10 Money-Saving Weight Watchers Recipes Using Ingredients Found In Your Pantry

Do you need to come up with a healthy dinner quickly with what you have on hand? These 10 WW Recipes Using Ingredients Found In Your Pantry will be a lifesaver when you need to cook meals with only ingredients found in your pantry.

While we know that fresh, whole produce and ingredients are the best, there are times when they are not available, you need to stretch your grocery budget a few more days, or getting to the store isn’t an option.

That’s where these WW recipes come in handy. You’ll be able to make healthy foods and stick to your Weight Watchers points.

What can I make with the ingredients in my pantry?

Let’s take a look inside your pantry. What do you have? Canned tuna? You can make this WW Tuna recipe. It’s really good and the kids love it too.

What about eggs? Do you have plenty of them? Here is a great Egg Salad recipe that is also WW-friendly. Consider items like canned soup, light microwave popcorn, or oatmeal. Recipes using ingredients found in your pantry don’t have to be as hard as they may seem.

See our list below of 10 WW recipes using pantry items that are especially great for Weight Watchers members. Often we think weight loss foods have to be fresh, and while that’s ideal, you can build a healthy, low-point meal plan with foods already on your pantry shelf. This is economical and time-saving, too.

Pro Tip! Try listing or taking a photo of your fridge and pantry and asking an AI like ChatGPT for a list of meals you can make. This is a fun hack to try.

What should I eat when my fridge is empty?

When all the fresh food is gone and you can’t get to the store to buy more, find dinner from items in your pantry. Check out our list below to get started.

What canned foods and dry foods do you have on hand? What seasonings do you have available? Be creative and make it a fun challenge to create something new and delicious or stick to the basics and enjoy your dinner just the same. You might be surprised at all the delicious foods you can make.

Basic Meals Made From Items In Your Kitchen

• Spaghetti and garlic bread – Use whole wheat pasta (low points and full of fiber) if you have it available. Spaghetti squash (zero points) is another great option, and squashes will keep in a cool place for several months. Zucchini noodles (fresh or frozen) are zero points. Use light or low carb bread, a bit of butter, or use butter spray and a sprinkle of garlic powder for garlic bread.
• Soups – Many canned soups are reasonable and low in points. Check out Healthy Choice and Progresso for low point options.
• Rice and Beans – You can’t go wrong with these staples that are healthy, economical, and low in points or zero points depending on plan.
• Pasta and Alfredo or Spaghetti Sauce – Hunts spaghetti sauce in the large cans is one of the lowest in points that I’ve found.
• Tomato Soup – This classic is excellent with a grilled cheese sandwich. Make your sandwich with light bread, light cheese, and a bit of butter or butter spray.
• Mac N Cheese – This is often high in points but Trader Joe’s has a guilt-free frozen version.
• Chicken or Tuna Salad – Our WW recipe is zero points.
• Oatmeal – Not just for breakfast, this makes a wonderful dinner option and can be varied with fruits or flavors. Check out our low-point Instant Pot Chocolate PB oatmeal.
• Omelets – This isn’t exactly a pantry item, but many of us keep eggs on hand. One of my favorite low-point dinners is an omelet. Whip a few eggs and add any fresh vegetables you have on hand. Spinach and mushrooms are my favorite but I’ve been known to throw just about any left over veggies into my morning omelet or scrambled eggs.
• Pancakes – Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? Kodiak mix is the most WW-friendly you’ll find or you can also make them from scratch. Add fresh fruit (zero points) and keep serving size in check. Consider serving with sugar-free syrup for 1 additional point.

What to make for dinner with what’s in my pantry?

You are standing in front of your fridge and all the fresh food is gone. Yikes. What to do? Items from the pantry can be put together to make delicious and healthy meals for the family.

I start with choosing a protein from what I have available. Consider items like:

• Canned or dried beans
• Meat or casseroles in the freezer
• Canned chicken, tuna, or salmon
• Canned soup with meat or beans

Next, consider a healthy starch like whole wheat pasta, potatoes, carrots, or corn.

