While we are all pretty much confined to our homes and hopefully are staying healthy and well, rather than blather on about this or that --I've been trying to think about what to write about over the next little while! Whether to try and think of entertaining things that are more of an escape from all the Corona virus chatter or if I should address what's really going on in our homes and our reality right now. 

I think for now at least I want to try and be helpful with a couple things I can think of that can be kind of a group discussion. So please, please share your comments and suggestions in the comments below. This gets this comments section fired up and full of help from our wonderful, insightful readers.

First, I wanted to share some ideas about how to stretch a meal a long way. The lady who wrote this article has a very large family so it makes sense that she would know tips on this subject. The general idea is how do you fill your family without everyone gorging on meat? Only some of us may have fresh meat, while others of us have a few previous spare cans of chicken of tuna, and plenty of us will be dragging out that old (praying that is not freezer burnt!) pork roast out of the freezer to make a nice, healthy, comforting meal in these unique circumstances.

You might not have a big family, however, you might just be wanting your casserole to stretch out as a main course over two or three days so your family doesn’t gobble it all up on the first night.

Here are some ideas on how to make, for example, something a half pound of ground beef, or a couple cans of canned chicken make a meal for your family that will be filling and comforting stretch out as long as possible.

STRETCH A MEAL WITH SIDES.


Have a side of fruits or veggies. Start by brainstorming with what fruits or veggies you have fresh on hand. Start with those first so you don’t have to throw away any produce that is going to go bad. If you don’t have anything fresh, you could then resort to the freezer or canned produce. You could make a fruit salad or even just add a whole fruit like an orange to everyone’s plate to stretch the meal. Not only does a side of fruits or veggies stretch the meal, it also adds valuable nutrients for our bodies.


Have a side of potatoes. Potatoes are so wonderful because there is such a variety of ways to prepare them and they sure make a tasty and filling addition to a meal. Add mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes to any number of meals! There are a lot of potato casseroles and things like that to make. Most of these casserole recipes call for a can of cream of {fill in the blank} soup. Always remember that if you run out of these types of soup, you can make them from scratch with really simple ingredients you most likely have on hand! 

Make a can of chili go a lot further by doing chili baked potatoes instead of just a big bowl of chili. Your chili will go twice as far at least!

Have a side of rice. Or quinoa. Or any grain like that that you happen to have on hand. These are another carb that will really fill the belly for cheap. You can make them taste more savory and flavorful by cooking them in chicken broth and using herbs or seasonings like garlic to make them even more delicious.

And a side of rolls or bread. My favorite recipe for super easy, fast rolls are from the blog Six Sister’s stuff. These are a great way to deliciously fill a belly for any meal. Even if you feel you are not a breadmaker, these are super easy to make. Don’t feel intimidated. 


Have a side of beans. Beans are very filling and have a lot of fantastic nutrients in them so they would make a great choice for a side dish. They might not always go perfectly with your meal taste-wise, but they will get the job done just great! Look up a recipe for Cafe Rio copycat black beans. They have a few ingredients added that bump the taste factor way up!!

Beef up a big salad. 

Instead of just making a simple side salad, you could make the salad the main part of the meal and make your meat go much further by filling your belly with mostly leafy greens and nuts. You could make a salad with salmon, grilled, sliced steak, or chicken. I love making a giant salad with chicken, berries, apple slices, nuts, and a homemade salad dressing like poppy seed or vinaigrette. 

DILLUTE JUICE FOR YOUR KIDS.


One other little thing I have started doing the last few days is just stretching out the juice we have on hand a little further by adding a bit of water to it first. It still tastes fun and different to the kids, but it makes it last quite a bit further.

There are the ideas I have for you guys. It almost seems kind of silly to post something like this--but it seems very valuable to me in uncertain times like these where we don’t quite know how often we will be able to go out grocery shopping to refill our pantries and refrigerators over the course of the next few weeks. Please stay safe and keep in contact with the people you love most to stay positive and happy. You are so loved! We will get through this! 

Please share any thoughts you have for ideas along these lines--or really about anything :) in the comments below. Let’s start a big conversation and get social while we are social distancing in the real world.