I’ve been a couponing, deal-searching, frugal mama for a while now. But being incomeless for the time-being has brought a whole new meaning to thrifty. We’re not down to a Ramen noodle diet yet, but I am trying to plan family meals that are budget-friendly. Since I’m also a health conscious, veggie-hiding, get-some-green-on-that-plate mama, I’ve added a whole new level of challenge to the weekly menu planning. Why is it always more expensive to eat healthy anyway?
So as I come up with meal creations that I think are win-wins (inexpensive and healthy), I’ll share them with you. Because who can’t use a healthy, inexpensive, easy meal suggestion?
Here’s the breakdown for our fish meal. Why fish? It’s high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish
cost: 1 pound @6.99
We used tilapia. Any mild, white fish will work though. Catfish tends to be comparable in price.
Season it with lemon pepper or your favorite seasoning that you have on hand. Cajun works well with catfish.
Grill on Foreman-type grill or broil for 4 or 5 minutes or until opaque all the way through.
Fresh fish will not taste “fishy.”
Rice
cost: 1.00
We used a box of Reduced Sodium Rice-A-Roni Chicken flavored rice. They were on sale 10/$10.
Corn
cost: 0.39
Wegmans’ brand of canned veggies are always 0.39. It’s a great deal. We buy the corn with no added salt. If you don’t have a Wegmans, you can usually buy a generic brand for under 1.00.
Cucumbers
cost: 0.79
Cucumbers are one of 2 raw veggies all 3 kids will eat so they get about 4 slices at every dinner. The going rate around here is 0.79 per cucumber. One lasts us for about 2 days.
Because the rice needs to simmer for about 20 minutes, I usually get that going first. While that’s cooking, I heat the corn, slice the cucumbers, and preheat the grill for the fish. Just before the rice is finished, I cook the fish so it’s all hot when I serve it.
TOTAL COST (for us): 9.17
ENJOY!
