Healthy Family Meals when your broke & not a good cook?

I pretty much found a delicious chinese meal from healthy choice..340 cal 330 mg sodium with rice and fresh veggies included. was so yummy! Cost me about $3.50 at Walmart.

Some of these are awesome meal ideas. I feed a family of 5 with two picky eaters so I welcome any ideas too. I will be referring back to this later for sure!

i recommend anyone and everyone to consider getting into "super couponing" where you closely follow the sales cycles/promos and coupons out there and buy in quantity when the price is at its lowest and rotate what you are buying weekly based on what the deals are at the time. Establish a pantry and a well-stocked freezer and cooking cheaply will become much easier. "bulk" buys aren't always cheaper! And yes, there ARE good deals on healthy foods, but you have to look for them a little harder (they like to promote the junk!). I will NEVER pay more than 50 cents for a box of Healthy Harvest / Barilla Plus pasta. Never more than $1 for a box of Kashi cereal/granola bars, etc. I am sort of a coupon queen and anyone who knows me knows that I am always on the lookout for a good deal

That said, i think breakfast for dinner can be fast and filling and cheap.

I also like picking up a rotisserie chicken and stretching it into 2, 3 or sometimes 4 meals. (stir fry, pizza topping, as a 'meat side' to my veggies, homemade soup, etc).

I like to cook up some garlic, onion, zucchini, summer squash, peppers and a bunch of roma tomatoes (or a large can of diced tomatoes) and serve it over pasta w some parm one night and then as a side w my chicken another night. Some chicken, the veggie dish i just mentioned, some baked beans and a bunch of cucumber spears is fast and easy.

I also like to make a quick chili with only 1/2 the meat called for (like 1/2 lb meat to 2 cans beans + tomatoes, etc).

try adding new things to your stir fry...

fajitas or teriyaki roll-ups (basically strips of meat, onions and peppers stir fried and seasoned... can be a sodium trip-up, so watch the seasoning/sauce and choose wisely)

If you would like tips on how to follow the couponing blogs that do matchups with the stores that are in YOUR area, just let me know!

Here are some sites with healthy cheap recipes:

http://vegweb.com
http://thirtyaweek.wordpress.com/
http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/

These are awesome websites. Thanks for sharing.

I like to cook up some garlic, onion, zucchini, summer squash, peppers and a bunch of roma tomatoes (or a large can of diced tomatoes) and serve it over pasta w some parm one night and then as a side w my chicken another night. Some chicken, the veggie dish i just mentioned, some baked beans and a bunch of cucumber spears is fast and easy.

I have never fixed fresh veggies, how does one cook the above? step by step directions would be great. I have also never had, let alone fixed spinach or asparagus, would love simple, tasty ways to use these

first i get the veggies prepared so i can just toss them in the pan when its time. I know "real cooks" might have a better way to cook than i do, but here is what i do: Get a pan nice and hot, not HIGH, but still nice and warm. I use cast iron skillets so i dont need much olive oil added because the pan is old and well-seasoned. Anyhooo, i digress! Add a Tbsp or so of oil to your pan then throw in the garlic, onions, peppers (i really love yellow peppers!) cut into strips or ~ 1 inch chunks, zukes and squash either cut into disks or ~ 1 inch chunks and just keep moving them around in the pan till they start to develop a golden color. Then dump the tomatoes over top and heat that thru. You can turn it down and simmer on low if you want or serve, as-is now. You can use an immersion blender and make the veggies into a smooth sauce (what i do to get my kids to eat it) or leave it chunky (the way the adults prefer). You will want to hit it with a bit of black pepper and sea salt, to taste but try to go with the "less is more" route. .... If you are turning it into a spaghetti (smooth) sauce, you might want to try adding things like basil as well.

