Low calories, filling and cheap recipes?

InvisibleBra

Hey,

I'm 19 and I live alone. I also don't have a lot of income, I was wondering if there's any low calorie recipes that are filling but also cheap?

Like for example.. I've got half my calories left (666) and I'm still so hungry! Need some filly foods now lol :P

mikeroybal

I don't know what you have in your kitchen equipment wise but a slow cooker (crock pot), a bag of beans, some kale and a smoked turkey leg can make some great tasty meals the will stick with you. Just put the beans, turkey leg, and kale torn into pieces into the low cooker with enough water to cover by about 15 cm (it's ok if the kale floats on top) and let it go for about 6 hours. Take out the turkey leg shred it up remove the bones and toss the meat back in. I would salt it at the end because of the salt content of the turkey leg

VictoryGin12

Hey,

I'm 19 and I live alone. I also don't have a lot of income, I was wondering if there's any low calorie recipes that are filling but also cheap?

Like for example.. I've got half my calories left (666) and I'm still so hungry! Need some filly foods now lol :P

Nuts and seeds are hugely filling, even though they are calorie-dense. If you can spare about 200 calories, that will give you a large portion of nuts (around 30g) along with a handful of fresh vegetables. The vegetables will fill your stomach without adding calories, and the good fats in the nuts will give you energy and genuinely fill you up. I like shelled pistachio, because the shelling process paces you and makes you think you are eating more than you are. You could round that out with some celery, sliced pepper, carrot, etc. etc.

salembambi

Basmati Rice

you can have it with any veggies, salsa, sauces, beans, soy sauce , tofu , in tacos , in wraps

Nuts is a good idea too and oatmeal

Seajolly

My advice is to buy in bulk, because it will be cheaper than buying pre-portioned meals. Healthy and relatively cheap things I'd recommend buying in bulk are: beans, yogurt (but make sure it isn't filled with sugar, and has a good amount of protein - I recommend Greek yogurt), fruit such as apples and bananas, eggs, cottage cheese, canned salmon, etc. It helps to make a huge pot of soup or a large salad and then spread it out for multiple meals.

emirror

Tilapia fillets. You can have 8 oz for 200 calories and 40g of protein. Cook it in the microwave in Ziploc microwave steamer bags, with a bunch of Mrs Dash salt - free (whatever flavor you like, I like chili-lime) for about 5 minutes. You can get the fish in big bags at walmart for around $15, and they last me about a week of eating that 1-2 times per day.

widebride

I usually bought frozen chicken breasts and steamable vegetable bags in college

kenziebeeee

One of the healthiest, most filling soups is Lentil and there are tons of recipes online! You can make a ton and freeze it or have it for leftovers and it won't cost you a lot at all. Eggs are another option that are easily combined with different foods that you probably already have at home

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Eggs, tuna, ground beef/chicken. I can make a huge pot of spaghetti sauce that lasts for many meals....just make and freeze and sub spaghetti squash for the noodles. A spaghetti squash can give you a ton of food! Also making things like beef barley vegetable soup from scratch. Not too pricey, but the amount of food it makes is crazy!

vegan4lyfe2012

As another person said, lentils are super cheap and filling. Here's a link to my Balsamic Lentil Salad recipe: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2641863&ff=1

Soritaia

one of my no money solutions is vegan split pea soup
with out the spices it costs me around $5 a pot. I normally get around 7 -8 servings from it.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vegan-split-pea-soup-i/

if you do make it i would cut the salt a little and add way more water.

TANSHIHJEN

peanut butter or olive oil~ one serving of PB (2 tablespoon) give u 200calorie~

meagalayne

Make a pot of split pea soup or lentil soup with seasonal veggies, spices, and it will be cheap and last upto a week in the fridge. You can also freeze the leftovers for a rainy day.

laurenpjokl

I'm in a very similar position to you. 19, on my own, living on a budget!

Cook rice in stock (I just use dry stock cubes and water) and add lots of veg like peas and peppers (which you can buy frozen at the supermarket.)

Cook down chopped tomatoes into a sauce and add seasoning (stock cubes, any herbs you might have, or just salt and pepper) and pretty much any veg you happen to have. You can use this with pasta or anything else you fancy. You can also put this sauce in a small ovenproof dish, crack an egg on it, then put it in the oven for just long enough for the egg to set.

For me, buying meat is the real killer, I tend to eat a lot eggs and beans for protein, but if you can afford it then you can just wrap chicken/turkey breasts in foil and bang them in the oven for twenty minutes and serve them with whatever. If you're struggling with the calories you can always put some of the cooked meat aside and use it for lunch the next day.

