These are great, thank you. Frozen veggies is such a great idea. So are soups and stews-- all the suggestions really. Thanks so much

Salmon Cakes are one of our favorite budget meals. Canned Salmon is a bargin. 2 small cans will be plenty for you and your child.

This is our favorite recipe.

http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/barton-seavers-pink-salmon-cakes-with-dill-and-mustard.html

We broil them instead of frying. If you have one left over it's a perfect breakfast, with an over-easy egg, or lunch over greens.

OP, the cheapest food is the most healthiest if you know what to buy. Many years ago when I was single, saving for a house, I had a food budget equivalent to $200 per month... for just myself. I mainly bought unprocessed foods like white and brown rice, steelcut oats, wheat berries, flaxseeds, wheat germs and barley. Load up on fruits and vegetables from Asian grocery stores like Hmart. They have the cheapest produce around, but need to be careful what you buy. On an average, one out of eight produce you buy at Hmart may go bad very quickly. Tofu and dried beans are good sources of protein. Eat grains and beans together and you'll get a complete protein... the main staple of college cafeterias. The meals were simple and mostly steamed with some soy sauce or butter. Luxury items were milk, cheese and meats. Also helpful was keeping an index card in my wallet to write down everything that I bought and keeping a running balance of food budget. I was able to save enough money in couple of years for a down payment on a house. This was waay before marriage and child. I know it's more challenging when you have a child. But if you can cut out the processed foods, you will save a bunch. Good luck.

Buy good quality, organic rice in bulk.

Fresh, steamed vegetables.

Whole grain pastas.

Jar of protein spread - soy nut butter, sunflower butter, peanut butter.

Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds for snacks.

Big batch of rice and beans with canned diced tomatoes and whatever veggies are on sale (celery, carrots, peppers) sautéed with onions and garlic. So good!! I like a little sour cream and hot sauce on top. Also, eggs - omelettes with frozen veggies as others have suggested. Soups and chilis are cheap to make in bulk too.

She needs protein and whole grains to stay satisfied

Give up any snack foods (especially individual portioned ones) they don't last and are expensive.
For snacks stick to cheap fruits (bags of oranges/apples instead of berries), veggies (carrot/celery sticks), almonds, cheese. Avoid buying a lot of bananas or spinach at once, things that go bad and end up in the trash.

For lunch tinned tuna or cottage cheese (awesome source of protein) cold grilled chicken breast, hard boiled eggs. In sandwiches or salad

For dinner make your own soups and stews. It will make chicken/beef stretch and you can bulk up the stew with kidney beans to make it more filling. theyre full of fiber and protein.

Beans + rice is super cheap. Add grilled chicken/steak/shrimp for fajitas. Black beans flavored with/cooked in chicken stock is good.

Cereal is expensive and not filling. I would stick to oatmeal or polenta for breakfast with fruit. Toast with a protein (cottage cheese, turkey bacon or sausage, eggs, yogurt (larger tubs are more cost effective)

Give up grass-fed meats. I found that the meat goes bad a lot quicker, and the taste was strange.

Breakfast:

oatmeal (real, not instant)
bananas
yogurt
apples
eggs

Lunch:
Kid lunch:
carrots or celery stick or apple or orange
peanut butter sandwiches
water (reusable container, not bottled)

Mom lunch:
microwave vegetables (I like Green Giant Healthy Visions or edamame)
Campbell's tomato soup

Dinner:
turkey (less than $2 a pound if you buy a whole turkey and cook it once a week; also good for sandwiches)
lasagna

Snacks:
air popped popcorn with a tablespoon of melted butter

Coupons. Breakfast we make pancakes with the just add water mix. $1.50 for a box and it lasts a while.

Shop at Aldi to save a lot. Minimize meat.

Breakfasts:
Eggs
Frozen day-old bagels from a local bagelry (buy on sale, freeze)
Pancakes from a box mix
Cottage cheese and fruit on sale (seasonal)
Oatmeal
Add bananas, peanut butter to just about anything.

Dinner:
Pasta and tomato sauce (meat optional), roasted seasonal veggie, bread (I freeze baguettes in small portions to pop in the oven to warm/crisp up)
Chili
Beans and rice (gets $ if you like fixings like avocado, cheese...)
Basically anything crock-pot + green salad or seasonal veg: Chicken thighs with soy/honey sauce and rice, bbq chicken + buns and sides, curries, etc...

Great suggestions. got any good recipe links?

Lots of fresh or frozen vegetables with a little bit of protein. Healthy and filling.

Peanut butter, beans, lentils, quinoa.

Frozen vegetables.

single parent. DD has HUGE appetite all the time.
please tell me what we can eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner that is super cheap.

i spend way too much on food bc i try to eat organic, non-GMO, grass-fed meats, non processed, etc. as much as possible so shopping at aldi's is not going to happen.
that said, i must cut down!

1. what should we eat?
2. what is the lowest possible food budget for two?