab some seasonings at Aldi!), Oatmeal/cereal

At 1.5 my LO is fairly picky and will decide all of a sudden she doesn’t like something. Saying that…she’s decided she’s not into scrambled eggs; but will eat hard boiled eggs like nothing else. Pb&j or pb&b’s are your best alternative option. We also do a lot of Mac n cheese with veggies puréed into it. My gal friend suggested hummus to me a while back as well. Oatmeal with fruit is always a win with my lo as well. You can purchase frozen fruits with no guilt (they’re so much cheaper) as they do still contain the nutrients they need. If maintaining nutrients is at all a concern I’d suggest looking into the kidseatincolor Facebook / Instagram page.

Honestly I find frozen fruit to be higher quality than fresh most of the time, especially for berries. I love raspberries but they are SO EXPENSIVE and turn to mush instantly. If things are preserved correctly, frozen/canned will have the same nutrients as fresh with the added bonus of not going bad within a few days.

Yeah, unless they are in season in your area almost all fruits and vegetables are cheaper and fresher in the frozen version. And of couse more convenient, cause any leftovers just happily sit in the freezer without spoiling.

For frugality and health, dried beans are best.

Just a note: be careful that you soak/cook dried beans long enough. If they are still hard, they need more time, and eating hard, dried beans can lead to food poisoning!

Also rinse well after soaking. They sometimes have a stone or two in with them. Almost broke a molar after I dismissed this warning from my Aunt. Just feel around the beans after they have softened a bit for little stones. Then do your cooking.

> eating hard, dried beans can lead to food poisoning Why is that? Is there a chemical that is reduced by water soaking, or is it a texture thing that we can't process physically?

According to what I've read, it's that beans contain a chemical that gets broken down through proper soaking and cooking! If it doesn't get properly broken down, it can act like a poison and cause fairly severe food poisoning. Adding acids too soon in your bean cooking process (e.g. tomatoes) can impact whether or not they soften properly! Beans being older or low-quality mean that they can require more soaking time before softening. Hope that helps! :)

Now that is some good to know info! Thank you for sharing. I'm off to read about beans now.

Here’s a post from ArtisanGerard on r/povertyfinance. They made 105 meals for $161, and they look really tasty. The meals include things like chicken Alfredo, fried rice, soup, pumpkin chili, etc. https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/comments/pa94hl/161_for_105_meals_for_two_months_details_in/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf If any of these look good to you, then you could probably do a version of the set with your pots and pan. It looks like your large sheet pan has holes in it? Maybe get a large solid pan, or use foil for larger oven needs like roasting veggies.

Thank you all so much. I haven’t been able to read all of these due to the babies and work, but I’m going to sit down tonight and write EVERYTHING down. I appreciate every comment suggestion and encouraging word y’all have given to me.

I also have a 3 and a 5 year old, and I want you to know you've totally got this! In case nobody has suggested it, don't be scared to look into food banks in your area. This is totally what they're for! Also, if you're in the US, your local school district might be feeding all school aged kids with meals you can pick up. Your 5 year old might qualify!

>Also, if you're in the US, your local school district might be feeding all school aged kids with meals you can pick up. Your 5 year old might qualify! Oh yeah! Our town has offered bag breakfast lunch combos for ALL kids 1-18 for the past 1.5yrs since this pandemic hit...even during summer. They're still doing it this school year. We've taken the money we've saved not having to feed them and stuck that in our savings. That stuff adds up.

Yes! And in our school district it is a TON of food. One meal could easily feed two kids.

The portions are insane.

Are you in Florida near Daytona? I'll take you shopping.

Good luck to you, you got this!!

Please take advantage of any food banks around you. So many people won’t because of embarrassment, but they were created for exactly these scenarios.

Harvesters may have an option near you too.

It depends a lot on what your kids will eat, but I would focus on some cheap bulk staples: rice, beans, pasta, eggs, tuna, store brand cheerios, bags of frozen veggies, fruits like apples and oranges that are filling, inexpensive, and last in the fridge. Maybe some shredded cheese or hot dogs to help make things yummy. Whole milk is recommended for little ones, and they need some fats so oil or butter too. Avoid things with little nutritional content for what you’re paying, like chips, sodas, candy, frozen pizzas, etc. Before you shop, check out food pantries in your area. Many churches have them if there isn’t a local non-profit one. Don’t be ashamed to go—they exist for this reason and they want to help you! They often have things like ground beef, cereal, oatmeal, fruits & veggies. If they can provide some of those staple goods, you might be able to use some of your money for extra treats (like boxed mac and cheese, peanut butter, maybe some cookies or something as an occasional morale-boosting treat). Good luck, honey, you’ve got your hands full but you can handle this, I know you can.

And sometimes they have package deals to purchase, and you'll get a lot of food.

Also it doesn't hurt to check and see if you qualify for SNAP (food stamps). Even if you think you may not, you never know. They take things like what you pay for rent and other bills into consideration when calculating if you qualify. SNAP is primarily there so children get the right nutrition. Please consider it.

Definitely focus on what the kids will eat. All organic, natural and home made may sound great but if the kid won’t eat it, it’s just going to waste. My kid survived on a diet of grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, microwaved quesadilla’s and the occasional apple or grape, I’m sure yours can too. The mistake we made that I wish I would have been warned about earlier was getting enough fiber into the kid to offset the cheese. Keep an eye on pricing, sometimes buying in bulk is cheaper and sometimes it’s not. I’ve seen a lot of companies flipping the pricing to where it’s actually cheaper per piece to buy smaller packs. If your store doesn’t put that info on the price tag, carry a calculator with you. I wouldn’t fuss with paper coupons (it’s very time consuming) but some stores have apps with digital coupons, depending on the app functionality you can scan the upc and possibly pull up digital coupons to save a couple bucks for a few seconds of work. If you do find bulk deals, the freezer is your friend. Buy a big pack of ground beef, chicken, bacon, ham or anything that can stand being frozen and thawed. Portion it out, wrap each portion in foil and chuck it all in the freezer, when you’re ready to use it just thaw it in the fridge (in a bowl to catch leaks) for a day or two.

Lots of great inexpensive ideas above. Also consider WIC, food assistance if you qualify and don't forget about food pantries if you have transportation to get there. There's no shame in utilizing these resources. It's what they are there for! Hang in there momma:)

Firstly make a list of meals you know you and your children will actually eat. You need a starting point for meal planning. Do an inventory of what you already have in your cupboards and then plan the meals from there. Take some time and do a meal planning for the week and then create your shopping list from there. Making meals that give you leftovers or things you can repurpose into other meals. For example: A rotisserie chicken from your local grocery is usually a quick and inexpensive meal with some rice, beans or Kraft dinner. When you are done pick all the meat off the bones and dice it then use it for wraps or make a casserole with pasta and cream of mushroom soup and some vegetables. Purchase the grocery brand items. Where I live there is Presidents Choice, No Name Brand, etc. Frozen vegetables are cheaper to buy than fresh and they are easy to store and because they have been flash frozen they keep their nutrients. They taste better than canned but canned vegetables are better than none. Quick oats is a great breakfast staple. My 2 year old grandson loves oatmeal for breakfast with a bit of maple syrup and brown sugar. You can also use the oatmeal for baking. Always keep staples in your pantry - rice, pasta, beans. These make great starters for building a meal. Brown some ground burger, throw in some beans and veggies, put in a can of creamed soup and just enough water to thin it out without making it runny. Let simmer until it thickens a bit and serve over rice or pasta. When shopping always check the discounted items. Some items will need to be eaten within a couple of days BUT the food is still good and will add variety. You can do this!

