Savings are good when they significantly reduce family budget expenses without a sharp reduction in needs.

Of course, nutrition should be complete and balanced. But still, in most families this is the most significant item of expenditure. Therefore, let's try to learn how to save on parts of dinners and second courses. Several dinners a week, part of the second courses at lunch can be with the minimum amount meat or none at all. We will save money by “squeezing” meat dishes.

And it should not become a stick, adds Roman Vanek. Looking for dinner recipe ideas - wondering what to cook for dinner tonight? This question is probably asked by everyone who deals with this problem. Don't be sad that this food needs to be cooked every day, but the dishes can't be repeated too quickly because they get bored.

The whole disadvantage is that dinners must be prepared every day, and therefore often very often we are faced with the same dilemma every day. In a week when most of the day is taken up by us and other duties, we try to cook dishes that are not only very tasty, but also quick and easy to use. On the other hand, it's worth spending a little more time on Sunday to cook a more elaborate dinner once a week and might need a little more attention.

Seasonality also affects the cost of food. In the fall, and even from your own garden, vegetables will cost literally a penny. And in winter they sometimes cost more than meat.

Economical main courses with a minimum amount of meat

Dishes that are quick to prepare:

Naval macaroni. It is enough to boil small pasta until cooked, fry a piece of minced meat (about the size of a cutlet or a tablespoon with top) with a large head of onion, salt, pepper, add herbs. Then mix and heat everything together. Satisfying, tasty dish ready!

Pasta with eggs. The dish is economical due to a smaller amount chicken eggs than is usually spent on scrambled eggs. So, for example, for a family of five, it is enough to add three eggs to pasta, for three - one or two. It is better to choose small pasta: half a bagel, a cone, small feathers, etc. They mix more uniformly with the egg.

First, fry a large head of onion, break a few eggs into it, salt, add spices to taste. Then, without removing from heat, mix thoroughly. Until the chopped eggs with onions are completely fried. Add a portion of pasta, mix. If desired, fry pasta until crispy. It turns out very tasty, quick and easy!

Boiled vermicelli with sugar and grated cheese . Well, of course, you remember this dish of "Soviet" cooking. Sugar and grated cheese are added to hot boiled vermicelli. And then they savor the melting cheese. It is worth remembering this dish, it is very economical and unusual in taste.

Dishes in pots almost everyone loves it. But they do not necessarily need to put a large piece of meat. You can "dilute" it with fried onions and cheese.

Pancakes / fritters on kefir, thick ones are very economical, especially if we are faced with the task of “saving” unfinished kefir. Serve with homemade jam, sour cream, a piece of chocolate, honey - depending on what is available and more budget.

Pizza everyone loves and perfectly combines the products that are in the refrigerator. It will become much cheaper if you use frozen products (a cut off piece of cheese, sausage, ham, which was “stashed” upon purchase and removed without letting it “sweep” everything at once - it will wait in the wings in the freezer) and homemade preserves (sauces, ketchups , dressings, canned vegetables).

Dishes that take a long time to cook:

Homemade pies with yeast dough and economical filling: apples with sugar, with cabbage, with rice and eggs, with rice and a piece of minced meat, eggs, potatoes.

Casserole potato, pasta, vegetable - an economical dish that allows you to serve hackneyed food combinations in a new form. Inside the casserole we put sausages cut in half, a little minced meat, chicken with spices.

Baked vegetables with fish or chicken. In order to save money, we use seasonal vegetables as much as possible and purchase an inexpensive variety of fish or chicken.

Baked Mackerel in foil (in a conventional oven it will take about 2 hours to bake completely) or boiled mackerel (then we use broth for fish soup) will cost an acceptable amount. We serve any side dish with it.

Zucchini rings with onions and carrots - a tasty, but long-lasting dish. It is very economical.

Solyanka from cabbage. For delicious hodgepodge it takes time, because vegetables, onions and carrots need to be fried in separate pans.

Pies open and closed with cabbage, cabbage pizza - an affordable meal for dinner.

Fried eggplant - a delicious dish, especially sparingly in season.

Cottage cheese casserole - useful and economical by adding flour.

Dishes that can be prepared in advance in your free time:

These dishes are prepared in your spare time and stored in freezer. Then it remains only to reheat or boil, cut, season.

Spring rolls. We bake thin pancakes and prepare affordable stuffing for them:

  • from cottage cheese;
  • with rice, egg, fried onions;
  • cabbage and fried onions;
  • a small piece of minced meat, fried onions, eggs, rice;
  • boiled chicken with fried onion, egg.

Syrniki can be prepared ahead of time and frozen until X hour. As a result, we get a full dinner, which you just need to warm up. To save money, add a little more flour.

Vareniki with cottage cheese, potatoes and other economical fillings, you can also stick the whole family in your free time. This is very economical. We use them in moments of the strictest time pressure.

Pizza can be very fast, because it is perfectly stored in the freezer. For convenience, we make mini-pizzas and freeze them by wrapping them in cling film. Then you just need to warm it up. More economical pizza is obtained after major holidays, when the components for it remain from the lush table.

Many salads can be prepared in advance:

  • You can cook the day before herring under a fur coat - a very affordable salad.
  • Vegetables for olive oil and vinaigrette boil in advance, it remains to cut and season.
  • boiled grated beets with garlic - cooked instantly if the vegetable is boiled in advance. Drizzle with sour cream, serve with bread.
  • A budget option bean salad : add boiled grated eggs, fried onions and garlic, season with sour cream or mayonnaise - delicious and hearty meal. Beans need to be cooked ahead of time.

And what budgetary second courses do you cook?

Photo - photobank Lori