10 Cheap and Easy Ways To Stretch a Meal
Looking to slash your budget but not sure where to start? Have a ton of kids you need to feed? Help has arrived! Learn how to stretch a meal and save money!
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With just a few simple tricks, you can adjust your meals so they cost less and serve more. These tricks also offer some tips for using more of the foods you already have, which is also an excellent way to reduce your food costs.
1. Stretch a meal with rice.
It’s such a universal ingredient which makes it top of my list for foods that stretch a long way. Rice can be added to almost any dish, even dessert! It is also super cheap. It’s a no brainer when it comes to stretching your grocery budget.
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2. Stretch a meal with beans.
You can add beans to several dishes to make the dish more filling. Beans are also easy to hide in casseroles, or dishes that contain several ingredients.
Of course, they are also super cheap, especially if you buy them dry. *Beans are high in fiber which makes them extra filling! Purchasing more filling ingredients is a great place to start if you’re unsure how to stretch groceries.
Related: How to Start a Grocery Budget
3. Stretch a meal with potatoes.
Here’s another carb that can help you to stretch a meal farther. Potatoes are universal in that they can be served several different ways. You could probably serve potatoes nearly every day and never get tired of them because they can be served so differently each time.
Universal foods like potatoes that are compatible with all sorts of dishes are really helpful when trying to stretch a meal further. When learning how to stretch ingredients and make your meals last, potatoes or other universal ingredients are a great place to start!
4. Stretch a meal with pasta.
Yep, another carb option. But, if you’re short on meat, or vegetables, mixing one or both of those with a pasta is a quick and easy way to make the most of your grocery budget.
Related: How to Save Money on Groceries Without Coupons
5. Stretch a meal with bread.
Ok, so clearly there’s a theme here. Carbs are a great way to stretch your meals. Bread is no exception. Serving rolls, or something similar, especially homemade, is an excellent way to bulk up a meal.
Who doesn’t love homemade bread?
6. Make it a soup.
Not everything has to have a carb added to stretch further. You can take nearly anything, throw it together, add some broth or cream soup, and call it a meal. Leftover meat? Yep. Throw it in. Last night’s roasted vegetables, yep. Those, too.
Soup is one of my favorite ways to clean out the fridge. Broth based or cream based, it doesn’t matter. Just add a filler of your choice and watch your meal (and grocery budget) stretch farther. Use filling foods that stretch a long way like the beans listed above as a main component of your soup to stretch it even farther.
7. Make it a casserole.
Much like a soup, you can make a casserole out of just about anything. Add one of the carbs mentioned above and you’re guaranteed to stretch your meal.
Casseroles are another great way to use up leftover produce or meat. They’re also excellent for hiding vegetables that your kids may not typically want to eat. Spinach, I’m looking at you, here.
Related: How To Go Grocery Shopping Online and Save Money
8. Mix with eggs.
Eggs are another universal item that can be used to stretch a meal. Added to soups or casseroles, eggs are great way to change up a meal and make it last. They are filling and versatile, and usually budget friendly. Eggs make an excellent side dish that’s filling, too.
9. Compensate with filling sides.
Serving an expensive main course? Just don’t have an excess of the main course? Use the side dishes to fill up the plate, instead. Dish up less of the expensive course and more of the cheaper side dishes.
Fresh finger food vegetables are one of my favorite side dishes to bulk up a meal. Broccoli, baby carrots, and/or cauliflower are all really easy to serve and filling, as well.
10. Extra vegetables, please.
Bouncing off the point above, vegetables are a cheaper, yet filling option to add to a main dish. Serve vegetables as a side at meal times and watch the main course stretch. *Choose high fiber vegetables like, peas or broccoli to makes the dish even more filling.
Related: How to Meal Plan on a Budget
The theme seems to be carbohydrates to stretch a meal, but fiber is important, too. If you’re wanting to stretch your meals the healthy way, try opting for whole grains or choosing foods high in fiber. Each of those will be more filling and healthier options than refined carbs.
How do you stretch out a meal?
One last tip that my kids love: nuts. Using various nuts or even some trail mixes as a side or snack is a filling way to stretch your meals. Nuts are often not the cheapest option, but given their filling nature, I thought they deserved a mention. Try buying them in bulk to make them more budget friendly.
I hope these tips were helpful and showed you how to stretch groceries across more meals. Choose rib-sticking carbs and high fiber foods that stretch a long way to stretch your groceries further. Making the most of the foods you already have can greatly reduce your grocery bill. It may take some creativity, but you can do it!
Alisha
Alisha (she/her) is a mama of four, group B strep advocate, nonprofit Founder, multi-passionate CEO, and the brains behind Thriftin and Livin. // Alisha believes there is SO much more to motherhood than survival mode on repeat. She has decades of experience with frugal living, some by choice, others by force. Either way, girl knows how to help you save a buck. With over ten years of parenting under her belt, she knows a thing or two about raising babies, too. // At Thriftin and Livin, Alisha blends humor, sarcasm, and her wide range of life experiences to serve mamas from around the world. Her quick tips and helpful hacks will help you thrive in motherhood rather than simply survive. // Instagram|Facebook|Pinterest \\
14 Comments
Gabriela
I literally just made my lunch for work with 1 cup of rice and 1/4 cup of all kinds of veggies. I think I even have dinner ready now. ? it bulked up alot.
thriftinandlivin
Isn’t it amazing how much food 1 cup of rice produces? It took me a while to wrap my head around that minor detail and stop making enough rice to feed an army! 🙂 Rice is definitely a favorite for stretching meals! Thanks so much for reading!
Ashleigh Rivera
Making soup from leftover meats, especially during the holidays makes meal planning a no brainer and you literally use every piece of the meat to not waste any of it. Love this tip! I always forget to make soup, but it’s so true; this can definitely save you some money and time!
thriftinandlivin
Absolutely! You’re so right, the holidays leave us with some of the best leftovers! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Katie
I love to add beans to dishes! Not only does it stretch the meal but it tastes great. We like adding black beans to scrambled eggs and making breakfast burritos.
thriftinandlivin
Yes! Black beans are my favorite! My husband and kids are too big on any kind of bean, but I like to get creative with incorporating them in various recipes. Thanks for reading! 🙂
houndsofsilence
Whenever we have leftovers I usually turn it into a different meal the next day. I can’t stand being wasteful and this insures the leftovers get eaten up. These are some good tips for stretching a budget.
thriftinandlivin
I despise wasting food, too! Using up leftovers is a must at our house. 🙂 Thanks so much for reading!
hariandbooks
this is a great post for people like me living on a budget.
adding beans and rice is a really good way to stretch a meal and improve its taste.
thanks for sharing these fantastic tips.
thriftinandlivin
I completely agree! Glad it was helpful! Thanks for reading! 🙂
revitalizecw
I’m a college student, so saving money is essential for me, especially when it comes to groceries. This post is perfect, and I love adding rice to so many different recipes. It is incredibly cheap, and I should definitely add more beans. Thanks for sharing!
thriftinandlivin
So happy you found it helpful! Best of luck with your studies! 🙂
Ally
These are such great tips! Casseroles are such a great idea for left over meat! Thanks so much for sharing!
thriftinandlivin
Thanks so much for reading! Yes, casseroles are one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers. It’s so easy to combine a bunch of random meat and/or veggies together and turn it into a completely different meal! Soups are also a great way to use up leftovers!