Healthy Family Meals when your broke & not a good cook?

DawnOf1969

Hmm...well this is what our family of three eats on most occassions:

grilled chicken or turkey breast (4 oz/person) = $1.50
frozen veggies (1 1/2 cups/person) = $1.50
instant rice (3/4 cup/person, cooked) = $1.00 (guessing high here)
Grand Totals = About 400 calories & $1.33 per person

Key is to buy in BULK and to keep it simple.

So are you saying that for 1 lb of chicken breast (4 oz per person x 4 people) you only pay $1.50? or is that $1.50 per person. If it's the latter then it's more than $1.33 per person. If not, then where are you finding chicken breast for $1.50/lb?

AsaThorsWoman

I love this salad! 1-2 tomatoes, 1 cucumber, olive oil and vinegar, or an olive oil and vinegar dressing.

Chop up, mix. Sooooo Yummy! And nutrient dense!

LilynEdensmom

I know alot disagree but lean ground beef, then you can make spaghetti sauce (use whole grain noodles) chili taco meat, hamburgers and its all about portion size...For my budget ground turkey doesn't work, not to mention the kids won't eat it.
again I know alot will disagree but I love frozen meals tonight I'm fixing a Stouffer's Farmers' Harvest throwing some baby spinach in it and it has roughly 250 cals a serving, it is whole grain, yes high in sodium,..but is easy

brookeybaby_00

Bump!

st27

I buy in bulk whe I can. I bake alot and use my crock pot.You can make great soups and stews in it.I make chicken soup with lots of veggies. Beef stew with veggies. Lamb stew with veggie and rice. Chili with meat and with out. And I bake chicken parts severed with rice and veggies. Hope this helps.

ArchyJill

Hmm...well this is what our family of three eats on most occassions:

grilled chicken or turkey breast (4 oz/person) = $1.50
frozen veggies (1 1/2 cups/person) = $1.50
instant rice (3/4 cup/person, cooked) = $1.00 (guessing high here)
Grand Totals = About 400 calories & $1.33 per person

Key is to buy in BULK and to keep it simple.

So are you saying that for 1 lb of chicken breast (4 oz per person x 4 people) you only pay $1.50? or is that $1.50 per person. If it's the latter then it's more than $1.33 per person. If not, then where are you finding chicken breast for $1.50/lb?

That is for a family of THREE (not four), so 12oz for $1.50 = about $0.125/ounce or about $2.00/pound. Sometimes I pay a bit more (like $2.15) or less ($1.69) but if you keep an eye out and buy only when it's cheap its very doable. Your freezer will run better full anyway!

bsexton3

Great ideas.

To mix things up, we cook cous cous, rice medleys, etc. from Trader Joe's as side dishes.

We recently won a Traeger (I know they are expensive), but they cook meat with a lot more flavor than a grill and just as quick.

Another way to cook quick and cheap is to cook slow--meaning slow cooker or crock pot. We often buy pork riblets, the leftovers at a very low price. I simply put them in the crock pot in the morning on low. When I come home from work, they are completely cooked. No added calories. My kids put on BBQ sauce. I put on a little, but I know exactly how many calories I add. Another pork dish I do often is using liquid smoke on a pork picnic roast in the crock pot. Again, all day. When I get home, it makes a good roast, or can be pulled for pulled pork.

I am also turning to soups. Again, quick if prepared the night before if you don't have time in the morning. (I do have a little time before I go to work after my wife does.) I am going to try a pumpkin curry chicken or tofu soup soon. Again, soups are quick and recipes can be found at sites like allrecipes.com. Simply throw things in the pot and let cook all day. Ready when you get home. With soups, I can decide how much salt I add.

Finally, don't forget breakfast. Cereal is very expensive for what you get. I haven't eaten boxed cereal for 10 years. My wife has a granola and a muesli recipe that she makes about once a month (takes about an hour each). We also eat Bob's Red Mill hot cereals. At $1 per pound and eating only 1/4 to 1/3 a cup per morning, it is fairly cheep.

Finally, my wife and I have a division of labor. I cook breakfast every morning. She cooks dinner every evening unless I am off and BBQ. Lunch is leftovers or yogurt and berries.

Good luck.

bsexton3

One last thing. A good cook is simply someone who was a bad cook once but kept trying. When someone makes something you like, ask them for the recipe. If it doesn't come out the same, ask them for ideas.

