Healthy on a budget

EmilySueGermain

I am making some big life style changes. I just began meal planning to help my husband and I stay on track. I have done the pinterest thing looking for ideas but I'd love to hear some budget friendly, healthy meal ideas...breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner...give me what ya' got! As I try new recipes I'll share what we've loved, not loved, and how/if we tweek to our tastes. TIA

kpeterson539

One of my favorite websites is Budget Bytes. Pretty simple and really affordable food being promoted. I don't think I have ever been disappointed with any of the recipes I've tried.

https://www.budgetbytes.com/

jefamer2017

One thing I do is buy bulk meat on sale. I have a food saver so I don't have to worry about freezer burn or a bloody mess in the fridge when I thaw it out. I bought chicken breasts the other day for 99 cents a pound. Check out farmers markets for fruit and vegetables.

EmilySueGermain

@jefarmer2017 I do this as well! My husband and I are investing in a small freezer to help accommodate, I also will buy fruit on sale and freeze for smoothies.

forumromanus77

A great thing to do for breakfast on a budget is homemade oat muffins. One batch will last the week, it's super convenient, and it's a kick of protein in the morning.

2 1/2 cups of oats (blitz in a food processor or blender to make it more flour-y)
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1-2 tbsp. of honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup of walnuts (optional)

Mix all that stuff up, pour into a greased (or lined) muffin pan, bake at 350 for about 12-16 minutes. It varies depending on how much batter you put in each tin. Store in a ziplock bag or tupperware, lasts slightly longer in the fridge but can be left on the counter as well.

Pastaprincess1978

I just posted a recipe for bolognaise sauce that is dirt cheap to make Also get rolled oats for breakfast and eat with whatever fruit is in season (I like strawberries or bananas). Good luck!

aggiumma

I really like recipes on skinnytaste blog. We've been loving Korean beef bowls from it recently - it's so cheap to make and around 400-500 calories per serving. Her recipes are pretty easy to tweak so when I don't have fancy ingredients, I can usually skip/substitute without an issue. Another hit is salsa chicken in a crock pot. Dump chicken in the crock pot covered in salsa, let it cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours high. Shred the chicken with forks and serve over rice or salad. Or as tacos. We also buy a lot of frozen vegetables from Costco and that helps reduce waste.

skinnysweat

SparkRecipes has a decent app for iPhone and they list the nutritional information out. I’ve tried several recipes from there that were good! I’m a low cal/ low carb lifestyle on a budget

laur357

I also second Budget Bytes! She's been posting meal prep recipes recently as well.

Otherwise, I do a lot of bean-based dishes. Both dry and canned are economical, and can be used in so many ways. In salads, pasta, rice, chilis - they help bulk up other ingredients too, like subbing half of the ground beef for tacos with black beans.

vmlabute

Breakfast: Fruit Smoothies with whey protein (buy big bag on Amazon Prime, Frozen fruit from Costco)
Snack: Trail Mix (HomeGoods or mix your own from bulk section of store)
Lunch: 4oz chicken breast, broccoli, brown rice/quinoa mix (Meal prep on Sundays. Chicken $1.69/lb, Broccoli $1.69/bag, Brown Rice $3.99/bag, Quinoa $3.99/bag - All from Aldi)
Dinner: Farm raised pork or beef (buy 1/4 cow or whole pig from local farm), in season veggies, sweet or red potatoes

erickirb

The easiest way to lose weight on a budget is to eat less of the same things you used to eat. You will save money as you will be buying less of what you currently do

TynaBaby17

Favorite breakfast foods: baby carrots, rice cakes, oatmeal, fruit, whole wheat toast, yogurt, clementines

Favorite lunches: small chicken wrap, scrambled egg on toast with avocado or spinach, meal substitute shake, peanut butter toasts with banana, oatmeal, small turkey sandwhich

Favorite dinners: sweet potatoes, veggies, chicken, brown rice, pinto beans with chicken and veggies for burrito bowls, chicken sandwiches with avocado and tomato, chicken salads, cauliflower pizza, veggie or whole wheat pasta with squash or zucchini.

you can always get creative! and I've found that since I started buying more whole foods and veggies and cutting out the chips and desserts and junk that my grocery bill has gone down! maybe cause we're eating more efficiently, or at home more? I'm not super sure but it's definitely possible to eat healthy on a budget, and my husband and I are both still in college haha! I think planning what you're going to eat helps keep costs down the best

FrumMama

Huevos rancheros (or shakshuka, which is similar) are good. Essentially salsa and beans topped with eggs, but I add veggies (zucchini, onions, peppers) to bulk it up and add nutrition.

