Hi there! You're doing a great job thinking ahead with those meal ideas simple, comforting, and budget conscious. Here are a few more meals that are affordable, easy to make, and usually a hit with little ones:

🍲 Oatmeal with fruit Great for breakfast or even dinner. Use bananas, apples, or frozen berries.
🥣 Rice and beans Add a sprinkle of cheese or a fried egg on top for extra protein.
🌮 Quesadillas Just tortillas and cheese, plus optional beans or veggies. Cut into fun shapes for kids!
🍳 French toast or pancakes Use day-old bread or basic pancake mix. Add cinnamon or mashed banana for flavor.
🥔 Baked potatoes Top with cheese, beans, or leftover veggies. Sweet potatoes work too!
🍝 Pasta with butter and peas Super simple and toddler friendly. You can swap peas for any frozen veggie.
🥫 Tuna or chickpea salad Mix with mayo or yogurt, serve with crackers or in a sandwich.
🥘 Mini stir-fry Use frozen veggies and leftover meat or tofu over rice or noodles.
🍛 Egg fried rice Quick and filling. Add frozen veggies and scramble in an egg.
🍕 English muffin pizzas – Top with sauce and cheese, bake until bubbly. Kids love helping with these!

Hope these help stretch your grocery budget while keeping mealtime fun and stress-free. You’ve got this!

Grew up with not much so peanut butter jelly sandwiches, spaghetti, and beans and rice were staples. It’s possible but not sustainable.

Unfortunately cheaper stuff is mostly unhealthy stuff, so it’s a cycle.

My mother's neighbor used to make something called "Stretch" , or "Baked Cheese Strata" made with stale bread.

Spray a 13 x9 pan with non-stick cooking spray, and then cover the bottom with slices of stale white bread from which the crusts have been removed. Lay one slice of American cheese on top of each slice of bread. Top each slice of cheese with another slice of bread. Whip together 6 eggs and 3 cups of milk, salt and pepper, and pour them over the bread and cheese. Refrigerate overnight. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

8 servings. This can be served for dinner, and then slices can be heated in the microwave for breakfast the following day.

Lentil soup, chili's, and oatmeal all good budget meals too

At time's I like a Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Rice and beans too.

Carrots, egg whites, tofu