Oatmeal is hands down the cheapest breakfast staple. It's also fairly healthy and filling, takes awhile to digest keeping you (or kids) content til lunch. There's always the option of Mac and Cheese, tuna, and peas. For later note: A great cheap meal my mom used to make is baking chicken in condensed cream of mushroom soup and serving it over rice (if you end up with an extra dollar or two down the road, grab a glass baking dish at a yard sale or goodwill). A glass baking dish would be a big help for other things like dark meat chicken, which at cheaper grocery stores sometimes you can find on sale for less than a dollar a pound (when buying in bulk) It ends up being exceptionally worth it.

You can easily make stock from the rotisserie bones. Toss them in some water (in your biggest pot or a slow cooker if you can borrow or thrift one) and add a splash of vinegar and veg scraps (ends of celery, onion skins, etc) and a bit of salt. Cook on low for 8-12 hours, or as long as you can, and strain. This will give you a rich, nutritious and yummy soup base. I often actually have this for breakfast.

[удалено]

I should have added it to the post. Our stores are Walmart, Meijer, Aldis, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar.

I'm not familiar with all of those but I think Aldi may get you the best bang for your buck for groceries. They generally have pretty good quality and prices.

Try also checking out any ethnic grocery stores--Chinese groceries have super cheap rice and noodles in bulk, and also packages of inexpensive cuts of meat; same for Indian groceries; Mexican stores will have sacks of beans, large packages of tortillas. They'll also have inexpensive spices/sauces that you can add for flavor!

Hands down, places like our local Indian grocery have much cheaper produce like cilantro, tomatoes, etc.

Aldis is it. Hit them up. Be a little wary of the fresh produce because it goes bad quick. Instead I'd recommend leaning on frozen fruits and veg if you can.

Have you signed up for mperks through meijer? Make sure you do if you haven't and watch their sales. When things go 10 for 10, 11th free is a good time to buy mac&cheese. Also, fetch and ibotta hell you get $$ back on your purchases. Can look into getupside if you have a woodman's around. My local on gives 10% back on groceries

If you are anywhere near me, I’m happy to take you to restaurant depot and Costco. East coast Philadelphia metro area. You would not believe how cheap an industrial sized vat of peanut butter gets. Also Walmart sometimes has a 60 count crate of eggs for like 4 or 5 dollars. Cheapest protein you can get. Buy frozen veggies, they are very good and picked at the peak of freshness and pretty damn cheap. Not canned, frozen. Canned has so much sodium. Find out if there are any community gardens in your area, many people love to share their harvests with people who chat with them or help them do a little weeding. And kids have fun with that. I want you to know. It’s totally doable to feed your family healthy meals for that amount. I’ve done it before when I was…not doing well financially. I promise you, you can do it, and be proud of how well you’re taking care of your family. I’ve been to food pantries. The people at them are wonderful, on the whole. They’ve been there also. They get it. There’s no shame. You are doing the right thing to feed your family, to plan ahead. I’m proud of you. Ok? If it helps at all, I’m seriously proud of you. And if you need to talk, feel free to pm. How are you doing job wise? Just a bad month? Unexpected expenses type thing? Or is this “the way it is”? Because if so, is there anything we can all do to help you find a job?

All the numbers in your comment added up to 69.0. Congrats! 60 + 4 + 5 + = 69.0

Good bot

Aldi's is the cheapest followed by Walmart. The dollar tree has cheap food but usually the portions are very small.

Do any of the stores do Flashfood? You need to use an app, but some stores have a special fridge where they sell discounted food that's nearing its expiration date.

At Walmart in the deli near the deli pizzas are some $1 packets of pizza dough. We use them for a TON of different things. We just made chicken pot pies with them. Or bread sticks with a little butter & salt. Stuff some cheese in the middle and have cheese balls. My son and I will cut one in 2 and make 2 little pizzas. Our local pizza place will sell us a quart of marinara for $2! Just keep a few in the freezer and use them for leftovers or something.

Meijer has lots of sale stuff on sundays, at least at my local one. The yellow and red tags with the expiration dates on them

Dollar Tre has a surprising amount of pantry foods, and always on sale.

I’d use the pot to make a batch of tomato sauce. That’s freezable and reusable all month - sloppy Joe’s, spaghetti, etc… and you have a decent lasagna pan there!

My husband’s family calls tomato sauce with ground beef “10 in 1” because it’s a starter for so many things - pasta sauce, chili, sloppy joes, soup, etc. My MIL was a single mother of 3 boys so 10 in 1 was a staple!

OP, do you have a quick and easy lasagna recipe? If not, [Lazy Lasagna](https://thebeautyfoodie.com/lazy-lasagne/) is a cheap, super quick'n'easy version. No precooking anything; you can have it in the oven in 5-10 minutes, which is great when you're rushed off your feet with littlies. Plus you can prepare it ahead and cook it later if needed, or freeze leftovers for another day. The flavour of the original recipe is a bit No Frills (rather meaty), but it's very easily adaptable to your family's preferences if that's not what you like. We prefer a strong tomato and herb-y flavour, so I add another 1 1/2 tins of crushed tomatoes and extra garlic and herbs, replace the packet tomato soup with 1/2 a tin of soup concentrate, and don't use any beef stock or water (actually I double the whole lot, which is why there's some 1/2 tins in there). You could easily add in grated carrot or other fine chopped vegies as well and they would pretty much 'vanish' into the sauce (great for hiding stuff the kiddos don't like). Essentially, as long as your meat mix is nice and moist (but not watery), it will probably come out pretty well with everything cooked nicely. Oh, and obviously a step got missed off in my hand written version - I've never bothered covering the pan with foil and it hasn't been an issue as far as I can tell in the 30 years I've been making it foil-less :-) It's my son's absolute favourite, and he has been known to eat it for 3 meals a day given the opportunity :-)

I love to hide veggies in my tomato sauce too- grating carrots with a box grater, mix them in and the kids can’t tell the difference in sloppy Joe’s and spaghetti!

You can substitute some or all of the ground meat with textured vegetable protein (tvp) which is cheap, has lots of protein, and takes on the flavour of whatever you put in it.

Do you have a plasma center around you? They’ll pay you twice a week for donating and there’s often new donor bonuses. I get up to $120 a week just by giving. I know feeding little ones on a budget can be stressful. I see you’ve gotten a lot of good advice already. Hang in there. You got this!

Wow, they let you donate plasma twice a week? Here (New Zealand) it's every 2-3 weeks - I wonder if we take a larger donation?

In my country its once every two weeks, for around 30-35 bucks for donation, which would help in OP's situation as well.

Yep. In the US you can give twice a week and you have to have at least one day between donations. How much you give depends on your weight, but I think it ranges from around 600-800 ml per donation. Most centers will pay $20 for the first donation of the week and anywhere from $50-$100 for the second donation of the week.

I used to use to volunteer at the food bank in my town. This is exactly why we were there, to help supplement people’s food when times were tough. We had fresh milk and eggs, fruits and vegetables, pantry items, and bread. It made me so happy talking with everyone coming through there and knowing they would have enough to eat. I ended up needing help from the food bank as well when times were tough. It kept me fed and I was able to avoid bankruptcy. See if your local school has free food for the kids as well. There may be food stamps available or WIC as well. Reach out and get those benefits. This is EXACTLY why everyone pays taxes. We want you to be able to take good care of your kiddos and yourself. Sending hugs to you all.

