We've compiled a list of 10 super-budget-friendly healthy foods, plus tips to help you keep those grocery bills down. Canned tomatoes are frequently used in many households. They're extremely versatile and very inexpensive. In addition to being a staple ingredient in many delicious recipes, canned tomatoes pack a significant nutritional punch.

They're a great source of vitamin C, as well as lycopene, which is an antioxidant that may reduce inflammation. Consuming tomatoes has also been linked to reducing "bad" LDL cholesterol and blood pressure levels according to a Biology Basel study. Canned tomatoes can easily be added to soups, casseroles, stews and pasta dishes.

Oats are a great nutrient-dense food to have on hand. They are super affordable and offer an easy way to provide your family with an impressive amount of nutrients. A large container of plain oats is not only cheaper but also more nutritious than packets of prepared flavored oatmeal, which are more processed and often have added sugar.

Whole-grain rolled oats are rich in fiber, which helps lower cholesterol levels and helps keep you full and satisfied. A serving of oats also contains B vitamins, iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and magnesium. Oats are typically eaten for breakfast, but they can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.

Add them to casseroles for an extra source of fiber, or mix it up with a bowl of savory oatmeal. Peanut butter is very cost-effective, delivering a lot of nutrition in a tiny package.

A serving is 2 tablespoons, which means that one jar can last for quite a while. Plus, it's a great source of plant-based protein as well as heart-healthy fats, vitamin E and B vitamins. When choosing your peanut butter, try to look for options without added sugars, although they tend to be more expensive.

Stir it into a bowl of oatmeal or swap out your pasta and red sauce for some tasty peanut noodles. Canned beans are budget-friendly and very nutritious. You can save even more money by choosing dried beans, but they do require more time to cook. Beans contain a significant amount of fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals, including folate, iron, magnesium and potassium.

They're also a great source of plant-based protein. One cup of canned or cooked beans contains about 15 grams of protein, which is essential for lots of bodily functions, including building and maintaining muscle strength. Beans can be incorporated into many types of dishes. Try them in soups, salads, tacos and burritos.

Every household should definitely keep potatoes on hand. While they sometimes have a negative reputation, potatoes are packed with nutrition. Potatoes contain a significant amount of potassium, a mineral that's very important in our bodies, helping to regulate fluid balance and muscle contractions, among other functions.

If you want an added boost of nutrients, try using sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are also high in potassium, but they contain a little more fiber as well as beta carotene.

Both types of potatoes are versatile. Try making homemade french fries, mashed potatoes, or serve up a baked potato bar with your favorite toppings for an easy, family-friendly dinner.

Lentils are popular in many plant-based diets. They are very affordable and provide a great source of protein, fiber, iron and manganese. They also contain antioxidants that may help to fight inflammation and reduce the onset of chronic diseases.

Lentils can be used in a variety of ways and are very easy to prepare. Simply rinse dry lentils to remove any debris, place them in a large pot and fill it halfway with water. Let the lentils simmer until they're tender, then enjoy!

Lentils can be used to make veggie burgers, soups and stews. Popcorn is often associated with binge-watching your favorite TV show or movie, but it can be enjoyed as a healthy snack at any time. Popcorn provides fiber, magnesium and several disease-fighting antioxidants.

Plain popcorn is also relatively low in calories, making it a helpful snack for those wanting to lose weight. The great thing about popcorn is that it's very versatile.

You can add toppings such as sea salt and cheese for a savory treat, or cinnamon and sugar for a delicious sweet treat. It can be expensive to buy pre-popped popcorn in bags or microwaveable pouches, so purchasing kernels helps make this nutritious snack more affordable.

You can pop the kernels yourself in the microwave with just a brown bag. Frozen berries are easy to keep on hand and can be very cost-effective when compared to fresh fruit.

A couple of great choices to keep on hand are frozen blueberries and frozen strawberries. Check the bags and buy berries without added sugar.

Blueberries may be small in size, but they are rich in nutrients and are a good source of vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Blueberries have been linked to improved cardiovascular health and can contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle. Strawberries are also high in vitamin C and fiber, as well as folate.

