Fall Cooking on a Budget

I have been working on my food prep for the week and budgeting our meals. We typically go major grocery shopping once a month and then on Sundays if I am missing anything I will pick it up. This last monthly trip I got 2 whole Foster Farms chicken for $12 and during my food prep I am trying to keep track of how many meals a family of four can get from them. It got me thinking that during food prep after a Costco and Trader Joes run that I can get several meals out of many of the items I purchase and maybe with a little prep that eating healthy isn't as expensive as you think. Below are a couple of items that I have worked on for my Fall Clean Eating Group using whole chickens.

2 Foster Farms Whole Chickens:
Family of 4 Week One: One Chicken
Baked Chicken for Sunday Night Dinner
Sliced Remaining Breast Meat for Lunch Meat for 2 days of school lunches of 2 kids
Chicken Quinoa Soup with  Veggies made with homemade chicken broth from the carcass which served dinner and lunch the following day

Family of 4 Week Two: One Chicken
BBQ Chicken Dinner with the legs, wings, back
Pulled all extra meat off and shredded for tacos and salad in the crock pot
Made Chicken stock with Carcass
Used both organ packets from chicken and made pate for snacking with veggies

If you do the math each meal the protein cost less than $2.00 for a family of 4. That is pretty good cost and good for you!