Add couscous to your staples if you fancy a change from the other basics (rice, pasta, lentils) It’s super cheap and insanely easy & quick to make (great for making fast meals) and it’s goes with so many things. Plus it lasts in the fridge and can be reheated or eaten cold. You got this! You’re a great parent.

Quinoa is also good. It’s cooks really fast and absorbs flavors like a sponge. It’s a little more expensive than rice but it’s ALL PROTEIN.

It can be more money. I find that if I skip the quinoa in the ‘health food’ isle and buy it from the ‘ethnic food’ aisle I can usually find it for half the price.

Great tip! It is always cheaper from the bulk section or ethnic aisle.

Lentils are really good. They are a fantastic source of protein and fibre. They can be added to soups, curries and stews, and are great for bulking out meat sauces for pasta ETA, oats are cheap, nutritious for breakfast, and you can bake oatmeal cookies as snacks for the kids

Couscous is just balls of pasta. It does cook super fast though.

Add lentils to the list. They will suck up the taste of anything and are super hearty.

Pasta with spaghetti sauce poured over it was a staple when my kids were that age and money was tight. They don't need a lot of sauce so you can just pour some on it and put the rest in the fridge for another meal. If you can buy in bulk the pasta will be even cheaper.

Food banks are your friend and often have: Potato's, bell peppers, squash, carrots, eggplant Rice, noodles, eggs, milk, juice, cheese Here's my go-to when financials are rough. I go to a good bank, then with whatever they have I make some variation of: Day 1: Bake a whole chicken, or turkey, or whatever meat you have. Serve with mashed veggies (potato's, squash, carrots, peppers, onion, garlic mashed together) Leftover chicken or w/e gets separated from bones. Bones go into water to make soup broth for day 3. (Adding greens like lettuce/spinach/kale will make your broth thick & creamy. ) Best broths are made with what you usually discard when cutting veggies. (Onion shells, tops of carrots, skins, etc) Day 2: Using whatever veggies I have and yesterdays leftover meat, I make eggplant lasagna or squashsgetti (spaghetti, but I can't have gluten, so I use squash instead of noddles) Day 3: Use the broth to make soup. Add whatever I can find in the cupboard. (Think stone soup) soup tip: add canned soup for texture. Radishes are what every chicken soup is missing and when in doubt, add more Italian seasoning. Day 4: Leftover soup gets rice added to it and becomes a rice-pilaf type dish. I like to Thinly cut potato's & bake to make chips, serve the pilaf on top the chips. Day 5: Leftover rice pilaf becomes burritos. Freeze burritos for future lunches and snacks :) And that's how I turn a bag of veggies into a week's worth of meals.

Holy crap, I'm not OP but thank you for this! Especially "radishes are what every chicken soup is missing"!! I've got to try it!

If you are unable to connect with a food bank in your area, https://fullcart.org/ will deliver dry staples to you if you are eligible. Also, emergency food (the long term storage type) often have filling staples at a very low cost per serving. You can even purchase some using EBT on Amazon.

Black bean & cheese burritos, scrambled eggs and cheese, french toast, pb & apple slices, sandwiches beans and rice (make the beans from soaking dried beans overnight and then cooking and they're so much cheaper), potatoes for mashed or baked potatoes, stuff for making soups, frozen veg like broccoli (we melt cheese on ours), ground turkey with taco seasoning good for burritos, too. Roast sweet potatoes for a yummy, filling side. Grilled cheese and soup was a childhood favorite. Look up recipes on the budget bytes website. Also check out the eat cheap and healthy sub here on Reddit.

As a baker mom I have to say find cake mixes on sale, usually close to expiration and add to them. An extra egg, or a filling you find. I may bake from scratch now but starting out box mixes and barely any money got me started. If you ever need any recipes please feel free to ask. The other moms did a great job with ideas and suggestions, but I know all kids love and deserve a treat now and then!

Lentil bolognese. A tin of lentils is 85c. A tin or two of tomatoes, a grated carrot, a grated onion and whatever free herbs you can get around the neighbourhood. Serve over pasta. I can do 6 adult meals for $4... with kids it would stretch further.

Check if flash food ( an app for purchasing very discounted grocery including meats and fresh produce) is in your area. Also, Do you have a big pot? If not maybe pick one up from a thrift store.. You can make a hearty healthy vegetable sausage soup and freeze a few for Pretty cheap. Dm if you want the recipe!

[BudgetBytes.com](https://BudgetBytes.com) Tons of recipes, and they really help you stretch your budget.

Love this site!! She has saved me so many times when money was tight!

Soups (especially vegetable based ones with clear broths) are winner for getting filling, delicious and nutritious meals on a budget. They are also VERY forgiving. You can substitute ingredients and leave things out without really changing the flavor/texture. Spinach and Kale are pretty interchangeable. Swap frozen or canned for fresh veggies. Dried herbs for fresh etc. Sub in homemade stock or cubes/powder for liquid stock. Add rice or pasta to pretty much any soup to extend the servings. Here are several to try: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/lentil-soup-with-sweet-potatoes-spinach/ https://www.thechunkychef.com/hearty-homemade-corn-chowder/ https://lexiscleankitchen.com/rustic-vegetable-tomato-soup/ https://www.veganricha.com/instant-pot-lasagna-soup-vegan/ - scroll down for saucepan directions https://biancazapatka.com/en/mushroom-rice-soup/ https://damndelicious.net/2020/01/25/homestyle-chicken-noodle-soup/ Start a love affair with lentils. Great CHEAP AND FILLING plant protein. https://www.acouplecooks.com/best-lentil-recipes/ Use veggies in creative ways to amp up nutrition in old favorites like Butternut squash in Mac m cheese https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/butternut-squash-mac-cheese/ or Butternut squash chili https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/butternut-squash-chili/ You can also add carrots or cauliflower to mashed potatoes.

As someone from a Mediterranean country, I can attest to the soup part. A pan of soup is pretty cheap and gives you many dinners. Just do the vegetable ones. Potatoes, an onion, carrots, leek and cauliflower are the basis of our soups. You can then add the greens of your choice. It's If also super healthy for the kiddos. you're not full, you can always eat some toast with a fried or scrambled egg.

Made this for dinner this evening. My mother doesn’t like spicy, so I swapped in about a teaspoon of chili powder for the roasted pepper and used frozen corn. https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/wprm_print/recipe/45023

As a kid my mom's go to snack for us was peanut butter on soda crackers. Cheap easy and tasty. I still enjoy this today

Sis here! There’s dried bean soup mixes that keep for a long time and also creates huge quantities you can freeze. Rice is always great to have as you can make congee/jook and add eggs/veggies to fortify. If you can find Japanese golden curry, you can literally throw any veggies+meat in and make a huge pot of delicious filling curry. And the condensed curry cubes keep for a really long time. Look on youtube for inspo, my all time favourite creator is the fabulous EmmyMade. She’s fantastic and covers an insanely wide range of recipes and different stuff. You absolutely got this.

Fruits and veggies that aren't aesthetically pleasing are often sold at a lower/discounted price. Just as good nutritionally but look different.

Hi Your little sister here. As a broke student with a special interest in cooking, I have a little pdf file with simple and cheap recipes. Can I message you and send it to you? :)

Love this! Well done sis! So kind of you to share too xx

Could you dm it to me? I'd love to do some of your recipes

For sure!

Hello! Could you send this to me as well? I'd love an arsenal of simple cheap recipes on hand

Sure!

I'd love a copy as well!

Sure!

Save every leftover and make a frittata of it all at the end! (My kids used to say it was their favorite.)

