Low Cost Meals That Taste Fresh

Make sure to stock your pantry with staples like eggs and canned fish for lean protein sources; plant-based proteins like beans and lentils; whole grain products like brown rice and quinoa for protein needs; as well as seasonal produce to lower costs further.

Studies show that foods preserved by canning and freezing tend to have similar nutritional values to fresh produce; however, be sure to choose options with lower salt and sugar contents.

Meats

Fresh fruits and vegetables have a shorter shelf life than canned or frozen food, making it easy to go overboard at the grocery store and end up with moldy berries, limp cucumbers and rotting tomatoes when you arrive home. To prevent this scenario from occurring, stick with a list of staples you know you can use in the next two days; stockpile canned beef (look for “pot roast”) cans for pot roast, spaghetti sauce in cans for pasta making, cheap spiced stir fry oil for meat stir frying plus eggs for protein and iron!

Beans

Beans are an integral component of vegan and vegetarian diets, packed with proteins, fiber, iron and amino acids which play an essential role in maintaining and repairing tissues within our bodies.

Vegetables and legumes are often confused, yet botanical experts define vegetables as any edible part of a plant while legumes refer to a subgroup that encompasses beans, peas and lentils that produces seeds in pods.

Beans are among the most frequently eaten crops, including soybeans (S. echinatus), black-eyed peas (Vitis vinifera) and green garbanzo beans (Cicer arietinum). You may also come across canned great northern beans or pinto beans. Other popular options are lima, kidney and black beans.

Vegetables

Vegetables are low-cal and packed full of essential minerals and vitamins. Consuming a wide range of vegetables throughout the year is key for maintaining a healthy diet, and may help lower cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and obesity risk.

Fresh produce offers many healthful advantages, but canned and frozen fruits and vegetables can still provide valuable nutrition. Both offer long shelf lives to reduce food waste as well as convenient meal solutions. To cut back on sodium intake look for no-salt-added canned products. To maximize nutrient levels select vegetables canned in water, their own juice, or light syrup rather than sauces, and drain and rinse before use to further decrease sodium intake.

Breads

There are many recipes online that call for baking breads and cakes in glass canning jars before sealing them to preserve. Unfortunately, this practice should be avoided as low-acid foods can harbor Clostridium botulinum bacteria that produce toxin that causes botulism poisoning.

Make desserts and sandwiches using canned bread instead. Or create a variation of bread pudding made with plain or raisin canned bread, topping it off with your favorite ice cream for a satisfying treat!

Canned rye bread makes an excellent alternative to the Swedish-style kavring served during midsommer, Easter and Christmas meals. The dense bread pairs well with pickled herring, lox or gravlax (cured salmon), making for an easy lunchtime staple when spread with butter or other spreads and served alongside slices of banana.

Biscuits

Canned biscuits may taste flat, but air frying them can give them more of a fresh-baked feel and rise more like freshly baked. While traditional ovens need preheating time before starting work on them, an air fryer is ready to go as soon as you place your biscuit dough into its basket.

These canned biscuits can be used as the foundation for egg sandwiches, sides with casseroles or even dessert topped with macerated strawberries. But their true value lies in savory dishes like garlic parmesan knots or monkey bread.

Create delicious monkey bread by rolling a can of frozen biscuit dough into 12 ball-shaped donuts, adding olive oil and herbs and cheese (such as parmesan, oregano, and parsley) before baking until golden-brown.