Looking for inexpensive and easy-to-make meal ideas?
It's true that food is a big budget.
Especially when you have a large family!
Fortunately, we have selected for you 8 easy, quick and inexpensive meal ideas.
By cooking yourself, you save money, but in addition you are sure that there is no junk in your dishes!
And you don't have to use a lot of ingredients to make good, economical recipes.
Some easy and inexpensive recipes only require 2 ingredients.
With these healthy and nutritious dishes, you get away with it for less than €2 per person . Like what, you can enjoy yourself without breaking the bank!
Make meals for less than 2 €, it's possible! Yes, making meals for less than €2 per person is possible.
Of course, you have to choose the right recipes.
Those with only healthy, nutritious and economical ingredients!
The ideal is to shop in inexpensive supermarkets like Aldi or Lidl to lower the bill.
And even if you eat organic, you can still save money.
For example, everyone loves rice salad. It's a balanced, healthy and quick dish.
This delicious salad can be eaten fresh or at room temperature, as an appetizer or main course.
You don't even need to heat it up! Not only is it good, but you also save time !
In addition, if you make a large quantity, you can keep it for at least 4 days.
Super convenient for feeding the whole family! That's always a meal or two less to prepare!
And you can always take the leftovers to the office. That way you still save money.
For a change, you can replace the rice with quinoa or pasta.
- rice (prefer brown rice)
- raw vegetables:tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, celery, fennel, carrots... depending on the season
- corn
- tuna
- red beans
- homemade vinaigrette
1. Cook a generous amount of rice according to package directions.
2. Drain it and wait for it to cool. You can run it under cold water if you are in a hurry.
3. Put the rice in a bowl.
4. Wash and cut the vegetables into small pieces.
5. Put them with the rice.
4. Add all other ingredients.
5. Pour the sauce and mix.
And it's ready! It's good, not expensive and in addition, this recipe is impossible to miss.
If you have made too much rice for your salad, put it in the fridge. You will make an economical gratin.
And to make sure you don't eat any chemicals or preservatives, make your salad dressing yourself.
It's very easy and quick to make and it's much cheaper! Follow the recipe here.
To discover: 12 Salad Recipes To CAUSE Even The BIGGEST Hungers.
You don't necessarily think about making soups.
Yet it's easy to do and it doesn't cost much.
A little water and 30 minutes of your time and it's ready!
Are you worried that your soup will be a bit bland?
If you season it well and add a little cheese, croutons, a cube of chicken broth or cream...
You have a delicious complete meal .
And perfectly healthy and balanced!
- potatoes
- carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- tomatoes in summer or tomato paste in winter
- pumpkin or squash in winter, zucchini in summer
- 1 leek
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- beef or chicken bouillon cube (optional)
- pieces of ham, chicken, sausages, bacon of your choice (optional)
1. Peel all the vegetables, cut them into pieces and rinse them.
2. In a saucepan, sauté the onion and add all the vegetables.
3. Pour in water until the vegetables are covered.
4. Add cube and meat if desired.
5. Boil the water then lower the heat.
6. Cook covered for about 30 minutes.
7. Mix everything in a blender or with an immersion blender.
All that remains is to taste your homemade soup. This is an ideal dish for winter!
If your soup is too thick, you can add water.
You can add bread crumbs or croutons to make it more consistent.
For a complete dish rich in vegetable protein, you can add lentils or chia seeds during cooking.
My grandmother used to add a little wine to it. But that's up to you!
To discover: Economical, My Onion Soup Recipe for Less than €0.50 per Person.
This recipe is very similar to the Spanish tortilla!
The potato omelet is a great classic in canteens and brasseries.
It must be said that eggs have many health benefits .
It is a delicious dish, economical, full of protein and healthy. In addition, it is very consistent!
Some even eat it every day for breakfast.
With omelettes, you can vary the pleasures by adding a few vegetables such as peppers or spices or fresh herbs (parsley, chives...)
Preferably choose organic eggs or free-range eggs.
- 5 eggs
- 500 g potatoes
- 1 onion
- parsley, garlic, salt, pepper according to your taste
- oil
How to
1. Peel the potatoes, wash them, cut them into thin and regular strips
2. Peel and chop the onion.
3. Put a little oil in a frying pan and fry the onions in it.
4. Add the potatoes and cook for around 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl and beat them.
6. Add seasoning.
7. Pour the eggs over the potatoes.
8. Cook over very low heat.
Depending on your taste, serve the omelet runny or well cooked.
Prepare a side salad with homemade vinaigrette.
You have a super economical complete dish. I challenge you to find a cheaper meal!
To discover: 7 Cook's Tips for a Delicious Restaurant-Style Omelette.
A simple, good and traditional dish that everyone will appreciate! And it is particularly economical .
Plus, it's so easy to make that it would be a shame to buy bland cans of lentils full of questionable products.
For the quantities, it's up to you. I always make a lot because I eat leftover lentils the next day.
Remember that the lentils swell when cooked.
Take dry lentils instead, as they are cheaper and boil in 45 minutes.
It's not like dried beans that you have to soak overnight.
