But seriously, it gets frugal dining choices cgoices. Sweet potatoes are extremely healthy and one of the cheapest vegetables you can buy. I have never been sick while eating rice…. Totally agree.

Frugal dining choices -

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates. com : 4 Frugal Hacks To Eat Gourmet Meals on a Budget. markets closed.

Dow 30 38, Nasdaq 15, Russell 2, Crude Oil Gold 2, Silver And for those who like eggs I sure do , an omelet filled with tomatoes, bell pepper, chives, cheese, ham, what have you, is a super easy meal. You can keep chopped bell peppers or ham and shredded cheese in the freezer, can rehydrate dried tomatoes, and keep chives growing in the house ours live year round outside in Florida so that the fillings are always handy.

Kids and dining out make for a circus, and not the fun kind usually. When we do eat out, we almost always pack lunches for the kids.

Th chance of kids not eating what we buy is high, so this way we can just repack it and take it home for their next meal. Plus, they like carrying their own lunchbox. I live by myself so a huge caveat that yes it is easier for me, no partner, no kids.

First, a bit of context: I learned a way of eating that works for me over twenty years ago. Dr Atkins yes, the Dr Atkins was my physician and I embraced low carb, which naturally progressed into what has come to be called paleo and at times ketogenic.

I am 62, work out HIIT four times a week and take no medicine for anything. So it works for me. For one, it eliminates the need for snacks, the need for which is an invention of the industrial food companies.

So forget snacks. Unless you are emaciated you have literally tens of thousands of calories of stored energy. As a child, the idea of a snack was anathema.

In my case, most days I eat in a hour window. So fewer meals, less need to prepare, fewer opportunities to stray….. you all get the idea. Again, if you eat times a day PLEASE look into why this is a bad idea.

Save time, eat more healthfully, eat less often. I eat 2 meals between 10am and 6pm and have lost 20 lb in 2 months. It is resetting my insulin levels and I am rarely hungry.

Yes, I was about to comment about intermittent fasting, too! My household is also vegan and not only does that limit our restaurant options, but it also lowers our grocery bill! These are great suggestions! Smoothies are also very handy in a pinch-my freezer is always stocked with berries and spinach.

My tip is to have the proper spices on hand to make your favorite foods. My husband and I love Indian and sushi. The dishes seem so complex in the restaurant, but in all actuality, as long as you have the right flavors going, a lot of it is stupid simple.

You can make bland budget food like rice and beans a million times more interesting by adding different spices. smoked paprika is my favorite seasoning! It adds depth to anything. It is hilarious to hear a two year old try to say paprika. First of all, I love you Frugalwoods!

Adequate sleep! Nor the night after. And the vicious cycle begins. Well there is a lot to love about it! Funny how the perception changes when the food is probably similar. First, I still remember how my food was absolutely enticing when I was cooking it. Remember the positives …… Ultimately, any qualms I have dissipate under the contentment and joy that I feel about my ability to live like this.

Saving up for my dreams, eating satisfying food without hurting my finances — what CAN get better than that? Wow, this is an impressive list of suggestions. It really takes the pressure off during the week to not have to worry about where meals are coming from and totally removes the temptation to go out and spend extra.

One hack not mentioned here- the Instant Pot! I got one as a gift from a friend full disclosure- did not buy it on my own , and its fantastic. I can cook beans in 40 minutes and rice in I use the beans and liquid to make homemade hummus.

Food can be amazing. I love to eat a really really good meal. But food can also be simple fuel for the rest of your life. So veggies, hummus, soup, pasta….. I agree with Anna, homecooking is much quicker, we ordered home delivery couple of weeks ago, by the time it arrived I thought I should have cooked something quickly up myself and I thought about it more when I realised how we had to pay.

Sometimes we even just have cereals for dinner, especially in summer — light, quick, cheap. I eat the same thing for breakfast every day, the same thing for lunch at work and then I have a weekly rotation of meals e. week 1 is this combo, week 2 a different combo, etc.

So much easier to grocery shop and keep food waste low once you find the right meal combos. Although not technically vegan, I prefer not to eat meat or dairy and that means very few options when eating out. I do a massive cook session every Sunday, and it generally lasts my household of two until Friday night.

Then Saturday we cook up a special meal, or we visit family where we all eat a special meal together. Then back to cooking again Sundays. For example, shredded chicken in the crockpot can be used on top of salad one night, in tacos the next, and with a quick pasta the night after.

The pre-shredded and washed veggies go in the salad, some of it for the tacos, and some of it for the pasta. Plain rice one night can become an egg-based fried rice a couple days later a proper fried rice tastes best with 2nd or 3rd day rice!

Pasta one night can become a casserole or pasta bake the next. Sweet potatoes can become sweet potato mash which can then be mixed with flour and made into sweet potato muffins. I find pre-washed veggies, ground or shredded meat, and a plain carb which herbs and spices can be added to later, according to whichever dish you are morphing it in to are the most versatile, and making a completely new meal every night with them takes less than 15 mins!

