San Antonio Food Bank program offers budget-friendly recipes for eating healthy
Fighting food insecurity doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice nutrition. Here are some cheap, healthy recipes
Courtney Friedman, Anchor/Reporter
Luis Cienfuegos, Photojournalist
Published: August 7, 2026 at 5:39 PM
SAN ANTONIO – Eating on a tighter budget doesn’t mean people have to sacrifice sufficient nutrition
KSAT reported on a study that shows a huge spike in the number of residents who don’t have enough food. One in five people in the San Antonio Food Bank region is food insecure as of 2024. For children, it’s one in four
Oftentimes, stretching a dollar means less healthy meals, but the San Antonio Food Bank said people can eat cheap and healthy at the same time
To start, San Antonio Food Bank Interim Chief of Nutrition Becca Smith said the nonprofit provides lots of healthy foods for free
“Fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh produce, but also thinking about the canned produce that we provide, staple goods, whole grains that can be incorporated into a healthy diet,” Smith said
It’s just knowing how to use all of it without adding other expenses to a meal. That’s where the nonprofit’s CHEF program comes in, offering exact recipes and even teaching classes on how to make them
“When we plan our recipes, we’re really intentional about looking at how much this sample size costs,” Smith said. “We’re trying to get about four ounces of food underneath 50 cents a serving.”
Smith took KSAT into the kitchen where she showed how to make two easy, cheap and healthy recipes that don’t even need to be cooked or heated
“Our first recipe is going to be an oatmeal cinnamon protein bite,” she said
Smith poured dried oats and rice cereal into a bowl, showing two inexpensive items that can be bought in bulk
“Cut your price by buying in bulk and also purchasing pantry staples that have a longer shelf life,” Smith said
For protein, she added sunflower butter (like peanut butter) and dried non-fat milk, which is a product many people get at food banks and food pantries but don’t know how to use
Then, Smith added honey, mini chocolate chips, vanilla extract, cinnamon and dried cranberries
“It’s got fiber, protein, fruit, with a lot of vitamins and minerals and antioxidants,” Smith said
The second recipe was even quicker to make
“This next one is called Texas Cau might have sitting in your pantry as well as some fresh produce,” Smith said
She mixed canned black beans, canned corn, chopped red bell pepper, chopped and diced onion, a seasoning mixture, and then a blend of oil and lemon juice
Smith said everything doesn’t have to be bought fresh, since that is often more expensive
“These are some canned goods, and frozen is also a great option as well,” Smith said
The mixture can be used as a side, topping or a dip with chips or crackers
Every recipe also lists health benefits. The Texas Cart health, and lower the risk of some cancers
“We always say, eat the rainbow, because that provides lots of different nutrients. This recipe has all kinds of colors in it,” Smith said
There are dozens of low-cost, healthy recipes in English and Spanish on the food bank’s CHEF program website. People can also sign up for the classes there
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