Healthy Cheap recipes?/Things to do with Ramen?

Nancy_AZ60

Throw the RAMEN out.. That is about the worst thing you can eat.

Cook your own whole grain noodles ( Cheap) use Chicken stock or Beef stock to flavor it, if you eat meat.
Throw in a bag of frozen Veggies ( Get them on sale for 10 for $10) and cook . A little corn starch will thicken it too.

tnrown87

Liver onions, and frozen peas!

cowgirlup327

If you have produce markets that sell bulk quantities (1-2 lbs of pre-bagged fruits/veggies for a couple dollars), that's a great place to start. Sometimes it's hard to get through the quantity before the produce starts to turn, but if you're splitting it with a roommate then you can probably go through it fast enough. Look for low calorie items that are a little more filling, but not empty calories - low fat string cheese, peanut butter and apple slices, veggies with hummus, yogurt, a pouch of tuna with crackers, hard boiled eggsetc. When you buy your greens, get a head of romaine lettuce rather than bagged - it's cheaper. A great and cheap "cheat" I like to get is rotisserie chicken. I can buy a plain, cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store deli for about $6, and one week I used it for 5 meals (it's great for adding some chicken to salads). Try not to get stuck in the trap of cheap but processed foods - they will do nothing good for your health. If you like pasta, try the no yolk egg noodles. A great meal that goes a long way is chili (made with ground turkey). I can make a pot full for less than $10 and always have lots to store in the freezer for later. Getting some basics at bigger stores like Walmart or Target can definitely save some money, and go for store brand if it's available. A lot of people are into "couponing," but I find that leads to purchasing a lot of processed foods, which again aren't going to help with nutrition. Having survived the college days, I know it can be tough. If you're on a college campus or working most days, be sure to pack snacks/lunch for yourself so you're not tempted to buy food. It's probably over-priced and not nutritionally the best - what you can prepare for yourself at home is probably cheaper.

yo_andi

Here you go:

http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/

And here's some info on ramen noodles:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/09/ramen-digestion_n_1263825.html

Akimajuktuq

I was broke and hungry when I was your age. I, too, ate the ramen noodles. Strangely, even though I was almost starving (I went as long as 3 days without food frequently), I did not lose very much weight but I did start to get unhealthy.

If I were in that boat again, I would probably eat rice, beans, ground beef, chicken (dark meat is cheaper and healthy!), celery, onions, spinach, spaghetti sauce, nut butters, coconut etc (and skip the pizza and beer night when I did get money!). While I don't eat grains or legumes now, it's a different story when one is just trying to survive. Tuna is good, even though I don't like canned foods, but the kinds with less mercury are also more expensive.

MichelleLaree13

First off, do you have a Grocery Outlet or discount food place where you are? Do you know which grocery store run clearance items when they dont sell well? Smiths Grocery does where I am. Foods that are close to expiration normally are half or a quarter price. Healthier foods like whole grain pasta with extra fiber get the clearance stickers a lot. I use to be in the college days and poorer so I completely understand. So this is what to do:
Shop the discount store first for the really good deals. Our grocery outlet sells cheese for like 1/2 price and many times I can find out of season unexpired things like spiced mixed nuts for $1 a can which is closer to a tenth the price as normal.
Go to a regular store second and walk around looking at any clearance items. Day old fancy (example: whole grain with sprouted seed) bread is 1/2 the price. Extra ripe bananas are 1/2 the price (25 cents a lb). I check for bruises. I am good with a black peel but if half the banana is ruined it is not worth it. I like ripe bananas but if you dont banana bread is always good too.
Next shop the sales for fruit and veggies that are on good sales. I use to not buy anything over a $1 a lb. Normally bananas, apples, oranges and melon are all cheap fruits. Normally carrots (unpeeled), celery, onions, tomatoes and lettuce are cheap veggies. Potatoes are always a good investment at 25-50 cents a pound. Eggs, beans and rice are cheap.
I was practically vegetarian because meat is on the spendier side. I use to be healthy on less than $100 of groceries a week. I am sure I could have done it for less if it was necessary.

Strobins05

Beans, rice, oats, potatoes, tuna, marinara sauce .....

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/cheap-healthy-15-nutritious-foods-about-2-dollars

Great tip! Seriously, in College we lived off marinara sauce and grilled cheese sandwiches.

MichelleLaree13

Ramen noodles are BAD. Way too much sodium and no nutritional value.
As someone else said, a big pot of Lentil soup is great! I make that regularly. Pretty much any soup can be healthy and cheap.
Or Casserole's as well.
Shop sales and look at what's in season. Then build your meals from that. The internet is a great place to find healthy, cheap and affordable recipes.

I make lentil and pea soup. I buy whatever lentils and peas are in the bulk bins (like 50 cents a pound) at Winco. Add some onions, carrots and boullion and done. So cheap! :drinker:

mystinamarie

One of my favorite, cheap meals to make only costs a few dollars and makes a big pot that feeds me and my husband for a few days.

Take 1.5 cup rice and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower, and let simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, open the lid and add a rinsed can of black beans, a cup of salsa, and about 1.5 cups frozen corn. Stir everything and let it cook on low another 10 minutes. You can top it with shredded cheese or sour cream, but it's really good as is!

If you still want to go the ramen route- throw out their little seasoning packet and use your own homeade stock, or find a healthier vegetarian boullion to add. Also, bulk it up with lots of frozen or fresh veggies, so the bowl goes a long way.

foxyforce

rice is really cheap

i usually buy wild rice and always have a container ready in my fridge, that way you can add a little bit to salads, chili, and other meals to bulk it up a bit.

also, buy veggies, cut them into pieces and freeze them: zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, peas, etc., that way when you want veggies you can eat freshly frozen ones and not ones out of a can. you can also put whatever veg in it you want so you get variety.

every week i grill a different type of meat. last week i did chicken breast. and we pretty much had chicken breast in sandwhiches, salads, by itself, etc. it saves on costs instead of cooking chicken breast one night, roast beef another, etc.

lunch meats are also not so bad.


good luck!