Be free to laugh at yourself, throw something out and start over. Years ago, my wife made a curry dish with way too much curry. We had little money, so the next day she added more to it. Still to much. After a week of adding things, we simply laughed and threw it out. 23 years later, we still laugh about it.

A good cook also learns what can and cannot be substituted in a recipe. allrecipes.com has great recipes. If you read below, you learn how others adjust the recipes.

I also learned to sort by ranking and what comes up first. Type in lasagna, you will get a list. If you click on the rankings, you get The World's Best Lasagna with other 3,000 giving it 5 stars. It is wonderful. To save money on it, I buy a #10 (The big cans) can of tomato sauce and tomato chunks at Costco. Then, I add the meat and spicing listed (increased for the amount of tomato). I cook it in my turkey roaster pan. It makes enough for probably six lasagnas. I freeze it and use it as spaghetti sauce, or lasagna. Again, reading their recommendations, I learned that i don't need to cook lasagna noodles ahead of time. They will be soft enough without cooking first. I may cook one lasagna for tonight while making another to freeze for next week. Can also use the sauce to make pizza sauce. Last Saturday, my wife spent 1 hour making two pizzas, using whole wheat flour. There is leftover pizza for the week, and it is healthier.

I have learned to bake over many years. I love to make cinnamon rolls, scones, breads. Now, I have one and give the rest away. Still cheaper to make a batch of scones, let my family eat what they want and take the rest to work for my friends. During the winter, I make bread, 4 loaves at a time. With few ingredients, I make $10 worth of bread. And, I cut down on the salt asked for. I get my yeast at Costco. More than I will ever use, so when I need it, I find a friend who also needs some. We split the cost. The brick at Costco is three times the amount of the same price as the jars in the grocery store. I put it in a quart jar in the fridge and it lasts for months.

Sorry I wrote so much. Find a good cook and ask for tips.

Claudia007

One last thing. A good cook is simply someone who was a bad cook once but kept trying. When someone makes something you like, ask them for the recipe. If it doesn't come out the same, ask them for ideas.

I have to agree here. I am by no means a good cook, but I like creating tasty, low-cal, good for you food so I web search for recipes and just follow them step by step. That's all cooking is, following directions! Of course, you can always adjust seasoning to your liking, or omit things you dislike, or add things you do. It's all about being creative

YourFriendBecky

Bumping for future reference!

WalkingGirl1985

I pretty much found a delicious chinese meal from healthy choice..340 cal 330 mg sodium with rice and fresh veggies included. was so yummy! Cost me about $3.50 at Walmart.

caitlinclock

Here are some sites with healthy cheap recipes:

http://vegweb.com
http://thirtyaweek.wordpress.com/
http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/

kaymd

Some of these are awesome meal ideas. I feed a family of 5 with two picky eaters so I welcome any ideas too. I will be referring back to this later for sure!

DawnOf1969

One of the quickest, easiest meals I made, that my ENTIRE family eats:
Pulled pork sandwiches

1 center cut boneless pork roast (around $5)
1 bottle BBQ sauce of choice (less than a buck typically)
Bread or buns ( less than a dollar)

Place roast in crockpot and cover with water. Sometimes I add a buillion cube to my water but not necessary. Cook all day on low.
Remove from water (I drain mine in a colander). Cut off fat if needed, and shred with two forks. Dump in bottle of BBQ sauce and combine with meat. Eat on bread or buns. Sometimes I even put it on my salad or nachos too. Feeds my entire family of four with lefovers for around $7.

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

i recommend anyone and everyone to consider getting into "super couponing" where you closely follow the sales cycles/promos and coupons out there and buy in quantity when the price is at its lowest and rotate what you are buying weekly based on what the deals are at the time. Establish a pantry and a well-stocked freezer and cooking cheaply will become much easier. "bulk" buys aren't always cheaper! And yes, there ARE good deals on healthy foods, but you have to look for them a little harder (they like to promote the junk!). I will NEVER pay more than 50 cents for a box of Healthy Harvest / Barilla Plus pasta. Never more than $1 for a box of Kashi cereal/granola bars, etc. I am sort of a coupon queen and anyone who knows me knows that I am always on the lookout for a good deal

That said, i think breakfast for dinner can be fast and filling and cheap.

