Mixing it up in the kitchen

Getting creative in the kitchen can be daunting for many, doing it on a very small budget seems hard at best. 

Our recent Meal Makers event held at the beginning of August proved it is possible! Participants in the four day long event received a mystery box of ingredients and a scenario card – which outlined their challenge for the day. They were given a budget of $28 to make two days’ worth of meals. The budget, fourteen dollars, is the average amount of money people in food stress have to spend on living daily. Participants were asked to purchase any additional ingredients from our customer shopping area to make their meal. 

Thinking outside of the box was key in creating tasty and nutritious meals and also a way to stretch their budgets. 

Repurposing food is a creative and smart way to stretch your budget while reducing waste. By rethinking how you use ingredients, you can transform leftovers and everyday items into exciting new dishes, ensuring that nothing goes to waste and that meals are varied and interesting. 
 
One simple approach to repurposing food is to take leftovers from one meal and turn them into something entirely different. For example, roasted vegetables from dinner can be blended into a hearty soup, or turned into a filling for wraps the next day. Leftover rice can be transformed into fried rice with the addition of a few fresh ingredients like eggs, vegetables, and soy sauce. 

Another way to repurpose food and stretch your budget is to use parts of ingredients that are often discarded. For example, vegetable scraps like carrot tops, onion skins, and celery leaves can be simmered to make a flavourful homemade broth. Stale bread can be revitalized by turning it into croutons, bread pudding, or breadcrumbs for coating meats or adding texture to dishes.

Repurposing also extends to using ingredients in unexpected ways. Sausages, for instance, can be removed from their casings and reshaped into meatballs or burger patties, offering a new twist on a familiar and budget friendly staple. Overripe bananas can be mashed and used in pancakes, muffins, or smoothies. wheat biscuits can be crushed and used as a dessert base for crumble. The sky is the limit. 

Thinking beyond traditional recipes and popping on a creative cap in the kitchen not only helps save money by making the most of what you already have on hand, it’s also fun. By repurposing food, you really can create delicious, diverse meals without constantly needing to buy new ingredients, making it much easier eat well on a budget.