'It Makes Eating More Exciting:' Cooking Quick, Affordable, And Delicious Meals

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Trying to put a reasonably priced meal on the table for a family, no matter the size, is becoming increasingly challenging.

Eating in, eating out, getting meal kits - what is the best bang for your buck?

This is right in the wheelhouse for nutritionist Leslie Bonci, so let's start with those meals you prepare when they arrive in a box.

"First of all, it's a time saver," she said. "You don't necessarily have to go to the grocery store, you don't have to prep that food. You don't have to put it away. You just open the box and you're good to go."

She adds you don't waste money since everything you need in the quantity you need it is in the box.

"So, it's spices and it's all the things that,' Oh, I bought cumin. I used that once and now I've wasted that $5 that costs,'" she said.

When it comes to portions, Bonci recommends the "Three Bears" approach - "This is just right."

Also, unfortunately for some, no seconds.

"It's like you can't look for more, it's like the bottom of the box, that's it," she explained. "There's no secret door."

Bonci said the meals are nutritionally balanced, so read carefully the preparation times so you know what you're getting and there's also the intangible variety.

"It's not that same old chicken again, it's like 'oh, this could be a teriyaki or this could be something with garlic or whatever,'" she said. "So it makes eating more exciting."

As for ordering takeout?

"When you're ordering out, you're also paying for the labor of the chef and everybody on the line cook that's just the way that it is," Bonci said.

She added that you can save money by letting the grocery store by your line cook.

"When I can grab that rotisserie chicken, I can grab a bag of mixed grains and I could actually grab some prepared pasta put it all together in one bowl - done with no effort whatsoever," she said.

However, Bonci cautions if the meal-in-a-box offer is a subscription, try it once or twice before you commit to something you and the family may not like in the long run.

Does this mean less effort equals more costs?

Generally, the prepared foods at the grocery store tend to be the best alternative to full-blown self-cooking at home.

WATCH: Quick And Easy Meals

Now, we've all been there, there are days when you didn't really plan family dinner - so what should be in the house to make sure you always have a go-to meal?

"Number one, and always on the list, are the bouncy house canned diced tomatoes," Bonci said. "You don't even have to chop them they are ready to use and whatever way you want to use them in in the wintertime here in Pittsburgh right now...our fresh tomatoes, not so fabulous."

Next comes canned beans, Bonci says the protein is there, fiber is there, and that can be the basis of a lot of different dishes.

Third, comes canned fish.

"That could be tuna that could be seven that could be sardines that could be clams," she said.

Don't forget others Bonci recommends, like pasta and peanut butter.

Wait...peanut butter?

"You know, peanut butter mixes with a little soy sauce and crushed red pepper, that's a delicious sauce to put on something that is incredibly easy," she explained.

Other things to keep on hand Bonci said is rice, olive oil, and canned vegetables.

Let's not forget about breakfast.

"Oats, for sure," she said. "Then also another high-fiber cereal, and then add some canned or dried fruit."

Bonci added that no pantry is complete without some boxed mac and cheese.

"You can take that and you can add a can of pureed cannellini beans to add a little bit more protein and creaminess if you wanted to," she described. "You could throw in a can of peas and even some tuna on top of it."

That is designed to be economical and ready to feed a family.

Those are just a few ideas, you can learn more from Bonci on her website Active Eating Advice at this link!