- lenses
- carrots
- sausages
1. Pour a large amount of water into a saucepan.
2. Heat it up.
3. Add the lentils and cook them for about 35 to 45 minutes according to the instructions on the package.
4. Peel the carrots, wash them and cut them into rings.
5. Cook them in water for 15 to 20 minutes. You can put them with the lentils, halfway through cooking. This saves you time and energy.
6. Add a little salt or a teaspoon of baking soda.
7. Cook the sausages separately.
8. Drain the lentils and carrots.
9. Salt, pepper and mix.
10. Serve with the sausages.
To make it even more economical, you don't even have to prepare sausages.
Lentils are already rich in vegetable protein s.
Accompanied by carrots, it is a balanced and complete dish for next to nothing.
I also love adding spices:curry, cumin, turmeric, garlic, salt, mustard... or aromatic herbs (parsley, coriander...).
If you're really in a hurry or tired, just open a box of lenses!
To discover: The Friendly and Cheap Recipe for Sausages with Lentils.
This is my children's favorite dish!
And it's perfect for making a meal tray or when friends come home.
It's also the perfect dish when you're too tired to cook pasta!
In addition, if you add a small salad on the side, you have a balanced and quick meal .
- sandwich bread
- ham
- butter
- grated emmental or aged cheddar
- egg (optional if you want to make a croque-madame)
1. Take two slices of bread.
2. On one of the slices, put butter, cheese and ham.
3. Cover with the other slice.
4. Put some butter and grated cheese in it.
5. Bake in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes depending on whether you like it golden or not.
Prepared in the oven, it's super easy and quick to make.
But you can also cook it in a pan by following this recipe.
You can cook a fried egg and place it on your croque-monsieur to make a croque-madame.
In any case, you can serve it with a green salad or a few tomato slices, for a complete and balanced dish.
If you have a sandwich maker, don't waste time cleaning it with this trick.
It is a traditional dish French cuisine that our grandmothers know well.
As its name suggests, this dish comes from Dauphiné.
There are only good, nutritious and inexpensive ingredients.
That's why it's the family dish par excellence!
But you can also prepare it to receive guests, as it goes very well with roast pork or roast chicken.
To vary the flavors a little without blowing your budget, you can add a little curry or cumin to the recipe.
- 2 kg of potatoes
- 200g grated cheese
- 50 cl of fresh cream
- salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg
1. Peel the potatoes and wash them.
2. Cut them into thin strips.
3. Put them in a gratin dish.
4. Season to taste.
5. Cover the potatoes with fresh cream.
6. Add grated cheese on top.
7. Bake at 180°C for 1 hour.
Check for doneness by sticking a knife into a potato.
If it is a little hard, prolong the cooking for 15 to 20 min.
When cooked, serve with meat, ham, eggs or with a salad.
This recipe is very simple to make.
You just have to be careful to choose the right variety of potatoes for successful cooking.
Otherwise, they stay too hard or become too soft.
To save even more, did you know that you can easily grow your potatoes at home? Find out how here.
Snacks bought in supermarkets are super expensive!
In addition, when you look at the composition, you get scared...
Nothing beats a good homemade cake. The yogurt cake is a traditional recipe and super easy to make .
Kids love getting their hands dirty making it.
It's easy, because everything is measured with a pot of yogurt! No need to bother with complicated measurements and conversions.
- 1 pot of yogurt
- 2 jars of sugar
- 3 jars of flour
- 1/2 jar of sunflower oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 sachet of vanilla sugar
- 1 packet of baking powder
- butter
1. Butter a cake pan.
2. Place the yoghurt, sugar, eggs, flour, oil and baking powder in the order in a bowl.
3. Mix well.
4. Pour the batter into the cake pan.
5. Put in the oven for 35 min at 200°C.
And now, it's ready ! Gourmets just have to enjoy themselves.
You can also serve this cake as a dessert.
To make it even easier to unmold, use a silicone mould.
Be careful, do not use baker's yeast for this recipe.
You can take plain or fruit yoghurt.
Of course nothing prevents you from adding chocolate chips, banana, raisins, jam, compote and whatever you want!
To discover: A Cheap and Delicious Recipe:Homemade Chocolate Cake.
What could be more healthy and easy to make a homemade fruit salad?
It's foolproof and ready in just 2 min.
Avoid canned fruit salads at all costs.
They are bathed in sugar and have no flavor.
Make it yourself with seasonal fruits.
If you buy organic fruit, you can keep the peel after cleaning it. It's full of vitamins!
- apples, pears, bananas, strawberries depending on the season
- dried fruits, nuts...
- a squeeze of lemon juice
1. Peel or wash your fruit.
2. Cut them into small pieces.
3. Put them in a salad bowl.
4. Mix and add lemon juice.
And now, it's ready. Serve chilled, it's even better.
You will be full of vitamins and fiber. Be careful, because the fruits are sweet too. So don't overdo it!
To help you make even more savings on the food budget , I have selected our 3 best articles for you:
- 21 Simple Tips To Save Money While Shopping.
- Save on Groceries with a Weekly Budget.
- 7 Tips For Eating CHEAP Organic.
