Nutrition on a budget project- fake it with left-overs

My key clue to knowing it’s time to hit to grocery store again is when I see scraps left over in the fridge. The last bit of onion and bell pepper, maybe some left over meat from whatever I’ve made earlier that week. In attempts to save some cash, I’ve come up with a couple ways to fake real meals with left-overs.

Old veggies go a long way mixed with canned fish or chicken for a quick tuna melt, chicken salad or pair with pasta for a quick casserole. Getting creative with spices can turn ordinary fridge dwellers into something delicious.

Keep your eyes pealed at the grocery store for the isle with prepackaged seasoned mixes. Stocking up on cheep taco, meatloaf and even pasta sauce mixes add a kick to bland foods. Even left over meat that has already been seasoned can be remixed, and cooked again with new flavors for another meal. Throw any leftover veggies cut real thin with ground beef or tiny cubed chicken with a few tablespoons of water and half a package of meatloaf mix. Stir in any sort of white, brown or seasoned rice for the last few minutes. Stuff your mixture into hollowed out bell peppers and bake for a quick stuffed pepper dinner.

Don’t let random remainders at the end of the week get you down at night. Simple add-ins like sauce packages can make new favorites out of your old left overs.