Recently, I was talking with a friend about the difficulty of feeding our growing families affordably but also in a healthy way. She was talking about the extra cost of buying and preparing "real food", meaning not processed and mostly from scratch. I started wondering if it is really more expensive?
When I first started cooking for my family, I used a lot of shortcuts. Packaged convenience meals and sides, like (generic) Hamburger Helper or Rice-A-Roni, were my go-to dinners. I would always add extra onion, garlic and whatever other vegetables I might have on hand to make it seem more like cooking; semi-homemade. Over time, I relied on the shortcut meals less and less, preferring to tackle recipes that used mostly whole foods.
As I made things from scratch, I realized that the boxed meals were not much more than a starch plus flavoring that you can usually get from a starter spice rack. If you compare the amount of pasta in a Hamburger Helper type meal and the cost of buying just the pasta part, you find that is it quite a bit more expensive. You also almost never have leftovers to enjoy the next day, which is a savings of time as well as money.
I learned how to make good soups and casseroles from basic pantry or freezer supplies. I planned ahead to have time to soak dried beans to make hummus or chili. I found recipes to recreate my favorite restaurant meals: Thai basil chicken, fajitas, tomato basil soup. Now, we spend a fraction of what we used to on our grocery bill. I freeze leftovers to use for lunches and emergency meals.
We also adjusted our portion sizes. I started Weight Watchers when my boys were small and I became very mindful about what and how much I was eating. As my portion sizes grew smaller, so did the ones I dished out for the family. Instead of giving the kids too much and wasting it, now they were eating a more proper amount and felt full when done. My husband could always go back for a second helping if he wished. This generally resulted in more leftovers, stretching our food budget further.
Back to the cost of "real" food. When I asked my friend what foods she used to buy that were cheaper, her two examples were both of meat. In the past, she would buy high fat ground beef and chicken drumsticks. Now she chooses leaner meats, like chicken breast but the cost is more.
Ground beef is tricky to compare because it is graded into different fat contents. The cheapest and highest fat content is 70/30, lean is considered to be 85/15 or even lower. When you compare prices, consider that you cook and drain off much of the fat when browning ground beef. A very low fat ground beef might only have 7% fat content, so will have very little to drain off, resulting in more cooked beef. Be sure you are buying the correct grade for your meal, lean ground beef makes dry burgers, for example.
I'm always looking for a sale on roasts or larger cuts of meat, as this is the most expensive part of most everyone's budget. I like to buy a low fat grade of ground beef in bulk at Costco. I freeze it in 1 or 2 pound sections to use for spaghetti sauce, tacos and meatloaf. Sometimes I will use ground turkey instead or a mixture of the two, depending on the price. I also look for marked down meats at the grocery store. Almost any type of meat can be used in stirfries and soups so buy what is on sale and improvise.
As for the chicken drumsticks, they are cheap but also contain a lot of bone and skin in proportion to the nutritious meat. If serving these for dinner, you would need some substantial sides to really satisfy a grown appetite. Drumsticks, and other bony cuts, can be a great resource for making your own homemade chicken broth. My favorite recipe consists of roasting the drumsticks and vegetables before adding them to the stockpot for an added richness. All the excess fat and skin will be removed before any of the broth is made. If you can freeze this, you can avoid buying packaged chicken broth and make the best chicken noodle soup for your family when they need it.
Consider adopting Meatless Mondays to introduce your family to vegetarian options, which tend to be healthier and cheaper. Beans are a particularly good nutritional resource but also try making hearty soups using lentils, quinoa or rice. All of these can be purchased in bulk for a lot cheaper. You can change the soup's consistency by using a blender or potato masher. This can be a good idea if you are trying to hide an unpopular vegetable.
One of my family's favorite soups is called "Spaghetti Soup". It consists of leftover spaghetti sauce, noodles and any vegetables I may have on hand. I sauté some onion and garlic in my soup pot and then just start cleaning my fridge. I may add a can of tomatoes or some frozen veggies if I feel like it. I make a similar "Taco Soup" with leftovers from tacos or fajitas. They always turn out different but are nearly always well received.
