Food Ideas for Under $20 (for 20-25 Ppl)
We once served at a church that gave us a budget of $20 a week for food. Here are a few ideas that turned our really well with the kids. If you have any suggestions of food you have served that your youth really enjoyed, please feel free to share.
- Bulk Assorted Muffins (from Superstore or Costco) - I would usually cut these in half or in fourths so kids can pick different flavors without having to eat a whole muffin.
- Two boxes of a dozen donuts from Tim Horton's or Dunkin' Donuts
- Bulk Nachos and Bulk Salsa
- Microwave Popcorn - you can also buy powdered popcorn flavoring like Sour Cream & Onion, Dill Pickle, Salt & Vinegar, Cheese, etc... and this can be used several times.
- Pack of 42 Assorted Old Dutch Chips (from Costco or Superstore) - this is also great to serve during movie nights along with microwave popcorn.
- Bulk pre-packaged goodies (from Costco) - Dad's Cookies, Oreos, Granola Bars - what's great about pre-packaged items is that you can serve the left-overs during another week or can even mix and match them.
- Banana bread loaf, chocolate loaf, butter load... etc (from T&T) - I slice these up and put them on platters.
- Assorted Cut Veggies and Ranch Dip - you might think that this won't be a hit, but you would be surprised at how many kids enjoy having something healthy once in a while. I usually buy the bag of veggies already pre-cut.
I usually go a little over the budget when I buy drinks, but since most of them last several weeks it still works out in my budget. You can always buy bottles of pop or try these alternatives.
- Bulk Kirkland Iced Tea Mix or Tang - I usually mix the powder with water that I have poured into 4 or more pitchers (you can buy cheap pitchers of you don't have any at the loonie store) an hour or half an hour before the youth event/service and it should be chilled by snack time.
- Hot Chocolate Mix Individual Packs (bulk at Costco)
- Hot Apple Cider Mix (bulk at Costco)
It is always a great idea to have some of the youth (especially the ones that you are discipling) to help you with food preparation. This is a great opportunity for them to serve as well as to spend quality time getting to know and have conversation with them.
Another option (if your church allows) is to ask parents or church members if they would be interested in cooking or donating something special for bigger events or holiday parties. You will find most of them are more than happy to help! A nice gesture of thanks would be to make sure their dishes are washed before returning them, as well as getting the youth to sign Thank You cards for those who cooked or donated meals.
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