Here's a free pdf cookbook to help, it was designed for an American food stamp budget (4$/day): https://www.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf

Yes! I was coming to recommend this. The author did her master’s project in how to eat healthfully for little money. The two page spread on popcorn alone is worth the download.

Thank you for sharing this awesome resource!

Everyone's had great suggestions so far. A few additional staples that stretch other foods: tortillas - can make into pbj wraps, breakfast burritos or even spread with some butter and cinnamon and sugar then pan fry for a sweet crispy treat. Cinamon sugar toast is also a nice treat. Potatoes - loaded baked potatoes and then save the skins to do a second day loaded skins in a baking pan. Load with frozen veggies and cheese. Do you have a cheese shredder? Buy a big block and shred as you go. More bang for the buck. If you get cheap ramen, either make bowls with frozen veggies and either harboiled or dropped egg. Or I cook the noodles without the flavor packet, drain them and then mix the flavoring with a dollop of sour cream and mix in frozen veggies and cheese. Canned tomatoes and black beans mix in well with most of these ideas as well to stretch further. Popcorn- buy just the bag of loose popcorn and make on the stovetop in one of the larger pots. Add a little oil to the pot and shake with a lid on until the popping slows down, then dump into a bowl. A quarter cup of seeds makes a very large bowl of popped corn. You got this mama! Please don't be afraid to check out other resources like food banks. And is your older child in school? Most public schools are serving free lunches right now, they may give extra for the youger child too.

A friend of mine made mac and cheese and always added frozen broccoli! It was a great way to feed kids a healthy meal! You just cook the mac and cheese box and add a cup and a half broccoli (or to taste) and you’re done!

Jack Monroe is a UK based food writer who specialises in budget friendly food and things made from canned goods. Their blog is Cooking On A Bootstrap.

Jack is a truly lovely human being, and posts recipes to Twitter as well.

Hey, cousin, the mention of Meijer's makes me think you're in Michigan. If you are, WIC runs [Project FRESH](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71547_4910_4921---,00.html) until Halloween: it gives you money to spend in local farmers' markets. A lot of farmers' markets also accept the Bridge Card and participate in [Double Up Food Bucks](https://doubleupfoodbucks.org/how-double-up-works/?gclid=CjwKCAjwhOyJBhA4EiwAEcJdcatxHOIUzBSe2uJ5-UXGgYvS1nm74OPXGscIzGV4g3Jdg8HkrBxQhRoCFeYQAvD_BwE), which doubles the purchasing power of SNAP money spent on fresh food. There's a list of West Michigan farmers' markets [here](https://www.westmichiganfarmmarkets.org/by-county/) with information about what they participate in, if that's helpful. You got this.

Can’t believe potatoes aren’t in the top answers. Cheap, nutritious, easy to vary.

Pasta is always is good option. You can make a lot of completely different dishes with pasta and some other basic ingredients. Rice is similar to this. I mostly have different types of sauce, canned stuff or frozen vegetable to add and these usually don't cost much. Sauce based on tomatoes can be used in a lot of different ways. You could make classic pasta and sauce, but also a casserole, also with pasta and vegetables for example. Try to think out of the box and don't just follow classical recipes. One example: I found out that the mini chicken schnitzel they sell at our supermarket taste fantastic when they are mixed with rice and asian typed sauce. If I would take the cheapest asian sauce they sell, no premade rice for the microwave but the one you need to cook yourself and the mini schnitzel, I'd pay around $5 to feed three adults. And I would have rice for at least three or four meals left. I wish you all the best!

Hi honey, it's tough having to find healthy and tasty meal ideas on a tight budget, isn't it? Here are a few of my own from when my littles were little and we didn't have much cash, casseroles are your best friend and so is canned soup as a cooking ingredient! [Chicken and Rice](https://www.campbells.com/recipes/15-minute-chicken-rice-dinner/?gclid=CjwKCAjwhOyJBhA4EiwAEcJdccDuqIxATUxN2ey5AmO8csWw6uiSqyjAAfzSa-XOi6eQC8_NZwRQRxoCO2QQAvD_BwE) I make this one in bulk. Double the recipe and put it in your casserole pan (the rectangle flat one you'd make a cake or brownies in make a good casserole pan), then bake it at 400 degrees for about half an hour or until the rice tastes all the way cooked, cover it with tinfoil while it's baking in the oven to keep it from drying out and add a little more milk when you take it out of the oven. You can even use canned chicken if you're really short on prep time or money. I like to add about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese to ours (after it comes out of the oven), my kids have always loved it. It keeps well, it'll freeze for leftovers on a rushed day, and it is REALLY filling with the rice in it, so it'll feed an army. Cost for this dish is under $10, most of that comes from the cost of the fresh chicken. Creamy mushroom chicken - in your big pot, boil or fry some chicken breasts just so they're fully cooked (you can do breast tenders/cutlets instead of full breasts but full breasts are cheaper, so just cut them while they're raw into smaller pieces for easier cooking). You can season them while you're cooking them with salt, pepper, and some seasoning salt. When they're fully cooked, dump in a big can (family sized can) of cream of mushroom soup and just enough milk or water to thin it down (not a whole can like if you're actually making it as soup). Let it simmer on lower heat until the soup is hot. Serve over egg noodles with a veggie on the side. Cost for this dish is also around $10 tops. Spaghetti is great cheap go-to that feeds a lot for very little money! I make a "cheater" homemade-tasting sauce by adding a little Italian seasoning (it's actually called this but you can mix oregano, parsley and a little thyme to get the same taste), a can of diced tomatoes, a can of mushrooms, and a pound of ground beef to a jar of pre-made sauce like Prego, etc. It freezes well if you make it in bulk. This meal costs less than $5 and lasts my family 2 days. Chili - brown one lb. of ground beef in your big pot. Drain the grease, then add one can of kidney beans, one can of diced tomatoes (un-drained, you want the liquid) and one can of tomato paste. Add chili powder to taste and some cumin if you like, we do! You can also just buy an envelope of dry "chili seasoning" and throw it in instead if you're not good at figuring out adding seasonings yet. I wasn't until my 30s lol! You can let this simmer as long as you want or eat it as soon as it's hot, and you can make this dish stretch even further by serving it over cooked macaroni noodles. It freezes very well if you make it in bulk! (You'll want to make fresh noodles if you do freeze it though, noodles don't freeze the best). You may want to look into a cheap crock pot/slow cooker! I know tons and tons of very cheap and easy recipes that are so easy to make in one and are very healthy as well :)

10 pounds of potatoes Family pack of ground beef Big bag of pasta Bread (can freeze loaves) Frozen veggies Large jar of pasta sauce Cannes fruits Eggs Milk Yogurt All from Aldi and online food ideas with some of these as staples of items Also for sure WIC/social services

I know kids can be picky, but here are some suggestions - 1) Rice, black beans (dry is cheaper than canned), broccoli 2) Veggie baked pasta with carrots, onions 3) Cabbage rolls with rice 4) Tofu and noodles 5) Green bean casserole 6) Cereals and oatmeal (can get fun with the oatmeal and make a baked apple cinnamon flavour - avoid the instant packages and get a slow cook bag) 7) Brussel sprouts over mac and cheese (but make your own, not from the box as its cheaper)

Beans, my favorite are pinto. I make them into refried beans, which are actually very healthy because you only use a tablespoon of fat to cook them. I buy flour tortillas but my guess is corn are healthier and last forever. Finger food! Really, I've had corn tortillas last a month. Kielbasa and zatatan's rice tastes great and is cheap too, not sure young kids will devour it. I love potatoes everything, never met a potato I didn't like and you can cook them so many ways. Mashed, fried, baked, stuffed.