Quesadillas, if wraps aren't too expensive. I like to make black bean ones, just mash up the beans and add some salsa, I'll sprinkle a bit of grated cheese on it too.

Stews are pretty economical and can be healthy if you use lots of veggies and not a ton of meat. And very flavorful.

Soups can also be both healthy and economical. We make one out of zucchini, a potato or two, onions, carrots, and add a few basic spices (garlic powder, salt, pepper) then blend. It's delicious but so simple to make. I've also made an absolutely delicious roasted vegetable soup, but it takes much longer to make because you have to chop and roast the veggies first, so I don't often have the patience for it Chicken soup too, yum, let the bones of the chicken simmer all day long (keep them in a bag so you don't have to fish them out of your soup). Then add carrots and onions and celery for the last half hour or so and eat. Comfort food, and as cheap as you can get.

Stir fries are good. Even if you buy the ready made frozen stir fry veggies, I can easily get a bag here for a dollar and a half. Just needs a bit of soy sauce, or you can make a light garlic sauce for a few more calories. And you can throw in a chicken breast cut into pieces without it feeling like you're skimping.

I'll also bake sweet potatoes and top with corn, beans, some sauteed veggies, and a bit of cheese. And lots of spices - chili powder, garlic and onion powders, paprika, salt, cumin...

Cabbage is cheap, but cabbage salad has a tough texture, so I like to saute it and put stuff on top of it. Or you can roast it in slices in the oven.

Spaghetti squash usually isn't horribly expensive, and I'll just mix it with some sauce and cheese for an easy dinner (if you've baked the squash beforehand). Or zucchini slices, baked in the oven for 20 minutes or so on 450, then top with sauce and cheese.

Hope that helps!

LadyElectron

chicken breasts cooked in the slow cooker with taco seasoning, easy to make and great for meal prep (can make tacos, eat with rice or beans, thin out and add some veggies to make soup)

I second budget bytes for affordable, simple, healthy recipes.

also, keeping your food simple will save money. just skip the fancy ingredients. let go of the idea you need to be gourmet chef all the time. it will still taste good if you add stuff you already have around rather than buy tons of specialty spices, cheeses, condiments you may not use again. I can't tell you how much money ive wasted getting like, udon noodles or a special kind of rice, or a certain kind of chili pepper from the over priced sections of my grocery store when I could have made the recipe with regular spaghetti noodles or rice or salsa or whatever and still been satisfied with tasty food.

but I think the biggest factor in saving money is where you shop. if you live by an Aldi, give them a try. you may be surprised how much quality food you can get for a small amount of money, esp for staples like meat, dairy, eggs, cheese, rice, canned beans. also "ethnic" grocery stores run by immigrants that cater to the community (like Mexican, Korean, Eastern European markets) often have great deals on meat, produce, and staples even though things like breakfast cereals or brand name bread and snacks will almost definitely be priced way higher than your local safeway, publix etx.

conniemaxwell5

Keep it simple. I buy 3 lb of chicken breast, some canned tuna in water and a frozen wild-caught salmon filet, some sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, baby carrots, a couple of salad mixes, some apples and bananas, a loaf of high fiber, whole grain bread, frozen broccoli, eggs, cheese and milk. I keep my pantry stocked with good quality oils, vinegars, canned beans and tomatoes, onions, garlic, nuts and grains. If I stick to that, I'm under $100 a week for groceries most of the time and I can put things together for good, healthy meals.

iowalinda

forumromanus77 wrote: »

A great thing to do for breakfast on a budget is homemade oat muffins. One batch will last the week, it's super convenient, and it's a kick of protein in the morning.

2 1/2 cups of oats (blitz in a food processor or blender to make it more flour-y)
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1-2 tbsp. of honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup of walnuts (optional)

Mix all that stuff up, pour into a greased (or lined) muffin pan, bake at 350 for about 12-16 minutes. It varies depending on how much batter you put in each tin. Store in a ziplock bag or tupperware, lasts slightly longer in the fridge but can be left on the counter as well.

