Stretch your food budget and expand your dinner menu with beans

As grocery prices continue to rise, many of us are seeking to stock to our cupboard shelves with simple and inexpensive meal ingredients. Stocking up on a variety of canned beans is an easy way to stretch your food budget and build healthy meals for your family.

Canned beans are one of the most nutritional, versatile, and inexpensive foods to keep on hand in your pantry. Beans are a low-fat and low-calorie staple that provide protein, iron, and fiber. At their most basic, canned beans can simply be rinsed and added to salads, pasta dishes, chili, or tacos - but that’s only the beginning!

With just a few ingredients, you can have this easy Skillet Chili on the table in less than one hour. Bored with chili? Try something new to you! How about this easy Roasted Chickpea recipe from Maine SNAP-Ed? Toss the roasted chickpeas into simple salads, stir fry them with whatever veggies you have on hand, or add some flavorful crunch to your next bowl of soup!

If you’re looking for something sweet to finish your meal, give these kid-approved black bean brownies a try. We’d be surprised if anyone in your family can guess the secret ingredient in these fudgy treats! 

For more great recipes to feed a family healthy food on a budget, check out https://www.mainesnap-ed.org/ or reach out to your local SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator.

SNAP-Ed educators at Healthy Acadia offer year-round cooking and nutrition classes in partnership with schools and organizations throughout Hancock and Washington counties. To learn more or schedule a class, contact Kirsten in Washington County, or Nicole or Despe in Hancock County.