How to have a good meal on a tight budget this festive season

So the season to indulge is finally here again, but it goes without saying that Christmas season unlike the others before has come a very tight time.

Most families resources have been strained, that coupled with keeping our children fed everyday because  the lock down meant that they keep at home.

Many have had to learn to cut back on expenses by about a half of what they would normally spend in their homes.

And Christmas is going to need those lessons too. If you want to start saving money on food, start by planning your meals for the next few days or week ahead.

It takes a bit of time, but it will help you save money later.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Make a menu. Decide which recipes you will make for lunch and dinner and make a list of the items that you will need from the grocery store. When you have a plan, you will be less likely to spend money on fast food or convenience meal.
• Plan your meals around foods that are on sale. Check store flyers, newspaper inserts and coupon sites online. You may be surprised at the good buys available. Just be sure to buy and plan for foods that you will actually use so that they don’t go to waste.  Also, our markets are literally littered with fresh produce especially on Saturdays and Fridays.
• Plan at least one meatless meal a week. Legumes (beans, lentils, dried peas), eggs , gnut sauce which offer great tasting protein at a good price.
• Enjoy grains more often. Grains such as rice, pasta, barley and couscous are inexpensive and can be used in many different recipes.
• Avoid recipes that need a special ingredient. Some recipes call for a special ingredient that you may not have. How much does that ingredient cost? Does it come in a small or big package? Can you use it in other recipes before it goes bad? It may not be worth the money to buy an ingredient if you are only going to use it once. Leave the ingredient out or try the recipe with an ingredient that you already have at home. It’s fun to experiment while cooking and you may surprise yourself with the finished dish.
• Look for seasonal recipes. Vegetables and fruit are cheaper when they’re in season.  Plan to use leftovers. Think about how you can use leftovers. If you’re cooking roast chicken with rice and vegetables for Sunday night’s supper, then make chicken sandwiches for Monday’s lunch. On Tuesday, use the bones to make a chicken soup and toss in any leftover vegetables and rice.
• Make extras. Don’t let a big bunch of carrots or celery go to waste. Use it all up by making an extra big pot of soup. If ground beef is on sale, make two batches of lasagna instead of one. Serve one batch for dinner, and freeze the other batch in meal-sized portions for another time.
• Know what your family likes to eat. Encourage your family to share their favourites and help with menu planning. That way you can look for favourite ingredients and foods when they go on sale.

Hope this helps make the season easier and merrier.