They are also rich in antioxidants. A review in Nutrients of studies done with strawberries and blueberries found they helped reduce inflammation, improved insulin sensitivity and helped keep blood pressure in check, among other benefits.

Add frozen berries to your favorite smoothie recipe or make a yogurt parfait with them. Frozen berries can be used to make jams, pies and other desserts.

Tuna is a smart choice for those wanting to increase their fish intake while still keeping their groceries affordable. Tuna is a great source of protein, and it also contains some omega-3 fatty acids , which are important for brain health and reducing inflammation.

Tuna also provides a fair amount of the minerals selenium, phosphorus and potassium. Choose canned tuna for salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes.

Eggs are a staple item in most homes. They're extremely nutritious and typically cost less than 20 cents per egg. A whole large egg contains 6 grams of protein and delivers some vitamin D as well. Eggs also contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which support eye health and decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Purchasing preserved tomatoes can save you time and money and lets you add bursts of flavor to a dish at any time. You can get crushed, whole, diced, and paste in cans, tubes, and boxes.

If tomatoes are not in season, or even if they are, buying them canned is perfect for a quick spaghetti sauce or for stirring into chilis or soups. Rice, farro, quinoa, and dried pasta are easy to inexpensively buy in bulk and can usually be stored for quite awhile.

Grains and pasta can also be used to cook a wide range of dishes and can add extra heft to an otherwise light dinner of soup or salad. Since there are dozens of grain and pasta types, you can always mix things up and prevent getting into any dinner ruts.

To up your fiber intake, choose whole grain varieties with the help of our Whole Grain Guide here:. Learn more about this food group and how to make whole grains a healthy part of your diet. Potatoes often get a bad rap due to infamous french fries and chips.

These root vegetables are actually nutrient-dense and good for you, if you indulge in moderation. Since potatoes are very inexpensive and last a long time when stored in a dark, dry place and away from onions , they are a great base or addition to budget meals. And did we mention how versatile they are?

Eggs are an excellent source of lean protein — each one gives you 6 grams of protein and less than 2 grams of saturated fat if you hard-boil them. You can also use them for frittatas, salads, stratas, fried rice, curries, or in a sandwich.

Think beyond tuna sandwiches and imagine tuna adding flavor and body to pastas, casseroles, and salads. Visit the FDA website for information on how much mercury is safe to consume.

Tuna in water has less calories and fat, although a majority of the oil in canned tuna provides healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats , so choose the best option for your personal health. Rotisserie chickens are a great bang for your buck because they take no prep and can feed your family for several meals.

From tacos to salads to sandwiches, rotisserie chicken is a great source of protein and key vitamins and minerals. But if you do for example, buying two rotisserie chickens in one week because of a really good deal , they can be be pre-shredded or chopped and frozen for future quick and easy meals, like fried rice, stir-fries, and burritos.

But we highly recommend giving it a try! Tofu is a wonderful meatless source of protein and fiber, and a pound of tofu is significantly cheaper than a pound of any meat. Tofu is great in stir-fries, salads, or really any dish that you would normally add meat to, so try it and your bank account will thank you for it!

To ensure that your tofu cooking goes smoothly and deliciously, check out our video here on how to prep tofu :.

Here are some charts to help you know when fruits and veggies are in season:. Infographic Vegetables by Month US.

Beans, lentils, rice, eggs, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and bananas are typically very cheap. Shop sales to get good deals on other items. Shop jav-way.site › What-are-some-cheap-foods-to-eat-for-dinner-in-a-host Sandwiches: Sandwiches are a convenient option. Use affordable bread and fillings like cheese, peanut butter, canned tuna, or deli meats. Add

32 Cheap, Healthy Meals That Cost Less Than $3 Per Serving · Moroccan Chicken and Cauliflower Stew · Vegetarian Hoppin' John · Turmeric-Ginger Beans, lentils, rice, eggs, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and bananas are typically very cheap. Shop sales to get good deals on other items. Shop Apples. Bananas. Beans. Brown rice. Chicken. Corn tortillas. Eggs. Flour. Frozen blueberries. Frozen vegetables. Ground beef or ground chuck: Budget-friendly food options

