We all want to feed ourselves and our families well, but sometimes the price of local food can cause sticker shock compared to grocery store prices.
I get it, the upfront cost seems higher, but when we actually break down the cost, eating a homecooked meal made with quality local ingredients is cheaper than even a fast food value meal.
Plus the nutritional value is not even close to comparable!
I broke down what it costs to make a few of our simple go-to meals, starting with roasting a whole chicken. As we use up leftovers and bone broth from that one chicken dinner, the cost of the meals we can create becomes lower and lower.
Full disclosure - I didn’t break down the costs of everything like spices and oils and electric/gas to cook with. Use this info with an open mind and plug in your own recipes and costs!
These meals build on each other to use up any leftovers from prior meals. I’m not a person who likes to eat the same leftovers day after day, so I try to repurpose them into different meals. These meals look repetitive, but just so you can see multiple options for using up the same leftovers.
It’s always an option to freeze things like shredded chicken, the broth from your roasted chicken, or soup made with your homemade broth to have quick meals another day. We just want to do our best to use up all the leftovers and not waste food. Those savings add up!
Also, I created these recipes as if I was going to make them today, in April, when local tomatoes and sweet corn aren’t available. I highly recommend including local fresh veggies when they’re in season!
Meal #1 - Roasted Chicken with Potatoes & Asparagus
Ingredients:
1 Whole Grass Powered Chicken $28
2lbs Potatoes $3.50
1 Bundle Asparagus $3
Total Cost $34.50
Total Cost for Family of 4 = $8.65/person
Don’t waste those bones or leftovers!
Turn the bones into homemade broth (we usually end up with about 4 quarts from each chicken) to use in soups and freeze some for later too.
Shred any leftover chicken off the bones and either freeze, or use in more meals through the week.
If you’d like my Bone Broth making guide, here’s a link to have it sent to your inbox!
Meal #2 - Southwest Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
leftover shredded chicken from Meal #1 $0
1 bag local salad mix $5
1 bunch local green onions $2
1 box local cilantro microgreens $5
1 box cherry tomatoes $5
1 can sweet corn $ 1.79
1 can black beans $1.79
2 avocados $3
Total Cost $ 23.58
Total Cost for Family of 4 = $5.89/person
Meal #3 - Beef (or chicken) Tacos or Taco Bowls
Ingredients:
Leftover Shredded Chicken from Meal #1 $0
OR 1 pkg Grass Powered ground beef $12
Taco Seasoning $3
Taco Shells or Tortilla Chips $7
Shredded Cheese $3
Leftover lettuce, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, etc. from Meal #2 $0
Total Cost $25
Total Cost for Family of 4 = $6.25/person
Any leftovers from this meal make amazing quesadillas for a quick and easy lunch!
Meal #4 - Chicken Tortilla Soup
This could be made in place of the salad or tacos, or used as a way to finish up leftovers from either option!
Chicken Tortilla soup is just one of so many options. You could make chicken noodle, chicken and rice, any different version of chicken soup that would use up shredded chicken and some of your homemade broth.
Ingredients:
leftover shredded chicken from Meal #1 $0
1 quart broth from chicken in Meal #1 $0
1 onion diced $1
1 pepper diced $1.50
1 can diced tomatoes $1.79
1 can black beans $1.79
1 can sweet corn $1.79
**toss in any leftovers from salads or tacos
Leftover shredded cheese, green onions, cilantro microgreens, tortilla chips as toppings $0
Total Cost $7.87
Total Cost for Family of 4 = $1.96/person
Most soups freeze really well. Toss this in the freezer and it’ll be there for a quick lunch or dinner when you’re ready for it!
Meal #5 - Veggie Potato Soup
This is one of our favorites for lunch!
You can also toss in shredded chicken to add a little more protein and mix up the veggies if you have something else on hand to use up.
Ingredients:
1 quart chicken bone broth from Meal #1 $0
about 6 medium potatoes $2 (use up what’s left of the bag from Meal #1)
2-3 carrots $1.50
1 bag frozen organic broccoli florets $2 (optional)
1 onion $1
about 2 cups milk or half & half $2
Total Cost $8.50
Total Cost for Family of 4 = $2.13/person
Creating amazing meals from local foods doesn’t have to be difficult, expensive or take a lot of time. Simple meals with basic ingredients will nourish your family just as well as anything extravagant.
If you want to gain more confidence and experience cooking this way with local foods, I encourage you to join us as a Monthly Meat CSA member.
As a Meat CSA Member we will build a custom bundle of our meats for your family every month then guide you through preparing amazing meals using our meats + fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Learn more about our Monthly Meat CSA here.
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