Cheap, Healthy Meals (Full Version)

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Georgia-Peach -> Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/7/2008 2:11:13 PM)

Please share! I am desperate for meals that are healthy, but do not cost a lot to make. Anyone have some great recipes that fit this description?



meg4 -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/7/2008 3:04:54 PM)

Dry beans, greens, and cornbread.



paulsbride -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/7/2008 3:32:41 PM)

I buy what's on sale.
In the last two weeks I've gotten 10lbs of beef sirloin that I had cut into steaks, chunks for kabobs and sliced thin for jerky and stir fry and then I also got 10lbs of 91% lean hamburgers for (what I think) was really cheap.
So those are our meat items that I am working around now (and then a few others I already had in the freezer.)

Corn on the cob can be found for 8/$2 - I heard you can freeze the cobs and then just boil them when you're ready for it. I haven't tried it yet, but might.
I can get baby carrots for $1/lb and cucumbers for .44 cents each, so we eat a lot of those at meals, generally on our salad.

You said Kroger was near you -right? You could call or when you're in just ask when the manager deals are generally marked down - produce, bakery and dairy items are often marked down 50% off or more (and if you have a separate organic section check it out too - they often have Judah's yo-baby yogurt marked down in that section, but not with the other yogurts!) Anyways, stop in the store on the night that they mark these things down and that may help lower some expenses.
I have never asked, but Mon- Thurs nights are good nights for me to go. I haven't found deals on the weekend.



lexie -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/7/2008 3:52:35 PM)

I just made this rice dish today - it has rice (obviously), black beans, corn, green pepper, and tomato. It's a great and tasty way to get beans in your diet, and is very cheap (especially if you already have the rice and frozen corn). PM me if you're interested in the actual recipe. The pot lasts a couple of days too.

Like Jessica, I buy what's on sale. I look at the flyers, then base my meals around what I can get from there. As a general rule, I really don't buy processed stuff to begin with.

When our grocery budget is tight I do things like stirfrys or pasta with meatsauce and frozen veggies.



paulsbride -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/7/2008 5:14:30 PM)

Our grocery budget would be way lower except that Paul doesn't like us eating many carbs, and likes meat. He isn't picky and we have lived on $25/week groceries, but because we have the money to buy certain stuff, he likes us to have it.
He's on the Warrior Diet right now and while eating only once a day in theory sounds like it would lower the budget when he does eat he eats tons [;)] Of all healthy stuff. So it's expensive.



3cappuccinosmom -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/8/2008 7:52:36 AM)

quote:

I just made this rice dish today - it has rice (obviously), black beans, corn, green pepper, and tomato. It's a great and tasty way to get beans in your diet, and is very cheap (especially if you already have the rice and frozen corn). PM me if you're interested in the actual recipe. The pot lasts a couple of days too.


I make something similar. With salsa and sharp cheddar the leftovers make really, really yummy filling for a tortilla. [:D]



monamie -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/8/2008 8:04:11 AM)

I feed 3 men--hubby and two sons in their late teens. I have found that the healthier I cook, and the more nutrient dense the food, the less they need to eat.

Lean meats (whatever is on sale), fruits and vegetables, occasionally some brown rice (my favorite is organic brown basmati), lots of spices and seasonings. Ground buffalo instead of gound beef may be a bit more expensive initially, but it is so high in minerals (higher than beef, but lower in fat than either chicken or turkey--and it tastes ssooooo good!) that I can use less in dishes. It makes a REALLY good meatloaf.

When cooking healthy, don't just count the cost of the food. My grocery bill may be a tad higher (but not that much if I shop well), but we're never sick. I think I took one son to the dr. 4 or 5 years ago. None of us are on prescription meds and I never even take OTC meds. So there are some big savings right there that I can apply to higher quality groceries.



Sideways -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/8/2008 2:13:52 PM)

Mmm, I made a butternut squash bisque the other day that was pretty good. Oh, and it was crockpot style, so pretty easy to make. I guess it would be pretty reasonable price, though maybe not super cheap.

Here's the recipe

1 butternut squash (2lbs) peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
chicken broth (14 1/2 ounces)
2 cups applesauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

Put in everything except sour cream, set the crockpot to low for 8-10 hours or high for 3-5 hours. If you have a stick blender, then just stick in the crockpot to blend, or transfer at least half to a regular blender and mix till smooth.