I on Sundays I will carmelize a bunch of peppers and onions, saute spinach, chop veggies, roast some veggies, etc. As you say, that way you have prepared a bunch of things that can be mixed and matched. I highly recommend roasting a bunch of root veg, etc.

especially in cooler weather. They are great sides and salad toppers, plus mashed together they make a great hash with poached eggs.

Having kids and then looking at your budget solved it for us. We used to eat out all the time nice places as well as casual. Every so often I can see my wife pining for the fact that she only has eaten at a handful of the top restaurants in the area. Then I point to the kids and remind her that they are reason we had to give it up because daycare is insanely expensive here, about 17k per child for a mid-level daycare.

It may not be the healthiest, but when you are close to ordering takeout, it is a lifesaver in convenience. I also crockpot basically everything now in the summer.

Chicken legs in the crockpot on low 8 hours are so much better than baked in the oven for two. Lastly, I just saw this woman on a PBS cooking show this past weekend who did a cookbook on Taiwanese food that had me interested—Cathy Erway—who also has a blog dedicated to eating-in in NYC!

We do a lot of the things already mentioned. It shows — while my partner is still limited to the same three basic meals he could cook in college, I have managed to master increasingly flavorful and complex meals, so our quality of eating at home can be pretty high. So, part of my plans include one-or-more nights a week where my partner cooks dinner.

He made overcooked spaghetti last night, and you know, I really appreciated it. Secondly, and less thriftily, we look for the best deals in our town for eating out. I love the big batch cooking idea and have been doing it for a while.

One thing I did recently to help even more: I bought a big multipack box of glass containers with lids. This makes for an easy, stackable system I can use to freeze food in, and it actually spurred me on to make more big batch freezer meals.

Previously I had been using a hotch potch of old yoghurt tubs and ziplocs the quality of which seems to be deteriorating over the years — planned obsolescence?! You invite one or two friends to come over. They are looking after their kids and yours while you cook up a huge batch of food.

At the end of the playdate you split the food so you each get dinner for that night plus they get 1 or 2 freezer meals to take home.

Next time, someone else cooks. LOVE the idea of a cooking club! Yes, this is a great idea! We used to do something similar in graduate school. I need to start that again. Great ideas! A well stocked store cupboard with chopped tomatoes, rice, pasta, lentils as well as stock, gravy mixes and herbs and spices galore.

We also have a second chest freezer where I stock meals like lentil shepherds pie or chilli and have portioned out meals to grab at any time. This evening will be a lentil casserole made ahead of time with rice and there will be plenty of leftovers.

Lunch tomorrow will be soup made in my slow cooker weeks ago and frozen , with snacks of bananas, nuts and seeds and a piece of lemon cake that is currently in the oven! Now, I can cook far better meals than anything we could get in a restaurant in about half the time.

If you get bored, the lack of enthusiasm shows up in your meals. Cook what interests you. Cook what makes you drool on the keyboard. Cook what you have a passion for. The rest of it will take care of itself. Oh, and I prep all our breakfasts for the work week — for two people, ten pots of oats, soy milk and frozen fruit.

Once you add in apps, drinks, etc, those meals add up! We can bring it home and enjoy our own drinks for free. We recently found ourselves stranded waiting for an Apple store repair 3 hours but free luckily!

We never order take out to the house though and always keep a stock of frozen pizzas. We pick a theme and then assign sides or dessert.

Homemade pizza, Asian food one of my favorites , tacos, chicken parm, or grilling are all easy and delicious! The restaurants are super casual but the food is amazing! Also helps that we are not big drinkers at all, as beer and wine can definitely up the prices of going out.

I told my husband I always want to live near a college town because they always have such good and diverse cheap eats nearby! The person who teaches them also does free sessions at Whole Foods for Indian cooking!

So many great ideas! Learn to make versions of what you like for take out. Sometimes I just get hungry for something specific. Also being willing to have a few junky not so healthy homemade meals a month, like fried chicken or really gooey enchiladas goes a long way to making teens ok and me too happy with frugal meals.

Totally agree. I used to love going to Chipotle for bowls. I located a copycat recipe for their barbacoa beef and never looked back. I make a big batch in the crockpot and freeze in meal-size portions. So true! We recently found a recipe for a healthy, low fat and delicious turkish kebap.

I now make it every two weeks. Keeps the kebap cravings, the waistline and money in check. Same goes with burgers, Indian food and burritos 🙂. It does not have to be a chore. Plus there is something the whole family will be proud of in preparing and enjoying a meal together.

Campylobacter from the local Chinese takeaway about ten years ago. Cured FOREVER from wanting a quick takeaway supper. Pizza dough from the bread maker, or rice cooked with frozen veg in the microwave, or a quick Spanish omelette with whatever is in the fridge, or lentil soup- ready in 20 minutes, are my quick and easy standby meals.

I try to replicate our favorite restaurant meals at home. And since my husband is more inclined to dining out that I am, I talk him into eating at home more by telling him that I want to practice my cooking skills. Routine and laziness. When I worked in the office I went to the onsite gym everyday during lunch.