I also like picking up a rotisserie chicken and stretching it into 2, 3 or sometimes 4 meals. (stir fry, pizza topping, as a 'meat side' to my veggies, homemade soup, etc).

I like to cook up some garlic, onion, zucchini, summer squash, peppers and a bunch of roma tomatoes (or a large can of diced tomatoes) and serve it over pasta w some parm one night and then as a side w my chicken another night. Some chicken, the veggie dish i just mentioned, some baked beans and a bunch of cucumber spears is fast and easy.

I also like to make a quick chili with only 1/2 the meat called for (like 1/2 lb meat to 2 cans beans + tomatoes, etc).

try adding new things to your stir fry...

fajitas or teriyaki roll-ups (basically strips of meat, onions and peppers stir fried and seasoned... can be a sodium trip-up, so watch the seasoning/sauce and choose wisely)

If you would like tips on how to follow the couponing blogs that do matchups with the stores that are in YOUR area, just let me know!

qwho

I like to cook up some garlic, onion, zucchini, summer squash, peppers and a bunch of roma tomatoes (or a large can of diced tomatoes) and serve it over pasta w some parm one night and then as a side w my chicken another night. Some chicken, the veggie dish i just mentioned, some baked beans and a bunch of cucumber spears is fast and easy.

I have never fixed fresh veggies, how does one cook the above? step by step directions would be great. I have also never had, let alone fixed spinach or asparagus, would love simple, tasty ways to use these

virginiagomes

Here are some sites with healthy cheap recipes:

http://vegweb.com
http://thirtyaweek.wordpress.com/
http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/

These are awesome websites. Thanks for sharing.

NoAdditives

First off, you can learn to love salad! My husband went from never eating (and practically hating) salad to loving and asking for salad all the time. When I make a salad it has lettuce (of course!), tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, carrots (for me, husband doesn't like them), avocado, ranch dressing. And honestly, it's delicious. Sometimes I'll add a little steak and some cheddar cheese. The flavor combo of steak, cheddar, avocado and ranch is HEAVENLY! Asian chicken salads are also super yummy. Butter lettuce, carrots, cucumber, crispy chow mein noodles, chicken and Asian dressing.

As far as being on a budget goes, I've been in the same situation for quite a while. It all comes down to your priorities and healthy, nutritious food should be a big one. Healthy, organic food may cost a little more but it's worth it, especially if you're trying to lose weight. And cooking at home is really a lot easier than a lot of people think. You just have to go for it. Processed foods are cheap for a reason, because they're full of preservatives, salt, sugar, and chemicals. Salad and steamed vegetables may not be appealing at first but you'll get used to them and then you'll love them. Just give yourself the room to have treats now and then and you won't go crazy.

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

I like to cook up some garlic, onion, zucchini, summer squash, peppers and a bunch of roma tomatoes (or a large can of diced tomatoes) and serve it over pasta w some parm one night and then as a side w my chicken another night. Some chicken, the veggie dish i just mentioned, some baked beans and a bunch of cucumber spears is fast and easy.

I have never fixed fresh veggies, how does one cook the above? step by step directions would be great. I have also never had, let alone fixed spinach or asparagus, would love simple, tasty ways to use these

first i get the veggies prepared so i can just toss them in the pan when its time. I know "real cooks" might have a better way to cook than i do, but here is what i do: Get a pan nice and hot, not HIGH, but still nice and warm. I use cast iron skillets so i dont need much olive oil added because the pan is old and well-seasoned. Anyhooo, i digress! Add a Tbsp or so of oil to your pan then throw in the garlic, onions, peppers (i really love yellow peppers!) cut into strips or ~ 1 inch chunks, zukes and squash either cut into disks or ~ 1 inch chunks and just keep moving them around in the pan till they start to develop a golden color. Then dump the tomatoes over top and heat that thru. You can turn it down and simmer on low if you want or serve, as-is now. You can use an immersion blender and make the veggies into a smooth sauce (what i do to get my kids to eat it) or leave it chunky (the way the adults prefer). You will want to hit it with a bit of black pepper and sea salt, to taste but try to go with the "less is more" route. .... If you are turning it into a spaghetti (smooth) sauce, you might want to try adding things like basil as well.

desirea2006

I think Jillian MIchaels said it best a few seasons ago on Biggest Loser "If it doesn't come from the dirt or have a mom don't eat it"