Cheapest healthy meals

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Melmo1988
Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm trying to lower my grocery bill. What's your fave cheap healthy meal idea?

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  • oh_happy_day
    oh_happy_day Posts: 1,137 Member
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    The cheapest healthy meal I make is a slow cooked vegetable curry. Vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils or chickpeas), some curry paste or dry spices into the crock pot along with some tinned tomatoes and/or coconut milk. Makes 8+ serves, super healthy and only costs a few dollars.

    I stretch everything with legumes and vegetables, minimize the portions of meat. Even something like bolognese - I add cups of grated carrot, grated zucchini, chopped mushrooms, celery etc. I rely a lot on the crock pot - it makes cheap cuts of meal delicious. Plus bulking everything out with vegetables means that I can still eat larger serves without the calories getting out of control.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Frozen veggies. Many grocery stores sell bags of frozen chicken breasts pretty cheaply.

    Frozen fruits are okay, but unless I'm mixing them with other stuff, I generally prefer fresh and canned to frozen. Still, they're cheaper and do mix well with other things!

    Dried peas and beans are cheaper and home-made is so much better and healthier than canned.

    If you have the time, you can make your own stock and save a lot on that!

    Almost everything is cheaper when you make it yourself. :)
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    For breakfast, oatmeal. For lunch and dinner I love beans--and they're so versatile! A serving of beans and a fresh or frozen veggie is a good start for an inexpensive meal. I also make a lot of soup (even in summer) with slightly bruised and discounted veggies.

    I always buy whole chickens rather than just breasts or cut up pieces. It's less expensive per pound, and I can save the bones and skin to make my own [skimmed and thus fat-free] homemade stock.
  • meryl135
    meryl135 Posts: 321 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Sauteed cabbage is my favourite side-dish. You can find it cheap in the "slightly bruised" produce section too, though it's usually fairly inexpensive ($2-3 for a whole head). Slice it thinly, put it in a pot with a splash of water, some seasonings (salt, pepper, a dash of Worcestershire sauce) and 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar and let it cook down on low heat. Stir it a few times to make sure the bottom doesn't stick. It's a really filling side-dish for very low calories. You can add some ground turkey or beef to make it into a quick meal.
  • rak173
    rak173 Posts: 105 Member
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    Rachael Rays vegetable chili- a couple fresh peppers, 1 onion, 1 can black beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can retried beans, 1 can crushed tomatoes. Then you have to add some seasonings. Very easy to make, offers quite a few servings, fairly healthy, and cheap.

    I also really like eggs. They are a bit pricey currently but still a cheap protein.
    Chicken
    Thighs or drumsticks (skinless)- I know they are not the healthiest but I buy these and bake them.
    Whole chickens- when they are on sale I'll buy a couple and bake them up.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    Shop sales for meat. If it's a really good price, buy double and freeze. Chicken thighs are cheaper than breasts, and whole chickens are cheapest per lb. Make a strong stock with the carcas, and you can make countless soups and purees. E.g today I had cauliflower soup with smoked chicken. I have cabbage soup for lunch many times a week. I'll add lentils if I need fiber or meat left over from the night before. It's great with andouille (a little adds tons of flavor) and meatballs (I make w chicken). Sometimes I season with ginger, garlic, lime zest and soy, and sometimes with cumin, turmeric and cinnamon. Sounds repetitive but there're so many ways to add variety. Meryl, cabbage is $1.20/head where I shop!

    Like several commenters above, I depend heavily on legumes. They're delicious and filling, loaded with fiber, decent protein, cheap, and have long shelf life. And eggs. They were $1.8/doz last week, double the price 1-1/2 years ago but still great protein cheap, incredibly versatile. Bon apetit!
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
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    for breakfast oatmeal
    for lunch rice+beans+protein (pick your meat) + frozen veggies
    for dinner tuna

    eggs used to be a life saver but now they are kind expensive so I don't consume them as much*

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