8 Meal Ideas Less Than € 2 Per Person (Easy, Fast & Cheap).
Looking for budget-friendly, easy-to-make meal ideas?
It is true that food represents a big budget.
Especially when you have a large family!
Fortunately, we have selected for you 8 easy, quick and inexpensive meal ideas.
By cooking yourself, you save money, but in addition you are sure that there is no junk in your dishes!
With these healthy and nutritious dishes, you will draw for less than € 2 per person. Like what, we can feast without breaking the bank!
1. RICE, TUNA AND BEAN SALAD
Everyone loves rice salad. It is a balanced, healthy and quick dish.
This delicious salad is eaten fresh or at room temperature, as a starter or main course.
You don't even have to heat it up! Not only is it good, but you also save time!
In addition, if you make a large quantity, you can keep it for at least 4 days.
Super practical to feed the whole family! That's always a meal or two less to prepare!
And you can always bring leftovers to the office. That way, you still save money.
For a change, you can replace the rice with quinoa or pasta.
Ingredients
- rice (prefer brown rice)
- raw vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, celery, fennel, carrots ... depending on the season
- But
- tuna
- Red beans
- homemade dressing
How to do
1. Cook a generous amount of rice according to the directions on the package.
2. Drain it and wait for it to cool. You can run it under cold water if you are in a hurry.
3. Put the rice in a salad bowl.
4. Wash and cut the vegetables into small pieces.
5. Put them with the rice.
4. Add all the other ingredients.
5. Pour in the sauce and mix.
And it's ready! It's good, cheap and what's more, this recipe is foolproof.
If you've made too much rice for your salad, put it in the fridge. You will make an economic gratin of it.
And to be sure you're not eating any chemicals or preservatives, make your own salad dressing.
It is very easy and quick to do and it is much cheaper! Follow the recipe here.
To discover : 12 Salad Recipes To Stall Even the BIGGEST Hungry.
2. VEGETABLE SOUP
We don't necessarily think of making soups.
Yet it is easy to do and it does not cost much.
A little water and 30 minutes of your time and it's ready!
Worried that your soup is a little bland?
If you season it well and add a little cheese, croutons, a chicken stock cube or cream, you have a delicious complete dish.
And perfectly healthy and balanced!
Ingredients
- potatoes
- carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- tomatoes in summer or tomato paste in winter
- pumpkin or squash in winter, zucchini in summer
- 1 leek
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- beef or chicken bouillon cube (optional)
- pieces of ham, chicken, sausages, bacon of your choice (optional)
How to do
1. Peel all the vegetables, cut them into pieces and rinse them.
2. In a saucepan, brown the onion and add all the vegetables.
3. Pour water until it covers the vegetables.
4. Add the cube and the meat if you wish.
5. Boil the water then lower the heat.
6. Leave to cook, covered, for about 30 minutes.
7. Mix everything in a blender or with a hand blender.
All that's left to do is taste your homemade soup. It is an ideal dish for the winter!
If your soup is too thick, you can add more water.
You can put breadcrumbs or croutons in it to make it more consistent.
For a complete dish rich in vegetable protein, you can add lentils or chia seeds while cooking.
My grandmother used to add a little wine to it. But it's up to you!
To discover : Economical, My Onion Soup Recipe for Less than € 0.50 per Person.
3. POTATO OMELETTE
This recipe is very similar to the Spanish tortilla!
The potato omelet is a classic in canteens and brasseries.
It must be said that eggs have a lot of health benefits.
It is delicious, economical, full of protein and healthy. In addition, it is very consistent!
Some even eat it every day for breakfast.
With omelets, you can vary the pleasures by adding a few vegetables such as peppers or spices or fresh herbs (parsley, chives ...)
Preferably choose organic eggs or free range hens.
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 500 g potatoes
- 1 onion
- parsley, garlic, salt, pepper to taste
- oil
How to do
1. Peel the potatoes, wash them, cut them into thin and regular strips
2. Peel and slice the onion.
3. Put a little oil in a pan and brown the onions in it.
4. Add the potatoes and cook them for about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl and beat them.
6. Add the seasoning.
7. Pour the eggs over the potatoes.
8. Cook over very low heat.
Depending on your taste, serve the runny or well-cooked omelet.
Prepare a side salad with a house dressing.
You have a super economical full dish. I challenge you to find a cheaper meal!
To discover : 7 Chef's Tips For Making A Delicious Restaurant Omelette.
4. LENTIL SAUSAGES WITH CARROTS AND ONIONS
A simple, tasty and traditional dish that everyone will appreciate! And it is particularly economical.
In addition, it is so easy to do that it would be a shame to buy cans of bland lentils full of questionable products.
For the quantities, it's up to you. Me, I always do a lot, because I eat the leftover lentils the next day.
Bear in mind that the lentils swell during cooking.
Instead, take dry lentils because they are cheaper and cook in water in 45 minutes.
It's not like dry beans that you have to soak overnight.
Ingredients
- lenses
- carrots
- sausages
How to do
1. Pour a large amount of water into a saucepan.
2. Warm it up.
3. Add the lentils and cook them for about 35 to 45 minutes according to the instructions on the package.
4. Peel the carrots, wash them and cut them into slices.
5. Cook them in water for 15 to 20 minutes. You can put them with the lentils, halfway through cooking. This saves you time and energy.
