Healthy inexpensive meals

I eat cucumber slice and cheese sandwiches

Frozen vegetables are usually pretty cheap. Try checking out a local grocery store other than Winn Dixie, Food World, or the such. We have stores that sell things cheaper, but there is nothing wrong with the food itself. You don't have to buy organic food, so just stick to the lean meats.

I like to buy tilapia, salmon, shrimp, and turkey from Walmart and use spinach and other veggies as well. There's just so much to do with a low budget, just have to know where to shop. Don't be ashamed of coupons. They are your friends.

I love quinoa. I use it in lots of dishes and it's LOADED with nutrients! I often eat it with seasoned steamed veggies on top (sometimes a little cheese too!). I serve it with chicken. I also have been known to eat it with milk and sweetener! It's super yummy and great for you! OH--and it's pretty cheap. Whole Foods has it in their bulk section. A little goes quite a long ways as well! Hope this helps!

what are your ideas for healthy inexpensive meals? im on a budget right now but i dont want to slip back into bad habits. thanks in advance.

Are you lookin' for dinner stuff, lunch, or breakfast? Dietary preferences?

Ground Turkey and you can do tons of recipes with it. I made spaghetti with ground turkey and whole wheat spaghetti for supper tonight. Chili with ground turkey, Ground turkey meatloaf, turkey burgers. The possibilities are endless. You can just substitute turkey for all ground beef recipes, makes it lighter and it tastes good too

I eat cucumber slice and cheese sandwiches

with a little bit of hummus!

I'm currently OBSESSED with buying dry beans (any kind, really - pintos are nice, kidney, or some of those 15 bean mixes). They make wonderful soup with vegetable broth, onion, carrot, and other veggies and spices. Or rockin' bean dip. Or great with brown rice or quinoa or barley and some mexican spices.

You can't get much cheaper than a big bag of brown rice and a big bag of dried beans, you can make a bunch at the same time and save it for subsequent meals, and you can throw in whatever veggies and spices (or just add to salad) you like.

Heck, yeah! Dried beans are cheap and extremely versatile Plus they're nutritious and tasty, too.

When it goes on sale I stock up on meats and freeze them. I buy lots of perdue chicken breasts when they are on sale or buy one get one free, then I divide them into 4 oz. servings with my scale and throw them in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil for maximum protection. 94/6 hamburger goes on sale pretty frequently too for about 3.50 a pound and I stock up on that but freeze the whole package together as I usually use it for recipes like meatloaf, spaghetti meat sauce, chili, tacos, homemade Maid Rites, etc. (I refuse to eat ground turkey, I do not like the chewy taste and I firmly believe that extra lean beef is just as good for you). I also buy the individually frozen servings of Flounder or other fish when it goes on sale. So, I always have some kind of frozen protien on hand to whip up a quick meal, which is typically the most expensive item.

My food costs have really dropped as well because I'm cooking nearly everything at home, and none of those fresh fruits and veggies go to waste like they use to! I also shop more frequently as the fresh veggies taste so much better when eaten within a couple days of buying them. Also, if you "eat the season", that is buy fresh produce that is currently in season your produce costs will be much lower.

I spend a heck of a lot more time chopping and peeling these days, but I am actually starting to enjoy becoming my own personal chef. However, when they go on sale I do stock up on a few Lean Cuisine's to keep on hand for those emergency days when I don't have time to prepare something.

When it goes on sale I stock up on meats and freeze them. I buy lots of perdue chicken breasts when they are on sale or buy one get one free, then I divide them into 4 oz. servings with my scale and throw them in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil for maximum protection. 94/6 hamburger goes on sale pretty frequently too for about 3.50 a pound and I stock up on that but freeze the whole package together as I usually use it for recipes like meatloaf, spaghetti meat sauce, chili, tacos, homemade Maid Rites, etc. (I refuse to eat ground turkey, I do not like the chewy taste and I firmly believe that extra lean beef is just as good for you). I also buy the individually frozen servings of Flounder or other fish when it goes on sale. So, I always have some kind of frozen protien on hand to whip up a quick meal, which is typically the most expensive item.

My food costs have really dropped as well because I'm cooking nearly everything at home, and none of those fresh fruits and veggies go to waste like they use to! I also shop more frequently as the fresh veggies taste so much better when eaten within a couple days of buying them. Also, if you "eat the season", that is buy fresh produce that is currently in season your produce costs will be much lower.

I spend a heck of a lot more time chopping and peeling these days, but I am actually starting to enjoy becoming my own personal chef. However, when they go on sale I do stock up on a few Lean Cuisine's to keep on hand for those emergency days when I don't have time to prepare something.

I absolutely agree! My grocery bill has actually gone DOWN since my family started eating healthy! We eat less junk and packaged foods and eat "around the store" with dairy, meats, produce, and make a swipe up the grain isle! That's it! We no longer purchase soda-only milk and water, and occasional tea and coffee both of which are still natural! I was honestly surprised that we could eat inexpensively AND healthy when there's so much hype about healthy eating being expensive! You just have to pay attention to what you're putting in your cart! Natural foods stick with you longer and don't have additives that make you want to eat more, thus you eat less, yet more fulfilling foods!

Cook yourself every day.
Become a vegetarian, ditching meat is not only healthy and advisable if heart disease runs in the family, it's also cheaper.