How many muffins does this make? How many calories per muffin?

TeaBea

Pastaprincess1978 wrote: »

I just posted a recipe for bolognaise sauce that is dirt cheap to make Also get rolled oats for breakfast and eat with whatever fruit is in season (I like strawberries or bananas). Good luck!

I love the texture of steel cut oats.....buy in bulk if you can.

I make a big batch in the crockpot with milk+water. This gives the oatmeal a protein kick. So many add-ins; pumpkin puree with cinnamon, peanut butter, or craisins. If you're not keen on sweet oats check out savory options: https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/16-savory-oatmeal-recipes

kristingjertsen

I have been adding whole grains and beans to my diet. A bag of farro and a bag of red lentils makes a lot of meals. I also eat eggs for the protein. I am focusing on in season veggies and less expensive veggies like carrots, squash, zucchini, green peppers, and the dollar sale rack at the grocery store. Right now I am doing a "pantry challenge" to see how many healthy meals I can make just using the ingredients I have on hand (not for family meals because they would balk, but for my breakfast and lunch at home). Try oatmeal, grits, or wholegrain cereal for breakfast, add milk, fruit, nuts, spices, maple syrup, stevia, whatever fits your tastes. Lunch can be a brown rice or other whole grain stir fry with veggies, beans, eggs, leftover meat, seasoned to taste. Be creative--you can lose weight, save money, and get healthy without spending a lot of money. There are so many good sites online for ideas--I love skinnytaste, allrecipes, bon appetit. Good luck to you!

ejbronte

iowalinda wrote: »

forumromanus77 wrote: »

A great thing to do for breakfast on a budget is homemade oat muffins. One batch will last the week, it's super convenient, and it's a kick of protein in the morning.

2 1/2 cups of oats (blitz in a food processor or blender to make it more flour-y)
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1-2 tbsp. of honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup of walnuts (optional)

Mix all that stuff up, pour into a greased (or lined) muffin pan, bake at 350 for about 12-16 minutes. It varies depending on how much batter you put in each tin. Store in a ziplock bag or tupperware, lasts slightly longer in the fridge but can be left on the counter as well.

How many muffins does this make? How many calories per muffin?

I do something similar, but with a combination of whole wheat and oat flour, and no nuts; hefty pinches of cinnamon, ginger, and a bit of pepper to liven things up. Banana I eat whole along with the muffin. My batch usually works out to about a dozen, 1/4 cup per muffin container; anywhere between 130 and 170 calories, depending on my variations (water or milk or yogurt or kefir; that sort of thing). 3 g of fiber, and 3 of protein; VERY low on sodium, which is one of my main objectives with my recipes.

alcomer

Do you have an Aldi near by? Their foods are great, many organic, low calorie, healthy options. The produce there is very reasonable. I do 75% of my grocery shopping there, prices are so much lower than grocery stores.

DomesticKat

Having fewer options and learning how to rotate through them and use ingredients in various ways can help a lot. I love huge bags of frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and stir-fry vegetables to bulk up meals. I also make carrot and cabbage slaw for stir-fries and soups. Meat is never the superstar of my meals but it's always there in appropriate quantities. It's amazing how much money you can save once you realize what an actual serving of meat is.

I make sure I have a wide variety of pantry goods, seasoning, and condiments like rice wine vinegar, sriracha, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cooking stock, canned tomatoes, dry pasta, etc. You can come up with lots of good tasting options and not get bored. Budget Bytes and Skinny Taste both have some great, quick meals for things like soups, stir-fries, pasta dishes with lots of vegetables, and noodle bowls.

ncmollyc

Yes aldi is a god send for making the food budget go further and they do have good produce and fruit I buy my meat in bulk during meat sales at a local store with a butcher shop

ncmollyc

All recipes if look at the recipe categories has plenty of recipes that can be budget friendly allrecipes.com/recipes/ also 15522/everyday-cooking/budget-cooking/

horsmankt

I like to make scrambled egg muffins. They are easy to make for breakfast or a snack. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/scrambled-egg-muffins
Just an example recipe. I add whatever we have leftover or in the fridge that sounds good.

freespirit6315

Thanks everyone! for all the great recipe websites I appreciate it.