Food budget thoughts

[pocomom]

I know you don't have a big freezer but maybe the way to go is to utilize it well. My husband hates leftovers, he grew up very poor and has all kinds of food issues because of it and I cannot get the man to eat anything with leftover attached to it. And my kids are just spoiled, they want something new each meal...But.... if I make a pot of chili or something and freeze it in individual or family sized containers ... voila, not a leftover!
So that is what I do now, immediately freeze remaining portions of meals for one of the upcoming weeks. If you get good at freezer organization, for a single person it wouldn't take much space. Maybe try a cooking day on a weekend day you have little else to do. Make one or two coordinated meals , where some of the ingredients are the same, 4 or so portions of each. Freeze. Make soup or a casserole, salad, frittata or stir fry with any leftovers, for that night's dinner.
Then the first week pick a night or two to eat from the freezer. Second week do it two or three times. Cook once every week or two and soon you will have a nice little take out place right in your freezer. Baby steps!
Then after that maybe try twice weekly shopping and purchasing a smaller amount but stick to your list! Greens don't typically stay fresh for long, especially from a supermarket, where they weren't really fresh to begin with. Learn proper storage techniques, but only buy what you have a plan for using in the next few days. Good luck, it isn't always an easy switch, but it is easier to stick to a particular lifestyle of eating when you really know what you are eating because you made it! Plus even small progress will save you money!

 

[Lisa71]

Look at what you like from panera and chipotle and make those recipes. .they are not complicated and go meatless a few times a week (veggies, beans, sauce, burrito bowl yum)!! Save money and be healthier. You can get chicken and veggies ready, some beans, rice and sauce and dressing and have several salads and bowls with little effort.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Thanks for all the ideas!!!

I've been searching for Paleo/Primal friendly freezer meals etc. so thanks for all the online resources and please keep them coming if you have any more!!

I really wish I liked soup lol, it seems like such an easy go-to. Maybe I can look at some stew recipes instead.

I got some help on a Greek stuffed pepper family recipe and am trying to figure out how to work it without rice as those freeze well. Hopefully it will go well!

 

[supergoofy]

I would suggest a crockpot and cooking for more than 1 and freezing the "left overs".

This would save you money by cooking in volume and it would save you time by cooking in a crockpot.


Also most crockpot receipts I have seen and used consisted of easy off the shelf staples and not much cooking was involved more of put this and that into a pan, put on lid and turn on and come back in several hours.

 

[pampam]

OP, you have not mentioned what appliances you have in your kitchen, so it is hard to make suggestions. If you have a crockpot, for example, you could throw a small piece of beef (tiny roast) with a carrot, a couple of onions, celery , all chopped up, perhaps a few pieces of turnip, into the crock pot, turn it on low and your supper will be cooked and hot when you get home.

If you have a george forman grill, a nice piece of chicken breast, with whatever veggies you like, will grill up in no time, since the grill cooks from both sides at once.

If you have a blender, you can roast some onions, and throw them in the blender to thicken your gravies, since you don't eat any grain.

If all you have is a fry pan, you can chop up some onions, red or green peppers, mushrooms and fry them in the same pan you cooked your steak in to give the veggies more flavour.

 

[Suz D]

Lastly, my favorite trick is a counter top appliance called a sous vide supreme. They're pricey (200-300 or so) but it has been worth every penny for us. Basically, it's a fancy water bath that can cook foods to a very precise temperature, without needing any attention from me. A great thing for someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, especially since timing doesn't have to be exact. Also good for someone who doesn't like cooking poultry- vacuum seal some chicken in a bag, toss is it in the bath, and pull it out when it's done. It's been great for us because it's simple, and pretty tasty. I don't normally like chicken because it's dry- but this produces chicken breasts that are tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. Also transforms really cheap beef cuts into something that tastes five star. My personal favorite are short ribs that we'll cook for 2-3 days. Come home, serve it up with some pre prepped potatoes, and it feels like a gourmet meal that took under fifteen minutes of my time. Sorry I wrote a novel!

I was really intrigued by the description of this appliance. Today I got my Costco email with their sales and this is on sale for $299 a savings of $70. There are three videos that show how to use to too.