Mums Advice

General advice from parent to parent

Our Stories

Healthy family meals on a budget!

Mealtime doesn’t have to be stressful or difficult.  It doesn’t have to cost a fortune or take hours to prepare.  We have listed 20 healthy yet delicious meals that can be enjoyed by the whole family!

 

Breakfast for dinner!  Everyone knows a cooked breakfast is a great way to start the day, but why not enjoy this for dinner occasionally too?  Grilled bacon, beans, an egg with tomato and mushrooms or any of your families favourite breakfast item!

 

The slow cooker is your friend!  It’s so simple to prepare a yummy chilli in the morning, then just leave it on all day to fill your home with those amazing dinner sense!  Mince meat, kidney beans, and a chilli sauce as spicy as you like it.  So cheap and easy!

 

Jacket potatoes!   The humble jacket is more than just a side dish!  Let this bargain beauty be the start of the show, fill it with beans and serve with a basic salad.  It’s good any time of the year!

 

Spaghetti and meatballs!  This meal it’s great to get the kids involved with if you want to make your own meatballs!  Just get some cheap mince, maybe an onion and any Italian seasoning you enjoy, form into balls then lightly fry off and cook in a yummy tomato sauce and served with spaghetti!

 

A classic roast!  Typically served on a Sunday this meal doesn’t have to cost a fortune.  Get a small chicken which should easily feed a family of 4, or if you have a bigger family just pad out the dinner with some extra veggies, choose some nice colourful ones to make it look like a really full plate of delicious food!

 

Pizza!  Who doesn’t have pizza?  Crazy People that’s who!  You can DIY this yummy fake away and the kids will really enjoy picking their own toppings and making it themselves.  The base is a simple wrap.  Just pop it under the grill for a few minutes and da-tah dinner is served!

 

Pulled pork is an American classic which is making a big appearance in the UK now too!  Just buy yourself a cheap cut of pork and pop it in the slow cooker, you can find some nice barbecue sauce recipes online.  Leave the pork in the slow cooker for as long as you like then serve in rolls with any sides you like.  You should have plenty of leftovers which are tasty in a jacket potato the next day or sandwiches for the kids lunch boxes!

 

Big Mac in a Bowl!  Ok this might sound weird but hear me out!  This diet friendly meal is so simple and really tasty!  Just simply fry off some mince with any season you’d usually use in a burger and serve on top of a bowl filled with salad, serve with chips.  You could either make your own burger sauce using Mayo and ketchup!

Shepherd’s pie or cottage pie!  This is a family favourite can go along way!  You can pad it out with as many veggies as you want, using your preference of mince meat; beef, lamb, pork, turkey or chicken it doesn’t matter! Do it however you like it and then smoother yummy homemade mashed potatoes!

Homemade soup!  This easy meal can be made on such a tight budget and is a little bit different every time!  Use any veg that you have in the fridge or get with ever cheap veggies you like, boil them up, add some stock and blend!   Serve with bread, rolls or chippies or dipping!  A perfect winter warmer.

Noodles!  This might be the quickest meal you could possibly make! Just cook some noodles and add peppers and come cooked left other ham or chicken!  Easy peasy!

Chilli con carne!  This is again so simple.  Just fry some mince, add loads of veg and beans, an easy tomato based chilli sauce and serve with rice!

Carbonara but not as you know it!  This one does look a lot of a mess but trust me it’s really good.  Just cook some pasta, add chopped ham and any vegetables you like; onions, mushrooms, peppers that sort of thing then the strange part… add a tub of quark mixed in with one beaten egg.  Try at least once, I promise it will be become a family favourite!

Beans on toast!  Such a great example of classic English food!  You could make your beans on toast a little bit more exciting by popping some of your favourite veggies on top, maybe scatter some cheese too!  Do it how you like it and it can be a meal!

Slow-cooked beef stew!  It’s not winter without a stew and it can be so easy and cheap!  This is something you can really make how you like it.  Add whichever veggies you enjoy the most, make a basic beef broth and then just leave it!  The slow cooker will work its magic and you’ll have a delicious meal to look forward to.  Serve with  potatoes, rice, rolls or dumplings!

Omelette pizza!  Again this is one of those things that people think I’m crazy for but trust me it is nice!  Just make yourself a basic omelette then cover in tomato puree and add any toppings you like.  It is something that children can really get involved in too, decorating and making how they like it!

Homemade burger and chips!  Don’t always waste your money on a takeaway or fast food restaurant, making your own burgers can be much tastier and far healthier!  Just form the patties using beef mince and seasoning then make your own chips or wedges!  You’ll enjoy it so much more than any takeaway!

Fully loaded omelette and chips!  Eggs and potatoes are two of those things that you can make so many meals out of!  Fill your omelette with anything you like; ham, tomatoes, onions or cheese then serve with some healthy homemade chips!

Spag bol!  An Italian dish we Brits have claimed for our own!  Everyone has their own way of making spaghetti bolognese, while I prefer to make my own sauce, there is no judgement in a jar sauce  of course!  Add in some mushrooms, onions, peppers, celery and carrots to really pad it out with loads of yummy veg, some of my friends even had a tin of baked beans to the mixed too!

Ham, egg and chips!   This can be such an easy and cheap meal, make your own chips, open and tin of beans, fry an egg and pop some ham on the plate!  Job done!

 

What do you think of our list of family meals?  Is there anything listed that you’d like to try?  Can you think of any other classic meals you enjoying your house? 

Let us know in the comments. 

 

Leave a Reply