I put in the stick blender and mixed the whole thing, but the "official" recipe says to only blend half. A stick blender isn't the same as a hand mixer, but it's a worthwhile kitchen tool.

After that mix in sour cream. If need be heat a bit more till soup is hot (but I didn't need to, it was plenty hot even after mixing in the sour cream). If you like, garnish with a dollop of sour cream, but I didn't bother with that.

I also used low fat sour cream to reduce fat content, but that's a personal choice. The soup is also good cold, but I prefer hot.



HisCovenant -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/8/2008 3:57:23 PM)

I agree with Mona in that you want to be a good steward of health & food and not eat "cheap foods" just for the sake of saving money. If you do that, you end up sacrificing your health. It's a real change of mindset, but the results are noticeable in your health,energy, and appearance.

Dried beans, bags/boxes of whole grains, plain yogurt, whole chickens, eggs, and in season produce are the way to eat healthy and cheaply. Oh, and catch your own fish. And grow your favorite herbs. Do as much of this organically and naturally as possible because those items get more nutrients to your body and don't contain toxic stuff, like pesticides and fertillizers.

If you choose to ignore that advice, which most people do, these ideas for eating cheaply will still work eating conventional foods. So take whatever you can/want to from what I am saying.

For breakfast, you can have boiled eggs, omlettes w/ veggies, oatmeal, oatbran, fruit smoothies, or yogurt with fruit.

For lunch, you can have salads, mexican soup, chicken & rice soup, bean & barley stews, or chicken jambalaya, with just a change of seasonings.

For dinner, you can have a veggie plate, grilled chicken & grilled veggies, beans & rice, or asian stirfry.

Other advice:
1. Make your own broth. I put chicken and bones in my crockpot on low for 24 hours with "junk veggies." I have a bag in my freezer that I keep the ends of veggies in instead of throwing them out. I call these "junk veggies." For example, when I cut off the ends of an onion before I peel it, I keep the ends (not the papery peels.) And when I get the seed ball out of a bell pepper, I save it. You get the idea.
2. Learn how to cut up a chicken. It's OK to not remove the bones. Although it takes longer to cook, you can just start the oven/grill earlier. It doesn't take extra effort, you just have to start dinner earlier.
3. Cook your own dried beans. You can cook a huge bag of beans and do 1001 things with it. I freeze mine in small quantities since it takes so long to cook them. You can ude them as fillings in things like tacos, stuffed peppers, soups, or eat them as your main protein.



paulsbride -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/8/2008 4:25:35 PM)

Ruth that sounds *so* yummy!!
ETA: Would it freeze well?


Chelle - do you go to the library? You could check out "More with Less" - it's a Mennonite cookbook that focuses on being frugal and yet healthy. I own it and love it, but I don't know if it would fit your style, so that's why I'd suggest borrowing it first. There's a sequel to it too, but I don't own it.
I have another one too that focuses on whole foods and healthy eating - it's full of information and answers the "why" things are healthier than others ... but it's a little deep for me [;)] I have tried a few of the recipes tho.



Sideways -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/8/2008 8:55:05 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: paulsbride

Ruth that sounds *so* yummy!!
ETA: Would it freeze well?


I don't know... I suppose it's worth a try, but I'm sure with the sour cream and all.

Hey, I like your book suggestion. I may have to check it out myself.



Georgia-Peach -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/8/2008 9:26:32 PM)

Jess -- I do go to the library, but haven't in awhile. I will definitely be looking into that book you recommended though, it sounds interesting.



uncabeeil -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/9/2008 3:49:25 PM)

quote:

Do as much of this organically and naturally as possible
Which eliminates the cheap factor. Unless you grow it yourself organic will cost sometimes more than 3 times what non-organic does. At least that's how it is in the supermarkets where I shop.



frazzledmom -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/9/2008 4:08:36 PM)

I second the recommendation to check out the Cooking More with Less cookbook. I love my More with Less cookbook-it's battered and smeared with oil here and honey there. It's the one that gets used at my house-has that "lived-in" / "tried and tested" look to it! It's gotten my family through many tight months.

