Never be afraid to have different items to spice up your dishes!

Things To Keep Around

Eating well on a budget means shopping smart. One of the best tips I have is to make sure that you buy items that can be made many different ways and used in multiple dishes. For example, milk can be used to make a white sauce from scratch, is a key ingredient in “helper meals” and is essential for cereal at breakfast time. Here is a list of ingredients to always have around the house and a few suggestions of how they can be used.

• Eggs: can be cooked multiple ways including soft/hard boiled, scrambled/omelets, key for French toast
• Bread: Always good for sandwiches and such.
• Deli meat: use for sandwiches, omelets, or salads.
• Tomatoes: these can add character to any dish, especially pastas.
• Potatoes: use to make multiple side dishes.
• Milk: again, use for “helper meals” and pasta sauces
• Butter: another key ingredient for multiple dishes.
• Pasta: cheap and easy starter for a creative meal

These are just a few ingredients that are great for creating simple and easy meals at any time of the day. Adding extra ingredients of your choice allows you to create a creative meal that reflects your personal cooking style. Personally, I enjoy creating funky pasta dishes full of flavor. Get creative and get cooking!