Eating healthy on a budget!

keepitcroosh

I am currently trying to save some cash and need some new recipe ideas for lunches and dinner. Any ideas would be great!

tulip_girl100

I am in a similar situation myself and I find that lunch is the hardest meal of the day for me, because i am at work therefore want something yummy to look forward to but don't want to be hungry mid-afternoon.

I don't know where you live but can you shop at a market? I give myself a weekly budget and physically take the cash out of the cash point so I can't spend more and the some weeks it will roll over. For lunches, I like having salads but i always bulk them out with giant wholewheat couscous/wheatberries/pasta- you don't need a lot so i've bought large packets of them and they really fill out a salad and are super healthy.

I think the another thing is not wasting any food, for example, today i made roasted butternut squash risotto and i'll have the rest of the squash tomorrow in my salad with leaves, beetroot (so cheap), and wheatberries and that's only half a squash (!). I would say tins of beans, jacket potatos and cottage cheese are a must- so cheap and very filling!

I would also advise, buying large packs of the basics which is an initial outlay but they would last ages- lentils, pasta, wheatberries, quinoa, bulgar wheat etc. Also, buy good quality soup because even though it's a little more expensive it will fill you up and give you more health benefits than cheapo soup- you can also bulk it out with vermicelli or other pasta which is a good tip.

Hope that helps a little and good luck!!

lisapr123

I cook one or two dishes on Sunday and we (husband and I) eat them for lunches most days. Eggplant lasagna, pasta salad with whole grain noodles and veggies (from our garden, if available...if not I use a lot of canned/jarred roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, etc...), chicken breasts, etc... 2 of us eat breakfast (mostly oatmeal), lunch, dinner at home 5 days a week for about $40 including fruits as snacks.

Lisasnomys

Hey

I am student so cash is sometimes tight. When I find meat on Special I buy it and then freeze in the correct portion sizes. Not only does it save me money but it also means I can just pull out one portion to control size it works for me.

ehorn625

When I was a kid my mom needed to feed a big family on a budget. One of the things she made was chicken cacciatore. She did it in a crockpot. What ever chicken was on sale (legs, thighs, etc-didn't matter), onions, peppers and tomato sauce. It was cooked in the crockpot for a few hours and served over pasta. We loved it! Also-shop the sales! We buy whatever is on sale. If its a really good sale we will by extra, freeze and use another day.

Make turkey meatballs. Just like the real thing, less expensive and better for you!

Scrambled egg or egg whites on a toasted English muffin with turkey or Canadian bacon-yum!

Good Luck!

dlbaron

Beans are cheap, filling, and relatively high in fiber and protein. Try making a big batch of bean salad, lentil dahl, or chili at the beginning of the week and portioning it out into tupperware to easily grab and bring with you. Allrecipes.com is nice for it's ingredient finder feature- you can type in which ingredients you have and need to use up (letting fresh fruit and veg go bad in the fridge is a waste of money) and it will bring up recipes with those ingredients. I usually just make up my bean salad and chili recipes. For example, a bean salad might include a can of rinsed garbanzo beans, red bell pepper, tomato, broccoli, parsley, onion, and any other veggies you have with olive oil and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. And always fresh ground pepper.

oOxXxOo

Currently obsessed with making zucchini noodles.
Anything veg heavy eating what is on special and in season.
Lamb shanks soup with barley and vegetables. Cook and then put it in the fridge, remove the excess fat that comes to the surface with a spoon.
Pumpkin soup.
Ratatouille.
Eggplant curry.
Yumyumyum.

raeCR

I keep beans in stock. I make them in a crock pot, fresh black beans, pinto beans and red beans. I cook each separately. Then I freeze them into serving size bags. An easy go to beans and rice, tacos, wraps... cheap and quick.

remimarie

I make mini fritatas for breakfast, but I suppose you can eat them from lunch and dinner. I also buy bulk from Costco and cut/season individual portions and place them in the freezer and take them out as needed. I also cook brown rice in a ricepot and scoop up 1 cup portions for lunch or dinner with some baked zucchini and salmon. I also have made mexican meatloaf and slice them and eat one-two slices for either lunch or dinner. These are just some ideas for you.

qtgonewild

at lunch I eat the same thing every day. lettuce wraps. add cucumber tomato mustard turkey and avocado. its so good I look forward to it every day. then I eat a side of pretzels (portioned) with it. prefect lunch. cheap.

spaingirl2011

I plan, plan, plan! I make a plan for the week and only shop for that. It's much easier to stick to my budget if I buy only what I need for the week. It also makes it easier to refrain from snacking if I buy only the things i plan on snacking on for the week. I'm less tempted to over-snack if there's not much to snack!

bethjpsu

One way to save is to buy larger sizes and portion them out (for some things- not my trigger foods!)- ex: greek yogurt- I buy the non fat plain 32 oz - (store brand or whatever is on sale) (or largest size) then portion out to a smaller 8 oz bowl when ready to eat- I use the individual sizes for only when I am out running around - will throw a little cooler bag in the car w/ snacks.

