fifty nine Best Cheap Foods to Buy When You’re Broke (Healthy Meals!)

Fruits & Vegetables

This is what most people consider the expensive part of any food budget. It doesn’t have to be that way though. You can get really nice produce for cheap if you know what you’re looking for and shop for things in season.

34. Apples

Here’s my advice with apples: only buy a few at a time so they don’t go bad or mushy before you can eat them. A few slices with your meal can make a sweet treat and get you the vitamins you need.

35. Bananas

The three best things about bananas are that they’re cheap, a great source of potassium, and versatile.

You can:

• Eat them plain
• Put them on peanut butter sandwiches
• Use them in smoothies
• Freeze them to make dairy-free “ice cream”
• And so much more!

36. Frozen fruit

If you have a blender, this is an excellent product to use for smoothies instead of fresh fruit. All you need is some bananas and ice and you have yourself a healthy, vitamin-rich drink.

37. Canned fruit

Fruit that has been canned can have an unpleasant texture that turns people off. However, it tastes good if you mix it with things like yogurt, baked goods such as pies, or ice cream.

38. Lettuce

Lettuce is a perfect filler for salads. If you can’t afford to use an entire container of spinach for two measly salads, add in some lettuce to spread it all out more.

39. Potatoes

Potatoes can be served a multitude of ways in a ton of different recipes. They’re a cheap way to add to a recipe to make the meal last a longer number of servings.

40. Onions

Onions have been used as food for thousands of years in many civilizations. They’re a perfect way to introduce flavor to a dish without drastically increasing the calorie count.

41. Kale

Kale has often been called a superfood because of its amazing nutrient levels. According to Healthline, a single cup of raw kale contains:

• Vitamin A: 206% of the daily value
• Vitamin K: 684% of the daily value
• Vitamin C: 134% of the daily value
• Vitamin B6: 9% of the daily value
• Manganese: 26% of the daily value
• Calcium: 9% of the daily value
• Copper: 10% of the daily value
• Potassium: 9% of the daily value
• Magnesium: 6% of the daily value

If you want a cheap way to really get a lot of nutrients in your diet, this in the food for you.

42. Spinach

This is a low-calorie plant that is packed with lots of fiber. You can add it to salads, soups, and sandwiches to make them more nutritious.

43. Broccoli

This is an easy to cook veggie that can go into any number of meals. Even just steaming it with some herbs and adding a bit of butter is a fast way to make a side dish that’s healthy and delicious.

44. Cabbage

If you’re wondering what can you cook for $5, look into recipes that feature cabbage as the main ingredient. You can usually get a whole head of cabbage for less than a dollar and its high in nutrients. Check out this tasty recipe that only costs $4 to make.

45. Carrots

According to FoodCoup, carrots on average cost about $0.77 per bag. They can be added to soups, salads, stir-fries, or even just roasted on their own.

46. Canned vegetables

They’re cheap, easy to find, and useful to cook with. The texture might not be great for picky eaters, but if you mix it in with pasta or rice, you’ll barely notice.

47. Tomato Sauce

Another ingredient that can make a dish cost less than $5 is tomato sauce. Some cheap pasta, a can of sauce, and a few herbs can be filling and delicious.

48. Frozen vegetables

Next time you are shopping, check out the cheap bags of frozen veggies you can find in the freezer section. Usually, you can buy them for less than a dollar and they have multiple servings.

49. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes a delicious ingredient for side dishes or even as the main ingredient for a meal.

They are cheap, can be bought in bulk, and are a good source of:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B6
• Manganese
• Potassium
• Fiber

Baking Supplies

Learning to bake is an extremely useful skill if you are trying to work with a tight budget. Baking usually only takes a few ingredients and allows you to make multiple servings for cheap.

You want things like:

50. Sugar
51. Baking soda
52. Flour
53. Cornmeal (Here’s a recipe that only costs $2 to make cornbread!)
54. Baking powder
55. Yeast

Miscellaneous

These are foods you can buy that don’t fit the above categories but are still useful to have in your pantry.

56. Vinegar

You might be wondering, why would I buy vinegar? Well, it’s actually a great ingredient for making your own salad dressing. It lasts a long time and you can combine it with various spices and oil to make it tasty. Here’s a recipe to try out.

57. Seasonings

The number one thing you should have in your pantry is seasoning. Things like onion powder, garlic, ginger, and cumin can completely change a basic dish of beans and rice into something tasty and still affordable.

58. Tea Bags

Tea is a good way to save money on drinks if you are someone who likes to spend a lot of money on soda or juice. You pay less per drink and you can sweeten it yourself with sugar or honey.

59. Bouillon Powder

Bouillon powder or cubes is a delicious way to make soup taste good without spending money on meat or expensive soup stock.

Final Thoughts

After this list, you should be ready to plan out the perfect set of meals to fit your budget. Shopping for food for the week can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be!

If you don’t know what to cook for yourself, I highly recommend checking out this free cookbook by Leanne Brown. All the recipes in Good and Cheap are designed for people who are trying to eat well on just $4 a day.

Now that you know what to buy when you go shopping, find out how you can save even more money. Here’s an article from us that shows you the absolute best ways to earn cash back off grocery shopping.