Healthy an cheap!

shandacain

Hi everyone!

I want to know why some of to know what your recipes are that are extremely cheap but still healthy. Since I live with 4 other people(and I'm not the one who cooks) I need to find a healthy alternative to dinners and lunches. I don't have much cash to spend on food(only working part time) and no one else wants to follow a healthier diet with me.

kshadows

Making little changes can help: swapping out white breads and rolls for whole grain, for example.

I've found that planning ahead, and cooking ahead help save a lot of money. I usually make a big portion of something (soup, chili, goulash, etc) on Sunday and bring it throughout the week for lunches. I also bring dinner leftovers to work for lunch too.

ortega1990

Produce - produce is cheap. You can roast almost any vegetable: squash, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes... you get the idea. All you need to roast them is some olive oil, salt, pepper, and an over set to 400 degrees F. Easy peasy and cheap.

wkwebby

Hard boiled eggs as a snack for on the go to get some extra protein! Frozen veggies so that you don't have to worry about them going bad if you or your roommates don't eat them in a small amount of time. Then the ultimate staple is chicken breast in bulk so that you can freeze unused portions and defrost as needed.

melduf

If you're not the one cooking and doing the grocery, the only things you control are your portions and your snacks. Been there!

If the diner you are served goes along this : meat with gravy, mashed potaoes and steamed carrots
Then you should have a generous portion of meat, easy on the gravy and potatoes and knock yourself out with the carrots.

Make sure you avoid "empty" snacks, meaning things that won't sustain you (not enough protein or fiber).

Good luck!

NK1112

MyFittnessPal blog has a section on eating that provides some recipes for healthy eating ...the link is on the menu bar ...
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com

Look around ...

However, to not brush you off, I think a good idea might be to make a list of the foods you like to eat, by category. For example ... if you went to the grocery store and put into the basket only the foods you like to eat ... what would you have in that cart. That way, when you look at recipes to try you can look for the foods you enjoy eating.

barronsm43

Beans (pinto beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, navy beans) are healthy and cheap, they have protein and enough fiber to offset some of the carbohydrate count, and they are filling. Hang out at the meat counter when you know they are marking down things (Mondays) and take advantage of marked down chicken or whatever you like. Take it home and freeze it individually for later use. Buy produce and keep your salads (lettuce mixes) in mason jars in fridge so they won't spoil before you eat them. EGGS are the cheapest form of great protein!!!! Eat scrambled eggs for dinner, omelets, eggs are also one of the healthiest thing you can eat! No they don't give you high cholesterol. No sodas (expensive) and empty calories. Don't buy the processed white flour foods: white bread, pastas, or potatoes either. They're not really cheap because they don't have much nutrition and they are converted to sugar in your body and go to fat. Fresh spinach is very good nutrition and pretty inexpensive.

TeaBea

Hi everyone!

I want to know why some of to know what your recipes are that are extremely cheap but still healthy. Since I live with 4 other people(and I'm not the one who cooks) I need to find a healthy alternative to dinners and lunches. I don't have much cash to spend on food(only working part time) and no one else wants to follow a healthier diet with me.

Add a serving of veggies to meals cooked by others. Buy frozen, those are priced pretty reasonably. Obviously this won't help with every meal. But adding broccoli to Tuna Helper can make a small serving feel like quite a bit of food.

If you don't want to cook for one, and you don't want to be tempted by something someone else has cooked (that you know won't fit your macros)......keep a couple of frozen dinners on hand. I buy whatever's on sale. Really cheap is Michelina's Lean. Adding veggies to frozen meals (they never have enough anyway) can make these more filling.

The poster above suggested soup.....really good idea. One batch and you have several meals. Invest in a crockpot if you don't already have one. Your cheapest meats will likely be tuna and poultry. Sub ground turkey for beef.

Eggs are not just for breakfast. Beans & lentils are filling and cheap.

FindingAmy77

you can get a 3lb/12 pcs of 4oz frozen chicken breasts at Walmart for only 6.98. you can get pretty creative with it and make it stretch far. chicken tortilla soup, chicken chilli, chicken tacos, stuffed chicken, (all with lots of vegies, canned is just as good and cheaper)

go meatless for dinner (stir fry) or chilli with different kinds of beans, tomatoe juice, seasoning, vegies

breakfast for dinner: frtatatas, quiche, etc

only make enough for the amount of people you are serving, no seconds or leftovers (but if you do have leftovers > freeze them immediately for another time)

go on recipe sites like kraft.com or anywhere else and see what you have on hand that can be siimiliar to a recipe or use their suggestions tool

keep things basic as can be, meal plan for the week and see how you can make one package of meat stretch for as many meals you can. buy on sale things.

try a basic pot pie out of a can of beef stew or can of cream of chicken chunky soup and crescent rolls or bisquick mix on top.

sometimes eating on a budget and eating healthy is a give and take balance. it can be done but you have to just put a little thought and creativity into it. I do it every week. I am saving the most money and making the best meals I ever have due to a lot of preplanning and trying out new recipes and/or getting creative. facebook has great recipe sites too. I like a lot of their ideas.