Frugal meal ideas
Keep on top of the world with healthy meals that will also save you money.
Frugal is healthy. Be frugal with your meal, especially portion sizes and the number of helpings, and your well-being will improve. What does it mean frugal day meals? It means the meals that take you through the work day, before relaxing to a satisfying dinner. Find some frugal ideas for breakfast and lunch than non only will save you money, they are also healthy meal ideas and geared to keep you in top shape.
5 frugal breakfast ideas
It is the first meal we eat when we get up in the morning. After a long night of sleep, we can't do without it if we want to get our bodies going. No, I'm not talking about coffee. I'm referring to breakfast. Here are some ideas for breakfast that don't require a drive-thru window.
Have a piece of casserole. It takes time to cook eggs and bacon for breakfast. No one wants to ruin their clothes with the mess it can create. On Sunday night, get breakfast done early. Put together a casserole using your favorite ingredients. Fewer eggs are needed in a casserole than when frying or scrambling them for breakfast each morning. Depending on the size of your family, the casserole may last two to three mornings.
Yogurt. Yogurt is a healthy and economical breakfast choice. When you are eating on the run, grab a container of yogurt and some dried or fresh fruit. Cutting up fruit on top of the yogurt adds carbohydrates to fuel you for the morning in addition to the calcium and protein in the yogurt itself.
Breakfast shake. This is even quicker and can be ingested while driving without taking your eyes off the road or both hands off the wheel. Put together some frozen fruit favorites, ice cubes, frozen yogurt, and unsweetened juice in a blender. Pour into Styrofoam cups to keep it cold. Everyone can grab a cup on the way out the door. The nutritional effect is about the same as yogurt, but without the spoon.
Pigs in a blanket. This is the home made version. Whip up a batch of pancakes and freeze them in short stacks of three. A package or two of frozen link sausage is needed to create this quick and economical meal idea. Thaw out a stack of pancakes. Heat up three sausages in the microwave. Wrap a pancake around each sausage. Voila! You've got an instant pig in a blanket. Eat it as you watch the last of your favorite morning show or as you walk to the bus stop. It can be eaten in the car without too much fuss or mess. For a sweeter taste and less mess, add a little maple syrup or honey to the batter when making the pancakes.
Breakfast sandwiches. In the evening, while you are getting things ready for the next day, grill up a few breakfast sandwiches. Choose whatever you like: turkey slices, ham slices, cheese, tomato, bacon, etc. When the sandwich cools, cut it into bite size pieces and put it in a container. In the morning, just grab a container; pop it into the microwave for fifteen or twenty seconds and breakfast is served.
These breakfast ideas are time saving and money-saving too. They make use of items you buy normally and also whatever you have around the house to create delicious fare for a morning rush. No more excuses for skipping breakfast or swinging into the fast food restaurant every morning.
Money saving lunch ideas for frugal families
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but lunch is what gets you through until dinner time. The price of school lunches rises each year and it is hard for some parents to keep up. This is besides the fact that many lunch menus, not just in schools either, are not as nutritious as they could be. Here are some money saving lunch ideas for frugal families.
Take your lunch. This goes for parents as well as kids. We are tempted to eat out with the group everyday, too. That adds up after awhile. Those cute insulated lunch bags make it easier to carry hot and cold items. We can throw even throw out the brown bags in favor of reusable options which are more environmentally friendly. When you pack your own lunch, you know what is in it so it is easier to avoid a lot of unhealthy fats and junk food.
Make a sandwich. I'm not talking about just any sandwich. This can be a wrap, pita, crust less bread, or bun sandwich. Varying the bread each day will help you decide what ingredients to put on it. You may want turkey with alfalfa sprouts, tomato, and onion on a pita or chicken strips with barbecue sauce, lettuce, and shredded cheese in a tortilla wrap. Many kids like bread without crust for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This makes lunch fun and your kids are more likely to eat it if they have a creative variety. Invest in single packs of condiments. They can be used in lunches as opposed to putting them on the sandwich and saturating the bread before lunchtime rolls around.
Bottled water and drink crystals. Water has never been the same since they came out with those handy packs of flavorings. You can find them everywhere. Best of all they have five calories or less. You can turn a bottle of water into a drink that is better than soda. Kids love them too.
Dessert courtesy of home. Stop! Put down that candy bar and walk away from the vending machine. Instead, choose a better option. Homemade granola can be shaped into bars and used as an after lunch snack. How about dried fruit pieces? They are sweeter than candy bars and won't spike your blood sugar. It's okay to have a naughty treat every now and then, but even at those times you can choose a healthier option than chips or candy. Make a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies and pack a few in your lunch.
Ice packs. These nifty items will keep lunch from spoiling. The perfect complement to an insulated bag, they allow you to take yogurt or a sandwich with meat and not have to worry about it getting warm before it's time to eat.
Veggie sticks. Eat them with your sandwich and add some Ranch dressing for dipping.
Lunch doesn't have to come from the school cafeteria or the fast food joint around the corner to be good. Coming from home, it can be healthier, taste better and cost less. Now that's a combination you can't beat.
