Ten Simple Meal Starters for Under $10

It can be very difficult to feed children at meal time on a budget. It seems as though the healthier foods are pricier and the unhealthy foods are the ones that are more affordable. If you take a look around and do a bit of brainstorming feeding your family healthy foods on a budget is not too impossible. Below I have included some simple meal ideas that cost under ten dollars.

Peanut Butter on whole wheat bread with a piece of fruit and a glass of low fat milk or fruit juice make for a good lunch. Purchase peanut butter and enjoy it on peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and on warm toast. Peanut butter also tastes great on plain bagels, English muffins and sweet breads like Raisin bread. It is not only filling but it is a great source of protein. Two loafs of wheat bread and two jars of peanut butter can cost $4 to $8.

Noodles (Maruchan or top Ramen) and vegetables are great for lunch or dinner. Purchase canned or frozen veggies and stir-fry them in with the noodles and enjoy. Noodles are not that high in nutritional content when eaten by themselves, but when eaten with vegetables can serve as a great source of vitamins and minerals Two six packs of noodles and two bags of frozen vegetables can cost $5-$7.

Spaghetti with or without meat balls make a great dinner.- Spaghetti makes an excellent meal for families on a budget. It is inexpensive and is plentiful. Whole tomatoes (in a can) or sliced tomatoes (fresh) can be added to spaghetti to make it more filling. Meats can also be chopped into pieces or turned into meat balls and placed in spaghetti. Two packs of spaghetti with 2 cans of whole tomatoes and two packages of hamburger can cost $10 and without meat can cost $6 If your children are not fond of spaghetti you can purchase other varieties of pasta such as; rotini, linguine, fettuccine, ziti and top it with cheese. A small 1 pound bag of cheese can cost $2-$6 depending on brand.

Rice and beans, rice and vegetables, and rice and meat are inexpensive and great for dinner. Rice is very fulfilling and can be eaten with many different foods or even by itself (plain) or with a dab of margarine and a pinch of seasoning. One large sized bag of brown rice can cost $8 and one large sized bag of white rice can cost $6. One small sized bag of brown rice can cost $2-$3. A meal of brown rice (16 oz bag) and black beans (dry beans) can cost $4. A meal of brown rice and frozen vegetables can cost $5. If you find that brown rice and vegetables are not filling enough for children you can purchase a large bag of fish sticks for $6-$8 and place them on the side or you can make grill cheese sandwiches. A meal of brown rice and meat (hamburger) can cost $6-$8.

Dry beans can help you make a filling and inexpensive dinner. Dry beans come in many different varieties, are inexpensive and plentiful and can be eaten a few different ways. They also have a high nutritional content. You can prepare beans with rice, place them inside of tortillas, eat them with meat, and place them in soups. A meal of brown rice and dry black or red kidney beans can cost $4 to $5 depending on brand. A meal of black beans and tortillas with cheese can cost $5 to $8.

Potatoes are great meal starters. Russet potatoes are generally the all purpose potato and are easy to cook. You can prepare baked potatoes with rice or with meat or both. You can boil the potatoes and mash them to make mashed potatoes and serve them with vegetables, meat, or biscuits. You can fry them with some oil and seasoning to make home fries and eat them with breakfast. You can even fry them and make homemade french-fries and eat them with grilled cheese, fish sticks, rice etc. Potatoes make a great main dish or side dish.

A meal of baked potatoes and brown rice would cost $6 and a meal of baked potatoes and meat will cost $8. A meal of mashed potatoes, vegetables, meat, and biscuits would cost $10 and without meat would cost $.7 A meal of home fries including oil would cost $5. A meal of French fries and grill cheese (including oil) would cost $8 including the oil. A meal of French fries (including oil) and fish sticks would cost $7 and with rice would cost $10.

Tuna Salad with salad and cheese cubes can make a great lunch or dinner. Tuna fish is a great source of protein and is great to eat on whole wheat bread. You might not think it but tuna fish can be eaten in a few different ways. You can place tuna fish with plain macaroni, peppers, oil and seasoning to make tuna salad, you can eat tuna fish with Tuna helper, you can make a tuna melt, or a tuna salad sub. A meal of tuna salad (3 cans) on whole wheat bread and a side of a small salad (lettuce and tomato,) and 2-3 cheese cubes excluding the mayo and extra ingredients can cost $9.

Mixed vegetables with rice and fish sticks on the side make a great lunch or dinner. You can purchase 3 cans of Goya dark kidney beans, 2 cans of sweet corn and heat them all together with some chopped onion and garlic and a bit of seasoning. Once heated you can place them over cooked brown rice with fish sticks on the side all for a total of $9. You can also use dry beans but they tend to take much longer to cook than the canned beans.

Macaroni and cheese and peas make a great meal for lunch or dinner and can cost $6- $9. Cheese is a great source of calcium and peas are a great source of protein. Remember you can place fish sticks, meat, rice, potatoes, or bread on the side to make the meal even more filling.

Whole wheat pancakes make a great lunch or dinner. Some parents may turn their head up at this idea but eating pancakes for dinner is economical and healthy. Wheat Pancakes are a great source of fiber and you don't have to purchase the syrup that is loaded with sugar. There are brands of syrup such as Vermont Sugar Free Maple Syrup. You can also use honey to sweeten the pancakes. You can place meat such as a low fat sausage on the side or if your family does not eat meat you can place baked potatoes with a pinch of pepper or salt and a dab of margarine (spread) on the side.