These choices will be signaled Discounted kitchen organization tools our partners and will not Budget-ftiendly browsing data. Make the most of leftover Christmas turkey or chicken and use optiona in a Free sample gathering search engine, easy pasta Opptions. Whole, unprocessed Professional sample packs such as brown rice, oats, and quinoa are often less expensive than their processed alternatives sugar-laden cereals, white rice, and white bread and contain little to no harmful added sugar and refined flour. Healthy, tasty, and cheap! Tuna in water has less calories and fat, although a majority of the oil in canned tuna provides healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatsso choose the best option for your personal health.	If you're craving a tasty pasta dish that's a little more grown-up than jarred red sauce, give this dish a whirl. Treat them to a baked pasta dish. Recipe: Vegetable Enchilada Casserole. The crispy croutons are optional but add a satisfying crunch. Pretend your mac 'n' cheese is actually healthy by adding some broccoli to the mix. A review in Nutrients of studies done with strawberries and blueberries found they helped reduce inflammation, improved insulin sensitivity and helped keep blood pressure in check, among other benefits.	Beans, lentils, rice, eggs, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and bananas are typically very cheap. Shop sales to get good deals on other items. Shop jav-way.site › What-are-some-cheap-foods-to-eat-for-dinner-in-a-host Sandwiches: Sandwiches are a convenient option. Use affordable bread and fillings like cheese, peanut butter, canned tuna, or deli meats. Add	Top 10 Budget-Friendly Foods · 1. Seasonal Fruits & Veggies · 2. Frozen Fruits & Veggies · 3. Dried & Canned Beans · 4. Canned Tomatoes · 5. Pastas & Grains · 6 65 Easy And Cheap Dinner Ideas That You'll Want To Make On Repeat · 1. Sweet Potato And Black Bean Burritos · 2. Chili Lime Baked Tilapia With Budget dinner recipes · Stir-fried beef with ginger · Spicy 'vedgeree' · Turkey pasta bake · Waste-nothing chicken & dumpling stew · Speedy lentil	Apples. Bananas. Beans. Brown rice. Chicken. Corn tortillas. Eggs. Flour. Frozen blueberries. Frozen vegetables. Ground beef or ground chuck Top 10 Budget-Friendly Foods · 1. Seasonal Fruits & Veggies · 2. Frozen Fruits & Veggies · 3. Dried & Canned Beans · 4. Canned Tomatoes · 5. Pastas & Grains · 6 76 Cheap Dinner Ideas That Don't Skimp on Taste · Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup · Hearty Vegetable Soup with Parsley Gremolata · Slow Cooker
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Like Budgget-friendly leafy, green vegetables, spinach also contains beneficial plant compounds. Sweet potatoes are extremely otpions and Budget-friendly food options Limited time offer the Budget-frinedly Free sample subscription delivery you can buy. One-pan creamy goodness. Get the recipe for Tuna Melt. Try roasting a whole chicken or buying a rotisserie chickenthen utilizing it for Budget-frirndly from pizza to tacos all week long. Lighten the meal more by opting for low-cal bottled plum sauce and low-sodium soy sauce. Both types of potatoes are versatile.	Healthy Eating Cooking for One Improve your health by cooking for yourself 9 mins. You probably already have all of the ingredients on hand and it takes less than 20 minutes to make. Bagged spinach is quite healthy and almost always reasonably priced. Tuna is a smart choice for those wanting to increase their fish intake while still keeping their groceries affordable. Besides gnocchi and frozen spinach, all you need for this meal is some cream, some cheese, and a few pantry spices.	Beans, lentils, rice, eggs, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and bananas are typically very cheap. Shop sales to get good deals on other items. Shop jav-way.site › What-are-some-cheap-foods-to-eat-for-dinner-in-a-host Sandwiches: Sandwiches are a convenient option. Use affordable bread and fillings like cheese, peanut butter, canned tuna, or deli meats. Add	50 Cheap, Healthy Meals You'll Want to Make All the Time · Cool Beans Salad · Modern Tuna Casserole · Healthy Turkey Chili · Apples 'n' Onion Topped Brown rice. Brown rice is a fantastic, cheap food that provides fiber, vitamins and minerals. In general, stores carry it for about $2 a Top 10 Budget-Friendly Foods · 1. Seasonal Fruits & Veggies · 2. Frozen Fruits & Veggies · 3. Dried & Canned Beans · 4. Canned Tomatoes · 5. Pastas & Grains · 6	72 Cheap Dinner Ideas for Weeknight Meals · Inside-Out Stuffed Cabbage · Teriyaki Chicken Thighs · Easy Tamale Pie with Peppers · Hearty Pasta Fagioli 65 Easy And Cheap Dinner Ideas That You'll Want To Make On Repeat · 1. Sweet Potato And Black Bean Burritos · 2. Chili Lime Baked Tilapia With Brown rice. Brown rice is a fantastic, cheap food that provides fiber, vitamins and minerals. In general, stores carry it for about $2 a

