From time to time the school sends home nutritional and health newsletters from a variety of resources from the FDA to sites on the web.

The information is usually helpful and includes some unique kid friendly recipes but inevitably these newsletters usually end up in the trash bin. I mean, if I kept them all, I’d STACKS of paper EVERYWHERE, right?

Well, the kiddo’s brought home another round of newsletters today. I thought I’d share a recipe and some foodie ideas to bring a smile to those little faces and fill their tummy without busting your budget.

Save on meat! (Kids and adults only need 3 to 4 ounces of meat PER DAY. Preggers need about 6 ounces.)

That’s not a lot of meat and you can get the protein, iron and vitamin B in a variety of other foods so pick one day a week and boycott the meat!

That’s right, having a meatless meal will show considerable savings in your grocery budget. Not sure what to serve? Here’s a few ideas:

Peanut butter, grilled cheese, egg salad or pimento cheese sandwiches
Vegetable, lentil, bean or barley soups
Salads (fruit or veggie) served with bread, potato, soup, or even crackers.
Pasta with meatless marinara or cream sauce. Puree some steamed veggies and mix in the marinara for a vitamin boost.
Rice mixed with a variety of vegetables, beans or scrambled eggs
Meatless taco and pizzas piled high with vegetables, cheese, and sauce
Waffles, pancakes and muffins

Keep the fat content at a minimum by using skim or 2% milk instead of cream in any of your cream sauces. Reduce the amount of cheese you use and switch to a low moisture low fat cheese. Switch to whole grains. Even though they are slightly more expensive in the stores, it takes less to fill you up.

Have you ever had Eggs in a Basket or Toad in a Hole? It’s simply a piece of toast with the middle cut out with an egg cooked in the middle. If you have then you might like this recipe.

Tater Toad in a Hole

Image via Wikipedia

Here’s what you need:

4 hot baked potatoes
1/2 cup of shredded cheese
4 eggs
1/4 cup of skim or 1% milk
Parmesan cheese

Here’s how to make it:

Cut a thin slice across the top of each potato.
Scoop out half the spud pulp from each tater. Set aside for use in another dish (like to thicken soup.)
Place spud in a shallow baking pan.
Add a bit of shredded cheese to the inside of the potato.
Crack an egg inside each potato.
Pour 1 tablespoon of milk over the egg.
Bake about 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until the egg is done.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and enjoy.