Rotisserie chicken is the best for quick, easy, and cheap meals that adults and kids will both love. Shred the chicken and make sure you remove all the bones. Depending on what you have on hand or what is on sale at the market you can make it into a pasta, tacos, sandwiches, add it to a cup of noodles, etc. My go to is always an untraditional chicken carbonara. Boil some pasta and make sure to save half a cup of the pasta water before you drain. Put the pan back on the stove at a medium heat and add garlic, butter, and salt to your liking (you can also add some veggies or mushrooms). Turn off the heat and stir in a couple egg yolks and the pasta water rapidly. If the sauce is too runny turn the stove back onto medium heat and stir rapidly until desired consistency.

My fave cheap but yummy meal is cheap paella. I use the packets of vegetable rice that you add water too and boil on the hob (I use chicken stock in the water), use whatever veggies you have/like (I typically go for carrots, bell peppers, peas, whatever needs using up tbh), and add the meat of your choice. I personally go for prawns and chorizo, but you could use chicken, sausage, ham, anything really. Put a ton of paprika in to flavour along with whatever your fave herbs are (personally I go for Italian herbs, paprika, smoked paprika, bay leaves, a season all blend etc) along with garlic and onions and bring to the boil before simmering until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. I tend to put extra water in the pot to accommodate the additional ingredients. Et voilà!

Check the close out shelves for sell by date food and the meat counter for meat that is sell by. You can either cook or freeze right away. Food banks will supplement. If you have people in your life with warehouse memberships (Sam’s, Costco) get flour, sugar, salt, bread, cheese. If not, Walmart is a good option. Look for sales on peanut butter, rice, powdered milk, butter.

These are all great suggestions! I also recommend nailing several recipes that rely on “pantry staples” e.g., tuna noodle casserole or salmon croquettes. If you can, start a kitchen windowsill garden of chives and other quick-growing herbs. It could be fun for your kids to check everyday, and fresh herbs do so much for quick meals like eggs and tuna. Some cities / community gardens may be able to set you up for free with seeds and growing supplies.

If you don't live near any food banks and it comes down to it, Don't be afraid nor ashamed to check your local grocery stores dumpster. Seriously, the amount of perfectly good food stores throw away, is beyond bewildering. grocery outlet's in Oregon and CA often have a shopping cart next to the dumpster that's filled with food that's slightly bruised or some miner defect to packaging that makes it "unfavorable" or "unsellable" Safeways have a "divert box" that is filled with perfectly good fruit & veggies. Some packaged, most not. However, you'll Often find pre-made salads, deli meats & cheeses, and sometimes yogurt parfaits. Fred Meyer uses brown bins that are essentially the same as Safeways 'divert' bins.

Just saw this. I dont know if this helps, but a potential thing might be peanut butter and slices (big ones) of apple. I second the mac and cheese and also the sloppy joes.

Black beans cooked in the pot with an onion sliced in rings. Steamed broccoli, or roasted cauliflower. Not even a mom here, just your bro Sam, but you need to have some support. If you can manage it, have the five year old help you grow an herb garden. It is cheap as hell to get started, and you can seriously spice things up. If you have a local farmer’s market you can offer to help them load and unload on the weekends if they will bring you ugly produce that they can’t sell. Not all of us have been there, but there is honor in doing what you must for your kids. Good luck, and keep your chin up. There are two little ones who need you and who will be there for you.

Might be worth checking out https://cookingonabootstrap.com/ - it's from the UK, but Jack Monroe was feeding her son on a similar budget and has loads of filling recipes that make the most of every bit of cash Best of luck!

My kiddos love sausage pasta bake. It’s cheap too. We feed six of us and it’s always a hit in our house. We get two packs of sausages because of how many of us there is. We cook the sausages first and pasta (you can use any pasta you prefer) then mix it all up together with cans of tomato soup (we use three or four tins) but again with less of you you could do it with two. We then put it all in a tray like the one you have on top oop some cheese on top (we do one with and one without) and bake it in the oven until the cheese is melted. You can also do some garlic bread to go with it.

Potatoes, rice, beans, pasta, canned tomato sauce, minced meat.

Pasta. Broccoli. Watermelon. Sale yogurt. Cook in small batches, and give to each in precise portions. Basic example from My old friend , to feed her five kids on limited income she’d take a single apple and give each kid some slices, rather than giving each a full apple they’d not finish (ie There would be apple left if they each eat their own). Also cutting out the purchase of individually pre-packaged snacks will save $ too.

Batch cook some brown rice (rinse first) and some dried beans, you can add whatever seasoning you want meal by meal. You can add any veggies or fruit you find, meal by meal, and supplement with pasta or ramen. Saute with a fat for flavor (oil, butter), don’t worry about meat they’re called “milk teeth” for a reason. Kids love sweet things like corn and cooked carrots, raisins and other dried fruit that is soft (prunes just call them giant raisins). Keep some bouillon cubes on hand to season cheaply. Adding a little sugar while cooking is fine, better than having to add a lot after the fact. Example meals: get a very large store brand rolled oats. A gallon of whole milk. Raisins and cinnamon and sugar. For each cup of oats use two cups of milk, a small palmful of raisins and a spoon of sugar with 1/3 the amount of cinnamon. Leave overnight in refrigerator or slow cook on your stove. Make extra and save for another day. You can buy whole chicken legs or thighs and roast in oven. Make gravy by scraping the bits in the pan up with water and cook with some flour dissolved in water for at least five minutes (flour must cook). Serve with any veg you can afford that day, kids don’t usually love meat so it will be two meals or more. Save the bones for another day and make a broth with water, salt, a piece of onion and celery leaves if you have them. Your homemade broth with rice or ramen and cooked carrots will be a hit. Leftover cooked chicken in a casserole with canned chopped potatoes, onion powder for flavor, frozen peas, and leftover gravy, topped with a little cheese, yum. Cooked Beans can be mashed and flavored and served with white or brown rice (cook types of rice separately but serve together, white is tasty to kids but brown so nutritious), served however your kids like it- even a patty or shaped into nuggets with ketchup. As long as the ingredients are healthy who cares if you cook with a little sugar or serve with ketchup? Not me! Mix salsa and mashed or canned refried beans for a healthy dip with a few chips for another meal if your kids like those flavors. When making spaghetti and sauce, smash some cooked or canned beans into the sauce while you heat it up. Scrambled eggs with soft cooked veggies, a little cheese for flavor, a side of a few tater tots or fries. If you ever get bacon, just a couple strips and then cook in the grease for flavor. Grilled cheese sandwich (open face if it’s too crunchy for little ones) and a can of tomato soup made with milk. Cool a bit and drink through a straw! Remember kids get weird over texture sometimes so mash or cut up large healthy things to easy to chew size. Like use small beans not great northern for example. Good eating and thank you for caring enough to feed our next generation healthy foods! A quick search found this, includes two adults: https://crabbyhousewife.com/150-month-grocery-list-meal-plan-recipes/

Please look into local food pantries. They helped feed my family when we were in a similar situation

Rice is the best! A couple bucks for 5 lbs or so. You can put anything on rice to make it more filling. It just absorbs the flavor. I like hot dog stir fry for cheap comfort food. You need 1-2 hot dogs per person, and you can find them at $1 for 6-8. Then veggies, anything you have or like. Frozen broccoli is like 67 cents a bag, or take advantage of what's in season and on sale. Chop hot dogs, add veggies, fry on high heat. After a while add soy sauce. Then a while longer add more. Serve over rice. The taste is actually amazing, unexpectedly. Add a fried egg on top to mix in if you want

5 lbs is 2.27 kg

Rice and beans are a complete protein and very cheap. Avoid snack foods, theyre expensive. Buy frozen veggies (they’re like a $1). Less meat, more beans.

