Looking for some frugal lunch ideas that will fill up your family while you are home during the day? These easy lunches take under 30 minutes to make and are packed with veggies.
Frugal Lunch Ideas
Now that we are back into the swing of things with school, I’ve been getting better with my meal planning. It seems like when one schedule falls into place, other plans and schedules will follow.
Of course, I always have to keep my budget in mind with the meals we are planning and these frugal lunches really fit that need. Hopefully, you will be able to utilize some of these frugal meal ideas into your own meal plans.
–Don’t have a budget? Get started with Budgeting for Beginners.
Frugal Fried Rice
We love making this frugal Fried Rice recipe for a quick and very frugal lunch. At the moment we are getting free eggs from family so if you add up the cost of the rice and the vegetables (I use frozen vegetables), it only costs about $1 to make this entire meal! My kids can’t get enough of this and are so excited when I make it. This recipe makes enough to feed 4 so double it if you have a big family.
–Here are some Easy Frugal Healthy Snack Ideas
Frugal Fried Rice
This simple version of fried rice will fill up the whole family!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Rice
- 3 cups Water
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Mixed Vegetables
- 2 Eggs
Instructions
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On the stovetop, combine the rice and water and cook covered until rice is fluffy.
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In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, garlic powder, and salt.
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Add in the mixed veggies to the rice.
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Pour the egg mixture over the rice and veggies. Continue to cook on a low heat, stirring constantly to coat the rice and cook the egg.
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Heat and stir until the egg is cooked through.
Simple Sandwich Spread
If you have some bread or Homemade Bread to make sandwiches, this is a tasty, quick lunch to put together that is different than your average meat and cheese sandwiches. You could also serve over Homemade Crackers. If you prefer to avoid store-bought cream cheese, you could make Yogurt Cheese to use in this recipe. If you don’t have the vegetables I’ve posted in the recipe, use whatever you have!
Vegetable Cream Cheese Sandwich Spread
This simple spread will be a hit with your family. Serve on bread or crackers.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese
- 1 large Carrot
- 1/2 Bell Pepper
- 1/2 Cucumber
- 2 stalks Celery
- 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Mayo optional
Instructions
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Dice up the celery, carrots, bell peppers, and cucumber in pieces that will fit in your food processor.
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Blend the veggies into rice sized pieces using the pulse function on your food processor.
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Add in the remaining ingredients. Only add in the mayo if you need a little more moisture.
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Blend all ingredients together. Serve over bread or crackers.
—Have a sweet tooth? Here are 7 Frugal Dessert Recipes Under $1.
Vegetable Lo Mein
This is such a tasty dish and makes a great supper as well as a frugal lunch idea. You can serve this as veggies only or add in some pasta to make it even more filling (as shown in the title image). Use any veggies that you have! In my picture above, we used broccoli, green beans, carrots, zucchini, and jicama.
Vegetable Lo Mein
Add any veggies that you have into this delicious dish!
Ingredients
- 6 cups Vegetables
- 1/2 cup Teriyaki Sauce
- Cooked Pasta optional
Instructions
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In a large frying pan or wok, cook diced or julienned vegetables until cooked to the desired consistency.
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Add in the Teriyaki Sauce. We add a little starch if the sauce doesn't seem to "stick" to the vegetables enough.
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Add in cooked pasta if you decide to add it in.
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Stir until all ingredients are coated with sauce and serve warm.
These are just a few of the healthy frugal lunch recipes that we use on a weekly basis. They are all easy to make and are packed with veggies but are also very hearty so they fill up all the bellies in your household for lunch!
If you need more help with planning frugal meals for your family, you’ve got to check out my ebook Meal Planning Made Simple. Even if you thought meal planning didn’t work for your family, this ebook will help you find the perfect fit for your family’s style.
If you like these Frugal Lunch ideas, you might enjoy these other easy and frugal meal ideas and shopping tips:
Easy Breakfast Themes to Simplify Your Mornings
Make-Ahead Breakfasts for a Busy Season
Quick and Simple 3 Ingredient Recipes From Scratch
14 Cheap Meals to Make When You’re At The End Of Your Budget
Healthy Foods on a Budget: 23 Ways to Save Big
What are your favorite frugal lunch ideas?
This post on Frugal Lunch Ideas was originally published on Little House Living in October 2018. It has been updated as of October 2019.
Thank you so much for these meatless recipes!
No problem!
That fried rice looks so easy to quick to make . For someone like me who is just starting to venture into kitchen , this is a good start.
Thanks. I really like the additional ideas for lunches that are not sandwiches. Most of these recipes look like they are healthy and fairly quick to make.
Thank you for the recipes! Take care and have a wonderful week?