BEING on a budget doesn't have to mean filling your diet with unhealthy things like ramen noodles.

Whether surprise expenses have popped up, or you just want meals that allow you to stretch your dollar, a cooking expert has revealed the groceries that are healthy but affordable.

Matt Lopez is the founder of Cook Like a Master, which offers tips and recipes from world-renowned chefs for home cooks. But he also knows a thing or two about cooking on a budget.

Read on for his tried-and-true tips for saving money in the kitchen.

Rice is an instant pantry staple that you can use in a wide variety of meals, while brown rice in particular can keep you full longer, Lopez explained.

Similar to rice, pasta are an affordable pantry must-have that can give you many different filling meals.

Even for large families, with pasta, you can have meals like spaghetti and fettuccine alfredo, or make a date night meal for two with pasta al limone or linguini.

Think about skipping prepackaged instant oatmeal and purchasing rolled oats to make homemade oatmeal instead when you're tight on cash.

Oats are great for keeping you full and can be blended into flour for baking purposes.

Dishes that are made with oats don’t have to always be sweet either.

You can "make them with veggie or chicken stock, then top with a jammy egg," Ashley Schuering, a blogger at Confessions of a Grocery Addict, told Go Banking Rates.

She also said to add "some pan-fried scallions and fried garlic plus a drizzle of soy sauce for an easy and delicious savory dinner."

Beans are an excellent source of protein and are also versatile in the plethora of meals you can use them to make ranging from soups, stews, chilis, salads or simply a side dish.

Lopez added that you should purchase dried beans instead of canned options for extra savings.

“You can get several pounds [of beans] for what you’d pay for one or two cans,” Lopez said.

Eggs are an inexpensive protein that can be used to make a number of various foods in any meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner or even dessert.

Blogger Schuering said she uses yogurt for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“It is a great source of protein and calcium, it can double as both sour cream or yogurt and buying a tub is way cheaper than buying individual cups," she said.

There are inexpensive ways to get animal protein for your meals like purchasing canned fish.

“I am especially fond of tuna in olive oil, flat-pack anchovies and marinated sardines in olive oil,” Schuering said.

Schuering also said that frozen fruits and vegetables are usually cheaper than buying them fresh. 

Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious and already prepared for you, making the cooking experience even easier.

It's important to check with your grocery store to see which in-season fruits and vegetables are for sale.

Schuering said that the current in-season, inexpensive options include apples and squash.

She also recommends some other non-frozen fruits and vegetables that may even regrow like bananas.

She said bananas "always seem to be among the most inexpensive fruits available" regardless of the season.

If fresh tomatoes are too pricey, consider canned whole tomatoes. You can add them to an assortment of things like soups, chili and marinara sauce.

The tomatoes give you a boost of acidity and are an easy way to add produce to your meal.

Schuering also recommends greens. She said to check around for the best prices but Aldi usually has combination bags of spinach and arugula or a huge bag of kale for around $3.

You can add greens to sandwiches or soups to bulk up your meal.

Green onion is another fresh vegetable Schuering recommends. She said it's "a must if you’re making many Mexican, Indian or Asian-inspired dishes."

She also says to stick the ends of green onions in water for them to regrow.

“Don’t toss the celery leaves; they can double as your fresh herbs in a pinch!” Schuering said.

She went on to say that you can "get celery to regrow if you keep the root ends in water and then replant when you see new growth.”

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