How-To: Store It, Use It and Save
Seven ways to stretch meals and money
How can you turn one meal into two or three, without spending extra time or money?
Try building some of these tips into your plans.
Tip 1
Choose foods that last
Foods that keep well:
- Apples
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Oranges
- Sweet potatoes
- Pears
- Hard squashes
- Brussels sprouts
You have some time to finish these before they go bad, so feel good about spending on those!
Big Idea! Use fresh foods first, starting with the most ripe or delicate.
Make it at home with our Roasted Vegetables recipe!
Tip 2
Make double or triple
Cook big batches when you have time. Freeze what you don’t eat in meal-sized containers for days when you’re in a time crunch.
This is a great idea for:
- Casseroles
- Curries
- Soups
- Stews
- Pasta sauces
- Dumplings
- Empanadas
Big idea! Delicious meals don’t have to be hard. A simpler menu often costs less and will be easier to make.
Make it at home with our Macaroni Chickpea Soup recipe!
Tip 3
Think meatless
Try a few meals centered around black or kidney beans, black-eyed peas, or lentils.
Some inexpensive, filling, delicious main dishes with lots of protein and fiber:
- Black bean burgers
- Lentil casserole
- Chickpea soup
- Kidney bean and sweet potato chili
- Black-eyed peas and greens
Big Idea! Meatless Mondays can be a fun way to start a money-saving habit.
Make it at home with our Black Bean Burgers recipe!
Tip 4
Add fruits, vegetables and grains
Stretch meals by mixing in less-expensive ingredients. Think about what you can pick from the left-hand column to mix into the meals on the right.
| Mix | Into |
|---|---|
| Brown rice | Soup |
| Oats | Stews |
| Noodles | Casseroles |
| Quinoa | Salads |
| Potatoes | Meatballs |
| Frozen veggies | Meatloaf |
| Mushrooms | Tacos |
No matter what you’re eating, add potatoes, sliced apples, brown rice or whole wheat bread as a simple, filling side dish. After you finish this How-To, try others for tips on great choices.
Big idea! Look for ways to add in-season produce when it’s tastiest and least expensive.
Make it at home with our Personalized Pasta Salad recipe!
Tip 5
Bulk up ground meat
We already mentioned adding oats or rice to meatballs and meatloaf. But you can also add beans and legumes to any dish that uses ground meat or poultry.
Try adding:
- Cooked lentils to meatloaf or burgers
- Rinsed canned kidney or black beans to chili
- Canned white beans to ground turkey for stuffed peppers
- Cooked lentils or dried peas to spaghetti sauce
- Beans or legumes to shepherd’s pie
Big idea! Try one cup of beans or lentils for every pound of ground meat.
Make it at home with our Tamale Pie recipe!
Tip 6
Use your freezer
When you can, buy in bulk and divide foods into individual servings or prepare ingredients to use later.
Wrapping things well for the freezer will help prevent freezer burn:
- Wrap tightly with foil, heavy plastic bags or freezer paper—and label with the name and date!
- Freeze meat or poultry in the supermarket packaging if you will be eating it within a month or two—otherwise, overwrap with another layer.
- Food that has freezer burn is safe to eat—it may just be more dried out.
Big idea! Try to squeeze out any air from a bag before freezing to help things last longer.
Make it at home with our Veggie Quiche Muffins recipe!
Tip 7
Try new pantry or sale foods
If you see a vegetable you don’t recognize or a product you haven’t tried before, ask one of the workers for tips on how to use it.
You could also check in with a neighbor or try searching the item name. It may be similar to things you already know how to prepare. Still not sure? See if you can add it to a mix-and-match skillet, pasta or casserole recipe.
Big idea! Make a game of trying a new food each week. You may find something you love.Make it at home with our Mix and Match Skillet recipe!
Excited about stretching your budget?
Who wouldn’t be? Think about trying some of these ideas this week.
Ready to set a goal for yourself?
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