Healthy Recipes for poor people? lol

Give us a little info --- what kinds of foods do you like? Not like? Allergies? Time available? Enjoy cooking? Novice or experienced cook? Do you have a crock pot?

dried beans, rice, eggs, frozen veggies, fresh produce that is in season and on sale.

Just made a pseudo dish i called Not Pasta Primavera:
favorite tomato based pasta sauce (I used Barilla Spicy Marinara),
frozen veggies (mushrooms, carrots, green beans, cauliflower hold up well),
favorite meat (shrimp, leftover beef, chicken, pork).
Cook veggies in sauce til done. Add cooked meat and simmer for a few minutes until warm.
Serve alone or over pasta or rice

Sugar-free cheesecake pudding (made with skim/soy/almond milk) + 1/2 serving granola = easy cheap desert!

Bob's Red Mill granola: $3.00 a bag, 14 half servings per bag for $0.21 above.
Jell-o Pudding Mix: $0.98 per box, 4 servings per box for 0.24 per serving
2 cups skim milk: Average price for gallon near me is $3.55, 2 cups used...$0.44 used in recipe, $0.11 per serving.

Total for dessert: $0.56 per serving.

For slightly more you can add berries, bananas, cranberries, etc.....

Oats for porridge - I make it with water and your can add whatever you want really
Ham slices - big pack
Pasta/tomato sauces
canned beans

Shop at different grocery stores and look for the best sales. I spend about 150 to 200 a month for 2 people. You can add me and browse my diary if you'd like. .

Awesome site thanx!

I usually spend even less than that on groceries a month. I buy stuff like:

-Whole Wheat Pasta; Super cheap, can be made into an endless amount of dishes, and is a great way to add fiber)

-Dried Beans; Usually garbanzos; I cook a large amount at a time and freeze some for adding to dishes later and use some for making hummus. Great for protein and fiber.

-Almonds or other raw, unsalted nuts; These aren't the cheapest item I buy, but one bag of them goes a long way and is great for making almond milk, almond "cookies" (I just throw raw almonds, cocoa, agave/honey, and sometimes a tablespoon of milk in the food processor, and I basically have yummy, chocolatey energy balls!) I also grind/chop the almonds up and top soups with them, throw them in rice, etc.

-Raw Produce; I try to only buy stuff on sale; there are always sales on bags of spinach. Spinach, kale, button mushrooms, tomatoes, etc., are all delicious, versatile, and often on sale. Kale is especially valuable for all the nutrients just one serving can offer.

-Frozen peas

-Frozen hash browns; I love hashbrowns lately, and you can get a 2-pound bag for less than $2. Good cooked in bacon grease in the skillet, can add anything to them)

-Potatoes; I try to buy sweet potatoes, because they offer more nutrition, but russet potatoes are always cheaper and are great for a budget. The skins are full of potassium!

-Frozen chicken or fish for protein, depending on what's on sale

-Canned black beans

-EGGS!! These are my life-saving item while on a budget. They are so cheap, and a great source of protein and other nutrients. I have them boiled, poached, in egg drop soups, fried, scrambled, in omelettes, and more!

I could go on, but you get the idea. As you shop more, you'll realize which items you prefer fresh and which are not worth the extra money. There are certain veggies I will never eat canned or frozen, and others that I almost prefer that way! Try not to shop when you're hungry, and you'll end up with lots of nutritious options. I always choose whole grain options in pasta, rice, etc., for example, because it's never more expensive to do so. Having a tight budget has actually forced me to eat healthier, in a way. While I'd love to splurge on everything in the organic section and try every exotic fruit the grocery store offers, I do find that just forcing myself to only buy the healthiest options I CAN afford still goes a long way.

I often make what I call "poor man's chili" and I throw in whatever veggies I have and tomato soup and canned tomatoes, regular canned beans, etc....if you have a food processor you can use it for greens and cauliflower to add...if you have meat, add that too....chicken or turkey preferably....

Is this for one person, or two people? I spend about 150 - 250 a month for two people.

Meal planning will help you a lot. I shop at 1 - 3 stores, and see what's on sale and figure it out from there. Most of the time it's just chicken, and veggies. We buy fresh, but only plan for a week or so ahead, and only buy what's on sale.

If you can, and it's on sale buy fresh chicken breasts, and cut them up yourself. Most of the time the breasts they portion out are a lot bigger than a serving size. You can easy cut up, and make 1 breast into 2 - 3 portions. Packs typically come with 6, so you can make 12 - 18 portions of chicken.

Canned tuna for lunches, or to top salads with. You can also just cook it up with veggies, and add it to rice.

If you watch portion sizes, you can make a box of pasta last for 5 - 7 meals, and it's typically about $1 a box.


If you have a Sprouts near you, check them out. Usually their produce, and meat is a really, really good deal.