Saturday, June 4, 2011

I need some cheap, healthy dinner ideas

I have $350 to spend for food, cleaning stuff, etc. this month. I have broken it down to:

$10 cereal
$10 2 lbs organic butter
$10 2 dz free range organic eggs
$20 4 gallons organic milk
$ 5 baking powder
$45 20 lbs. organic wheat berries
$ 6 4 cans tuna
$ 3 1 jar organic peanut butter
$ 3 1 jar organic preserves
$14 4 lbs boneless chicken breast
$10 tortillas
$10 cheddar
$ 5 parmesan
$30 fruit for each breakfast for 4
$30 veggies for each lunch for 4
$ 8 pizza dough (4)
$ 4 marinara sauce (2 jars)
$ 8 mozzarella
$20 4 lbs ground beef
$ 3 salsa
$ 4 baking soda
$ 5 white vinegar
$20 snacks

So far above list (plus few items I still have left in pantry, fridge, and freezer) will give me 30 days of breakfast for four, 30 lunches for four, some snacks, and 10 dinners for four. The vinegar and baking soda are for cleaning and cooking. I have about $70 left for 15 more dinners for four.

My menu is:

breakfast: (all homemade)
cereal and fruit(5 mornings)
waffles and fruit(10 mornings)(which is 80 homemade waffles)
french toast and fruit(5 mornings)
eggs and toast and fruit(6 mornings)
oatmeal and fruit(4 mornings)

lunch:
tuna fish sandwiches and veggies (4 afternoons)
pb & jelly sandwhiches and veggies (5 afternoons)
pasta and veggies (2 afternoons)
homemade chicken nuggets and veggies (4 afternoons)
cheese quasadillas with veggies (2 afternoons)
veggie soup with rolls (2 afternoons)
mac and cheese and veggies (1 afternoon)
pierogies and veggies (2 afternoons)
rice and beans (4 afternoons)
homemade pizza (4 afternoons)

dinners: (*will also include a starch and veggie)
tacos (4 nights)
pasta with sauce (4 nights)
whole chicken* (1 night)
steak* (1 night)

I need ideas for 15 more dinners. I was thinking of having a baked potato night and making meatless chili to serve over rice as two more dinners. After that I am stumped.

Can you help me with meals that are about $1 per serving? This $1 has to include main dish, starch, and veggie.


I still want to stick with my food goals:
-5 or more fruits and veggies daily (fresh when possible)
-no white flour or bread (I will be making all bread this month with wheat I grind)
-no artificial colors or flavors (like reds, blues, etc.)
-no high fructose corn syrup
-organic, free range as much as possible (but will not waver on eggs, dairy, or ground beef, prices above reflect these items at organic costs)

Also if you were wondering the meals are for four people because of Jason, Josh, me, and either Kaiden or daycare child (I will have daycare child for breakfast and lunch Mon.-Fri., and Kaiden for dinners Tues.-Sat.)

Thanks!

-Becky

1 comments:

Mair said...

The chicken leftovers can be made into soup - pick off the meat, boil the carcass, add back the meat and some veggies. Have that w/ a sandwich (or half), or a potato. Not 100% on what the cost would be, but I look at the soup as mostly free when we do this. Will look through my go-to's for more ideas.