Pasta
Wholemeal pasta is one of the cheapest and most convenient staples you could ever ask for. However, maybe pasta isn’t exactly your cup of tea. In this case, don’t worry, as there are many other varieties you might want to try, from quinoa to couscous, polenta, and even bulgur.
You can serve it either as a side, as you would with rice, or you can also cook it up for a delicious and nourishing breakfast!
Beans, chickpeas, and lentils
We need fiber and proteins in our lives, and while the almighty mac and cheese are simply irreplaceable, beans, chickpeas, and lentils are a must-have. First things first, they are way healthier than any other alternative.
Then, they will instantly make you feel fuller for longer, reducing the need to snack (less money spent on nothing) and giving you that amazing slow-burn energy. You can either eat the lentils straight from the tin or toss them through a salad. Also, you can make various healthy and tasty dishes with beans, such as burritos, bean enchiladas, vegetarian nachos, and chili beef.
Seeds
As nuts can turn out to be quite expensive, seeds are a much cheaper alternative, and they’re also a wonderful non-meat source of protein and healthy fats. For instance, linseeds are super high in fibers and proteins, but also Omega-3 fatty acids. We can add them to baked goods, such as muffins or pancakes, and even over yogurt for a healthy and functional bowel movement in the morning.
Cooking oil or fat
It’s highly efficient to have a minimum of one cooking fat in the pantry for those days when you’re feeling a bit wild and you want to prepare french fries or schnitzels. Vegetable oil is awfully cheap, which is great on one side, but it’s also not the healthiest thing out there, which means that you shouldn’t use too much of it at a time.
If you want to have oil on hand for salads and low-temperature dishes, we’d recommend you stick to olive oil.
Stock
I know that this is more of a freezer staple, but homemade stock is way better than that powdered variety you get at any grocery store (although I can’t truly say I’m totally against it either; sometimes a little bit of extra flavor is more than welcomed). But if you decide to make stock from scrap, it’s healthier and cheaper.
If you’re interested in learning other frugal tricks, here’s what we recommend you read: Frugal People Always Get These 9 Things in Bulk
