When it comes to creating these recipes for you guys, I always aim to use the BARE Lean staple ingredients first to fill out the meal! I mainly do this because once you buy those staples for your pantry, cooking on a budget with BARE Lean is almost always achievable!
But to make things easier for you, let's go through what my TOP 12 budget-friendly meals from BARE Lean Vegetarian are.. 🔽
BREAKFASTS
Smashed Avocado
Page 54
Depending on where you are in the world, the smashed avocado could be your newest budget-friendly breakfast! Obviously depending on how expensive/inexpensive avocados are in your area.. this recipe has only minimal ingredients with pantry staples you very likely already have! Hot tip - if you're not one to finish or need a whole loaf of bread ASAP, there is absolutely nothing wrong with freezing your bread! Besides, after you toast it, it tastes exactly the same!
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Page 51
My favourite part about smoothies for breakfast is that they're so simple to whip up! With only a few ingredients in the pumpkin pie smoothie, and most consisting of the BARE pantry staples.. this one's a winner! Plus you can minimise your cost wastage by portioning out your steamed pumpkin and freezing them in snap-lock bags. That way any extra pumpkin doesn't go to waste or spoil early!
Peanut Butter Berry Toast
Page 49
This is my go-to I'm in a rush, forgot to buy ingredients for this morning's breakfast and need something simple breakfast hahaha. I absolutely LOVE it. PLUS all you really need is a berry/fruit that's in season and cost-efficient for where you are. The rest of the ingredients you'll likely already have!
Egg & Chili Wrap
Page 42
The Egg & Chili wrap from BARE Lean Vegetarian is one beautiful roll away from being a real cost-efficient favourite in your house! Only consisting of a few budget-savvy ingredients, it ticks all the boxes. Plus, rather than buying a whole packet of wraps and only really needing half of them.. you can freeze them and then just thaw them out individually the night before you need them. I'm all about ways to get the best bang-for-your-buck here!
SNACKS
Tamari Chickpeas
Page 81
These Tamari Chickpeas are SO good if you're sitting at your desk and really need to keep your hands busy during your afternoon-snack (we've all bee there hahaha!) PLUS they only have 3 ingredients?! Talk about a win!!
Chia Pudding
Page 66
These chia puddings are SO easy to whip up and are a great summer snack since they're chilled! Consisting mostly of ingredients you already have in your kitchen, the only real thing you'll need to purchase is fruit! We use drained, canned peaches for ease.. but feel free to use fresh fruit if that's more accessible for you if you like! When they're in season, I personally use the peaches my Papou's peach tree! 🤤
Bagel with Cheese
Page 61
With only FOUR ingredients, this bagel snack is such a winner in my books! All the ingredients are easy to source and very cost-efficient! What I usually do with my bagels, is when I buy them, I'll slice them in half and freeze the ones I don't need straight away. And then the night before I know I'll be having it as a snack, I'll take it out the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge. It really saves you buying a pack of only 2 bagels (since they can be most costly that way!) and as an added bonus, this bagel snack turns into a really easy last-minute snack.
MAIN MEALS
Cauliflower Steaks
Page 93
HOW GOOD ARE CAULIFLOWER STEAKS! If you haven't tried these yet, you absolutely have to! What I love most about these, is that they're 7-ingredient dinner.. most of which is all veg! And if you don't have Cous Cous in your pantry, you can swap it for another grain that's more accessible/cost-efficient for you. Simple!
Mushroom Stroganoff
Page 124
If there is any recipe in BARE Lean Vegetarian that has caused the BIGGEST position reaction out of our BARE Community.. it's the Mushroom Stroganoff! And it's surprisingly easier than it looks to make! Did you know out of the 12 ingredients it takes to make this.. 7 ingredients are kitchen-staples you'd already have.. and 3 are from the veg section of your supermarket. This dish is super budget-friendly, and the taste is absolutely going to knock your socks off!
Haloumi Burger
Page 110
If the Mushroom Stroganoff caused the biggest positive reaction.. the Haloumi Burger has come in at a close second! This burger is a perfect budget-friendly addition to your Friday night (or any night!) burger night. Consisting mostly of veg and items you'll already have in your fridge or pantry, the only real addition you'll need to purchase is the Haloumi - which actually (depending on your area) can very often go on sale! PLUS for an added tip, the burger buns can be sliced in half, frozen, and thawed out for when you need them.. causing less cost-waste when you don't use all 6 buns in the pack you just bought!
Mexican Quinoa Salad
Page 117
I LOVE a good salad bowl. Give me fresh veg and a grain of some kind any day of the week. This recipe mostly consists of pantry-staples (and if you don't already have them, they are super cheap to buy!). Plus if where you are at the moment doesn't favour quinoa being a cost-efficient purchase, you can always swap for a grain that better suits you or one that you already have in your pantry!
Chickpea Curry
Page 95
I tell you what, a good curry has a warm place in my heart. I love it in winter, and also those days when you just want something warm to comfort you! What I love about this curry is how cost efficient it is. This recipe mostly consists of spices (that you'll likely already own), rice (that you'll probably already have), some veg and a couple pantry staples! This recipe uses ginger, which granted, can be a costly purchase.. but you can now get pre-minced ginger in the veg section of your supermarket in small tubs that are a GREAT budget-friendly solution!
All our recipes are super easy to make swaps to, so you can customise and accommodate for ingredients that may be more cost savvy for you wherever you are in the world! (and quite often I do the same!).
If you'd like to check out the Top 10 BARE Lean Regular Recipes On A Budget.. check out the article here! I hope this helps you to make use of our most budget-friendly recipes in BARE Lean, and to also draw inspiration from on how YOU can make the other recipes more budget friendly!
