Top Three Best Budget Foods to Stock Your Pantry

Even in a good economy, Americans tend to over-spend on pre-packaged groceries and foods. Stop stretching your budget with overpriced groceries by stocking up on cheaper, but filling, foods and purchasing whole foods. Do not pay for the food companies to cut and individually package your cheese, fruits, and veggies when you can barely afford the groceries as it is. And take advantage of canned beans and other options to fill in on nutrients and proteins.

1. Ramen noodles

Averaging about ten cents a package, Ramen noodles are famous for keeping starving college students bellies full. But Ramen isn't just for teen and twenty-somethings. One package provides a filling meal without any additives and supplementing Ramen for a full meal just twice a week can save you $40 a month, per person. Use your spice cabinet to jazz up the Ramen noodles: use rubbed sage to settle a queasy stomach and aid sleeping, add fresh ground black pepper and basil for a savory soup, or white pepper for a sneaky, spicy broth.

Ramen noodles are also a great base for more filling soups by adding a few vegetables or meats. For example, my favorite Ramen recipe mimics Sizzling Rice Soup from our local Chinese restaurant. Just boil your water with chestnuts, bamboo shoots (both available canned for about 50 cents a can), diced chicken and snow peas. Add the Ramen noodles and finish simmering until the chicken is done and the noodles are cooked. Add the chicken seasoning from the Ramen package. You can alter to this a stir-fry using the Oriental Ramen flavor and tossing everything in a skillet. Chop up celery, carrots and onions with diced chicken in Roasted Chicken Ramen for a quick chicken soup.

Using Ramen noodles as your soup base is much cheaper than stocking up on chicken broths and noodles separately. Take advantage of this amazing, budget food to get you through the tough times in the middle of the week and save money for a night out occasionally.

2. Canned beans

Beans are an excellent and very cheap source of protein. Fresh meats can be expensive especially for larger families shopping on a budget. Substitute meals with beans as the main protein three times a week and save a ton on your grocery bill. With creative recipes and spices your family will probably not even notice.

Black beans are one of the perfect foods according to the Sonoma Diet based on their incredibly high anti-oxidant levels. The tasty tex-mex base is a staple in many Latin-American countries for good reason. Unlike the Americanized version of refried pinto beans, black beans extremely healthy and naturally tasty. You can make your own refried beans using a little bit of olive oil (also considered a perfect food) and diced onions and peppers. Cook the beans in the skillet with the oil and diced vegetables. Mash the beans as your stir them or leave them whole for a different texture. Add fresh or dried cilantro for the signature tex-mex flavor. Serve the beans with whole wheat tortillas or chips as a filling snack.

Make black bean burritos with a little bit of shredded lettuce, tomatoes and lots of cheese for a cheap, filling and very easy mid-day meal. Your kids will probably not miss the ground beef if you spice the beans correctly. Try using a tiny bit of taco seasoning (which is pennies at the grocery store) in the beans as you cook them.

Pintos, navy beans, white beans and black eyed peas are all great varieties of canned beans to stock your cupboard for less than a dollar a can. Each can usually serves four as a side dish and two as a main dish.

And don't forget the Louisiana classic red beans and rice. Skip the pre-package, boil-in-the-bag rice and get the cheaper bags of off-brand rice on the bottom shelves. Once they are cooked in a dish you will never notice the different but you'll save a lot of money. Boil the rice, add the red beans and some spicy Cajun seasoning. If you must have meat, add a sliced sausage, chicken or beef. You can use one serving of meat (six ounces of chicken or one whole sausage) for two servings of red beans and rice, which makes your money go farther.

3. Potatoes

Many Americans have gotten into the habit of purchasing the pre-packaged dinners and side-dishes to save time. But, with a little thought, purchasing whole foods (whole potatoes instead of pre-mashed or pre-stuffed potatoes in the frozen aisle) saves money without taking a lot of time. Potatoes are a great budget food at only pennies a pound. To make quick baked potatoes, simply spear the spud with a fork several times and pop them in the microwave. For cheesier, double-baked potatoes, microwave them first, add the toppings and then pop then in a small toaster oven to finish them off. Potatoes are a great staple for hash browns, mashed potatoes, casseroles and many other last minute supper recipes. Consider swapping out a full, extravagant dinner once a week with a baked potato stuffed with cheese, chili, broccoli or chicken. Check out the potato menu at Jason's Deli or another local deli for ideas for this filling cheap meal.