Food staples are extremely necessary on a tight budget. Discover savvy ways to keep your pantry nourished on a tight $100/week food budget. Explore essential, budget-friendly items that are both healthy and versatile for crafting delicious meals. Learn how to make the most of your grocery budget while prioritizing food to buy on a budget. Read on to master the art of frugal living without compromising on nutrition.
The Ideal Qualities of a Pantry Staple:
The staples in our pantry MUST BE food that is nourishing, healthful, cost-effective, and to create delicious meals.
- The food must be free from sugar, additives, preservatives and thickeners.
- It must be as close to it’s natural source as possible.
- It needs to be able to be used in multiple ways.
- The food needs to be delicious.
- And it needs to be the best possible price for that item.
With food prices ever-increasing, now is not the time to be frittering at the supermarket. The food we buy every week is carefully considered, and nothing goes into the trolley if it is not able to serve any of the above functions.
I need to be able to scrape together a meal at any time.
But just because we need it to be nourishing and cheap, does not mean we throw health out the window! Creating a healthy home ON A BUDGET is what we are all about here at Simply Home and Health, and I am here to show you that you can still be healthy on a $100/week Grocery Budget.
How to make a $100 Grocery Budget feed a family of 4.
Now that we have limited our grocery budget to $100/week, we are having to be very careful about the items we stock our pantry with. Each item is scrutinized carefully, because every dollar needs to be well-spent.
Having a budget of $100 is actually an empowering thing, because it means you have to think critically and clever. You cannot be mindless about your food choices. So you can be sure that whatever item does into the trolley, is nourishing, healthful, and cost-effective. For us, this means:
- lots of healthy grains and carbohydrates
- in season or frozen fruits and vegetables
- if we get protein, it is on special.
- no condiments, treats or sweets.
You can read this article here for more tips and tricks for sticking to this budget.
Everyone has their ingredients that work for them, that they know are cheap and will always be used or eaten. They may look different for you than for me, and that’s ok! Drop a comment below if your core ingredients look different to mine.
My specific food staples on a tight budget:
Carrots
Carrots are the cheapest vegetable you can get at the supermarket (without it being frozen). We buy carrots every week to get our daily 5+ in.
Raw carrots are a great snack. Or, chopped, fried or roasted, and can be used as a base ingredient in casseroles and curries. My boys love gnawing on them! We go through a whole 1.5 kg bag in a whole week (I eat most of them).
Milk
Because we eat a lot of Homemade Yoghurt, we get a LOT of milk. There never goes by a week without large quantities of the stuff going into our trolley. We buy 9 litres of milk, but most of that is turned into yoghurt.
As I explained in this article about the benefits of yoghurt, the nutrient-dense substance is one of the most effective ways we achieve health on a budget. By making it myself, I can get large quantities of this vitamin-rich superfood into my children, without breaking the bank, let alone going over budget.
Eggs
At the time of writing this, eggs are one of the cheapest versions of protein I can get. They are also an Egg-cellent source of protein (one of the best, I’m told). I love the comfort that I can always have a highly nourishing meal when I have an egg on hand! Plus, I love having cake after dinner, and eggs make the loveliest cakes.
I get either eggs or egg whites, depending what’s on special. And always free-range, because the amplified nutritional benefits justify the increased cost.
Tomato Passata
Tomato Passata is a very cost-effective base for a meal. The kind I get is pure tomatoes, with no chemical preservatives or sugar. I love to use this passata for dinners, because tomato-based sauces are just so much yummy-er.
Plus, the variety of cuisines you can achieve with tomatoes are endless: Indian curries, Italian bolognaise, Mexican tortillas…you name it. So it’s a highly valued member of the Pantry Staple Family!
Bananas
Bananas are the cheapest fruit we can get here in New Zealand at the time of writing.
My darling hubby HATES bananas. But interestingly, he LOVES banana flavoured baking. This is a strange conundrum that still puzzles me to this day. My son loves them, so he has one with his lunch every day. Bananas are a healthy and filling source of carbohydrates for him.
Frozen vegetables
Another food I buy every week on a tight budget, without fail, is frozen vegetables. Buying frozen is the cheapest form of any food, and frozen vegetables are no exception.
Excepting carrot, I buy all our vegetable sources frozen. That way, I can get a LOT of vegetables for a fraction of the price of their fresh counterparts. Buying frozen also reduces the risk of the vegetables going off. AND I can stock up when they are on special because I can safely store them in my freezer!
Why these foods are weekly staples:
All these foods are essential in this household for all our meals and snacks. I would be pretty stumped if we didn’t have any or either of these on hand. They are simple, low cost items, but I know that I can make a vast array of meals out of them.
When I buy carrots and bananas, I know that I have healthy, refined-sugar and preservative-free snacks on hand for my boys. I know that I have everything I need to make breakfasts, lunches and dinners, whatever they may be. And of course all these cheap ingredients help me to stay Healthy on a Budget – which is what I’m ALL about.
Conclusion:
Congratulations on embarking on this journey of frugal living and smart grocery choices! By curating a pantry filled with budget-friendly essentials, you’re not just saving dollars; you’re investing in your health and well-being. Remember, living on a $100/week food budget is not about restriction; it’s about making mindful and nourishing choices.
We’ve explored the art of selecting foods that are both economical and nutritious, demonstrating that budget-friendly items can lay the foundation for delicious and wholesome meals. Your comments are not just welcomed; they’re part of a community dedicated to thriving on a budget while embracing a healthy lifestyle.
Let’s continue this conversation about food to buy on a budget. Share your go-to budget-friendly ingredients or any tips you have for maintaining a nutritious pantry. Together, we’re shaping a resourceful and supportive community that proves living frugally can be both smart and satisfying. Here’s to your health, happiness, and savvy grocery shopping!
Steph x