The small yogurts are over a $1.00 each - just this savings alone helps....

elphee

when you cook black beans in crock pot what do you add to them.Have loads of them waiting to be done, and then how do you use them. Regards elphee

Capt_Inzane

Breakfast: Oatmeal (don't get quaker oats pay a little more and get stoneground/rough oats) $3.00

Lunch: If you need you can get PB $2.50 Jelly $1.00 Bread $1.00 (use one slice of bread if low carb)

Dinners/Lunch:
I purchase a bag of (5-6) frozen tilapia $3.00, container of (6) chicken breast $4.00 (typically can get buy one /get one free)
Bag of Rice $1.00 (typically at least 4 servings if not closer to 5-6)
Frozen Vegetables (brocolli, cauliflower,etc) $1 dollar each (each bag has 2 servings)

So for under $20 dollars you can eat at least 3 meals a day and still have a little for snacks (apples, crackers, etc)

Other's have mentioned beans which is a great source of protein and is cheap as well.

biwiemann

Tuna in a can is cheap. I make lots of tuna salad and add whatever needs used up from my fridge in it, also. Today, I took what meat was leftover from the $5.50 rotisserie chicken from Wal-Mart and made chicken salad with mayo, mustard, a small apple on it's last leg, and a homegrown bell pepper. We had already ate the breast off the chicken at another meal and one of the legs (2 adults, 1 child). When I initially looked at it, I didn't figure there would be much left for what I wanted. Surprisingly, I bet there's enough there to make 3-4 good sized sandwiches.

I also like to make tacos. You can buy cheap 70/30 beef and brown it and drain the grease from it. Or you can use chicken, pork, or beans, or whatever other protein you choose. Canned tomatoes can replace fresh tomatoes here, also. Save the small tortilla chip pieces from the bottom of the bag and mix them into a salad and make taco salad.

kennie2

dry beans are ridiculously cheap compared to tinned!

remimarie

Breakfast: Oatmeal (don't get quaker oats pay a little more and get stoneground/rough oats) $3.00

Lunch: If you need you can get PB $2.50 Jelly $1.00 Bread $1.00 (use one slice of bread if low carb)

Dinners/Lunch:
I purchase a bag of (5-6) frozen tilapia $3.00, container of (6) chicken breast $4.00 (typically can get buy one /get one free)
Bag of Rice $1.00 (typically at least 4 servings if not closer to 5-6)
Frozen Vegetables (brocolli, cauliflower,etc) $1 dollar each (each bag has 2 servings)

So for under $20 dollars you can eat at least 3 meals a day and still have a little for snacks (apples, crackers, etc)

Other's have mentioned beans which is a great source of protein and is cheap as well.

Where do you live? These prices are so low! :-/

keepitcroosh

Breakfast: Oatmeal (don't get quaker oats pay a little more and get stoneground/rough oats) $3.00

Lunch: If you need you can get PB $2.50 Jelly $1.00 Bread $1.00 (use one slice of bread if low carb)

Dinners/Lunch:
I purchase a bag of (5-6) frozen tilapia $3.00, container of (6) chicken breast $4.00 (typically can get buy one /get one free)
Bag of Rice $1.00 (typically at least 4 servings if not closer to 5-6)
Frozen Vegetables (brocolli, cauliflower,etc) $1 dollar each (each bag has 2 servings)

So for under $20 dollars you can eat at least 3 meals a day and still have a little for snacks (apples, crackers, etc)

Other's have mentioned beans which is a great source of protein and is cheap as well.

Where do you live? These prices are so low! :-/

Agreed. Frozen veg here for a small bag is over $5

arabianhorselover

I can often get the basic frozen vegetables for $1.00 per 1 pound bag. Not much else is cheap around here, though. I live in the U.P. of Michigan.

keem88

i generally spend $160 a month on a large shop, and every week $10-15 on restock of produce or bread/eggs/milk.

i go to save a lot (not sure if you have that) or an aldis, they have great deals (especially milk, 2.99 a gallon!).

staple items i buy are dried beans, canned tomatoes (to make sauce), rice, pasta, 5lb bag potatoes (i make soups with the canned tomatoes, potatoes, other veg - can last me a weekk and much cheaper to make with better ingredients). quinoa and spinach to make my own patties (cheaper than buying veg burgers). eggs can be used in many forms. frozen veg can be cheaper as well, in season fresh produce is cheaper and local of course at a farm stand is cheaper with better quality. if you eat meat, a while chicken can be cooked in slow cooker, freeze portions to make it last longer without spoiling. canister of oats for breakfast, cereal (name brand at save a lot is no more than 2.99 for a large box). i buy cheese when it is on sale and freeze it

with this stuff i make:

veggie soup in slow cooker
enchilada casserole
egg dishes like breakfast burrito, egg sandwiches, omelettes, firttata with veg
stir fry
roasted garlic potatoes
mashed potatoes
spinach quinoa patties
various pasta dishes (baked ziti, spinach artichoke dip pasta, stroganoff, angel hair with roasted veg and olive oil, stuffed shells/manicotti, tortellini salad)
homemade seitan (sweet n sour seitan, seitan cheese steaks) - can use chicken instead
meatless ball hoagies
sausage when it is on sale (for my boo) - sausage peppers and onions on a roll (kaiser roll 70 cents each at a deli)
shepherds pie
baked cheesy spaghetti squash
eggplant dishes (eggplant curry over rice, eggplant parm, eggplant and mushrooms sautee tossed with homemade red sauce over pasta)
oatmeal for breakfast with things like pb and syrup mixed in, fruit mixed in (freeze it to last longer), applesauce and cinnamon
homemade chilli
other bean dishes (enchilada, quesadillas, tacos)

message me if you want any of these recipes, was not sure if you would like them so i didn't want to list them all and take up more space than i already am.

i also coupon a lot from the newspaper and from coupons.com. i feel like i am being ripped off if i shop without coupons. also compare local store flyers to get best deals.

eta: $160 a month plus the restock of produce egg milk bread is for 2 people, not sure how many in your household?

keem88

myfridgefood.com also gives recipes based on what ingredients you already have that way if you still have some random things and are not sure what to make before you are ready to shop again, check off everything and you can find some new ideas. that way you can even put off a grocery trip for a few days and use up whatever you have left before it goes to waste. it can be buggy though i emailed them yesterday and they are fixing the site so it works better.