Another good resource would be to google Miserly Moms. The first link that comes up will give you a link to over eighty frugal recipes complete with estimated cost per serving. I've searched there frequently for ideas, but still come back to my More With Less Cookbook most of the time.

Best Wishes for eating healthy on a shoestring budget
Frazzledmom



HisCovenant -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/9/2008 6:13:51 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: uncabeeil

quote:

Do as much of this organically and naturally as possible
Which eliminates the cheap factor. Unless you grow it yourself organic will cost sometimes more than 3 times what non-organic does. At least that's how it is in the supermarkets where I shop.

Where I shop, it depends on the item and which quality of organic and natural you are chosing. It's not always 3x... and to be honest, it can be more than 3x on certain items... on other items, like eggs, it is less than 2x. The ideas that I gave are for eating healthy for less, not for just eating cheaply. You can cut further expense if you ignore the suggestion to go organic and natural, but you sacrifice some of the health aspect.



dawnsgleam -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/9/2008 10:33:04 PM)

Eggs scrambled with green onions, served with ketchup with Tabasco, is just about my favorite.

I've been cooking almost all my vegetables in the microwave, and they're really good cooked this way. This lowers my electric bill. You can eat a lot of meals of just vegetables which are less expensive than meat.

Chicken and rice made with chicken thighs is inexpensive. I add onion and garlic and 1/2 cup of cheese when I cook a big pot of this to freeze. When I serve it I add broccoli or homemade salsa, sauted mushrooms, bell peppers, and top with yogurt. It's really good like this, especially salsa style.



Jenny-Fair -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/9/2008 11:29:31 PM)

quote:

Corn on the cob can be found for 8/$2 - I heard you can freeze the cobs and then just boil them when you're ready for it. I haven't tried it yet, but might.
You should blanch them in boiling water for a minute first, I believe.

quote:

You could check out "More with Less" - it's a Mennonite cookbook that focuses on being frugal and yet healthy.
That was going to be my next suggestion! LOL, plus the sequel, which is Extending The Table.

Leanne Ely loves Rubber Chicken. This is when you buy the whole chickens really cheap, put one or two in your crockpot or in the oven and cook them, the first night have with salad, mashed potatoes, whatever. The second night you use the leftover meat in something--my boys love stuffed quesadillas (chicken, black beans, cilantro, chopped onions, tomatoes, whatever you like, plus cheese, of course, cooked like a grilled cheese sandwich but without the butter), and then the third day you make soup out of the bones, any leftover meat, veggies, and noodles or rice. It ends up pretty cheap.

My stepmom has a great Lentil Chili recipe that uses ground turkey. I found the turkey once extremely cheap (98 cents/lb) because it was the sell-by date. I bought four pounds, cooked it all up that night, and froze it in four ziplocs. Then it was ready anytime I wanted to make the chili. I have done this with other meats, as well. So keep your eyes open!

Lentil Chili
1 lb (can use less) ground turkey, cooked, drained, crumbled
2 cups lentils (which may be cheaper in the bulk section than bagged)
6 cups broth/stock/water with bullion added
2 cans tomatoes (sauce, diced, one of each, whatever)
1 chopped onion
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon (or to taste) chili powder
2 teaspoons (or to taste) cumin

Cook in crock pot all day, or on stove until lentils are tender, which is about an hour.



paulsbride -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/10/2008 11:33:08 AM)

Chelle - I sat down and wrote out everything in my pantry on one list, everything in my fridge in another list, and everything in my freezer in a third list. ("Everything" as in things that could work for part of a meal - not condiments!)
I made up a list of seven suppers, then I made another list of things that were missing - in my case it was mainly fresh fruits and veggies and some dairy items.
And that is what I did my grocery shopping from.
I glanced at the prices of the things I keep on stock (canned beans, frozen veggies, meat, etc.) but nothing was a great deal, so I passed it up.
If I ever find them on a great deal I plan on stocking up.

