Need low cal meals for two on the cheap!

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adiemaciated
adiemaciated Posts: 1
in Recipes
I recently moved in with my boyfriend across the country and with the stress of the transition and the lack of good on-the-road food options, we need to get back into healthy eating. I need easy dinners for two that aren't super terrible for you. Thanks in advance!

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  • spaerro
    spaerro Posts: 2 Member
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    why not a serving of whole-wheat spaghetti (200) with 2 oz. of seasoned boneless skinless chicken breasts (70) and a 1/4 of non-fat greek yogurt (about 33) to top it for each of you? that clocks in at just over 300 calories.
  • climbing_trees
    climbing_trees Posts: 726 Member
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    Spaghetti squash~ Cut in half, bake, fill with spinach, black beans, and salsa!
  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
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    Beans made different ways are always healthy and cheap--I prefer a combination of black beans, great northern beans, and chick peas in a chili, which you can make leftovers with and freeze.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    Spinach lasagna roll ups (I think they're from a website called Skinnytaste, I found them on Pinterest. We cut the sodium and cheese down considerably and they're delicious)

    Taco salad heavy on the lettuce & other veggies, easy on the cheese & sour cream (or skip it altogether) Another idea is a burrito bowl with rice & beans along the lines of Chipotle but done at home

    Crab salads or crab nachos. Imitation crab is inexpensive & tasty...not the most authentic obviously but it is made from actual fish at least. Again, light on the cheese or skip it. Great with chopped avocado on top.

    Thin whole wheat spaghetti with homemade sauce - low sodium tomato sauce, diced peppers, onion, a splash of wine & you're good! Pair with a small and/or dry salad.

    Breakfast for dinner, if you're so inclined. MANY options with that one, most very cheap.

    We like "shrimp po boy salads" which is any type of shrimp (even the junky breaded frozen kind are good in this) on a bed of chopped Romaine with a little red onion and homemade remoulade. No bread needed.

    Hmmmm I don't want to go crazy w/ ideas here. Pinterest can be a great source. We found an awesome recipe there for Cuban Black Beans & Coconut Rice. I'd often rather have that, with a side of fresh pineapple, than any restaurant meal! Great leftovers too.

    One great thing about 2 healthy eaters in the same house is splitting stuff. My husband and I eat 90% of the same foods and I love having someone to eat the other 1/2 of a banana, avocado, etc.
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Chicken breasts + can of salsa in crock pot on low for 6 hours. Serve with beans, rice, potatoes, veggies, put on salad, etc

    Whole chicken, can of salsa, whatever veggies are on sale in crock pot on low for 8 hours. Tonight we are having this with kale, carrots, onion, and potato. Zucchini is a common favorite here, but didn't look good at the store this time. Rice or even barley would be cheaper and possibly better than potatoes.

    Cheapest pork cut you can find (usually loin chunks) with a can of cream of chicken/mushroom soup in crockpot for 6 hours. Makes "gravy" which is great over potatoes or rice. Can add carrots, zucchini, onion etc to bulk out.

    Pork roast with veggies. Second day as burritos or pull it and cover in bbq for healthy pulled pork.

    Chili can be made with roast, steak, or hamburger depending on whats on sale. Soak the beans yourself for less money but more fuss.

    Spaghetti squash subbed for the noodles. Leftovers go great in salmon patties or fried like hash browns.

    Canned tuna or salmon on salad with veggies. Make it special with roasted asparagus or kale, or an avocado, or nuts, cranberries etc. I use half ranch, half fat free italian (watch for added sugar). It tastes better than either one, and is much lower cal than ranch.

    Pizzas made on portobello mushrooms, bagels, bagel thins, sandwich thins, or english muffins have all been delicious. I've made bbq chicken pizzas (leftovers) and pepperoni pizzas.

    Eggs with veggies and cheese.

    So many! Depends what you like of course. I go through winco or fred meyers and see what meats and veggies are on sale and plan my week around that. Make plenty and use leftovers for dinner in a second way.
  • nigelwood3
    nigelwood3 Posts: 91
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    Most of the recipes from here are good and cheap particularly the vegetable ones: http://agirlcalledjack.com/page/2/
  • darkrose20
    darkrose20 Posts: 1,139 Member
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    If you want brunch for dinner try this: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Scrambled-Eggs-with-Lox-and-Cream-Cheese-718

    (I sometimes add sauteed onions in place of the green onion/scallions)

    If you're into sort of a TexMex thing try this: http://www.cooks.com/recipe/pf48b81a/vegetarian-tostadas-with-avocado-and-cheese.html

    (Personally, I substitute the NON-vegetarian LOW FAT refried beans into this one. I tried the regular and the vegetarian ones, and I didn't like either.)
  • AleciaG724
    AleciaG724 Posts: 705 Member
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    Look up Plant Based on a Budget on FB. They have meal plans for 1, 2, or 4 people with recipes that are simple, cheap and taste good for less than $25/week per person. Cutting meat out even a few days a week can save you some money, but you can always add meat to the recipes if you want. https://www.facebook.com/PlantBasedOnABudget

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