How to Make Your Food Stretch

Member

By Cindy Lynn Jacobs
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (20 Ratings)

Add grains, legumes, vegetables or other fillers to your recipes to make them stretch.

Here' some creative ways to make your food stretch a little farther, which will be especially helpful during a recession. Most of these ideas are taken from survival techniques of families who endured The Great Depression.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Open and frugal mind
Willingness to experiment
Food

Step 1

DO THE OBVIOUS. Check local advertisements and coupons and try to hit the sales. Try not to travel to too many places, because the cost of your gas will, inevitably, cancel out the savings you'll get from your grocery shopping experience.

Also, plan your menu ahead and make a shopping list. Yes, this takes time. But it will save you money by helping to prevent impulsive buying.
Step 2

STRETCH YOUR PROTEINS. Hamburger is still one of the cheapest forms of meat. Use some Great Depression tricks by adding oatmeal, cornmeal, legumes (beans) or minced/chopped vegetables to your hamburger (or other ground protein) to make it stretch. Add brown rice to stews and white rice in taco meat. Experiment and see what works for you.
Step 3

USE FILLERS. Add pasta, legumes, rice or potatoes to your main or side dishes. You can add them to vegetables or meat. For example, add seasoned rice to peas and carrots. Add legumes in with your meatloaf.
Step 4

CREATE A NEW DISH OUT OF THE OLD. Make soups, chilies, pot pies or casseroles out of leftovers. Be creative. Use spices, soups, bullion and cheeses to add flavor.
Step 5

USE VEGETABLES. Don't skimp on vegetables. Consider growing your own or visiting the Farmer's Market for great deals.
Step 6

MAKE PANCAKES. Add egg, flour and milk to leftover mashed potatoes to make potato pancakes. Season with salt, cheese or other vegetables.

Leftover oatmeal or hot cereal also make great pancakes. To make it simple, just add eggs, flour, milk and sugar. Top with powdered sugar, syrup, fruit or preserves.
Step 7

MAKE MUFFINS. There are many ingredients you can use, leftover or otherwise, to make muffins. Leftover oatmeal, cold cereal, flour, cornmeal, fruit, nuts, sugar, juice, cinnamon and other spices, chocolate, peanut butter, preserves and many others. Find a good muffin mix and alter it to fit your kitchen's inventory. And remember, anything that can be made into a muffin can be made into a pancake, too. Just add a little more liquid.