Yesterdays grocery bill for this week was $60 - before the week is up I'll probably need 1-2 more gallons of milk and a couple more bags of salad and maybe some other fresh veggies.
But of the $60 I could have made it $20 lower if I had been 'frugal without much effort' - I bought $10 worth of olives for Paul, and some nuts for him and two drinks for myself and two packages of Ziplock containers and while those items are either convenient or yummy, we could have lived with out them.
So technically I could've spent just $40 on groceries for us!! (But I do have things stocked in the freezer and pantry.) You've inspired me to look over our budget more closely. [:)]

So, now I want to hear your grocery shopping experience [:D] Higher? Lower?



Georgia-Peach -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/10/2008 1:35:00 PM)

I will let you know how it goes as soon as I go which should be next weekend. I am very inspired though by everyone here to try to get it low. I looked on our library database and was able to find the Extending the Table cookbook, but not the More with Less one. I may just go to the store and look for it, skim it and see if it is something I think we could use.



StephK -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/10/2008 2:07:28 PM)

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/recipeindex.htm



crm4souls -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/11/2008 3:00:50 AM)

Cheap and health is a tough one. You just have to be wise with your shopping. Most of the processed foods and unhealthy items are cheap at the grocery store. My belief is you have to look over your budget and spend a little more for healthy foods. The choice is a few dollars saved now and thousands spent later in doctors or a few extra dollars spent now and thousands saved later. Your health is worth the few extra dollars. Be wise, but spent a little more for your health.



3cappuccinosmom -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/11/2008 3:26:41 PM)

quote:

I love my More with Less cookbook-it's battered and smeared with oil here and honey there.


Mine is too. Actually, my mom had it for 15 years and then I stole it when we moved (she'd gotten a new copy). [8D]

Two more cookbooks from the same people and with the same idea (simple, healthy, inexpensive eating) are Extending the Table and Simply in Season.



Cloak -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/11/2008 5:05:01 PM)

Chinese food is quite cheap and healthy and it enables you to use a variety of veggies. Rice is slightly pricey, though!

Also things with pasta, rice, potatoes and whatever you can add to them plus legumes such as lentils, beans, and garbanzo is quite tasty, healthy, yet cheap. If you want to enhance the taste, you may add some broth, although it's optional.

Shepherd's pie is quite cheap and filling meal...and Yummy! Oh my...I am getting hungry...in the middle of preparing my supper!

Enjoy! [sm=chef.gif]



Ellie-Mae -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/11/2008 5:59:09 PM)

I cook for a family of 10 (five adults and five children). You have gotten a lot of good ideas.

I shop once a month at Sam's Club. I can pick up large amounts of food for a lot cheaper than buying at a regular store.

I like to buy containers of powdered turkey or chicken gravy mix. It makes wonderful broth for chicken noodle or chicken rice soups and it has no MSG.

We like to pick up a turkey every now and then for food that will last several meals. I put stuffing in it made with home-made bread, and eat from the turkey. That night I pick off all the meat for future meals and boil the bones for broth for soup.

I make my own bread to save money.

I add raisins to a lot my meals to make them special.

We make hot rice cereal by putting one part rice and four part water in a crockpot. we add a little flax and let it cook all night. we get up in the morning to hot breakfast... just add whatever you want to flavor it with.

I always have a supply of frozen veggies to add to any meal.

I have soy flour on hand to add to my bread recipes and oatmeal to add protein to our meals.

We buy a HUGE box of french fries from Sam's Club. It is just potatoes cut up with no flavoring. We use them as not only french fries, but also as starter for casseroles. We also make mexican French Fries. We buy nacho cheese in giant cans.

We try to have fresh baby spinach on hand for salads, pita pockets, and cold plates with fruit and cottage cheese.



set_apart -> RE: Cheap, Healthy Meals (5/11/2008 7:18:31 PM)

As many people have mentioned, I shop sales. If at all possible, get a rain check for anything good they run out of as well. I currently have over a dozen rain checks (they don't expire in our area) that I use on a week I need something particular or when there are no good sales.

One of my great cheap meals is chili.

Soak 2 cups of beans ( I prefer using pinto and one or two others, red and kidney) over night.
Put in the crock pot with a can of diced or stewed tomatoes (depending on your peference, big chunks or little)
Add chili powder and some cooked ground beef (usually, I use left overs, maybe 1/2 lb)

Adjust any amounts to your taste and add enough water to keep it from burning.
Cook all day.
Serve with a little cheese on top if you have it. Really cheap and easy and my daughter loves it.



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