If you have any space, try growing some vegetables this summer. You can grow simple herbs and vegetables in containers on a deck or patio. I have always had good luck with lettuce and tomatoes, and strawberries if I can keep the slugs away. You can get deals on bulk produce at farmer's markets or even U-pick farms in your area. This can be fun for the kids and give you lots of material to freeze or can. And if you shop for what is in season, you can often get good deals on even expensive produce.
The last complaint I hear about "real" food is the extra time it takes. It is certainly easier to get fast food or take out but it is not going to be cheaper. Going to someplace like McDonald's will cost over $20 for a family of 4, which is plenty to cover a nice cut of meat and some organic veggies. Packaged or frozen meals usually have excess sodium and fat and they are not usually enough food on their own.
I use my crockpot a lot during the winter and grill up extra food in the summer for quick meals. I try not to waste anything I could use instead. I freeze some food as single servings, others as an entire meal for the family and still other food as prepared ingredients to throw together a quick weeknight dinner. Once you get used to cooking and meal planning, it doesn't really take that much extra time. You need to decide which short cuts are worth the extra money and which are worth the extra time.
For example, I rarely make spaghetti sauce from scratch. I usually buy a jar of tomato spaghetti sauce with as few ingredients as possible. Classico Tomato and Basil has no added sugar and is as tasty as I can make it myself. I add onions, garlic, celery, carrots or mushrooms; whatever I have on hand. Growing up, my mom used to do this and called it her mother's "secret recipe".
It is true that it takes more time to make things from scratch but the nutritional benefits are worth it to me. Start small and make easy changes, like drinking water instead of soda or using frozen veggies instead of canned. When your family is used to that, try adopting another healthy habit. You will be enjoying and affording real food before you know it.
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Thank you for sharing all your wonderful frugal and healthy ideas. I too have changed all my ways of shopping and cooking wisely. It has to be that way these days. Who can afford not to be frugal? I would enjoy your "Spaghetti Soup Recipe, please? Thanks again for sharing... :)
It's more of a dump soup than any actual recipe. I will try to keep track and take pictures the next time I make it. I always start with a sautéed onion and garlic and then add leftover sauce. I would add in carrots, celery, mushroom, tomatoes, some chicken (or veggie) broth and Italian seasonings.
I have almost always cooked from scratch. One thing about it when buy seasoning and spices they last for a good while so you dont have to buy them every time. There are so many recipe for make your own mixes such as the rice-a roni, sloppy joes , etc.
I buy chicken quarter that come in 10 lb packages as they are a lot less expensive and you can separate the legs and thigh for different meals. Freeze part of them for other meals.
One especially good reason for cooking from scratch is a lot less preservatives
What drives up the grocery bill are the cookies, chips, soda and processed foods. Another way to keep the bill in check is to eat the recommended portion size. Most of us eat way too much!
This was an excellent write up! I have been concerned with many of the posts and comments that use packaged hash browns or cans of beans or veggies, or even minute rice. Every bit of processing takes nutrients away and adds unneeded preservatives and sodium, as well as adding astronomically to the price of just plain dry beans, rice, and vegetables. I know there's always the convenience factor, but for plain thriftiness, a 10lb bag of potatoes is about $3 or cheaper, and nothing quite beats the price of dry rice and beans.
I would recommend a crockpot for a beginner cook or new frugalista, for the more advanced, it's totally worth it for an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot or I have a Ninja Foodi, which is a pressure cooker & air fryer combo! Or even a cheapo rice cooker, which can be used for rice or soup, steaming, or even simple baking. All of these appliances are hands off, so that saves time, too. I can easily make a few cups of dry beans for chili, soups, tacos, salads, etc. in my pressure cooker in 45 min total, which is probably the equivalent to 6 cans of beans, and tastes better to boot. I can freeze leftovers for another day and another recipe.
Not much is cheaper than an ethnic grocery store, I love exploring Mexican/Hispanic or Asian stores for cheap spices and veggies, or beans and tortillas! A favorite store of mine is the 99cents and More stores, as they have produce and bread products, and spices, cheap foods and condiments in smaller quantities, which is handy for a smaller family not needing a giant bottle of soy sauce or whatever. It's a good way to find frozen fruit (or freeze your own blueberries or strawberries and bananas) for smoothies. All dollar stores are great for organizing, which is important so you use your pantry foods up and not forget about them before they go bad. It's doubly important to use up your leftovers so you don't waste food or the money you spent on them!
