[USER]

Struggling with a lot of tough life circumstances right now. I’m also trying to take care of myself and my family as best as I can in the midst of it. Food has always been my eternal struggle.

It’s exasperating that everyone (myself, husband and 2 boys) is always eating.

The mental fatigue of choosing what’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack every single day is exhausting. Could you help me out?

What’s your budget friendly, easy to make meal that’s also fairly healthy?

My brain thanks you!

[Faye]

If your kids are in school, they need protein for breakfast to get them til lunch. Most cereals wear off in an hour and stimulate the appetite because they are all carbs.

Eggs 🥚 are still an inexpensive source of protein. I buy them at Aldi for $2-3 a dozen.

You can boil them ahead or cook in the AM. Or brown n serve sausage. Or bagels and cream cheese or peanutbutter on toast.

Sometimes oatmeal (I buy old fashioned oats (NOT quick oats- it comes out much better) and cook in the microwave takes 4 minutes and add your own sugar.

Can add raisins for the kids to add iron and sweetener. Or canned peaches drained.

I make my hubby and I eggs for lunch a lot. Or soup and sandwiches.

Always save your leftovers from dinner and add rice or beans or frozen chopped sweet potatoes or all 3 for a quick stir fry supper the next day.

Can add cheese if not enough protein.

[Hannah]

I LOVE a good loaded rice skillet. Cut up boneless skinless chicken into bite size pieces, seasonings of your choice, sear in a cast iron skillet big enough to add veggies of your choosing, and a prepared package of any flavor Knorr rice sides.

Prepare the rice per the instructions, when the rice is done, dump it into the skillet with your chicken and veggies.

I usually do chicken breasts with shallots, lots of broccoli, garlic, carrot, thinly sliced cabbage and a broccoli chicken Knorr rice side.

It’s cheap, versatile (there are a bunch of the rice flavors), and uses very little dishes!

[Aviva]

What ages are the boys and do both of you work? If so, time to share the load. Are the boys able to take some responsibility for snacks, atleast?

[Lauren]

Just have a rotating menu plan. I have 4 weeks of meals that I rotate all year long. If you want to try something new choose one day a week or one day a month to try a new recipe if you want but we pretty much know what we like and keep it simple.

I don’t ever have to think what do I make tonight?

Because I already know, and it also makes grocery shopping easier because I know what I need for each menu week.

[Carole]

Breakfast and lunch: choose your own cereal or waffles. Eggs only once a week on the weekend. Lunch: make your own sandwich.

A pot of easy soup can go a long way. Dinner: Chili, of course! (Look up sweet potato chili – everyone likes it).

Spaghetti with pre-made meatballs, a cooked chicken. One can buy frozen veggies and roast them: easy and tasty.

[Jessica]

So, what has helped me is meal planning. Every Thursday here the grocery flyers come out. I see what’s on sale and start planning dinners for the week based on that.

I write out a list and stick to it.

Lunch can be leftovers or I just pick up cheese and turkey for wraps, breakfast is typically yogurt, cereal, oatmeal or eggs.

Try and reuse ingredients as much as possible. Leftover hamburgers? They go great with eggs for breakfast.

Just an example

[Kathy]

Soups in the crockpot
Baked potato’s
Sheet pan meals

Rice and beans in Mexican meals
Chinese stir fry’s
Left over rice can turn into fried rice
Beef stew with gravy

Leftovers turn into stroganoff
Creamed chicken over waffles

Make breakfast burritos freeze extra for fast breakfasts
Breakfast sandwiches
Overnite oats
With berries and yogurt

Snacks I make veggie trays with dip
Cheese cubes and pepperoni

Or salami
Pickles
Olives
Crackers
Popcorn
Make extra on weekends

Dollar tree dinners has some me great ideas

[Wendy]

Instant pots, and crockpots are your friend, you can fill them before you leave to work, even if the food is frozen and come home to a nice meal

[Amber]

I wrote the days of the week on a chalkboard in our kitchen and the day I went to the grocery store I would just write out the dinners.

Just having the mental load of not choosing what to eat in the day actually helps out tremendously.

And then it doesn’t have to be super strict meal planning, but you get the gist of the meal you’re going to prepare that day so you’re not thinking about it an hour before you start making food.

[Shannon]

My daughter loves smoothies, pancakes. Breakfast burritos and omelettes. Fruit and vegetables for snacks.