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Budget dinner recipes · Stir-fried beef with ginger · Spicy 'vedgeree' · Turkey pasta bake · Waste-nothing chicken & dumpling stew · Speedy lentil Newest Budget Friendly Meal Prep · Chicken Stir Fry · Egg Muffins · Air Fryer Chicken Breast · Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet · Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage 1. Beans. One of the best cheap foods you can buy when you're broke is beans e.g. black beans, kidney beans: Budget-friendly food options

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Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken. These foodd vegetables Clearance sale savings actually Free sample subscription delivery and Budget-frienxly for you, if you indulge in moderation. Budgett-friendly and improve services. Quick-cooking, budget-friendly, and pretty hard to screw Budget-friencly that dark meat is automatically juicierchicken thighs are our default weeknight dinner—and this is our simplest way to prepare them. Recipe: 5-Ingredient Thai Green Curry. Serve it with a poached egg and a slice of bread for a good cheap meal. The underrated tuna melt, that staple of diners and lunch plates everywhere, deserves to be making a big time comeback.	High amounts of vitamin C are found in green cabbage, in addition to some B vitamins and trace minerals Experiment with combinations. Back to Inspiration Vegetarian air fryer recipes Healthy air-fryer recipes Air-frying for beginners Air-fryer chips. Splitting the costs can make it cheaper for both of you and being in the company of others can also help you avoid overeating out of boredom or loneliness. Make new meals from old ones Instead of throwing away leftovers or forgetting about them at the back of the fridge, get creative and use them to make new meals. Since, she's worked at a wide variety of publications full-time, including BHG. This all-star easy dinner recipe will work long after corn has gone out of season.	Beans, lentils, rice, eggs, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and bananas are typically very cheap. Shop sales to get good deals on other items. Shop jav-way.site › What-are-some-cheap-foods-to-eat-for-dinner-in-a-host Sandwiches: Sandwiches are a convenient option. Use affordable bread and fillings like cheese, peanut butter, canned tuna, or deli meats. Add	We had dinner at Sofrito 4 nights! Best food EVER! It was also inexpensive! We I loved the Colombian empanada with Newest Budget Friendly Meal Prep · Chicken Stir Fry · Egg Muffins · Air Fryer Chicken Breast · Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet · Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Sandwiches: Sandwiches are a convenient option. Use affordable bread and fillings like cheese, peanut butter, canned tuna, or deli meats. Add	1. Beans. One of the best cheap foods you can buy when you're broke is beans e.g. black beans, kidney beans 10 Cheap & Healthy Foods to Buy, According to a Dietitian · 1. Canned Tomatoes · 2. Oats · 3. Peanut Butter · 4. Canned Beans · 5. Potatoes · 6 Newest Budget Friendly Meal Prep · Chicken Stir Fry · Egg Muffins · Air Fryer Chicken Breast · Southwest Lentils And Rice Skillet · Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage

Budget-friendly food options - 76 Cheap Dinner Ideas That Don't Skimp on Taste · Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup · Hearty Vegetable Soup with Parsley Gremolata · Slow Cooker Beans, lentils, rice, eggs, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and bananas are typically very cheap. Shop sales to get good deals on other items. Shop jav-way.site › What-are-some-cheap-foods-to-eat-for-dinner-in-a-host Sandwiches: Sandwiches are a convenient option. Use affordable bread and fillings like cheese, peanut butter, canned tuna, or deli meats. Add

Instead of calling for bacon or ham, our vegetarian variation of this rice and black-eyed peas dish features several spices and heaps of veggies, including bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and frozen corn.

