Frugal Ingredients for Budget Meals
This website may earn commissions from purchases made through links in this post.
The foundation of a frugal meal is frugal ingredients. Here are the most frugal foods you can buy with meal ideas.
The foundation of any frugal meal is using frugal ingredients.
Below are links to some of the most frugal ingredients available, as well as ideas for how to prepare them and what meals to make from them.
Creating meals based on frugal foods is a great way to eat on a budget. But it’s important to note that you don’t have to limit what you eat to ONLY the frugal ingredients listed below.
Add seasonal fruit and vegetables to maximise nutrition while saving money on groceries. Or, make the most of frozen fruit and vegetables, which can be cheaper than fresh but just as nutritious. Sometimes more so!
Keep an eye on catalogue specials and supermarket markdowns to get make the most of discounts.
Turn frugal meals into 5-star meals by adding just a little of a more expensive ingredient.
A great example of a frugal meal that can be ‘dressed up’ is risotto. Made from rice, onion and homemade stock, a risotto can feed a family for just less than $1!
But…
You can also fancy it up with a touch of parmesan cheese without adding significantly to the cost. Buying just a little cheese from the deli will allow you to do this without spending a fortune on parmesan.
And then, to complete the meal, toss through cooked, seasonal produce.
When you have a kitchen full of frugal ingredients, you’re in control of your grocery budget. Stick within a tight budget as needed, or get as fancy as your budget allows.
Save Money on the Groceries eBook
For more ways to meal plan and save money on groceries, check out the eBook Plan Cook Save: How to Eat Well When Money is Tight and Time is Short.
*Learn how to set the right grocery budget for your circumstances.
*Find out the easiest and quickest way to reduce the grocery bill.
*Discover a meal planning strategy that will only take you a couple of minutes a week but will save you hours.
Here is the wide variety of frugal foods to build frugal meals on.
Frugal Foods
The pantry staples that are essential to your home will depend on what you like to cook, but if you're looking for some ideas, including what to cook with them, here's my list of pantry essentials.
The plants in this list are the best frugal sources of plant-based protein.
One of the best ways to save on meat is to eat less!
But if you don't want to give meat up entirely, here's a list of the cheapest cuts of meat and the best ways to cook each cut so it turns out perfect every time.
You can save money on fruit and vegetables in a variety of ways: eat in season, eat frozen fruit or veg, or even grow your own.
However, if you're looking for fruit and vegetables that are frugal all year round as a foundation for frugal meals, this list will help.
Not only is the produce frugal, I've selected the most nutritious produce for the least cost in order to get the most nutritional value for your dollar.