By the time I finished the cafeteria was closed, so buying lunch was never an option. As others have said, it makes going out a treat. Mandalay and I go out to eat once a week, but we make it breakfast or lunch.

A lot of places have lower prices for those meals, but the quantity is the same and often leave enough leftovers to have for another meal at home. I enjoy cooking and, like others, try to get dishes that would be a pain to replicate at home.

Our meals are pretty simple—a piece of grilled or roasted meat with a steamed vegetable or salad, sandwiches, that sort of thing. My favorite quick meal consists of two over-easy eggs on top of a steamed vegetable—the runny yolks make an excellent sauce!

I live where there are no restaurants, and I work where there are only a couple. Having very limited options makes it very easy to bring my lunch from home and to eat breakfast and supper at the house….

Eating out is generally not a problem for me. The Frugel Nation is a fantastic brain trust…most everything I do has been covered but I would like to add a couple items that have not been covered:. We saw how much we were spending and eating out came to a screeching halt.

The couple of times we have eaten out since then the food quality was so poor we have come to prefer our my.. I do all the cooking with the single exception of a family run restaurant. We still go very occasionally but the reason we were still going is for the sauce.

We 5 or 6 pints and can feed our family of 6 with other ingredients at home. Far cheaper than eating out. I keep all ends of celery, onions, garlic and carrots in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

I toss this in the crock pot over night with salt and peppercorns…makes the best veggie broth. I bulk produce sunflower butter and jam sandwiches our kids school bans peanut butter keep these in the freezer for quick snacks and kids lunch.

I pre-heat the thermos with water than fill it with heated homemade soup, spaghetti, lasagna, enchiladas, whatever leftovers we have. that adds up. As a full time worker and a graduate student, meals can be a struggle. So this article was rather timely for me.

Thanks for keeping it real! I work full time and am college my fiance and I have just started our meal prepping and it is so much easier then eating out. Try coming up with your week worth of meals,grocery list, and groceries all on sunday.. or a day you just have off.

it makes it so much easier and healthier! Unfortunately, due to a chronic illness I have no choice but to make all my meals from scratch. So I have learned that even with this, meal planning is a must.

Keep it simple. Nothing wrong with eggs and bacon for dinner. And one tip that has helped me is I only do groceries once a week and I buy my fruit and veggies. Double score!

My trick to not eating out? Nope, not kidding. I like cooking, but it is hard not to get into a rut. One kid is the sole vegetarian in our house. Lots of good tips! For us meal planning is key. With both my boyfriend and I working full-time it can be a hassle getting dinner cooked so we turn to the slow cooker A LOT.

Which is also good because it usually makes a big enough portion for dinner and lunches the next day. and some of their fresh bread and enjoy in my hotel room.

It costs more than if I were to make it all myself, but much less than eating out, and is satisfying. Just keep the leftovers in your minifridge!

pack a plate if you plan to do this so you can microwave as needed and can eat like a civilized person :. I take my lunch almost every day—use lly leftovers—but my partner eats out almost every day. I think it boils down to him wanting to get out of the office. I used to take walks during my lunch break and then eat from food from home at my desk when I returned.

This is probably THE simplest recipe The chicken falls apart and becomes immensely tender, flavored with the familiar flavors of chunky salsa and taco seasoning , and brightened up with bursts of lime juice.

Serve this over rice, in lettuce cups, as tacos Get the Crockpot Salsa Chicken recipe. Tostadas might just be the perfect meal—these crunchy corn tortillas are easy to buy or make! AND they can act as a vehicle for whatever toppings you like. Here, that means creamy refried beans and a chile-spiked shredded chicken topping, but feel free to get creative.

Get the Chicken Tostadas recipe. Use your favorite jarred or homemade salsa verde to make this extremely easy and flavorful dish. Everything cooks in the same pot for a mess-free and, most importantly, quick weeknight dinner.

It's about to be one of your new favorites. Juicy pork tenderloin seriously deserves its own spotlight. We keep the seasoning simple here: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder.

If you want another flavor profile, the world is your oyster: oregano and Italian seasoning, ranch seasoning, taco seasoning , or even just salt and black pepper will do. Get the Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin recipe. Is there anything better than a one-skillet meal?

It all comes together in just 40 minutes with minimal prep too! Get the Mexican Beef 'N Rice Skillet recipe. We love a classic lasagna , but it can be a lot of work. This easy skillet version instead tosses the cooked noodles in an oniony marinara sauce, dollops them with pesto , and tops them with ample slices of fresh mozzarella and a shower of grated Parmesan.

Get the Tricolore Skillet Lasagna recipe. Coated in crispy golden brown bread crumbs and drizzled with a luscious mushroom gravy, this vegetarian spin on a meaty classic will delight meat lovers and vegetarians alike.

Get the Cabbage Schnitzel recipe. If there's one thing we find magical about Instant Pots, it's how quickly and perfectly they cook chicken and rice. The rice is the perfect texture and the chicken is wildly tender.

Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. She loves anything vegan , foods masquerading as other foods hello, cauliflower , and a well-used Oxford comma. Tequila-Lime Chicken Thighs.

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