Don’t let high food and gas prices this Memorial Day weekend dampen your plans.

Here are ways you can celebrate and stay within a tight household budget.

Find food deals

Before heading to the store, the University of Illinois Extension suggests these practices:

• Check food items in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer

• Scan sales flyers

• Build a menu around the food you have in stock and the food on sale

• Create a shopping list.

Jennifer Lamplough, chef, author of healthy diabetic cookbooks, and chief impact officer at the Northern Illinois Food Bank, suggests stocking up on condiments before the weekend, since these items often go on sale in advance of the holiday.

People using SNAP or with limited food budgets should “shop” at food pantries first to maximize resources, she said.

“Get what you need from us first,” Lamplough said. “And then use SNAP dollars for your grocery budget. A lot of times, people think of food pantries as a last resort. It doesn’t have to be that way.”

Lamplough said many food pantries resemble grocery stores, offering meat, produce, and milk along with nonperishable products. The food bank’s website at solvehungertoday.org has a list of food pantries with hours and locations, she said.

The Illinois Department of Human Services website lists certified farmers markets and farm stands that accept the LINK card.

And the Link Match program doubles every SNAP dollar spent at eligible farmers’ markets.

Budget-friendly party dishes

Tim Bucci, certified master chef and Joliet Junior College culinary arts professor, said to choose chicken over beef for the grill and choose legs and thighs over breasts.

“Economical cuts of beef won’t give you the best quality on the grill,” Bucci said.

Lower dark meat’s fat content by removing the skin and grilling over a lower heat, Bucci said.

“That meat will be a little more forgiving as far as drying out,” Bucci said.

Or serve a slider bar, using pork shoulder for pulled pork or chicken legs and thighs for pulled chicken, which will provide more moisture than breasts, Bucci said.

“It’s economical, and you’re still providing a party atmosphere,” Bucci said.

Another option is a baked potato bar with barbecued pulled pork shoulder for one of the toppings, Bucci said. “A few dollars” should purchase a 10-pound bag of potatoes, he said.

Lamplough suggests stretching a pound of ground beef with cooked beans or grains when making hamburgers or mixing shredded potatoes into chorizo when making tacos.

“Lentils are a great way to do this because they have a meaty texture to them anyway,” Lamplough said. “Just mash them up and mix them into the meat. Half the time, people won’t be able to tell the difference.”

Or simply serve less meat and add a side of beans or bean salad for protein and fiber, she said.

For dessert, Bucci recommends spreading butter over an inexpensive, store-bought pound cake and grilling the cake over low to medium heat to caramelize the sugars.

“If you grill it, it takes on a whole different flavor,” Bucci said. “And then you can have some fun with the toppings.”

Kid foods and meat alternatives

You almost can’t go wrong with hot dogs.

Bucci said buy an off-label (all-beef, if possible) hot dog and then set out a wide variety of toppings to please both adults and kids. Yes, even ketchup.

“If you like ketchup on a hot dog, then you like ketchup on a hot dog,” Bucci said. “But you can also put a little onion-bacon jam and mustard on a hot dog...you can put a Korean spin on a hot dog.”

Gabriella Mucha, program manager for the Women, Infants, and Children Program at the Will County Health Department, said “any kind of beans” make a great filler and that “bean burgers can be really flavorful.”

Unless, of course, someone – especially a child – really wants beef, she said.

“Ranch dressing is also very pleasing among the kiddos,” Mucha said. “And you can stretch that by using half Greek yogurt or a little bit of milk to add some nutrients.”

For adults who don’t like beans, serve kabobs, where you can extend meat portions with vegetables, Mucha said.

“If you marinate firm tofu in any kind of sauce, you can grill it, and it will stay intact, and give you the smoky kind of grill taste you’re looking for,” Mucha said.

Fresh fruit in season topped with Greek yogurt makes a good dessert, or make little dessert kabobs with banana chunks and canned pineapple chunks, she said.

“Or take a little bit of orange juice and yogurt and freeze it,” Mucha said. “Throw a little fresh fruit on it and they’ll think it’s ice cream and be excited about it.”

Bring back potlucks

Being the host doesn’t mean all of the food and costs should fall on you. Save money and create a casual atmosphere by asking folks to bring a dish to pass; it lets others help in the planning.

Everyone can share their favorite dish, a time-honored and budget-friendly way to celebrate, Lamplough said.

“Remember, the holiday doesn’t have to be just about the food,” Lamplough said. “It’s to honor the holiday and connect with people.”

Low-cost activities for kids

Keep children of various ages entertained with these low-maintenance games and activities.

Old-fashioned backyard games: Play freeze tag, hide and seek, red light/green light, or even Bozo buckets.

Sack races or musical chairs: Classic games that don’t require too much setup or equipment.

Build a maze with sticks: Collect sticks and branches, and even jump ropes, and arrange them into a maze.

Create a nature scavenger hunt: Look for birds, bees, rabbits, and hidden wildflowers.

Make nature art: Use flowers, seed pods, sticks, eaves, rocks, and/or pinecones collected on a scavenger hunt and glue onto paper. Make bookmarks from pressed flowers.

Hold a concert: Play spoons, or create homemade instruments by tapping on tin cans or make guitars by strumming rubber bands across a box lid.

Indoor campout: Designate one room for a campsite. Set out pillows and blankets. Tell stories and make shadow pictures on the walls.

Board games: If the weather doesn’t cooperate, have a backup plan by asking guests to bring board games for the kids to share.

Paint with mud: If you don’t mind a bit of mess outside, let the little ones mix dirt with water until it has the consistency of paint and provide paper.