Check out these recipes for a bit of inspiration next time you need get a tasty, cheap family meal on the table.
Feeding a family can be tough. Between keeping everyone happy, making sure the meals are healthy and trying not to spend a fortune, putting great food on the table can feel like a real balancing act.
With plenty of families looking to save money, creating affordable meals can be an excellent way to make the weekly budget go a little further.
We hope these latest recipes bring you a little bit of inspiration next time you need to get a budget-friendly family meal on the table.
Searching for more helpful tips to help you plan your dinners? Check out our weekly meal planners.
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day - and if that's true, then it's important that every breakfast you serve the family ticks the boxes of both taste and nutrition!
If you're looking to introduce some budget friendly inspiration to your breakfast menu, look no further than these three great recipes that the whole family will love.
This homemade cocoa snap cereal is sweet enough that the kids will love it, only requires five simple ingredients and can be enjoyed for breakfast or as a middle-of-the-day snack.
Not only is making your own breakfast cereal a healthy option, but it’s also budget-friendly; we think it tastes better than the bought one! Create this tasty cereal with just coconut oil or butter, maple syrup or honey, cocoa powder, salt and rice snaps.
What better start to a chilly morning than a comforting bowl of porridge for breakfast. This recipe is delicious and one of the simplest breakfast meals you can prepare for the whole family. If you don’t have any fresh apples, substitute ¼ cup of diced canned apple slices! Double the recipe to make a massive batch that the whole family can eat.
This may not be the healthiest recipe on our list, but it's the perfect breakfast meal for a weekend treat. Serve it for a Saturday breakfast and then keep the leftovers for school lunches and afternoon teas for the week ahead! If you're worried about the loaf getting to the stale bread stage, just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds - it'll be as soft and gooey as it was fresh from the oven.
You can also freeze in portions for quick go-to baking, any time of the week. Simply defrost at room temperature and toast for a tasty way to impress guests.
For more great breakfast ideas, check out our Breakfast meals page.
When it comes to looking for budget recipes for lunch, it's easy to assume that the meals might end up being a bit boring.
Luckily, that's not the case! With minimal effort and some simple ingredients, it's easy to create some delicious and nutritious meals that are sure to become a firm family favourite.
Here are a few of our favourite budget friendly lunches.
Nothing is more comforting than a big bowl of soup, and this rustic autumn vegetable soup is the perfect seasonal transition! Nutritious, flavoursome and budget-friendly, this dish is the king of cold-weather recipes.
The best thing about this soup is that it uses all affordable seasonal veg ingredients. Carrots, leek, cabbage, canned cannellini beans and canned diced tomatoes are the core ingredients, along with garlic and mixed herbs.
The whole family will get a serving of veggies, while enjoying a tasty and hearty lunch. You can also add pasta, onion, potatoes or meat leftovers to mix it up.
Serve with plenty of crusty bread or with toasted sandwiches!
Here in New Zealand, we love a good toastie! It's one dish that we know will always be popular with the whole family.
Perhaps the best thing about making toasties for the family is that everyone can choose their own fillings. You can even just use whatever fillings are in your store cupboard. Toasties can easily be customised to your budget and tastes.
Some of our favourite family toastie fillings include cheese, mustard, tomatoes, ham, streaky bacon, tinned spaghetti, pineapple, chicken, beef, red pepper, onion, eggs and BBQ sauce. Serve it with a side of vegetable soup for one of the tastiest and healthiest lunch dishes around.
When we talk about budget friendly family lunch meals, cheese burgers may not be the first meal that comes to mind.
But believe it or not, this popular family recipe is very simple to make, delicious, and can be created using affordable ingredients. Burgers are also sure to be a hit with your kids!
Beef mince is one of the cheaper cuts of meat you can purchase, so this one pan meal can be easily made on a budget - especially if you wait for the special offers in your local New World and freeze the meat ahead of time. Create this recipe using your choice of seasonal veggies and spreads. We love lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, onion and cheddar cheese, with plenty of tomato sauce and mustard.
Looking for more meal inspiration? Check out our Tips to help you win in the kitchen.
Dinner is the main meal of the day for many Kiwi families, so it makes sense to look for recipes that will be loved by kids and adults alike.
The best dinner recipes include plenty of veggies, are relatively easy to prepare and will have leftovers that can feed the family the next day.
We've put together some of our favourite dinner ideas that meet these criteria and more!
There's nothing like a home-cooked pie straight from the oven. Pies are always a great meal to feed a family, and this budget-friendly recipe is loaded with vegetables, and simple to put together. It's a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables - they will be too busy scoffing the tasty meal to notice all the healthy colourful veg.
Frozen mixed vegetables, chicken breasts, carrots, chicken stock and frozen green beans make up the key ingredients of your pie mixture - all easily accessible and affordable. Leftovers can be portioned and frozen, or kept in the fridge for lunch or dinner the next day.
This slow cooker-friendly beef chilli is a great family recipe that takes minimum effort for maximum taste. This delicious, hearty meal is the also perfect recipe to prepare in advance, to set you up for an easy week ahead. It can even be put in the freezer, ready to be pulled out whenever you need a family friendly dinner in a hurry.
The key ingredients are beef mince, kidney beans, onion, garlic, Mexican seasoning and chopped tomatoes - making this the type of food you can put on the table without needing to spend too much. Serve with cheese, sour cream, rice, fresh coriander and chilli sauce for a delicious and affordable meal.
Looking for a simple dinner recipe that the kids will love? This easy ham, pea and parmesan risotto is a winning, budget-friendly dish that any cook will be able to pull off! The trick is in the creamy sauce, which infuses the rice with delicious cheese, garlic and butter.
This risotto can be used as a base for any protein and vegetable combination! Simply replace the frozen vegetables for roasted butternut squash or baby spinach, and swap the protein for bacon, diced chicken thighs, pork sausages or chorizo fan instant twist on this easy dinner. You can also create it as a side dish to accompany a roast for Sunday dinner - or just serve it on its own with some crusty bread.
When dreaming up budget meals for families, potatoes probably aren't the first thing that comes to mind. But who says that potatoes can't be the main dish? Whether your're looking to create a one pan main or a side dish, these butter garlic hasselback potatoes are guaranteed to be a hit at the family dinner table.
Serve your potatoes for dinner with roast chicken (we love this Herby roast chicken) or as a main with lashings of cheese, garlic and crunchy bacon. You could also add your other favourite seasonal roast veggies to the pan - like butternut squash, carrots, kumara and onion.
Looking for more of our latest recipes using fresh seasonal produce? Check out our Taste the Season guide.
Dinner's now out of the way - you've had your healthy meal of chicken breasts, pork sausages bacon potato salad, pasta or another family favourite. It's now time to indulge a little in a dessert meal!
We firmly believe that all families should eat a balanced diet. This means a good mixture of fresh healthy ingredients, but also the odd treat dish too.
We've put together a few of our favourite dessert recipes that can be served on a budget.
This delicious apple peach crumble uses a mixture of fresh apples and canned peaches - making it one of the most affordable recipes you can create!
Serve yours with a scoop of ice cream or butterscotch creamy sauce for an after dinner treat.
This one dish Swedish berry cake can be enjoyed warm or cold! Using just caster sugar, butter, an egg, flour and your choice of frozen berries, this is one of the most affordable and easy dessert recipes you'll ever find.
Serve with ice cream for a dessert the whole family will love.
Keen for some more baking inspiration? For delicious desserts and supper tips, check out our Dessert recipes.
Our Discover section is full of great food ideas to help you cook the ultimate dishes right at home in your kitchen!
