Cheap, easy, AND healthy?

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jessedewdle
jessedewdle Posts: 12 Member
in Recipes
I am always on the go, with a few hours scattered in the week of free time that I clean and sometimes prepare food. I usually opt for microwave meals and I know although I choose lower calorie options, they still are not healthy for me. Are there foods I can prepare in advance that won't consume too much time? I've been thinking of making and freezing smoothies to eat through out the week. I will refrigerate peanut butter or ham sandwiches in advance at times. But these aren't always the greatest options either. I'm looking for suggestions, links, whatever.

Thanks guys!

(Cross posted in food and nutrition)

Replies

  • ittybittybadonkadonk
    ittybittybadonkadonk Posts: 11,634 Member
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    I love canyoustayfordinner.com and emilybites..com......great and easy recipes
  • Dee_84
    Dee_84 Posts: 431 Member
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    Chili is really easy to prepare and easy on the wallet. Brown some ground beef, add beans, tomatoes, corn, spices and let it simmer -> done :)

    Or mix up some overnight oatmeal. It stores really well in the fridge for a couple of days and you always have a breakfast/snack handy.
    Same with regular oatmeal, cook up some old-fashioned or steel-cut oats and keep in the fridge. Just pop it in the microwave to reheat.

    You can also prepare some brown rice and keep it in the fridge. It reheats well and can be used for so many things.
  • HollyLlama1980
    HollyLlama1980 Posts: 8
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    I have a large six quart crock pot that I use to make a batch of soup in. It's obviously easy and you can pretty much throw in whatever you want. Four or five chicken breasts, 4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth, corn, green beans, black/red/navy beans....the list goes on and on. Season it up real good and about six hours later, you've got soup that should easily last you a week. As far as storage, I use pint size mason jars. If you fill the jars while the soup is still hot, the lids will automatically seal themselves and they'll stay fresh in the fridge for over a week.
  • aniloth
    aniloth Posts: 3
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    I don't know how you feel about making a whole chicken, but if you have a few hours one day doing a whole chicken is a great (and cheap!) way to get a large amount of cooking done early. Having cooked chicken around all week makes cooking so much easier for me. You can toss it in a salad, add it to some pasta, throw in some veggies and rice for a quick stir fry, heat it up with some beans and taco seasoning, add some veggies for ready to assemble tacos, whatever you'd like.
  • HollyLlama1980
    HollyLlama1980 Posts: 8
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    Speaking of cooking a whole chicken, I just stumbled across this recipe yesterday. Seems like a super great idea!!

    http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Whole_Chicken
  • Summer_Lunatic
    Summer_Lunatic Posts: 543 Member
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    Hmm. Cheap, easy and healthy? I thought you were calling me. :blushing:
  • sflurbo
    sflurbo Posts: 13 Member
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    I make this recipe too. I add crushed tomatoes to it and chicken. I added up all the ingredients and come up with 118 calories per bowl. It satisfies me for lunch and sometimes I have it for dinner
  • hauer01
    hauer01 Posts: 523 Member
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    I premake a LOT of food. I don't have much time at all during the week (If I am home for more than 1/2 hour before bed, that's a slow day). But I do have time on the week-ends. I cook large batches of soups and freeze them in individual portions. Sometimes my soups are just "what veggies are left for the week and toss some chicken in there". Some of those are my favorite soups. I have different soups everyday for lunch. Maybe with a sandwhich or a salad.

    I also make dinner in advance. I make things like beef stew, chicken pot pies, chicken encheladas, turkey meatloafs, etc. For most of these I just need to make a veggie side dish and dinner is done. Doesn't take much time at all (on the week nights). I am not a fan of eating the same food for 5 days in a row, so all of thse are individually portioned and I can have a variety all week.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
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    Hmm. Cheap, easy and healthy? I thought you were calling me. :blushing:

    You beat me to it!
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
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    Eat as much fresh and unprocessed foods as you can. lean meats, veggies, fruits.

    Stir fry veggies, drop in a meat, add a sauce of your choice. Make enough for a couple meals.

    Steam veggies in the microwave. Get a microwave steamer, in 6 minutes you can have perfectly steamed fresh veggies.

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