Leanne Brown has designed creative meals with basic, affordable, and healthy ingredients. Each recipe breaks down the cost per serving and gives optional ingredient additions if you have extra money to spend that week. The author even shares budgeting tricks like buying in bulk, eating seasonal produce, cooking big batches, and finding those day old bread sale racks (shout out to Kroger and its “woohoo!” bread).

Unlike your average cookbook, the mission of Good and Cheap is to get its recipes and resources into the hands of people living on a fixed income. Families receiving SNAP benefits are working with roughly $4 per person, per day, to eat. For every book that is purchased, one book is donated to a person in need. You can even download and share a PDF version of the book for free from her website.

My favorite recipes:

• Things on Toast  – Need a break from peanut butter? Switch it up with apples and cheddar, or broiled eggplant, or sliced avocado. (pg. 68)
• Oatmeal 7 Ways  – At $.15 a serving and loaded with protein and fiber, oatmeal can’t be beat. Try the coconut and lime variation. (pg. 10)
• Charred Summer Salad  – A chili powder popcorn topping? Brilliant! (pg. 41)
• Tofu Hot Pot  – Fresh ginger brightens whatever veggies you find in your fridge for this recipe. (pg. 103)
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars  – Boxed granola bars can be expensive and full of sugar and preservatives. These nutritious, homemade bars are only $.30 each! (pg. 6)

Yum!