Bits of leftovers end up in omelettes/scrambled eggs/frittatas/egg bites/muffins, or soups/stews...add to pizzas, flatbreads, tacos. Stretch these items out by adding cheap chopped up potatoes (or baked) or pasta to make another whole meal.
Cheap long-lasting veggies include potatoes, onions, carrots, and cabbage. It's already been said that frozen veggies are great to have so they don't go slimy on you and have to be tossed in the garbage. I extend that even more by freezing my own chopped onions, peppers, and celery, which is great to have around for using in recipes, esp for the crockpot or pressure cooker!
Not much is cheaper than beans for protein, I like to add a bit of cheap ring sausage or chorizo for flavor. Some ground meat works great in a dish with tofu, like spicy Mapo Tofu, add in some veggies and it can be stretched far by eating it with a lot of rice, try brown rice, as it has more fiber and nutrients. Eggs are super cheap form of protein. Chicken is darn cheap in the form of hindquarters (drum/thigh), and those giant 10lb bags of them can be lower than $5...I used to cook them all up at once in a pot of water with basic spices (seasoned salt, garlic powder, pepper), simmer until tender, then let cool and debone all the meat easily, use in recipes (casseroles, pot pie, bbq sandwiches) or freeze excess, and the broth (refrigerate to take fats off the top) makes amazing soups! Pork shoulder roasts can go down to $.99lb, and can be cut up for chili verde, stews, or roasted whole (salt, pepper, thyme, garlic) with potatoes and carrots and eaten with unsweetened applesauce, or even better, cooled and sliced eaten in sandwiches with salt, mayo, and mustard.
Nowadays in our 50s, we have been healthy meal prepping our foods, making a pot of brown rice, a bean & veggie based soup, and maybe a meat and veggie stew or a pot of beans, or oatmeal and boiled eggs in our pressure cooker, and mixing and matching with salads, roasted veggies, and fruit during the week. Once in awhile we will have ramen or pasta, using lots of veggies and mushrooms and some meat leftovers or eggs. Trying to keep processed white carbs and sugars out of our diet, we also have been using monk fruit sweetener---no weird aftertaste!
Did I forget anything??
Wow, there are some great tips in here. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas.
I also freeze chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic in meal sized servings. This is perfect to add to spaghetti sauce, soups or casseroles if I don't have fresh veggies. This is very helpful if I buy in bulk as it can be difficult to use it all up fresh.
And beans are such a wonderful source of protein and nutrients. I take the dry beans and soak them in a half gallon canning jar overnight. They cook pretty fast but just be sure not to add salt until the end of cooking or they will stay hard a very long time. Extra cooked beans can be frozen for quick meals later too.
It just takes a little bit of planning and organization. For folks who don't have a lot of extra time, the "cooking once a month" or weekly prep days can be a godsend, allowing you to have the convenience of frozen or prepared foods without the added expense and loss of quality. Just be sure your freezer is in good working order and rotate through the foods so nothing sits too long. I usually use the winter months to eat through anything I have frozen and use the summer to fill it back up.
One last idea about fresh fruit is to go to U-pick farms if you have them in your area. This can be fun for the whole family. You can freeze the fruit or make jams or preserves to use later.
I have been cooking from scratch since the 1970's. When I was first married I couldn't cook a lick. Joined a cookbook club and learned to cook from those. Over the years I adapted recipes to our liking. To this day I still cook from scratch. I can many foods as well and like to try doing different things; such as making my own tomato power, garlic powder, onion powder, my own baking mixes, etc. I don't know it all of this is less expensive but it most certainly is healthier. Thank you for sharing. PS I absolutely love making home made soups. I often use some of my home canned food as Christmas gifts too.
My kids get so sick of soup but I love it! I will often eat leftovers for breakfast, especially in the winter.
This last year, I made my own garlic powder by dehydrating cloves of garlic. It turned out pretty good and was a great way to use up garlic before it sprouts or goes bad. I used a coffee grinder to grind it up but it was pretty messy. A spice grinder would be better.
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