Finally, add any fresh, canned, or frozen fruits or vegetables you have on hand.

Pantry Staples to Keep on Hand for Weight Watchers

When you have a chance to get to the store, here are some items to stock up on that will keep you and your family fed and are also great for WW members.

• Soups (Healthy Choice or Progresso)
• Good Thins crackers or Pop Chips
• Microwave light popcorn
• Pouches or cans of tuna or chicken breast – Check out these 5 WW recipes that use tuna.
• Canned diced tomatoes for chili
• Mixed nuts (put into individual servings as soon as you get home or buy 100 calorie packs)
• PB2 or peanut butter (watch portion size)
• Canned or dry beans
• Canned vegetables
• Canned fruit, individual fruit cups, applesauce
• Kodiak pancake mix
• Oatmeal
• Brown rice, quinoa, and other dry whole grains
• Whole wheat pasta
• Spaghetti sauce (Hunts canned is low in points)
• Spices you enjoy
• Light bread, Joseph’s pitas or Flat Out bread.

10 Frugal Recipes Using Ingredients Found In Your Pantry

Here are 10 delicious WW recipes that can be made with foods you find in your pantry.

1. Salsa Chicken –This Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Recipe is one of my favorite quick, easy dinner recipes and it tastes amazing. You can substitute fresh chicken for canned or packaged chicken if needed. Chicken from a rotisserie chicken also works. Now that dark meat is a zero-point food, you have more low-point options.

WW Bean Soup – This recipes can be used with all canned food products. One of my favorite ways to use zero points foods is making this delicious Weight Watchers soup recipe, Instant Pot WW 0 Point Bean Soup or it can also be made on the stove top or crock pot if you don’t have an Instant Pot.

Jerk Chicken Soup – Again, you can replace the fresh chicken with a packaged or canned chicken if you don’t have fresh chicken available. Are you looking for a delicious chicken soup recipe that is full of flavor but not high in calories? You will love this Weight Watchers Jerk Chicken Soup recipe.

Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup – You can use canned turkey or chicken in place of fresh chicken.This warm, inviting Turkey Noodle Soup recipe is a taste-of-home-cooking recipe you will return to many times over. This soup is quite economical and can be made with rotisserie chicken, too.

Instant Pot White Turkey Chili – You can replace the fresh turkey with canned turkey or chicken or even chicken in a pouch (find it next to the pouches of tuna). If you love chili, be sure to check out this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili recipe as a delicious alternative to classic tomato-based chili.

WW Zero Point Chili Recipe – Replace the ground turkey with  a canned meat of your choice or leave out the meat all together. This delicious, hearty Weight Watchers WW Zero Point Chili recipe has been a favorite recipe of mine for years and I know you are going to love it, too.

WW Tuna Salad – Are you looking for a delicious lunch option that is full of protein but low in points? Our Weight Watchers Tuna Salad is sure to please. This tuna salad is easy to make, delicious, and best of all zero WW Freestyle Smart points, MyWW Purple 0 points, MyWW Blue 0 points, MyWW Green 1 points.

WW Apple Crisp – You can use canned apples instead of fresh if needed. This delicious apple crisp is quick and easy to make. Top with a dollop of Cool Whip light or Halo Top vanilla ice cream for a special treat if you have it available, but if not you’ll still love this dessert.

WW Creamy Lime Desert Recipe – Omit or replace the whipping cream with something from your pantry if needed. Are you looking for a creamy, refreshing dessert that won’t set you back too many WW Smart points? You will love this Weight Watchers Creamy Lime Dessert recipe.

WW Crustless Pumpkin Pie – This pie is very easy to make and tastes amazing. When it was shared at my Weight Watchers meeting, I knew I had to try it. Since then, I’ve made it many times and it’s become one of the most popular recipes on this site. Keep in mind there is no crust, so it’s just like eating the middle out of a pumpkin pie.

What are some of your favorite meals to make for WW using items from your pantry? Share in the comments below.

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