10 Ways to Stretch Meat with Lentils and Beans to Save Money

Make your meat go further. How I bulk up meat with lentils and beans to save money without sacrificing flavour + tips + benefits + recipes.

How do you feed the family while keeping the meat budget from soaring into the stratosphere?

(Apart from going vego, which would suit me, but not the fam.)

One trick that I’ve found useful is stretching meat – particularly mince – with lentils or beans.

Love them or hate them (one of my kids absolutely hates them, but I can still get away with the meat-stretcher ideas below), lentils and beans are inexpensive and a great source of protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals.

Adding them to your regular dishes is one of the simplest ways to reduce the grocery bill while keeping meals satisfying for the meat-lovers.

Benefits of Eating More Lentils and Beans

I like lentils and beans.

I particularly like lentils for breakfast with spinach and a fried egg.

But if you need convincing, here are four great benefits to eating more lentils and beans:

Lentils and beans are cheap yet nutritious, making them great value for money. Save money by eating less meat and more lentils and beans.

Lentils and beans are flexible. From soups to stews to meat substitutes and even chocolate brownies, you can make lots of different meals from lentils and beans.

Lentils and beans are a great source of fibre, which is essential for keeping you regular. 1 cup of both lentils and beans gives you about 12-15 grams of fibre, depending on the variety. It is recommended that adults eat around 25–30 grams of fibre a day, so lentils and beans go a long way in making sure you get enough fibre. Because they are also high in protein and iron, they are also an important part of a vegetarian and vegan diet.

Cheap and Easy Varieties of Lentils and Beans in Australia

There’s a great variety of lentils and beans available in Australian supermarkets and bulk food stores. Here’s a rundown of the most common ones you’ll find and how to use them:

Lentils

Brown lentils are the most common lentil you’ll find in Australian supermarkets. They hold their shape well when cooked, making them great for casseroles, soups, stews, and side dishes.

Green lentils come in a variety of sizes and have a stronger, nuttier flavour than brown lentils. Like brown lentils, they hold their shape well and are good for casseroles, salads, soups, side dishes, stews, veggie burgers, and a vegetarian “meat” loaf.

Red or yellow lentils are usually sold “split,” meaning in smaller pieces. These lentils tend to turn to mush when cooked, which makes them ideal for stews, soups, and traditional Indian dahls. They’re also perfect for hiding in mince dishes as they blend right in.

Beans

Kidney beans are large, dark red beans with a meaty texture. They’re a classic addition to chilli con carne, nachos, tacos, and casseroles, and are great for bulking up mince dishes.

Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) are creamy and mild-flavoured. They work well in soups, stews, and casseroles, and are great for adding substance without overpowering the dish.

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are one of the most versatile legumes available. Use them in curries, stews, soups, and salads, or blend them into hummus. They add a satisfying heartiness to meat dishes.

Borlotti beans are a mottled pink-and-cream bean with a creamy texture and slightly nutty flavour. They’re fantastic in soups, stews, and pasta dishes.

Black beans are popular in Mexican and South American cooking. Their dense, meaty texture makes them ideal for nachos, tacos, burritos, and chilli, and they bulk up mince dishes beautifully.

Four-bean mix is a convenient canned blend typically containing kidney beans, chickpeas, butter beans, and cannellini beans. Great for soups, stews, and casseroles when you want variety without opening multiple tins.

Butter beans (lima beans) are large, flat, and creamy with a mild flavour. They’re great in soups and stews and pair particularly well with lamb or chicken dishes.

Dry vs Tinned Lentils and Beans

Brown lentils and most beans can be bought pre-cooked and tinned as well as dried.

The benefit of having a tin of lentils or beans in the pantry is that it saves time. The downside, however, is that tinned varieties are generally more expensive than dried (although not in my local supermarket!) and they can sometimes be high in sodium. There’s also the extra waste of the tin, as well as the possible exposure to BPA.

Dried lentils and beans, on the other hand, are marginally less convenient because they need to be cooked. They are, however, usually cheaper.

Unlike dried beans, lentils do not require soaking. Some people argue that soaking lentils makes them more nutritious, but I couldn’t find any evidence that backs this claim.

Soaking can cut down on cooking time and may possibly make them easier to digest.

Dried beans, however, do need to be soaked overnight before cooking.

10 Ways to Bulk Up Meat Meals with Lentils and Beans

Whether you’re trying to reduce your grocery bill or simply make your meals go further, adding lentils and beans to meat dishes is one of the easiest changes you can make.

The key to adding lentils or beans to meat while keeping the meat-lovers satisfied is getting the ratio right — swap too much and the texture changes.

Most people won’t notice a difference if you replace around a quarter of your mince with, say, brown lentils.

If you have more adventurous eaters, you can try half mince, half lentils. Yay for cost and fibre!

One of my favourite meals that highlights this idea is the Persian dish Adas Polow. It’s a mixture of rice, mince and lentils along with spices and sultanas. A friend from Iran serves it when we visit her house, and it’s not only delicious, it’s a great example of a traditional frugal dish.

Here are 10 more ideas from the blog for bulking up meat meals with lentils and beans.

Rissoles

Substitute some of the mince with cooked red or brown lentils. Mix well so that the lentils are indistinguishable from the mince.

It’s a good idea to mash the cooked lentils a bit beforehand. DH argues they can go a bit crisp when exposed to direct heat.

I like a bit of crunch, but he’s not a fan. Use mashed lentils instead of breadcrumbs when binding your rissoles.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Bulk up with cooked red lentils or kidney beans. Either works well and blends into the sauce with ease.

Nachos, Tacos or Chili Con Carne

Bulk up with cooked red lentils, kidney beans, or black beans. All three work beautifully here.

I also love refried beans. These pork enchiladas only use a little leftover pork, but are sooo filling because of the refried beans.

Casseroles, Stews, Pie Fillings or Tagines

Add lentils or cannellini beans as a filler to make the meat go further.

Savoury Mince Bake or Lasagne

Add cooked red lentils or borlotti beans to bulk out the meat filling.

Sausage roll filling

Use cooked red lentils to stretch the meat mixture further.

Shepherd’s or Cottage Pie

Add lentils or a four-bean mix to the filling to bulk it up without changing the flavour.

Curries

Use in curries (vegetarian or with meat). Chickpeas and lentils both work especially well here. Alternatively, you can make a dahl from lentils as pictured above.

Vegetable Soup

Add lentils or beans to vegetable soups, especially blended ones with spices like carrot and cumin.

Dips and Spreads

Combine cooked red lentils or chickpeas with roast vegetables and garlic. Blend and serve as a dip for bread and crudités or a spread on toast or with meats.