Health library

Nov. 13, 2025—It's cozy cooking season! As the days get shorter and the temps get cooler, try these strategies for making delicious—and affordable—meals.

Game planning

• Find recipes and plan weekly meals. Choose in-season produce and on-sale foods. If your grocery budget is tight and you rely on a food assistance program, a meal plan can help you choose items that supplement what you get each week.
• Not a meal planner? Try assigning a different type of meal to each day of the week to keep your grocery bill more consistent. Think Sunday Stew/Soup, Pasta Monday, Taco Tuesday (great for using up weekend leftovers) and so on.
• Buy in bulk. Choose nonperishable products like dried beans, rice, grains, and canned fish or meat. Freeze fresh meat in meal-ready portions.

Simple meals rock

Try three-ingredient dinners. Include a protein, vegetables and whole grains. Consider things like grilled lemon-thyme chicken or marinated baked fish with a side of veggies and rice or pasta.

Fill up on soups, stews and chilis. There's plenty of room to make a recipe your own, but you might start with these basics:

• Pick a protein. Stew meat and rotisserie chicken are great choices for protein. Or you can go meat-free.
• Add lots of veggies along with canned or cooked dry lentils, kidney beans, or pinto beans. Stretch it even further with noodles or rice.
• Add herbs and spices for flavor.
• Finally, throw leftover bones into water along with onion skins, carrot tops and celery ends to make a flavorful homemade stock for your next meal.

Construct a casserole. To feed the whole family, North Dakota State University's Extension program suggests combining these six types of ingredients in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or pan:

• A cooked starch, such as rice, pasta or potatoes.
• A protein. That could be beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, tuna, salmon or cooked beans.
• One or more fresh, frozen or canned vegetables.
• A sauce. You could use a can of creamy soup (such as cream of mushroom or cream of celery) or a can of diced tomatoes and its juice.
• One or more flavorings—onions, garlic, olives, salsa or dried herbs, for example.
• One or more toppings. Try adding grated dairy or nondairy cheese or buttered breadcrumbs in the last 10 minutes of baking.

Lovely leftovers. Cooking a bit extra—and planning how to use it—can help you save time and avoid waste. For example:

• Shred extra cooked chicken, then add it to green salads, hot or cold sandwiches, fajitas, soups, stews, and more.
• Spoon leftover chili over a microwaved "baked" potato and add other toppings like cheese, green onions and sour cream.

Want help with healthy shopping on a budget? Try our interactive infographic.

Sources

• AARP. "11 Ways to Eat Well at Home on a Budget." https://www.aarp.org/money/personal-finance/eating-on-a-budget/.
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Shop Healthy on a Budget." https://www.eatright.org/food/planning/food-security-and-sustainability/shop-healthy-on-a-budget.
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Six Creative Ways to Enjoy Beans." https://www.eatright.org/food/food-groups/protein-foods/six-creative-ways-to-enjoy-beans.
• American Academy of Pediatrics. "Feeding Your Family Right on a Budget: Tips to Plan & Shop Smart." https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/feeding-your-family-right-on-a-budget-how-to-plan-and-shop-smart.aspx.
• American Heart Association. "Healthy Foods Under $1 per Serving." https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/healthy-foods-under-$1-per-serving.
• HelpGuide. "Eating Well on a Budget." https://www.helpguide.org/wellness/nutrition/eat-healthy-for-less.
• National Council on Aging. "Your Guide to Eating Heart-Healthy on a Budget." https://www.ncoa.org/article/your-guide-to-eating-heart-healthy-on-a-budget/.
• North Dakota State University. "Pinchin' Pennie$ in the Kitchen: 7 Steps to Creating a Casserole." https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/pinchin-pennie-kitchen-7-steps-creating-casserole.
• University of Nebraska&endash;Lincoln. "How to Add Legumes to Stretch Your Meals." https://food.unl.edu/article/how-add-legumes-stretch-your-meals/.
• University of Nebraska&endash;Lincoln. "Making Leftovers Planned-Overs." https://food.unl.edu/article/healthy-bites/making-leftovers-planned-overs/.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Prepare Healthy Meals." https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/healthy-eating-budget/prepare-healthy-meals.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "Healthy and Low-Cost Eating Using Canned and Dry Foods." https://www.va.gov/illiana-health-care/stories/healthy-and-low-cost-eating-using-canned-and-dry-foods/.