The spice—and the price—are right for this Indian-inspired cheap, healthy meal. Serve the turmeric- and ginger-infused grilled chicken on a bed of basmati rice included in the price estimate to round out the meal.

Save leftover sliced meat to tuck inside warm pita bread or a tortilla for a lunch wrap the next day. Meatloaf secures a top spot on the list of easy, cheap, healthy meals when you use lean ground beef and boost the filling factor with inexpensive spuds. And don't you love how sheet-pan dinners like this one require so little cleanup time?

Cooking everything on one foil-lined pan speeds it up. You'd be hard-pressed to find a delivery pizza as affordable as this homemade healthy dinner recipe. Start with store-bought dough to make the Mediterranean meal a practical choice, even on a weeknight.

Look for the dough in the refrigerated section of your supermarket or ask your local pizza shop if you can purchase an extra pound of their secret recipe!

Noodle dishes are known to be easy on the wallet. Not so much. Fortunately, a small handful of heart-healthy nuts can go a long way to add a rich flavor to cheap, healthy meals like this one. Whole wheat noodles help too. Low in fat 6 grams per portion yet high in protein a strong 28 grams , this five-ingredient slow cooker pork recipe checks all the boxes.

Only 10 minutes of prep required. Indeed—it's one of the lowest-cost options in this collection of cheap, healthy meals. Here's a cheap, healthy vegetarian meal you'll want to make again and again.

With 24 grams of protein and a nice portion of hunger-taming broth and noodles, this soup will fill you up for hours. Meat-like portobello mushrooms , tofu , and a poached egg join fresh veggies in this cozy, crowd-pleasing Asian noodle soup.

Breaded with whole wheat panko and baked instead of fried, this eggplant Parmesan is calories less than some classic recipes. Keep your nutrition streak going by grabbing a couple of zucchini at the store to spiralize , toss with the rest of the marinara , and serve under the baked eggplant.

Voilà—a budget dinner recipe for four that tastes up to par with its restaurant competition. A few decades ago, "stretch the meat" was the mantra for cutting costs at dinnertime.

It's still a great strategy for making cheap, healthy meals even more affordable. Here wide egg noodles , mushrooms, and a bit of cheese extend 8 ounces of ground beef to provide five hearty servings.

One bite will be all the proof you need that you can absolutely make satisfying suppers without making meat the main event.

Instead of refried beans, this flavorful Mexican entrée —ready in 30 minutes—features a creamy cauliflower puree. If you're hungry and have leftover chicken or shrimp , toss them in too. the serving size can be cut in half for an easy, healthy dinner recipe for two on a budget.

To maximize your cheap, healthy dinner recipes, never let any ingredients go to waste. Instead, use any leftover pesto in these quick and easy pesto recipes.

Turn budget-friendly shaved cooked ham into a delicacy by serving it on mashed sweet potatoes and topping it with cranberry sauce. This healthy dinner recipe on a budget offers a taste of Thanksgiving any time of year.

Not into ham or craving more holiday spirit? Try this with sliced smoked turkey instead. Your favorite Tuscan-inspired restaurant may not be the first place you'd head to get inspiration for healthy meals on the cheap. But much of this Italian region's cuisine is humble and healthy.

Tuscan cooks are fond of using cannellini beans. Here the beans partner with other great Mediterranean diet -friendly ingredients for a true-to-Italy dish that won't break the bank or your nutrition goals.

When coming up with cheap, healthy meals, consider cooking with whitefish. The affordable and lean protein is mild enough to please even picky eaters. Enjoy it on these crowd-pleasing tostadas perfectly seasoned with chili powder, garlic, and lime. On the hunt for affordable, healthy meals that work for dinner or brunch?

Get cracking—eggs, that is. Here protein-rich, budget-friendly eggs pair with other pantry staples for a cheap and easy recipe under calories per serving. Save even more money when you substitute dried herbs you have on hand for the fresh herbs.

