by Gail Kavanagh

Created on: February 10, 2008   Last Updated: November 11, 2008

Feeding a hungry family on a limited budget can be a daunting challenge - but it doesn't have to mean giving them less nutrition as well.

If being a busy and cash strapped cook is draining your energy coming up with cheap, creative meals, a few simple but effective ploys can make your family feel as if they are eating like Kings, even if you don't have a King's ransom to pay for it.

The main thing to avoid is having to resort to a kind of home version of fast food, involving cheap cuts of meat, tinned foods and convenience foods. While these will certainly fill you family up at meal times, too much reliance on them will take its toll on their health, and ultimately, on your budget.

Even the busiest cdomestic engineers have down days, such as public holidays and weekends, when you have the time and energy to prepare a meal with fresh foods. This is the time to get out your cookbooks and do something creative and nourishing.

One wise move is to invest in a freezer. Then you can buy good meat when it is available at low prices, and stock up on vegetables. If you lightly steam the vegetables until they are still crisp but tender, you can pack them in the freezer in bags until you need them. The vegetables are still at their best this way and you can take advantage of vegetable gluts when the shops are stocked with harvest, or your friends pass on the surplus from their gardens.

If you don't have the time or space to garden, do keep some fresh herbs in your kitchen, or in a small plot. You don't need a huge range, just some useful herbs like parsley, basil, marjoram, thyme and rosemary. These will add flavor and nutrition to any meal.

For snacks, be creative and avoid the expensive options such as potato chips and fatty microwave nuggets. Cut celery, carrots and capsicums (bell peppers) into strips and keep them in iced water in the fridge. These make delicious snacks, especially in the summer. It's also easy to make your own yogurt, and mix in fruit in season, when it is cheapest. A yoghurt maker is a good investment.

When you have time to cook, use itwell, and make up a few batches of wholesome cookies or muesli bars. You can freeze some for later, and keep the rest in an airtight tin for nutritious snacks.

Keep salad items in the fridge for quick meals. Salads are easily put together and can be teamed with omelets, frozen fish or hamburgers. You can add many store cupboard foods to your salads, such as tinned mixed beans, to make them more filling.

For nutritious meals

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