13 Family-friendly Meals Under $10

August 1, 2024 2 Minute Read

Looking for ways to feed the whole family on a budget? We’ve got you covered with tips, tricks and recipes for budget-friendly weeknight dinners, family feasts and wholesome breakfasts. While it may come as a surprise, delicious, practical and balanced meals don’t have to cost much more than your average coffee run. With a little planning and creativity, you can cook a hearty family meal for under $10.

How to Plan Budget Family Meals

Challenging yourself to a per-meal budget is an excellent way to reduce your grocery spending, while helping you get a better idea of what your total weekly budget should be. While $10 may not seem like much when it comes to meal planning, with some inspiration and a few money-saving tips, you’ll see how easy it is to stretch your dollar. Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started:

Shop Your Kitchen
To keep your grocery list short and sweet, start by taking inventory of what you already have at home. Shop your pantry, fridge and freezer for inspiration, and add an inventory column to your grocery list. This way, when you’re out and about, you can quickly consider meal prep possibilities from on-sale items.
Get Inspired
Start by cooking up a few of our $10 meal recipes to get an idea of what your budget family meals can look like. You’ll want all your budget-friendly family meals to be satisfying, robust, balanced and tasty, and these recipes do an excellent job of balancing low prices with big flavor to achieve just that. When you’re ready, start collecting even more must-try recipes, tweaking them to fit into your $10 budget. You can do this by swapping out missing ingredients with on-hand favorites, bulk buys and budget-friendly substitutions.
Plan Ahead
Center your meal plan around weekly promotions, using pantry staples and fresh produce to supplement sale items and create balanced meals. If chicken is on sale, think of 7 of your favorite chicken dishes. Pick recipes that use common ingredients, while offering variety in textures and flavors. Chicken and rice is a great example of a versatile ingredient combo, allowing you to play with flavors and textures to create a variety of dishes, from casseroles and Asian-inspired bowls to burritos, curries and more.
Make a List Online
A great way to make your list, and stick to it, is to use your Kroger app to build an online cart. Whether you’re shopping in-store or placing an order for pickup or delivery, an online cart allows you to easily compare prices, shop promos and keep up with your running total.

Our Favorite Family Meals Under $10

Ready for some low-price, high-flavor cooking? Each of these recipes comes in under $10, with the exception of a few pantry staple ingredients like butter, salt and spices. While we strive to keep our prices low, prices and availability of products are subject to change based on location and season. From filling skillet dishes to veggie-centric lunches and hearty breakfast bowls, here are our favorite recipes for affordable family feasting.