How to get the best out of cheaper cuts of meat to help keep your grocery budget down

We've pulled together some of the best tips there are for buying cheaper cuts of meat and the delicious, healthy meals you can make from them.
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With beef prices reported to have risen nearly 9%, and lamb almost 7% in 2022, no wonder people are reducing the amount of meat they have in their diet.

But we aren’t suggesting everyone goes fully vegetarian, there are some great ways to keep your meat prices down and get the most out of your meals.

We’ve pulled together some of the best tips there are for buying cheaper cuts of meat and the delicious, healthy recipes you can make from them.

We have a range of healthy meals that you can make on a budget on our Healthy Mummy’s 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.

How to get the best out of cheaper cuts of meat to help keep your grocery budget down

Some of the cheapest cuts of meat in Australia right now:

  • Chicken – wings and drumsticks
  • Sausages
  • Tinned tuna
  • Bacon
  • Minced beef
  • Whole chicken

8 ways to use cheaper cuts of meat to help keep your grocery bill down

1. Buy whole from the local butcher

While it might seem expensive to purchase a whole pig or cow from the butchers in one hit, it could be cheaper for you to buy the whole animal and then freeze parts.

2. Buy diced meat

Meat chuck or diced meat might actually work out cheaper for you to buy, especially in the winter months. If you are intending to make a lot of stews and casseroles, this type of meat might work well.

These meats often taste better if they have been slow cooked or used in a pressure cooker.

3. Use chicken drumsticks in a curry

sascha meal prep motivation budget Chilli Chicken Drumsticks

Lots of countries prefer to eat meat on the bone, as they find it’s tastier! Instead of cutting up pieces of meat, try making a curry or stew with chicken drumsticks instead, which are cheaper cuts of meat.

4. Make use of hamburgers and sausages

Hamburgers are often thought of as unhealthy, but you can make healthier versions of the fast food hamburgers or hot dogs yourself.

The Healthy Mummy app has a heap of recipes, plus, you could always grate veggies into your burgers before you cook them.

Alternatively, you can use sausages instead of beef in pasta dishes or to make devilled sausages or curry meals.

5. Don’t shy away from tinned fish

Healthy-Mummy-Tangy-Tuna-Salad-Natasha-Behm-2

You can make a heap of delicious dishes using tinned fish instead of fresh fish. Fish cakes can be made using tinned salmon and you don’t lose any flavour or texture!

Pasta bakes with tinned tuna are also extremely kid-friendly if you want to use them as a substitute for minced beef.

6. Pick eggs

If you don’t have meat, then use eggs! They are nutritious and a cheap meat alternative and very versatile. You can have them fried, scrambled, poached and boiled.

Plus, they taste great in an omelette, frittata or quiche.

7. Try frozen meat

We’re not suggesting you buy frozen meals but there are some great frozen seafood options in the stores.

Since frozen meat they can be stored for months without spoiling, it can help you cut down on waste.

8. Go vegetarian

Baked Stuffed Sweet Potato

Alternatively, you can ditch the meat altogether and go vegetarian. The Healthy Mummy app has a vegan and vegetarian tab for your to pick cheaper meat-free meals.

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