Homemade bread, muffins, granola we make weekly and cookies and cakes on occasions.

Hearty homemade soups, chili’s and stews.You can make casseroles, pizza, pasta and meatballs dishes and stir fry.

[Denise]

Sheet pan cooking on the weekends saved me while raising kids on a super low budget.

Make full pans that mix and match to feed everyone all week.
1. roasted potatoes
2. Mixed roasted veggies
3.Seasoned rice and beans
4. Pasta and sauce
5. Roasted chicken thighs
6. Meat loaf
7. Breakfast casserole
8. Baked buttered eggs
9. Baked oats

Add a hearty crock pot soup for lunches.

You can cook off everything within a few hours.

Store it all in labeled containers and all your breakfasts lunches and dinners are ready to go.

[Shannon]

Also pick up a good used cookbook or borrow from your library or a friend. Start reading the cookbook from the front.

There should be a lot of information on meal planning, types of foods, cuts of meat and finally entire meals all planned out for variety.

Then start reading the chapters to whet an appetite to fix all sorts of foods in new ways.

[Agnes]

Depends what is on special. I try to get items that are marked down which I can store – in the freezer if necessary or canned/jarred items in my cupboard.

If my cupboard is full stuff goes in the basement.

If you get a little ahead each time you shop then you will have a variety to choose from.Maybe a food bank can help you?

[Shelly]

Sheet pan banana pancakes,, worstershire sauce cook in beef make a hamburger stew veggies of your choice I like to use powder zesty Italian salad dressing mix in and on meats and veggies with water or broth.

Stuff Cornbread meals with scrambled chop or shredded meats cheese and veggies.. pies meat veggies and fruit.bean pies

[Kathy]

I’ve found dried black or pinto beans and a big batch of rice to be a great budget and time saver, and varied and filling ingredients to add to dishes.

Dried beans take a bit of time to cook on the stovetop (2-4 hours), but produce a huge volume of food, and they are nutritious.

If you cook chicken and ground beef ahead along with the beans, and supply yourself with taco shells, tortillas, flour wraps, big bag(s) of shredded cheese, pre cut veggies, some salsas, sour cream, etc, you can quickly assemble evening meals and vary by pairing the beans with different ingredients and presentations throughout the week.

[Kimberly]

A box of pasta and a jar of sauce for dinners. For breakfast make a batch of oatmeal. You can flavor that all sorts of different ways.

[Margarita]

Use your crock pot. I put a lot of veggies in soups, my kids will eat them so much better. Ftozen spinach is great for added nutrition in soups and tomato or pasta sauces.

Add milled flaxseed to oatmeal, cereal, pancakes, even sauces, nobody will taste it and adds fiber and protein.

With kids, some eat because they are bored, so maybe checking routines and put a schedule in place for meals and snacks.

For snacking, I tell my kids to first eat some fruit and then something else.

[Becky]

I try to meal plan. Single and trying to eat healthy in budget. Since I don’t have anyone to say what they want for dinner I have to keep a structure.

Try to ask family to help u with a list of suggestions they like. Rotate that list and make your plan from there.

[Linda]

As far as organizing, I read that the typical family eats the same 10 meals or less repeatedly. So, they suggest making a list of your 10 best dinner or evening meal.

(Easier to repeat 2 or 3 breakfasts and lunches). Then rotate them daily. Then the daily decision of what to eat is solved.

The hard part will be listing low cost meals in the beginning.

But once you have written down your 10, your stress will go way down! Good for you Mom for taking such good care of your family!

[Sheila]

Mk breakfast sandwiches once a week, store brand pop open biscuits, an egg and slice of cheese, wrap in plastic wrap..pop in microwave for 30 -45 seconds.

Quick and easy to go breakfast

[Amanda]

A few years ago a friend and I bought basic ingredients Meats, potatos, vegetables, cheese and from there we did a meal prep day.

We planned it out so we knew what we could make with what we had and came up with an assortment of dishes that we froze for future use. They came in handy on busy week day nights.

I still do it with items and plan to do another meal prep day soon. Here are some of the things we made.

Breakfast Burritos
Mini Pancakes
Calzones

Buffalo chicken and potato bake
Stuffed Shells
Lasagna

Crock pot dump bags
Grilled marinated chicken
Soups

Meatballs
Pasta sauce
French Fries

[Author]

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