Budget family meal plan

Cooking for a family can be a real drain on the family finances, especially with the rising costs of food. But don’t despair! One of the best ways you can help the family budget is to meal plan using recipes that are economical, filling and nutritious. Here’s a meal plan that has been designed with a family budget in mind.

To make the most out of this meal plan, read tips and tricks for using the budget meal plan.

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Sat	Save money and get ready for the week by making Bacon and egg muffins – instead of buying the fast food version. Tip: Make extra and freeze enough for two breakfasts.	Poach some chicken to: Make Chicken soup for lunches; For tonight’s salad; And for sandwiches during the week.	Use the poached chicken you made earlier today to get this budget and family-friendly Curried chicken salad on the table fast.	Cook up a batch of these economical Anzac biscuits to fill the bikkie barrel and save on lunch box treats during the week.
Sun	Sunday’s late rising calls for big thick Banana pancakes with maple syrup. Tip: Make double the batter and thin it out to make Pikelets for the week’s snacks.	Use some of that freshly poached chicken from yesterday and make these tasty Chicken sandwich points for lunches.	Have an easy dinner tonight and enjoy leftover Chicken soup from yesterday with these Bacon, cheese and avocado melts.	Make the most of the time you have today and bake this Everyday chocolate cake for the week. Tip: Soak the porridge tonight for tomorrow’s Bircher muesli.
Mon	Bircher muesli is cheap to make with just oats and fruit with juice and makes a lovely brekky to enjoy during the week.	This super-economical 2 minute noodle Savoury mince dish will sit very comfortably within your family budget and makes a tasty lunch.	Lamb and chickpea balls with Lebanese bread, Hummus and Tabouleh salad makes a cheap and healthy dinner.Tip: Make extra Tabouleh for lunches and Hummus for snacks.	Serve either the pikelets you made on Sunday (simply defrost in the microwave before popping into lunch boxes) or Saturday’s Anzac biscuits.
Tue	Serve either the Bacon and egg muffins you made on Saturday or Monday’s Bircher muesli.	Use last nights leftover Lamb and chickpea balls to slide into pocket bread with some Hummus and Tabouleh salad.	Cook up a double batch of this Easy spaghetti bolognaise sauce – serve half with pasta tonight and save a portion of the rest for Thursday’s dinner and some for lunch tomorrow.	Enjoy either Hummus dip with crudites or Everyday chocolate cake.
Wed	Serve either the Bacon and egg muffins you made on Saturday or Monday’s Bircher muesli.	Enjoy last night’s leftover Easy spaghetti bolognaise sauce with pasta.	This tasty All-in chicken leg bake uses cheap drumsticks. Tip: Make extra and bake some pumpkin chunks for tomorrow’s lunch.	Everyday chocolate cake, Pikelets or Hummus dip with crudites or veggie sticks are great snacks.
Thu	Simple Homemade yoghurt can be made for about $1 a kg. Serve it with fresh fruit or a drizzle of honey and whole almonds.	Enjoy last night’s leftover chicken legs with Pumpkin and cous cous salad, using the extra pumpkin you roasted yesterday.	Create this chilli con carne dinner with the leftovers from the Easy spaghetti bolognaise sauce you made on Tuesday. Serve it with Guacamole and Salsa.	These savoury Potato and bacon muffins are tasty and a delicious addition to lunch boxes. Try Hummus dip with veggie sticks as an after-school snack.
Fri	Serve either the Bacon and egg muffins you made on Saturday or Monday’s Bircher muesli.	These simple Pizza pockets can be made with any deli bits and pieces that are left in the fridge.	Grab the best sausages you can afford and make your own homemade Bush chutney. Serve with a fresh simple salad.	Serve some leftover Guacamole from last night’s dinner with raw veggies. Or make these easy Potato and bacon muffins.