6 Frugal Foods That Can Stretch Your Meals and Not Your Wallet

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Buying groceries to prepare nutritious and tasty meals can be tricky if you’re sticking to a tight budget. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t frugal foods that are both wallet-friendly and packed with nutritional value.

Oatmeal, beans, pasta and rice aren’t just filling, but they’re also packed with essential nutrients. Additionally, potatoes and frozen veggies can add volume and vitamins to your diet. 

Here are foods to buy that will stretch your meals without straining your bank account.

Oats

Although oatmeal can serve as a wonderful breakfast or as the main ingredient in countless baked goods, it can also do so much more.

Combine oats, beans, rice, chopped veggies and a few seasonings to make veggie burgers. Or if you’re not into meatless meals, you can add oats to ground beef when making meatloaf. For more ideas, the Quaker Oats website has over 400 recipes using oats that you can check out. There are about 30 servings of oats in a 42-ounce container of Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oats, which you can pick up for $6 or less.

Pasta 

Pasta is a great way to stretch a meal on a budget. A standard box of spaghetti, which you can pick up for a couple of dollars or so, can feed four to six people. Add some ground meat or sausage, sauce and cheese and you’ll have a filling main course. Or load up penne pasta with sauce and cheese and cook in the oven to make a tasty pasta bake.

If you’re concerned about too much starch and fat and not enough veggies, look for pasta enriched with vegetables, such as spinach. Whole grain pasta is also an option and is higher in fiber and minerals than enriched pasta.

Beans

Beans are a powerhouse of protein at a low price, which make meatless meals a reality. Opt for black beans, pinto beans, lentils or chickpeas, which all offer different possibilities.

Kroger offers a wealth of bean recipes, including chickpea gyros, slow cooker vegetarian white chili and bean and cheese taquitos. You can also make veggie burgers or combine the beans with meat to barbecue on a budget. Walmart has a variety of 15.5-ounce cans of beans — kidney, great northern, black, pinto and cannellini — for just $0.82 each. That’s 3.5 servings per can.

Rice 

Rice is super versatile when it comes to making meals. It can bulk up any dish and is very affordable. From stir-fries and soups to a variety of casseroles, rice can really help you stretch your meals instead of your wallet. 

Bags of rice come in a variety of options, including jasmine, white and whole grain. And if you want to make things really easy, invest in a rice cooker, which takes all of the guesswork out of the equation. 

Bonus: If you happen to have leftover rice, you can easily make fried rice the next day. All you need are some frozen Asian veggies, a couple of eggs and some soy sauce. 

Potatoes

Potatoes are another versatile food item that can help you make the most of your meals and budget. You can also buy them in bulk, which makes it nice if you’re feeding your family.

Although roasted, mashed or baked potatoes can serve as a filling side, there are many other ways to incorporate potatoes into your meal planning. Try savory potato pancakes or make a big pot of creamy potato soup with bacon crumbles, cheese and chives for toppings. You can also make a hashbrown casserole with ground beef and cheese or add chunks of potatoes to a hearty stew.

Frozen Veggies

You can boost your meal’s nutritional content without straining your wallet when you opt for frozen vegetables. By buying frozen you also won’t have to worry about wasting fresh veggies that might go bad before you can use them.

You can certainly serve frozen veggies as a nutritious side, but you can also add frozen veggies to a stew, soup or stir-fry to stretch portions. To save money when buying frozen veggies, opt for store brands or bulk bags, which are usually priced lower than name brands. 

The Takeaway

There you have it: six frugal foods that can stretch your meals and not your wallet. Stock up on these items — especially the shelf-stable ones — so you’ll have them on hand when you need them to make tasty, nutritious meals in a snap.

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