Meal Ideas

Here are just a few ideas for of nutritious low-cost meals that you could try.

• Ideas for Breakfast

  It might be tempting to cut breakfast out of the day, this is not a good idea. Breakfast is a very important meal for everyone.

  Here are some low-cost healthy breakfast ideas to try;

  Eggs - soft boiled, scrambled or poached with toast

  Cereal and milk - something filling like Ready Brek, Weetabix or porridge. Supermarket brands are just as good!

  Fruit - Fresh, frozen or canned

  Toast - with a spread and/or butter

  Always carefully check the nutrition labels when choosing breakfast cereals and yogurts, as they can be full of hidden sugar.

  Visit the NHS Healthier Families  website which has plenty of low cost breakfast ideas and recipes to try.

• Ideas for Lunch

  Try to give children as many different meals as you can during the week. School will provide nutritious meals but here are a few ideas for lunches at home.

  • Baked beans on toast.
  • Humous and vegetable sticks with pitta bread.
  • Sandwich or wrap containing some protein such as; meat, cheese, egg, tuna fish, tofu, humous and salad or vegetables.
  • Soft boiled egg and bread.
  • Spaghetti bolognaise (meat or vegetarian).
  • Sausage and bean casserole.

  Try to avoid buying lots of luxuries like sweets, cakes, biscuits and fizzy drinks. This will help to make your budget stretch further and help your child have healthier teeth and be a healthy weight.

  Find out more lunch box ideas

• Ideas for Dinner

  Here are just a few ideas for of nutritious low-cost meals that you could serve.

  • Scrambled egg on toast.
  • Fish fingers with mashed potato and baked beans.
  • Pasta and tomato sauce perhaps with other vegetables, cheese or meat or tofu.
  • Vegetable curry and rice.
  • Baked potato with a filling like cheese, baked beans or tuna fish.
  • Sausages and mash with vegetables.
  • Chilli con carne and rice – minced meat or meat free.
  • Corned beef hash.
  • Cottage pie – with minced meat or meat free.
  • Salad e.g. pasta salad, rice salad, egg salad, ham salad, tuna salad.
  • Meatballs and pasta.

  Check out BBC Food for more ideas and recipes.