Over the past several weeks addressing food insecurity has been the topic among many communities. When the government shutdown dragged on, there was an uncertainty of how households that rely on SNAP benefits would be able to put food on the table.

Businesses, individuals and organizations have stepped up to help fill in the gap and ease the apprehension recipients faced.

A desire to empathize, coupled with grocery store prices continuing to rise, led to an experiment and a personal challenge. The goal was to serve five home-cooked meals for a family of four using as little money as possible.

The plan

The rules were simple: the meals had to be homemade; no convenience foods, except for a ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken; menus had to include proteins, vegetables and grains; and ingredients had to be purchased from a local rural grocery store.

If access to food was a concern, access to transportation to shop in a big-box discount store could also be a barrier.

The week started out strong, with the first meal pricing out at around $4 for the main ingredients. Maybe the challenge would cost less than $50, I wondered.

Then the realization set in that if access to food was a challenge, stocking a pantry with staples could be low on the priority list. A new rule was added to the challenge: assume all ingredients, including spices and pantry items, would need to be purchased.

The meals

Tuna noodle casserole: 5-ounce can of tuna; 12 ounces of elbow noodles; one 10.5 ounce can of cream of mushroom soup; half a can of milk; a 10-ounce bag of frozen peas (thawed); half of an onion and 3 stalks of celery; 1 tablespoon of butter; oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Boil the noodles according to package directions. Sauté the onion and celery in the butter until tender. Mix everything together in a casserole dish and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

My mother served this almost every week when I was growing up. The low cost and high yield makes me wonder now if there was a period my parents faced hard times.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tacos (Vegan): 1 package of flour tortillas (8-10 count); 2 cans of black beans; 2 medium sweet potatoes; 1 onion; taco seasoning (or garlic and chili powder); salt, pepper and oil. Optional: shredded cabbage or lettuce for crunch.

Dice and cook the sweet potatoes with oil and seasoning until soft. Sauté the onion, then add drained black beans and seasoning. Warm the tortillas and assemble. (Contributed by Rebecca Richard)

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Bake: 2 cups shredded meat from a ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken (save remaining chicken for another meal); 1 and 1/4 cups of long grain white rice; half of a 12-ounce bag of frozen broccoli florets; condensed cream of chicken soup; 1/2 cup of milk; 1/2 cup of sour cream; 8-ounce block of cheddar cheese, grated; salt, pepper

Cook the rice and broccoli according to package directions. Combine all of the ingredients, withholding half of the cheese. Transfer everything to a casserole dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until bubbly.

Mazetti: 1 pound of ground beef; 1 large package of wide egg noodles; 1 large can of tomato soup; 1 chopped onion; 2-3 stalks of chopped celery; 1 cup of parmesan cheese.

Chop the onion and celery. Sauté beef, onion and celery until beef is cooked and the celery is soft. Cook noodles according to package directions. Combine ingredients in a casserole dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbling. Serve with a vegetable side. Bonus: This makes enough for two meals. Freeze one for heating another time.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo: Remaining meat from the rotisserie chicken, shredded; remainder of frozen broccoli florets; 1 box of fettuccini; 2 tablespoons of butter, 4 ounces of cream cheese; 3/4 cup of heavy cream; 1/4 cup of chicken broth; the other half an onion (from the Tuna noodle casserole); 2 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 cup of parmesan; salt and pepper to taste.

Steam the broccoli, cook the pasta and reheat the chicken. Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter. Add cream cheese, heavy cream and chicken broth. Cook on low heat until the cream cheese is melted. Let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the parmesan and stir until melted. Stir in the broccoli and chicken and serve over fettuccini.

The results

By the end of the week, the grocery bill added up to nearly $70 for the five meals, plus the extra mazetti in the freezer. With an average of just under $12 per meal, or $3 per serving, it may still be a challenge for some.

Could corners have been cut? Could more premade foods have been included at a lower cost?

Absolutely. Premade Alfredo could have been used in exchange for my more expensive homemade version but that would have negated the challenge set at the beginning of the week.

Were the healthiest options included on the menu?

Probably not.

Healthier choices, less money

Certified nutritional consultant and holistic life coach Lee’Ann Delcourt of Conquer said one of the best ways to cut grocery store costs while making healthy choices is to make a habit of comparing prices. Delcourt suggested even checking the prices on organic products because they are often not “much more expensive.”

“Do the organic you can afford,” Delcourt said.

Shopping the perimeter of the grocery store is another way to save. Depending on the store, the produce, deli, dairy and bakery departments are located in these outside aisles.

“For the most part, the inner aisles is where you find cereals and snacks and less healthy options,” Delcourt said.

The items stocked on those inner aisles are often more expensive.

Delcourt’s top money-saving recommendation is to double or triple the recipe’s yield by adding inexpensive ingredients. For instance, potatoes, carrots, onions and celery can be added to some dishes, adding both volume and nutrition.

“It is easy to bulk up a soup by adding an extra container of bone broth, and more carrots and potatoes,” Delcourt said.

Delcourt often cooks a pot roast for one meal and then makes a stew for another meal by adding inexpensive ingredients.

“Add some chopped tomatoes, celery, onions, potatoes, carrots and bone broth. Now it is a stew. It is very inexpensive and very good for you,” Delcourt said. “We may not want to but we absolutely can eat the same thing for two or three days.”