6. Add a little salt or a teaspoon of baking soda.
7. Cook the sausages separately.
8. Drain the lentils and carrots.
9. Salt, pepper and mix.
10. Serve with sausages.
To make it even more economical, you don't even have to prepare sausages.
Lentils are already rich in vegetable protein.
Accompanied by carrots, it is a balanced and complete dish for three times nothing.
I also love adding spices: curry, cumin, turmeric, garlic, salt, mustard ... or aromatic herbs (parsley, coriander ...).
If you're really in a rush or tired, just open a box of lenses!
To discover : The Friendly and Affordable Recipe for Lentil Sausages.
5. CROQUE-MONSIEUR
It's my children's favorite dish!
And it's perfect for making a meal tray or when the buddies are coming home.
It's also the perfect dish when you're too tired to cook pasta!
In addition, if you add a small salad on the side, you have a balanced and quick meal.
Ingredients
- soft bread
- Ham
- butter
- grated emmental or old cheddar cheese
- egg (optional if you want to make a croque-madame)
How to do
1. Take two slices of bread.
2. On one of the slices, put butter, cheese and ham.
3. Cover with the other slice.
4. Add a little butter and grated cheese.
5. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes depending on whether you like it golden brown or not.
Prepared in the oven, it's super easy and quick to make.
But you can also cook it in a pan by following this recipe.
You can cook a fried egg and place it on your croque-monsieur to make a croque-madame.
In any case, you can serve it with a green salad or a few slices of tomatoes, for a complete and balanced dish.
If you have a sandwich maker, don't waste time cleaning it with this tip.
6. GRATIN DAUPHINOIS
It is a traditional dish of French cuisine that our grandmothers know well.
As its name suggests, this dish comes from Dauphiné.
There are only good, nutritious and inexpensive ingredients there.
This is why it is the family dish par excellence!
But you can also prepare it to receive guests because it goes very well with roast pork or roast chicken.
To vary the flavors a little without breaking your budget, you can add a little curry or cumin in the recipe.
Ingredients for 4 persons
- 2 kg of potatoes
- 200 g of grated cheese
- 50 cl of fresh cream
- salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg
How to do
1. Peel the potatoes and wash them.
2. Cut them into thin strips.
3. Put them in a gratin dish.
4. Season to taste.
5. Cover the potatoes with crème fraîche.
6. Add the grated cheese on top.
7. Put in the oven at 180 ° C for 1 hour.
Check doneness by sticking a knife into a potato.
If it is a little hard, extend the cooking time for 15 to 20 minutes.
When it's cooked, serve with meat, ham, eggs or with a salad.
This recipe is very easy to make.
You just have to be careful about choosing the right variety of potatoes for successful cooking.
Otherwise, they stay too hard or become too soft.
To save even more money, did you know that you can easily grow your potatoes at home? Find out how here.
7. YOGURT CAKE
Snacks bought in supermarkets are super expensive!
In addition, when we look at the composition, we get scared ...
Nothing beats a good homemade cake. Yogurt cake is a traditional recipe that is super easy to make.
Children love to get their hands dirty to prepare it.
It's easy because everything is measured with a pot of yogurt! No need to bother with complicated measurements and conversions.
Ingredients for 4 to 6 people
- 1 pot of yogurt
- 2 jars of sugar
- 3 jars of flour
- 1/2 jar of sunflower oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 sachet of vanilla sugar
- 1 sachet of baking powder
- butter
How to do
1. Butter a cake pan.
2. Place the yogurt, sugar, eggs, flour, oil and yeast in order in a bowl.
3. Mix well.
4. Pour the batter into the cake pan.
5. Put in the oven for 35 min at 200 ° C.
And now, it's ready ! Gourmets just have to feast.
You can also serve this cake for dessert.
To make it even easier to unmold, use a silicone mold.
Be careful, do not use baker's yeast for this recipe.
You can have plain or fruit yogurt.
Of course nothing prevents you from adding chocolate chips, bananas, raisins, jam, compote and whatever makes you want!
To discover : A Cheap and Delicious Recipe: Homemade Chocolate Cake.
8. FRUIT SALAD
What could be healthier and easier to make than a homemade fruit salad?
It's foolproof and ready in just 2 minutes.
Avoid ready-made fruit salads in boxes at all costs.
They are steeped in sugar and have no flavor.
Make it yourself with seasonal fruits.
If you buy organic fruit, you can keep the peel after cleansing it. It's full of vitamins!
Ingredients
- apples, pears, bananas, strawberries depending on the season
- dried fruits, nuts ...
- a dash of lemon juice
How to do
1. Peel or wash your fruit.
2. Cut them into small pieces.
3. Put them in a salad bowl.
4. Mix and add a lemon juice.
And now, it's ready. Serve chilled, it's even better.
You will get your fill of vitamins and fiber. Be careful, because the fruits are sweet too. So don't overdo it!
Additional advice
To help you save even more on the food budget, I have selected our 3 best articles for you:
- 21 Simple Tips To Save Money While Shopping.
- Save on Shopping with a Weekly Budget.
- 7 Tips To Eat Organic CHEAP.
Your turn...
Have you tried these easy and economical recipes? Do you know others? Tell us everything in the comments. We can't wait to hear from you!
Do you like this trick ? Share it with your friends on Facebook.
Also to discover:
A Friendly Recipe Truly inexpensive, the Tartiflette.
The 11 Best Recipes For A Nice And Cheap Aperitif.
