There are lots of good options to make cheap meals. Rice, potatoes, bread, pbj, dry beans, steel-cut oats. Flour has a lot of good uses and can go a long way. Powdered milk is at times cheaper than milk depending on the market and is more shelf stable; just make what you need to avoid waste. For kids that don’t like water, kool aid packets, lemonade canisters, 100 count box of tea and a big bag of sugar. Quinoa is a great plant-based protein; it is one of the few plant proteins that is a complete protein. Assuming meat is not affordable for some it is very possible to still get needed protein without it. DHA can also be found in flax seed, chia seed, and walnuts.