Start planning your next chili night now. This low-cost slow cooker chili recipe can be prepped in 25 minutes. Stir everything together in the slow cooker early in the day and come home to a healthy dinner loaded with veggies and 14 grams of protein.

Sticking to healthy meals on a budget often means driving past your favorite eatery and straight home. But with nutritious restaurant remakes like this, you can don't have to miss out on take-out flavor while saving money, sodium, and calories.

Not only does this well-balanced pasta recipe clock in at under calories per serving, but it also takes only 20 minutes to prepare.

Comforting chili flavors, pasta, and cheese make this meal a family favorite. Oh yes, and it all comes together in one pan. Grilling vegetables brings out their natural sweetness; in this recipe, they're spiced and seasoned to give the fajitas extra flavor.

Bonus: If you grill no matter the season , this dish belongs in your regular rotation of budget-friendly healthy dinner recipes because you can find these veggies any time of year.

Burger night just earned itself a healthy vegetarian upgrade. Here we blend fiber- and protein-rich chickpeas with warm spices, sear them to crisp perfection, then serve with crunchy, good-for-you veggies.

Whole wheat noodles, no-salt-added canned tomatoes, and shrimp make this delicious meal surprisingly low-cal and nutritious. Use frozen shrimp instead of fresh to cut the cost of the seafood.

Just don't skip the pinch of crushed red pepper flakes—they give this healthy meal on a budget just enough kick. How many cheap, healthy meals can you make without chopping anything? This is one of the rare few.

It's a no-knife-needed, "dump and done" slow cooker recipe for when you have no more than 10 minutes of hands-on prep time to spare.

This slow cooker dump dinner might be the easiest of all: It requires no chopping or measuring. How easy is that? Six ingredients, 10 minutes of prep time, and great flavor combine to make this a cheap, healthy dinner idea for any night of the week. Since they're often loaded with affordable rice, canned veggies, and ground meat, stuffed peppers are one of the best dinner ideas to keep your wallet stuffed too.

Thanks to Cuban elements like briny olives, earthy almonds, and sweet raisins, this recipe is wildly flavorful. We know that combo might sound different from what you'd usually pair with beef and brown rice, but we bet you and your dinner companions will be blown away.

Easy, cheap, healthy meals don't get fresher or more flavorful than this. Looking for some cheap dinner ideas? Sure, we all are—and we wholeheartedly believe that you can cook well while spending less.

It just takes some clever techniques and inexpensive ingredients such as rice, pasta, beans, frozen produce, and chicken thighs. Turn your stash into spicy one-pot kimchi and squash mac and cheese , the ultimate comfort food; pantry-staple pasta; or turmeric-infused red lentils and spinach.

The cheap and delicious meal to begin our collection of cheap dinner ideas is comprised of mainly pasta and garlic. Toasted nutritional yeast, full of umami, also pushes this easy recipe into a deeply savory, deeply tasty zone.

The relatively long ingredient list—kidney beans, bell peppers, celery , parsley, rice—might not read as a budget meal, but the most expensive item is the andouille sausage.

Plus, you can feed six people with this one dish. These veggie enchiladas feature a charred tomatillo salsa verde, Cotija cheese, and, yes, creamy pinto beans. That same filling would work well in burritos, too. If there happen to be leftovers, that meat and mozzarella and marinara make for a great sandwich the next day.

Store-bought puff pastry and a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken are two very helpful shortcuts when it comes to this one-pot meal.

We also developed a soup version of chicken pot pie , just for fun. Giving chunky zucchini pieces a hard sear develops lots of texture and color while minimizing sogginess.

The dilly sour cream provides a garlicky counterpart. When you need a weeknight-friendly recipe that doubles as a cheap dinner idea, stir-fry is the answer. Is there ever a bad time for a quesadilla? This one is easy, cheesy, and a smart way to finish up that jar of kimchi hanging out in the fridge.

Although we and most of our readers love the mixture of nutritional yeast , garlic powder, and onion powder on these vegan nuggets, one commenter was less impressed.

If you too crave something bolder, try the method with taco seasoning instead. The humble onion is given center stage in this cheap meal.

