Inexpensive, low cal recipe exchange

erinmshafer

I don't know about anyone else, but I am sick and tired of paying too much to eat healthy. So many lower calorie products cost more than the regular version. There are some good cheaper choices out there though. Let's start a thread of your best low cal and inexpensive recipes. Any ideas? Mine is below.

The other day I got creative in the kitchen and invented this (yes, it's huge, but it was cheap and it freezes great).

Mega scrambled eggs
2 1/2 dozen eggs ($.99 on sale)
1 bag frozen spinach, thawed
1 pound mushrooms
3 big onions chopped
1 pound dry great northern beans, cooked
about 3 T vegetable oil

Soak and cook the beans (I do it in the crockpot). Divide onion, mushroom and oil evenly into 2 pans. Cook until soft. Squeeze spinach dry and divide into both pans. Break eggs into a bowl and whisk them very well. Divide into both pans and scramble. Add beans when cooked. Divide into freezer bags and freeze. Serve with salsa. 2/3 cup serving has about 200 calories and 26 g protien. It will keep you full.

weevil66

This sounds like a wonderful idea. When I get in tomorrow I will try to root around and calculate out one of the things Ilike to make.

erinmshafer

I would also like to add as I'm back up having a late night snack that I'd love anybody's ideas for snack foods that are lower in both price and calories too.

CassieReannan

Ultimate snack food..

I got this recipe of 4 ingredients.

Spaghetti Cupcakes

Makes 12

420g tin spaghetti in sauce
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups (200g) mozzarella cheese, grated (I used only one cup of light cheese which was mixed in the batter)
Spray oil


Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl beat eggs, then add 1 ½ cups cheese and the spaghetti and stir to combine. Grease muffin tins and evenly distribute the mixture across 12 muffin cups. Top each with remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes.

Optional: Have your kids decorate the tops of their “cupcakes” with sliced olives, mushrooms, ham or capsicum smiley

Really inexpensive to make and you can put vegetables on top or in the batter! Very versatile, about 70 cals per muffin.

invictus8

My super-healthy, low calorie go to food:

2 Joseph's pitas (With Flax): 60 calories each
Can of sardines with spring water: about 150 calories
Two tablespoons of brown mustard (no sugar should be in there)
Half of a medium onion (chopped)

Mix the mustard, onion, and sardines together into a pate. Eat with the pita. Delicious. Quick. Cheap. And not only low-calorie but filling and excellent for your health.

jlynn6810

Bump for later

cat_brandwood

I use the BBC good food website for a lot of recipes - they have a healthy recipes section and every recipe has the nutritional values listed. My husband made me this last week and it was delicious http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1982/onepot-lentil-chicken

kazhowe

bump

dawnblu

cut up watermelon or canteloupe and put large chunks on a skewer or popsicle stick and freeze. They make great pops and take longer to eat so you feel full. no cooking needed.

malikabajwa

Ultimate snack food..

I got this recipe of 4 ingredients.

Spaghetti Cupcakes

Makes 12

420g tin spaghetti in sauce
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups (200g) mozzarella cheese, grated (I used only one cup of light cheese which was mixed in the batter)
Spray oil


Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl beat eggs, then add 1 ½ cups cheese and the spaghetti and stir to combine. Grease muffin tins and evenly distribute the mixture across 12 muffin cups. Top each with remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes.

Optional: Have your kids decorate the tops of their “cupcakes” with sliced olives, mushrooms, ham or capsicum smiley

Really inexpensive to make and you can put vegetables on top or in the batter! Very versatile, about 70 cals per muffin.

This sounds very good and quite creative, Im definitely going to do this!

erinmshafer

I'm thinking you could try the spaghetti cupcakes with regular cooked spaghetti and jarred spaghetti sauce of your choice if you didn't want to use canned. I've made a spaghetti "pie" pretty similar to that and it worked. It'd be less sodium and easier to do a big batch.

Thirstygirl

i think this sounds awesome...

Ultimate snack food..

I got this recipe of 4 ingredients.

Spaghetti Cupcakes

Makes 12

420g tin spaghetti in sauce
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups (200g) mozzarella cheese, grated (I used only one cup of light cheese which was mixed in the batter)
Spray oil


Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl beat eggs, then add 1 ½ cups cheese and the spaghetti and stir to combine. Grease muffin tins and evenly distribute the mixture across 12 muffin cups. Top each with remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes.

Optional: Have your kids decorate the tops of their “cupcakes” with sliced olives, mushrooms, ham or capsicum smiley

Really inexpensive to make and you can put vegetables on top or in the batter! Very versatile, about 70 cals per muffin.

This sounds very good and quite creative, Im definitely going to do this!