Budget Meal Planning Recipes

Budget meal planning is the best way to cut down your grocery bill as there will be no more impulsive buying. Meal planning on a budget helps you to economize the money, time, and eat healthier as you will buy only the food you need. For monthly meal planning on a budget, decide how much money you have and divide it into four halves as per the amount of money you can spend each week on the food products. While purchasing, only buy the food that you need for the coming week. Use the food that you have on hand, don't let any food go waste, and use the leftovers for meals during the week. For healthy meal planning on a budget, here are some budget meal planning recipes and tips.

Low Budget Meal Planning Tips
Tips for meal plan on a budget are as follows:

• Before going for shopping, always make a shopping list, and then while purchasing, stick to it. Prefer buying apples, oranges, potatoes, onions, etc., by the bag, rather than by the piece, as it is comparatively cheaper and covers more meals.
• Always buy food items that are seasonal, for best taste, nutrients and price.
• Purchase cereals and grains without any expensive or decorative packing, and store in airtight containers.
• Ready-to-cook meats like marinated boneless, skinless chicken are more costly. Hence, buy plain meat and skin/season on your own.
• Try collecting clip coupons from the newspapers, magazines, or the Internet, for the food products that you buy frequently.
• Soups, stews, chili, and spaghetti with sauce will further increase your grocery bill. Hence, try making filling meals with more veggies, potatoes or rice and less meat.

Sausage & White Bean Soup
Ingredients

• 1½ pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage, in the casing
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and in medium dice
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto ham, minced
• 2 medium celery stalks, in medium dice
• 2 medium onions, in medium dice
• 3 (15.8 ounce) cans great Northern or other white beans, undrained
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 quart chicken broth (carton or can)

Directions

In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat and add sausages. Cook until browned on all sides for nearly 5 minutes. Remove from the pan, allow it to cool and cut into slices of ¼ inch thick. Add prosciutto, onions, carrots, celery and thyme to the pan and cook till well-browned for 8 to 10 minutes. In a bowl, mash the beans into a chunky puree. Add the broth, mashed beans and sausages to the pan and bring it to simmer. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 18 - 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry
Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 tsp olive oil, divided
• 2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Hot cooked rice
• 1 tbsp cold water
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Directions

In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil, stir-fry chicken and garlic in it. Add the honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper to it and cook until the chicken is lightly browned. Transfer the chicken mixture to a another bowl, and in the same skillet stir-fry the vegetables for 4 - 5 minutes. Return chicken mixture to the skillet; mix well. Combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth, and stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil, stir for 1 minute and serve over cooked rice.

Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients

• 1 cup sour milk or yogurt or buttermilk
• 1¼ cups flour
• 1 cup dry oatmeal
• ½ cup brown or white sugar
• ½ tsp each baking soda & salt
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ⅓ cup oil

Directions

In a bowl, combine the oatmeal and buttermilk or sour milk and keep it for some time. Add the egg, sugar, oil to it and beat well with a wire whisk. Now put the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in it and mix well. Spoon the batter in to oiled muffin cups and bake at 400° F for 20 - 22 minutes. Serve hot.

Cooking such simple budget meal planning recipes at home will have a profound impact on your budget. By preparing such recipes at home and following the meal planning budget, you will surely save hundreds of dollars per month.