Today I want to share my fall back dinner menu plan. This was born out of necessity when we went on food stamps a few times. Making that money last for a family of four was hard. After that struggle - there have been times when we need to cut the food budget, as it is the second highest cost for us.
I have shared this over the years and thought maybe someone here might find it helpful.
Why dinner? That is our largest meal of the day and costs the most plus if kids in school they might get free breakfast/lunch when you are on SNAP.
Monday - canned beans or other veggie on the side and plain simple pasta! add it yourself jar sauce or oil/ parm cheese in the shaker/ garlic powder. We found folks would use a lot less sauce when adding themselves and a jar can last weeks. Yes boxed mac and cheese was fine too. Oh - cutup fresh fruit was often eaten too. We would cook more than needed and save leftovers.
Tuesday - Large salad with a side of crackers and cheese. Two types of salad dressing to choose from. croutons/nuts/craisin/cheese toppings were a treat. Would cutup the veggies so folks do it yourself. Heavy dose of the lettuce. Broccoli good to give protein. The crackers would be like a sleeve of the saltines and enough cutup cheese for one each cracker.
Wednesday - Breakfast for dinner. Sausage/bacon is a treat. Egg dish - small omelets if have cheese. plain oats you can put jelly or peanut butter on, or cinnamon and sugar. Toast. Fruit like apple or pear. Sometimes yogurt.
Thursday - We would have a meat with veggie. Mostly Stirfry chicken, rice, and (maybe left over )veggie from salad night OR beef skillet with canned veggie, rice / pasta and bbq sauce or other flavoring. Casseroles good too. Canned meats could work.
Friday - Frozen Pizza. Always got the ones on sale and enough for left overs.
Saturday - Leftovers if not we would do like sandwiches.
Sunday - Soup or chilli with crackers. Stretch canned soup with more stock, rice/plain pasta. Stretch chili with tomato sauce/ canned tomatoes and beans. Freeze left overs!
February 25, 2022 at 11:44PM