One of my family's favorites is really quick and tasty. I use ground turkey and brown it. While it is cooking I take about a cup and a half of salsa and add it to the ground turkey. If I don't have salsa I will use Ro-tel or a can of diced tomatoes. I use the McCormick or Mrs. Dash spicy seasoning and add enough to taste. (More or less...depending on how you like it) Take the mixture and place it on a tortilla and add lettuce, fat free sour cream and cheese, if you like. You can also serve this with rice. OR...mix it with macaroni. It's more calories with the rice and macaroni. You don't have to use taco seasoning and there is less sodium in this version and if you really want to cut the salt...make your own salsa with fresh ingredients. It is awesome for lunch the next day!

Another inexpensive meal my family likes is Beer Butt Chicken. Take a can of beer and pour out (or drink) half of it. Add whatever spices you like to the beer. Use seasoning on the outside of your chicken. Make sure there are no giblets in the center of the chicken cavity (take them out if there is). Place the beer can in the center of a large poasting pan and then slide the chicken down over the beer can. You may have to open the cavity a little so that it slides down easily. Make an aluminum foil tent over the chicken and place on a rack low enough in the oven so that there is about 8 inches of space from the top of the oven and the chicken. Roast in the oven as per package directions. When there is about 30 minutes left spray the outside of the chicken with Pam (I use the butter tasting kind). You can use the leftovers in quesadilla's, chicken soup, chicken salad, on top of a salad, etc. .. A whole chicken is not expensive and will feed two people at least 4 meals!

Here is a plan that I came across years ago and lost ~50 pounds on. If you follow it to the letter it does work. I don't do rule #4 to excess as I found i would gain everything back I lost. I do eat the things I really like that aren't so good for me on the off day.

Fat Loss via Better Science and Simplicity
It is possible to lose 20 lbs. of bodyfat in 30 days by optimizing any of three factors: exercise, diet, or drug/supplement regimen. I’ve seen the elite implementation of all three in working with professional athletes. In this post, we’ll explore what I refer to as the “slow-carb diet”.
In the last six weeks, I have cut from about 180 lbs. to 165 lbs., while adding about 10 lbs. of muscle, which means I’ve lost about 25 lbs. of fat. This is the only diet besides the rather extreme Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) that has produced veins across my abdomen, which is the last place I lose fat (damn you, Scandinavian genetics). Here are the four simple rules I followed…
Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates
Avoid any carbohydrate that is — or can be — white. The following foods are thus prohibited, except for within 1.5 hours of finishing a resistance-training workout of at least 20 minutes in length: bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you avoid eating anything white, you’ll be safe.
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again
The most successful dieters, regardless of whether their goal is muscle gain or fat loss, eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match, constructing each meal with one from each of the three following groups:
Proteins:
Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor
Chicken breast or thigh
Grass-fed organic beef
Pork
Legumes:
Lentils
Black beans
Pinto beans
Vegetables:
Spinach
Asparagus
Peas
Mixed vegetables
Eat as much as you like of the above food items. Just remember: keep it simple. Pick three or four meals and repeat them. Almost all restaurants can give you a salad or vegetables in place of french fries or potatoes. Surprisingly, I have found Mexican food, swapping out rice for vegetables, to be one of the cuisines most conducive to the “slow carb” diet.
Most people who go on “low” carbohydrate diets complain of low energy and quit, not because such diets can’t work, but because they consume insufficient calories. A 1/2 cup of rice is 300 calories, whereas a 1/2 cup of spinach is 15 calories! Vegetables are not calorically dense, so it is critical that you add legumes for caloric load.

