To ask what cheap healthy meals you make?

[Contraversialcate]

Cannot believe food prices. Or the weather. Was worried I was going to have to make warm salads etc for dinner but think it’s rubbish enough outside to continue with stews etc.

what are other people making for family meals (DDs young but eat well) and how do you keep food prices low? Dairy free if possible please as DD1 intolerant

Potatoes and chickpeas with onions, cumin and turmeric. Easy, delicious and cheap. Sometimes add coconut milk.

Eggs made every which way. Omelettes, eggs over easy on toast with Aleppo pepper flakes and garlic, scrambled eggs, etc.

Bean and sweet potato stew/bake. Get cheap sweet potatoes/cannellini bean in Aldi. Add tomatoes onion and paprika/ garlic. Serve with couscous.

Anything with lentils is cheap and filling. We also like veggie Indian food, stock up with spices from an Indian supermarket and you can add lots of flavour to cheap ingredients.

Hi @Contraversialcate
Indian lentils and veg rice is a nice cheap and healthy meal.
Rice and a pack of lentils can last for ages.
I'm feeling hungry now at 4:48am lol!

Do you by chance have the recipe? I have all the ingredients you mentioned 😋

Cheap stir fry packs from Aldi/lidl

Porridge for breakfast. It’s hot where we live, but Ds still happily eats porridge at least half the week.

If you all like eggs we make a version of Spanish tortilla - you can use up all the bits and pieces of vegetables

Home made pizza ? But the price of mozzarella is now shocking. There is a lovely burnt Aubergine Chilli I am making later this week, roasted sweet potato curry ?

Following for ideas

Ratatouille: fry onion, courgettes, aubergines, layer them in large saucepan then add tinned toms and garlic cloves (and bay leaf if feeling extravagant), season and leave to simmer for at least an hour. Tastes better the next day and goes on toast, pasta rice, you name it.

We make a vegan bean chilli which is basically just chucking a few tins of chopped tomatoes into the slow cooker and then a few of whatever beans you’ve got (kidney, chickpeas, baked beans, mixed beans, whatever) plus a load of spices. Can also add sweet potato and/or lentils to bulk it out. Sometimes add quorn mince about 15 mins before serving. You can have it with rice or with tortillas or on jacket potatoes. It freezes well and works out very cheap per portion.

Chickpea stew - fry very small amount of chorizo or other sausage. Remove from pan. In oil, fry onion and garlic until soft. Add 1 tin chickpeas, two tins of tomatoes, lots of paprika, some chilli powder/flakes/Tabasco sauce, and the cooked chorizo. Simmer until thick. Eat with bread/rice/cous cous.

Homemade soup and cheese toasties. Soup can be veg, sometimes I use a frozen pack of sofrito and just add whatever veg I have and stock cube & spices, or my DC love leek and potato.

Toad in the hole, make your own batter it's really easy.

Brocoli soup, the stem tastes the same as the florets to I use the stem in soup.

I use a lot of passata. Add it to various beans in the slowcooker with some cheap meat - pork ribs work well, cook until the meat has fallen off the bones and remove them (I use cho[sticks for this).

A 'fish pie' pack added to passata.

A pack of mixed frozen veg and add a curry sauce, home made or bought in a tin.

Sweet potatoes cut in wedges and cook in airfryer. Add chick peas towards the end and then serve with tahina. Sometimes, add cherry tomatoes if I have some handy

Dal and rice. Super cheap

A friend makes a butter bean stew (rather than meat).

Very tasty!

I make alot of soups. And mainly with tinned vegetables or frozen vegetables.

I am in the middle of making a green soup which is onions, frozen spinach, tinned green lentils and frozen broccoli. I have a very fussy DS but he will eat a few spoonfuls of this if bulked out with toast.

Butter bean risotto- I chop spinach and mushrooms, fry some garlic, add the veg and garlic and risotto rice, make up some veg stock, blend a tin of butterbeans, gradually add stock and blended butterbeans until everything is soft and creamy, add salt, pepper and herbs to taste.

Spagetti bolognaise made with soya mince or lentils.

Tofu and veg stir fry with noodles.

Chick pea curry with rice.

Beans on toast! Although technically UPF if wholegrain or seeded toast IMO this is a fairly healthy meal. Or make your own homemade baked beans and bread if you have the time.

Lentil soup.

Cut large sweet potatoes in half, drizzle with a bit of oil. Roast till soft. Top with cheddar cheese and baked beans. Coleslaw (or homemade slaw with vinaigrette) and undressed salad mix on the side.

It's like a healthier jacket potato but still so yummy and satisfying! Super easy and comforting

*omit cheese for DC1