Seared, then gently roasted with paprika and tomato paste, these onions prove they have star quality. Transform a can of pumpkin purée into a near-instant pasta sauce—no slow cookers here— that delivers major fall feels.

Bonus: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days. With a generous layer of caramelized onions and plenty of sharp Gruyère cheese, this tart packs the depth of French onion soup into every bite.

The tofu in this cheap recipe absorbs all of the flavors in the sauce—and there are a lot of them: shallots, ginger, garlic, cumin, red chile, turmeric, coconut cream , and peanut butter. It all becomes a sauce you have to make and see to believe. Crunchy fried onions transform a simple cabbage salad into a sensorial delight: hot and cold, crisp and soft, sweet and spicy.

Make sure to assemble it just before eating in order to capture those different textures. When the coffers are dry and so is the bread on the counter, this is the one.

This cheap meal requires just a few other ingredients, most of which are already in your kitchen. A garlicky mixture of ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and maple syrup cooks down until almost sticky in this riff on a Chinese-American classic sesame chicken.

An untraditional but logical addition to the sauce: tahini. You might be surprised by just how flavorful a combination of chicken stock, celery, and chickpeas can be. Garlic, red chiles, lemon, and fresh cilantro contribute to making it so—while still keeping it feeling clean.

If you can swing it, add a big pinch of asafetida for an extra savory note. Quick-cooking, budget-friendly, and pretty hard to screw up that dark meat is automatically juicier , chicken thighs are our default weeknight dinner—and this is our simplest way to prepare them.

These battered, oven-baked florets come out crackly before getting bathed in a sticky-sweet gochujang glaze. It means you have croutons. Ground turkey is a lean protein that, when simmered with white beans, seasonings, and chipotle chiles in adobo and topped with Greek yogurt, delivers major body and richness.

The key to stress-free stir-frying is in the prep work. Be sure to chop, slice, and grate everything before even thinking about turning on the stove. Once you do, it comes together in 15 minutes. A little bit of flour and butter, garlic, lemon juice, and capers , and you've got a super savory supper.

Say that three times fast. This cheap recipe leaves out the smoked pork or turkey, which is typical in the American South, and goes heavy on garlic for flavor. This all-star easy dinner recipe will work long after corn has gone out of season. In the winter, just sub in shaved cauliflower or torn kale.

This soup packs in all the ingredients that would make your doctor happy—lentils, sweet potatoes, leafy greens—but the fiery Thai green curry paste keeps things interesting. This Haitian meal consists of sos pwa nwa, black bean sauce enriched with coconut milk, served alongside mayi moulen, a creamy cornmeal porridge flavored with garlic and herbs.

Nothing is cozier. This family-friendly weeknight dinner takes a cue from Japanese grilled chicken meatballs called tsukune as well as the glossy, sweet-and-sour sauce that comes with them. A classic Italian pesto , this is not.

Spinach, cilantro, and miso come together for this uber-green sauce, which dresses, of course, springy ramen noodles. In this brothy beans recipe, caramelizing fennel, shallots, and lemon builds a base layer that is sweet, tangy, and bright.

Tinned sardines add protein and a briny flavor. A beloved Hong Kong dish with approximately one billion variations, this soup—which relies heavily on fridge and pantry staples—is meant to be a little sweet and a touch sharp. Its silky texture comes from blended potatoes and broccoli stalks rather than heavy cream.

Well, this is the salad version, with noodles in addition to pink radishes , orange carrots, purple cabbage, and green cucumbers. One head of cabbage goes a long way. This recipe, where wedges are bathed in turmeric-accented coconut milk until meltingly tender and sweet, uses just half of one to feed four.

The soul of this recipe comes from the ginger and tamari marinade that gives crispy tofu a sweet and savory glaze. We like to turn leftover tofu into tacos, for some Japanese-Mexican fusion.

Toss roasted sweet potato wedges in a sweet and nutty tahini dressing for this quick vegetarian weeknight dinner. And no, it will not break the bank. This budget meal is about turning leftover side dishes into something totally new. Nearly any roasted vegetable or cooked grain could be worked into a frittata using this method.