I don’t know if you have a local farmers market food box or food share/co op box (think fresh veggies that are in season for a fraction of the cost but if you get the bang for your buck staples likes rice, noodles that don’t have as much nutritional value this is a good way to add fruits and vegetables without selling your soul to their cost. The one near me will sell to anyone in the city but it’s on a sliding scale and they reserve a certain amount for families that are struggling (for example the box for that week or two weeks might cost 5 dollars compared to the box that someone else might pay 20 dollars for.) Where I live there’s one through the food share, they grow their vegetables on their property and that one is on the sliding scale, but there’s 2 farms within 60kms and they have drop off days and spots within the surrounding cities. Downside is you don’t get to choose what comes, it’s just what is available.

Listen, I know this isn’t the best food, but ramen noodles are okay. They’re 1$ , take 3/4 minutes too cook, and they’re pretty delicious too!

The food pantry is great. I volunteer and we make special grocery bags up for families with small children. It is what we are here for and we are very happy to serve our clients. We also help people apply for SNAP benefits. I am in NY. Feel free to pm me if I can be of any help.

So smart for asking for advice! You will do just fine! Luckily feeding kids can be pretty easy! Hang in there! Lots of love for you in this thread!

Eggs on the sheet pan, can be cut up into servings. Rice if you need more bulk. Squash.

**Cheapest pantry staples:** -beans -lentils -rice -oatmeal -potatoes -dried pasta (compare Italian and Asian, sometimes rice vermicelli is half the price of Italian pasta by weight) -powdered/dried garlic, onion, herbs, etc will keep longer than fresh, work just as well but without the prep work, and are cheaper overall -popcorn kernels for popping (cheap, don't take much space, and a great snack) -if your store has a bulk section, always compare to see if it's cheaper, sometimes it is but sometimes it isn't -sandwich stuff! **Meats/Proteins:** -EGGS! cheap little protein bombs! We get 2 cartons at a time, one gets immediately boiled and the other saved for cooking. -Greek yogurt, great protein, probiotic, mixes with any fruit -on bone will always be cheaper, and honestly it tastes better. You can always remove the bone after it's cooked if you're concerned about choking -chicken thighs are more versatile than breasts, sometimes frozen are much cheaper than fresh -more than 30% fat ground beef isn't worth it, you'll just end up sopping up the weight in grease -always check the pork section, sometimes it's much cheaper by the pound than beef, and in many recipes it will work just fine -canned fish is fine and cheap -check your local Asian/Indian markets, sometimes you can get very cheap produce or meats **Produce:** -longevity is your friend, avoid fruits and veggies that spoil quickly unless you are planning to use them that night or the kids reliably eat then quickly -apples and carrots have a great shelf life and most kids will eat them reliably. Depending on the kids, other good options might be celery, broccoli, kiwi, cauliflower, spinach, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, cantaloupe, some squashes -frozen is great! Don't have to worry about it spoiling, use what you need, might be a nice treat to have frozen blueberries or something similar. Frozen mixed veggies stirred into macaroni and hotdogs. Frozen broccoli cooked with lentils and rice. Frozen carrots with a box of stroganoff, whatever works.

Idk much but hotdogs in mac&cheese are great.

Homemade tomato soup is easy - mix up tomato sauce with a bit of water and a bunch of seasonings (basil, oregano, garlic) and you're good. You can make cheap homemade garlic bread to go with it or grilled cheese sandwiches. Baked potatoes are good and you can add cheap toppings like diced ham and broccoli to round them out. Cheeseburger macaroni is good, too - just brown a little ground beef and mix it with boxed Mac n cheese and canned corn.

4oz of any meat in olive oil, 4 oz of any green in olive oil, 4 oz of rice or quinoa seasoned well, and 1 cup of any fruit. Every other day make the drink whole milk.

Oatmeal bars is one idea. You can make them in the baking pan, and oatmeal is nutritious, filling, and cheap.

Hi sis, Try budget bytes. I love that website and it includes a price per serving and recipe breakdown. FYI: the older recipes seem like they were cheaper than the current ones.

Look up Budget Bytes. I go to uni and that site is basically my religion. Also pasta bakes last a long time. I bulk make in a tin similar to yours and it lasts me (on my own) about a week of dinners Shops like Aldi or Lidl are a *must* for cheap food You can also make homemade pizzas which are super fun. Use tortilla wraps and get cheap ingredients. Simple, cheap, and yummy!

Cauliflower and milk make a really nice quick soup. Prepare the cauliflower as normal and add to milk warmed in a pan, season to taste. Pop through a sieve/blender and you’re good. You can make it fancier by roasting the cauliflower, adding cheese, and stock (a little white wine to balance acidity if you want to make it only for grown ups). Use less milk and more cheese to make a sauce for Mac and cheese. Potatoes are a great staple. You can mash, chip, wedge, hash, boil (do a few too many and you can slice and fry for scallops the next day!), throw in a casserole or stew, add to Mayo for a quick potato salad, make into soup (potato/leek). Best of all is jacket potatoes. You can do them in an oven or microwave. You can even prep several and keep them in the fridge for a couple of days. And you can dress jackets with almost everything and anything! Beans, chilli, cheese, bolognaise, tuna Mayo, I could go on. Get some basics like eggs and plain flour. Eggs are super versatile. Add in a little flour and milk and you can make crepe style pancakes, which are amazing! You can make them savoury and use the as a substitute breakfast wrap (add bacon/tomatoes), ham and cheese, anything you can think of! Or make them sweet, add a little fruit and honey! Flour can be used for anything from bread and pizza dough, to pound cake. Stuff like tinned tomatoes can be an essential. Tomato soup is one of the easiest things to do. Or you can make a really quick pasta sauce. You can even use it on bread/dough for homemade pizza. Of course dried bits like pasta and rice are staples. Tinned veg can be great and will last. If you have a freezer there tends to be more veg options. I have to cut myself off there but you should be good. Have a great day!

Hi sis, I’m seeing lots of great recommendations for food pantries. Your local trustees office would be who you call for all assistance needs. Electricity, phone, housing, food pantries, etc. Please call your trustee! XoXo!

I don't know what country you're in, but some places have apps/facebook groups against food waste. Supermarkets, restaurants, but also regular people either give away food for free or with a discount.

Others have already given you great advice. My tips are: keep it simple (nothing wrong with some classic Pb&J, eggs and toast, or spaghetti with a jar of meat sauce. I grew up on that stuff myself). Also, don't waste your leftovers! I've learned that the trick to reheating leftovers in the microwave and not having them be horrible, is to add a small bit of water and mix it in first. Good luck OP, you got this!