I find potatoes far more filling than pasta or rice, but they are more expensive.

youngmommy2

eggs/egg whites. I usually make an omelet with one egg and 1 or two egg whites and veggies add a slice of toast or some fruit. very filling.

tuna is another great option. I dump a can over about five cups of lettuce, add veggies maybe croutons and use a vinaigrette dressing.

broth based soups can be filling or chili made with ground turkey or lean beef. I like to add peppers, onions,mushrooms to bulk it up for less calories.

somebody said spaghetti squash which is another good option. I like to mix mine with some angel hair pasta. makes it more satisfying for me. I feel like i'm getting a bigger portion of pasta but the spaghetti squash has few calories. add in some lean ground meat.

shrimp and fish are also fantastic options. lots of filling protein. pair with rice or a baked sweet potato and veggies.

BaoCat

Rice and beans in bulk. A good wok (or keep a cheap one well oiled!) Eggs, lots of whatever veggies are cheapest. I find freezer veggies as a staple, because it's easier to dole out without waste when you're cooking for one.

Chili (homemade, light on the meat or with meat replacement.) I usually chop up small some veggies in my chili, besides the diced tomatoes. Can eat over salad greens or pasta to stretch it out.

Save up for a good rice cooker than can act as a slow cooker if you don't have either. Worth it's weight in gold. I have a small sanyo and it's big enough to cook a 2 lb pork roast. Even now that I'm doing low carb, it still gets regular use as a slow cooker.

Wok cooking means little need for specific recipes. You get use to just varying sauces to suit the meat / veggie.

I went through alot of taters, carrots, green beans, peanut butter, mac and cheese (with hit dogs in it!), and tuna in college. Not exactly exciting, but there were times when I had almost $0 dollars left for food. I always asked for Peanut Butter and Tuna care packages from home. Sometimes tuna and hot dogs were my meat staples for the month...

If you like vegetarian, look at TVP and TSP recipes as well. If you can get it bulk, it can be a decent hamburger replacement for chili and such (and an easy pantry staple). I think it works best in chili when used with a small amount of meat - the faux meat sucks up the flavor of it.

If you like noodles, noodle bowl variations can be fun. You don't have to go fancy on the broths, but you can serve it with a hard boiled egg, chopped veggies, etc. Miso (if you like it) can be purchased pretty cheaply at asian grocery stores, as well as tons of sauces. Usually I'm happy with a miso, a black bean soy, a light soy, powdered ginger, peanut butter, fish sauce, and some chili pepper paste. You can do alot with little bits of those and steal other seasonings from recipes online.

jldoody

one of my favorite meals that is very inexpensive is carrot soup. I buy a bag of carrots, peel and boil in water until soft. I usually throw in a small potato chunked up, and if I have some around a half link of portugese sausage (linquica or chorizo) in with the carrots. I then puree the whole thing (including the water it was boiled in). I depending on how much water was in the pot to begin with, I may have to add more watter to thin it to a more soup like consistency. I will put back on stove top and put in a 1/4 cup or so of the tiny pasta (alphabet or what ever small stuff I have) till the pasta is cooked (5 minutes or so). I will get several meals out of this. I'll eat it with some bread - and since the soup is hot, I don't care if the bread is a little stale b/c I'll dip the bread in the soup which softens it up anyway. You can use chicken or vegetable stock intead of water, but not a requirement. when my mom makes it she'll also throw in some tomato paste.

if you like cauliflower - here's another soup idea: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/01/dads-creamy-cauliflower-soup-1-pt.html its one of my favorites - b/c I don't care for onions I don't use them in it. to make it a little different, I've also put in some corn after its puree'd to give it a sort of corn chowder feel/taste. i've tried with regular and creamed corn. it add's calories with teh corn, but I don't put a ton in, just enough to change it up. (usually I eat without first night, and then 2nd night will put in some corn to change it up a bit)

gypsyone96

Go with canned goods if you're on a budget. Everything from canned tuna to veggies.
You can also never go wrong with eggs! They're super filling and super cheap!

dreamer12151

If you have a library card, hit the library & grab a few cookbooks - there are a few that will be sure to get a few "keepers" for you. One of my "go to" meals is "Turkey Corn Chili":

Fresh Ground Turkey 1 Pound (480 cals)
Light Red Kidney Beans 1 can, drained & rinsed (350 cals)
Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, 1 can (50 cals)
Corn - Frozen Veggie Values Corn, 1 cup (160 cals)
Granulated Sugar, 2 tsp. (32 cals)
Water - 2 cups (0 cals)
Old El Paso Reduced Sodium Taco Seasoning Mix, 1 Pouch (6g)

Spray a few prays of Pam spray in a pot & brown up the turkey. Drain. Return turkey to the pot & add everything else. Simmer for 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings at 298 calories each.

In fact, I'm having this tonight!