Rule #3: Don’t drink calories
Drink massive quantities of water and as much unsweetened iced tea, tea, diet sodas, coffee (without white cream), or other no-calorie/low-calorie beverages as you like. Do not drink milk, normal soft drinks, or fruit juice. I’m a wine fanatic and have at least one glass of wine each evening, which I believe actually aids sports recovery and fat-loss. Recent research into resveratrol supports this.
Rule #4: Take one day off per week
I recommend Saturdays as your “Dieters Gone Wild” day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. I make myself a little sick and don’t want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn’t downregulate from extended caloric restriction. That’s right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia.

first i get the veggies prepared so i can just toss them in the pan when its time. I know "real cooks" might have a better way to cook than i do, but here is what i do: Get a pan nice and hot, not HIGH, but still nice and warm. I use cast iron skillets so i dont need much olive oil added because the pan is old and well-seasoned. Anyhooo, i digress! Add a Tbsp or so of oil to your pan then throw in the garlic, onions, peppers (i really love yellow peppers!) cut into strips or ~ 1 inch chunks, zukes and squash either cut into disks or ~ 1 inch chunks and just keep moving them around in the pan till they start to develop a golden color. Then dump the tomatoes over top and heat that thru. You can turn it down and simmer on low if you want or serve, as-is now. You can use an immersion blender and make the veggies into a smooth sauce (what i do to get my kids to eat it) or leave it chunky (the way the adults prefer). You will want to hit it with a bit of black pepper and sea salt, to taste but try to go with the "less is more" route. .... If you are turning it into a spaghetti (smooth) sauce, you might want to try adding things like basil as well.

Thank you so much! Do I have to do anything besides wash everything first (do I wash garlic?) and then chop/slice it? is there a method to chop garlic? Geeeez, I am such a veggie noob, LOL! I have never even used EVOO, but I have been meaning to. I could just add all this to spaghetti sauce and serve it over spaghetti too? or rice? are roma tomatoes different tasting than on the vine tomatoes (the only kind I have tried (raw)

Thank you so much! Do I have to do anything besides wash everything first (do I wash garlic?) and then chop/slice it? is there a method to chop garlic? Geeeez, I am such a veggie noob, LOL! I have never even used EVOO, but I have been meaning to. I could just add all this to spaghetti sauce and serve it over spaghetti too? or rice? are roma tomatoes different tasting than on the vine tomatoes (the only kind I have tried (raw)

nope, no need to wash garlic. Just pull a clove (small segment) from the bulb, peel the papery skin away, trim the end and mince/slice finely. No need to get super particular about the tomatoes.. whatever you get the best deal on is fine. Canned is fine too. Roma/plum/italian tomatoes tend to have more "meat" to them and less juicy seedy part. They are good for cooking and are usually pretty cheap.

You CAN add this to spaghetti sauce if you want, but it basically IS spaghetti sauce, just in chunky form (so is good on the chunkier pastas like spirals and penne). If you want a smooth sauce, you can toss it in a blender (or use an immersion blender) to smooth it out. You can even take that puree and dilute it 50/50 with a jarred sauce from the store. Your choice!

nope, no need to wash garlic. Just pull a clove (small segment) from the bulb, peel the papery skin away, trim the end and mince/slice finely.

I like to "peel" my garlic by taking a broad knife (i use my butcher's knife or meat cleaver, really) and smashing it. the paper falls away leaving me with a lovely garlic clove ready to be chopped, minced or pureed.

we eat garlic almost every day, and a lot of it. peeling it stinks, but smashing it is, well, smashing!

edit: save the "skins" and bottoms and add it to your soup stock. if you're still collecting items to make a soup stock (carrot & celery tops, other greens, onion skins & parts, etc) save everything in the freezer.

put your "discards" into a pot covered with water, boil, cover, simmer until a rich, lovely aroma ensues.

Crock pots are your friend.........You don't have to be a great cook to make fabulous dishes with one. vegetables are fairly reasonable, and the best part is it's impossible to destroy food in a crock pot unless you add too much salt.

I'm so glad someone asked this question and that it got so many excellent answers! So many of us struggle with this and all of these suggestions will help my family tremendously! Thanks everyone! :happy:

I love using my crock pot, but I am afraid to ever use it unless I am home,
so I can never come home to a crock pot meal ... I know lots of people
go away and leave their's cooking unattended, but I am afraid of a fire
plus I have two cats I would not want to put in harm's way, how do I get
over this phobia?

Some very good ideas