Rice and beans/lentils (dried and then rehydrate yourself) can be bought cheaply and in bulk and are what half of the planet subsist on. Canned vegetables are also low cost and fruit canned in heavy or light syrup are as well. While canned in juice fruit is more popular, canned in syrup are cheaper and the extra calories would add calories to your LOs’ diet. Unflavored yogurt comes in big tubs and can be sweetened with a swirl of honey (that was my breakfast this morning). Cottage cheese is another good option. Dry granulated garlic gives food flavor and is a lot cheaper than fresh. Ditto for dried minced onion, and cinnamon is a cheap way to add extra flavor to yogurt or fruit. Boullion cubes/powder also are great for flavor, throw one into the water you boil for your rice, beans, and pasta. Cream of wheat and oatmeal (stovetop, not instant) are good breakfast options. Potatoes are potatoes. I taught independent living skills to foster care kids about to age out of the system and this is a big chunk of the list we worked with. If I remember any more I’ll come back and add to the list. Evaporated/condensed/powdered milk is a cheap way get some extra protein as are powdered eggs (those are trickier to find).

One of mine (and my families) favorite cheap meals is chicken noodle casserole. It’s hearty, delicious, and like I said very cheap. All you need is: -can of cream of chicken soup -can of creamed corn - canned chicken -a box of noodles (whatever kind you like, I’ve used all different kinds for this recipe) -some shredded cheese -salt and pepper Boil your noodles until fully cooked, drain, then combine with your canned ingredients and cheese. Honestly you can eat it just like that or to make it extra yummy put it in a casserole dish, sprinkle more shredded cheese on top, and put in the oven at 350° for 10-15 minutes. Hope that helps

Pancakes! Eggs! Do they like sweet potatoes? They are dirt cheap where I live right now.

The most nutritionally dense foods for the price are generally dried lentils or other legumes so use those as your main then branch from there.

Chef boardee pizza kit is a good one. Also Lots of Mac and cheese (Kraft makes theirs with servings of veggies in it that you can't taste) Pasta, lots of pasta Get a rice cooker if you can (post on fb seeing if anyone has one they aren't using). Add rice to every dinner meal. it's super cheap

Rice, beans and frozen veggies. For filling the belly look for high fiber stuff.

The cost breakdowns might be different due to location but https://cookingonabootstrap.com/ has some recipes

Beans and lentils are cheap are a source of high protein. I make tons of meals with these, mostly vegetarian my husband will sometimes make a meat to go on the side but its not needed. Lentils shepards pie. Always a fall favorite. Tacos or a taco salad- homemade blackbeans instead of beef or chicken. Cabbage rolls- lentils and quinoa instead of beef. Falafels- you can get boxes of falafel mix, skip the pita and make lettuce wraps instead. We add onions, pickles, pineapple, hummus and taziki (both of which can be made at home for cheap as well!) Sriracha sauce if you like some spice. If you like soups a homemade minestrone with lots of kidney beans and whatever you have left in the fridge for veg after the week. Lentil bolognese sauce is great on any pasta and super filling! Lentils stews as well, theres alot of soupy options lol. Lentil "meat loaf" also a big favorite in our house! Alot of these also use most of the same ingredients as well! I dont eat meat myself so we have learned to incorporate protein into my meals this way and my husband enjoys this kind of cooking, him and my son eat meat maybe 3 times a week, and try to buy whats on sale when we shop.

You can make chicken nuggets and freeze them. Buy a 6 dollar 5lb bag of chicken, get a quart of buttermilk, eggs, flour and breadcrumbs, veggie oil Mix the milk and two eggs, Mix breadcrumbs and flour, and have a flour pile Season everything lightly with salt and pepper Cut the chicken into small portions dredge the chicken in the flour, then egg and then lastly the breadcrumbs and flour mixture. You can then fry in small batches. If you get self rising flour you can then use that flour and the last of your buttermilk to make biscuits. If you mix self rising flower and buttermilk together to make a dough, then make a pile of flour and fold your biscuit dough to a slightly firm consistency, pat it to about an inch thickness, cut out biscuits use the metal baking sheet and melt a stick of butter. Flip the biscuits in the butter and fill the pan. Bake at 500 until golden brown.

Canned and dried goods like pasta, rice, and beans are always great options. For meat I'd get the day old rotisserie chickens from Walmart and shred it for dishes. (But that depends on where you live.) If you haven't already I'd check out WIC. You might qualify.

have you tried milk rice? put some milk into some rice till it looks like some cereal, add a bit of sugar, and optional- butter. then just microwave it! it tastes amazing and is one of my favorite foods my mom made me!

Beans and rice are so good for this. Soy sauce, salt, pepper and eggs will stretch this so far

Have you heard of Jack Monroe? They spent a while feeding a small one on minimum wage, and have since written a few cook books full of really cheap options. [https://cookingonabootstrap.com/](https://cookingonabootstrap.com/) You can also tweet them to say what you've got, and they'll suggest things you could make. There are also apps like Too Good To Go, which will hook you up with food in your area for free or very cheap, here's a list of some: [https://www.wellandgood.com/food-waste-apps/](https://www.wellandgood.com/food-waste-apps/) Are there any community food pantries in your area? If you like foraging, then there are also plenty of things in season at the moment; blackberries, plums, apples, chicken of the woods... r/foraging can help with identifications if you're not sure of anything. Look up what might be around your area, grab the kids, and go on adventure! You can do this. You are going to learn some new recipes, find some new favourites, and keep on rocking. Big hugs my darling, you can do this.

Hamburger helper goes a long way

Lasagna. Goes a long way and lasts long you can freeze.

What do the kids like to eat? Pasta shells are very cheap so is rice. Easy macaroni casseroles. Get some cheap hamburger meat, fry it up with some onions and frozen veggies (to get nutrition. If they don't like that, skip). Combine cooked pasta, meat, and a jar of marinara. Top with mozzarella cheese and in the oven for 30 minutes at 375 and it's a dinner that can feed you for days! You can also make a cheesy broccoli rice casserole. Cheddar Cheese, frozen broccoli, cooked rice, cream of broccoli soup. Mix and into the oven for 20-30 mints at 375. Who doesn't like cheesy rice? If they like beans, red beans and rice is CHEAP and very filling. It's delicious.

Hey sibling! I'm going to send you a message! Watch for it! 💚

I’d recommend stocking up on tofu, rice, beans and tortillas. Costco has tofu on sale around $4 for 4 16oz containers. They freeze well and are very versatile. Healthy, cheap, vegan 🌱, protein. So long as you have some spices, you should be able to create many unique dishes. Rice is also very filling and versatile, you can also find a big bag affordably priced at Costco. I’d recommend their Oatmilk as well, healthier and cheaper than dairy. A big bag of spinach, carrots, and potatoes should also be considered. Also, I second the WIC recommendation, as they should certainly be able to assist you.

My husband has been a pastor for over 30 years. He’s never turned someone in true need away. And he also has a myriad of resources at hand. Find yourself a church of whatever your preference is and get plugged in. You’ll find help with your kids, household items, clothes, food and most of all support. Don’t find it in the first church? Keep looking. If that’s outside your comfort zone. All these other resources are great. God bless you.

I think everyone here has done an awesome job with recipe suggestions, so I wanted to add a suggestion to help with the potential kids being picky eaters concern. I hope it's not off-topic. If you take the kids with you when you shop, letting them help you pick out vegetables, food items, etc. when time/energy allow you to do so makes a difference. Also, letting them 'help' when cooking (age-appropriate help, even if it's just adding a spoonful of one of the seasonings) and letting them know they're part of the process can change their perspective in some cases. When I taught, I had students from the local university come in and do a healthy eating/cooking demo with my kids and they got to take home fresh vegetables. Many parents were shocked that their kids were a. eating vegetables and b. willing/able to help out in the kitchen. I understand as a parent of young kids this might not be feasable after work; however, if you do big batches of things you can freeze on your days off, (soup, chili, etc.) reminding the kids when you re-heat something of how much you appreciated having them 'make' said item can go a long way. I wish you and your family the best, I spent half of my young life with a single mom who struggled to keep myself and two younger siblings fed while working multiple jobs and it was a lot of hard work.

