Healthy, low calorie, and CHEAP meal ideas...

TheGr8Kimbini

I'm on a tight budget and would like to know who has good ideas for breakfast and lunch (for work) that are healthy, low calorie, and cheap. Everything cheap out there seems to be loaded in high calories and no nutrition. :grumble:

Thanks,

K.

1longroad

Not sure if you like this idea, but I mixed:

1 Cup dry green peas
1 Cup brown rice
1 can diced tomatoes
water
mrs. dash
chicken boullion
pepper
dry onion (what I had on hand)
garlic, to taste

Cooked slowly. High protein, high fiber, relatively inexpensive. If you have a way to heat it or keep it warm. Can add cheese or meat if desired for extra protein and some fat.

This made 4 to six hearty servings.

mariabee

For breakfast, my go to for work is kind of like a baked omelette / frittata:

Preheat oven to 350:

In a large bowl mix together any kind of veggies you would thrown into an omelette (chopped zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, green onions, a box of frozen spinach) - a handful of each - chopped into small pieces.

Sprinkle the chopped veggies with about 3 tbsp of whole wheat flour, 1 tbsp of dried oregano, some s&p and stir well.

In a separate bowl beat 8 eggs (I usually do 10 eggs, and throw out half the yolks) with about 1 cup of milk.

Add veggie mixture to egg mixture and mix well. It will be thick.

Pour into a cookie sheet, lined with parchment if you want (easier to remove later) and bake for about 12-15 minutes.

Sprinkle with light cheese (mozza, cheddar, goat, feta... whatever you want) and bake for another few minutes until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted.

If you are really bold, while its still warm, you can actually roll it up into a log, but let it cool in the cookie sheet, then cut it into large squares and it feeds me for almost an entire week of breakfasts. When I get to work, I microwave it and put it on some toast, or eat with some fruit.

gregs_gal

I've been making the salad linked below and eating it for lunch lately. The recipe makes 4-5 servings and (if split into 4 servings) comes in right around 200 calories per serving. I do add some salsa, a little cheese, and sour cream to mine sometimes. If you do that, it bumps up closer to 400 calories due to the cheese and sour cream (the salsa only adds about 16 calories).

The good news is you can buy quinoa in bulk at places like Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Winco for WAY less than buying the tiny boxes they offer in grocery stores. I know Sprouts and Winco's prices are about $2-3/lb. And, another bit of good news, you can make this three times with one bag of corn since you only use about 1/3 a bag.

I bought stuff for it over the weekend and my bill looked like this:

Quinoa - about $1.00 ($2.99/lb, 1 lb = about 2 cups worth)
Frozen Corn - $2.99 (I was at sprouts and that was the cheapest bag they had. Stores like Walmart will have it for less or you could use canned).
Black Beans - Sprouts brand, $.99 each
Garlic - 4 bulbs/$1
White Onion - $1.50 (guessing since I don't know how much my onion weighed)
Chicken Broth - Homemade, but store bought would have been $1.99 for a 32 oz. container
Oil & Spices - already had at home.
(Did not use cilantro, but on sale for $.59/bunch)

TOTAL: $10.30 (Does not include cost for spices already on hand)
Cost per meal (4): $2.58

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-beans/