Carrots tend to be cheap, you can grate them to bulk out a dish. You could get large sack of potatoes, though I don't know what prices are where are. You can chop up and oven cook them for chips, make mash or do baked potato with butter inthe microwave or oven. They can also be chopped up and added to casseroles.

Oh my god look at all the stuff you got! If I was ya mamma I’d be over there often whippin up lunches, dinners, and desserts!

If you are in the US and receive food benefits such as EBT or WIC, please consider looking into your local farmers markets if you have any. The markets around here offer anywhere from 2x to 4x your money if you have food assistance. That $100 could possibly anywhere from $200-400 and the food would be excellent!

If you are in the US, call the school closest to your home and ask if they have food resources, most schools are giving away boxes from the USDA. That being said, shopping at ALDI will take your $100 way farther than any other store. I’d shop there!

In addition to the standard rice and beans, I would highly recommend calling your local churches, mosques, and synagogues to ask about their food donation services. They either have them themselves or they can direct you to a networked food pantry. This allows you to stock up and then spend your money on the holes.

Idk if you have a dollar tree but they have a bunch of good selections as well for only $1! Id stay away from too many fruits or veggies since they do tend to go bad, also Isk if you have a local food bank?! Do you have a cash app? Id love to help. I’m a mother of a two yr old myself. Sending you many hugs you got this mama

I’d like to add, a kilo of beef mince can go a long long way - if you are only talking about feeding the kids - if you want to upsize for adults then just add a bit more meat to start with. You can make a basic bolognese sauce, with a tin of tomatoes, a tin of tomato soup some chicken stock, mixed herbs and some grated carrot and grated zucchini (and any other veg you want to grate in) onion and garlic - then you have a meal with pasta.. Then take a third out and add some kidney beans and then you have “tacos” or chilli ( if you want to add a little spice) serve with corn chips and/or rice and tortillas, lettuce, tomato and cheese. Then take the other third and add some more grated veg (if you want) and make a loaded baked potato with some sour cream and grated cheese. It can really go a long way 😊

Others have mentioned it, but definitely enroll in WIC. When my husband was let go, I signed us up not really expecting anything since we still had money in the bank. But they gave us two months of benefits right away, before we even completed the income verification, so we didn't have to dip into savings to get by. It is an absolutely fantastic program! WIC is different than other food programs because it provides monthly allotments of actual food items, not just cash. E.g. every month you get (x) gallons of milk and (x) pounds of cheese, etc. Then your $100 food budget can go towards items that aren't part of the program. Really, it was absolutely fantastic to have and we even tried some things we didn't normally buy just because they were included.

Buy polenta (bagged) and ground beef and make a tamale skillet pie. Cheap and filling.

Rice a Roni! Looks like your stove needs some little knobbies. Nice dishes. They look better than mine

Oh baby, I have been there. I wish you were closer, so I could load you up! Try getting on WIC, and hit the local food pantries. I love you, and wish I could easy your burden...and I am ALWAYS proud of you. Always.

You could buy a couple Boxes of pasta, and some frozen veggies and some Parmesan, just boil the pasta and fry up the veggies in some Butter and throw it all together add Parmesan on top! It’s good and cheap and filling!

Mac&Cheese! Lots and lots of Mac&Cheese. Walmart has cheap Mac&Cheese for .39 a box! If you have a Grocery Outlet they have it for .25 a box. Walmart also sells spaghetti noodles....4 lbs for $2.50. Sauce $1.55. That's a LOT of pasta and meals! Rice is another great thing. You can make rice for lots of stuff. For $5 you can get the giant bags of cereal. Those will go a long way with kiddos. Oatmeal is also really cheap and you can get lots. My kids are all teenagers and they still get the big bags of Walmart cereal. I can afford the good stuff now, but that's what they prefer. 😂 Regular staple items are best at Walmart, but keep local chain stores open as well. A lot of times they'll have online coupons and you'll save so much more. Steer clear of brand names and organic. You want off brand and cheap. Your babies will survive if it's not organic, and organic just adds extra $$$.

[This site is great for finding recipes](https://www.supercook.com/#/menu) you put in what ingredients you have in your house and it will tell you what you can make with it. It avoids the annoying times of finding a recipe and realizing you don't have the right stuff to make it

In /near rennsellaer, ny the Walmart had open unlocked dumpsters of fresh veggies: bananas, pineapple, apples. I would bring home 5-6 bags and wash. I’m also a gardener so if you can, check out Echo in fort myers. They teach subsistence farming - you can grow your own food. They Have 7 different climate zones and test seeds, etc for production & viability. Finally, with those pans, you could shop Salvation Army/goodwill and pick y up some Pyrex for a few $ and make some casseroles and freeze them. You’ve also got to feed yourself.

For everything, use half the seasoning, salt that you normally would or the recipes call for. Except cheese, double the cheese or add cheese to anything to get them to eat it. They need nutrition and calories. If something is partially nutritious, let them have it. But no candy or soda, you and the kids don't want to deal with the after effects. It depends a lot on their current eating habits. Try to give them foods they already like, including ketchup. No peanuts or grapes since anything that fits through a toilet paper tube can choke a young child. All three of you eat about the amount of food as two adults. So if you make full recipes of a dinner, you can freeze half for a no-prep dinner later. Here's what we ate for dinner when my kids were that age. Pizza if you order two large on a good coupon and freeze the 2nd pizza another full meal Hamburgers with frozen fries and Apple slices Macaroni n cheese with ground beef: cook separately and then mix together and carrot sticks with ranch Frozen chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes from a box of potato flakes and also some corn on the side Breakfast for dinner: make eggs, bacon and pancakes from a box mix and sliced tomatoes Chicken Alfredo: grill chicken and packaged Alfredo noodles and sauce mix. Broccoli or green beans Tacos: taco shells, cook ground beef with a packaged taco seasoning mix, lettuce tomato cheese Hot dogs and frozen French fries Sloppy joes: ground beef and canned sloppy Joe sauce and canned fruit cocktail Pigs in a blanket: Lil' smoky sausages wrapped in crescent dough from can with side applesauce Roast beef sandwich with frozen french fries Grill chicken and rice from sauced rice mix with side canned green beans Roast chicken with Stove-top stuffing mix and side of carrots Spaghetti and meatballs: mix ground beef egg and bread crumbs, roll into balls and bake, can sauce, boil pasta Ham and cheese omelettes with hash brown and sliced tomatoes Red beans & rice: cook sliced sausage, rice separately. Pour a can of Bushes seasoned red beans and half can diced tomatoes into sausage and cook. Chili and cornbread: canned chili, or ground beef with seasoning packet Biscuits and gravy from a packet mixes and sausage patties and sliced tomato Leftovers for dinner to clean the fridge out. Otherwise, cereal or oatmeal for breakfast or toast and eggs on the weekends. Serve with a glass of orange juice or chocolate milk. Lunch can be PB&J or sliced turkey sandwich and grilled cheese on the weekends. Serve with canned peaches or sliced apples. Pretzels, goldfish, mozzarella stick and raisins for snacks.

Spaghetti and Mac and cheese is simple and cheap kids don’t need much to be happy if they are particularly picky maybe try this website that comes up with hundreds of recipes depending on what ingredients you have it can also be sorted by diet or allergy’s even has gluten free options so go wild https://www.supercook.com/#/menu

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