eating healthy on the cheap

[filmgirl2911]

can anyone help with suggestions of cheap but healthy meal options / shopping suggestions.

right now we have a squeaky, squeaky budget and I'd like to still provide healthy options but keep the grocery budget as *low* as possible.

thoughts? suggestions?

thanks :heart

[Love_Is_Patient]

What kinds of shopping options are open to you? In one place I lived there was a 'produce outlet' (hole-in-the-wall place that sold fresh veggies and apples for pretty good prices). I could eat healthy more cheaply by shopping around--for example, natural peanut butter was cheapest at Walmart but whole wheat flour was cheapest at Krogers, so was cheese (because they regularly had sales on blocks of cheese). But a lot of that depends on your location and transportation options.

Some simple meals that we like are brown rice (which is more expensive but I find we eat smaller portions so it evens out somewhat) with tofu (this will probably be cheapest from an asian store if you have one, but even at walmart is probably cheaper than meat) and bean sprouts (best was when I sprouted my one, which is pretty easy); Egyptian rice and lentils (you cook rice and lentils together; make a meatless tomato sauce to go on top--I can put down the actual recipe if you want); scrambled eggs and baked or fried potatoes.

What kind of food do you normally cook and how are you looking to change it? I mean, are you used to the budget but trying to cook healthier on it, or are you used to cooking healthy foods but need to bring the cost down, or both at once? And what does healthy mean to you? To me, my priority was to use whole grains whenever possible, to include as many veggies as possible (buying only what's in season helped), to include some fruit (cheapest meant bananas usually and apples in season), and not to worry much about oil or salt in recipes but to avoid prepared foods as much as I could (and we ate our share of mac and cheese, but I just tried to balance things out).

HTH

[filmgirl2911]

eating healthy for us is to eat a variety of foods that include whole grains, protein (we are meat eaters as well as bean eaters), fruits and veggies. We don't do many prepared foods b/c they are too pricey (main reason).

I have started doing some boxed mac & cheese (it's whole grain pasta) b/c it's quick and easy.

some cheap, easy, healthy soups would be great b/c my toddler girl loves soups.

we do whole grain pastas, sometimes with sauce, sometimes with EVOO and veggies

my husband needs lunches for work that include filling / healthy snacks. We usually do quart-sized yogurt with fruit added and apple sauce. he's usually okay with taking pb&j.

our budget has shrunk at the moment, so I am trying to see how much I can get to feed us with as little money as possible but still get healthy options.

does that make sense?

so recipe suggestions might also be helpful :heart

[Leen]

Are you guys still doing dairy-free? I'll try to find some of my dairy-free recipes and post them. I have a couple good lentil recipes.

We've been using dried beans lately, which are cheap and go a looooong way -- something like corn tortillas, black beans, some fried onions, and maybe an avocado = yum! Although I know avocados are cheap here...probably not there! :giggle But a tomato or some other kind of veggie would be good, too.

[filmgirl2911]

Are you guys still doing dairy-free? I'll try to find some of my dairy-free recipes and post them. I have a couple good lentil recipes.

We've been using dried beans lately, which are cheap and go a looooong way -- something like corn tortillas, black beans, some fried onions, and maybe an avocado = yum! Although I know avocados are cheap here...probably not there! :giggle But a tomato or some other kind of veggie would be good, too.

lentil recipes would be great.

As for dairy-free, I'm starting to slowly add some back in and see how we do. It seems that sweet potato's reflux is easing off. we'll see.

I like your corn tortilla idea :yum

share more please :kiss

[Leen]

I've got lots of lentil recipes, I'll post them later. Some I've tried, some I haven't yet.

:yes

[MarynMunchkins]

This soup is great. I've done green lentils and they were just as delicious. :yum

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apricot-Lentil-Soup/Detail.aspx

[aleigh]

You can get a whole chicken for not much $$- unless you want an organic one which is obviously much more expensive. They're simple to prepare & roast with some veggies. Or you could do it in a crock pot & use the meat for things like chicken soft tacos or soups. If you make it in the crock pot it's also super easy to make chicken stock out of the drippings, bones & skin.

I won't assume that you're skittish (like I was until about 2 months ago!!) about working with a whole chicken. If you need someone to walk you through roasting/preparing one, feel free to pm me!

[mamacat]

I try to get chicken breasts on sale and cut into pieces and saute them and have on hand for throwing in salads and with pasta and veggie dishes or you can make chicken salad etc. Or are you not a chicken eater?

[filmgirl2911]

I try to get chicken breasts on sale and cut into pieces and saute them and have on hand for throwing in salads and with pasta and veggie dishes or you can make chicken salad etc. Or are you not a chicken eater?

definitely a chicken eater :)

and these ideas and aleigh's are good ones so, :ty4

[Leen]

Okay, some lentil ideas!

We love this one with a loaf of bread and some red wine, if you are into that sort of thing. :giggle

Lentilles de Puy

1 cup French green lentils
2 bay leafs
a few springs of fresh thyme
1 carrot, finely diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 bulb of fennel, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 1/2 cups of broth
s&p
For the vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon
1 small shallot, minced
Rinse the lentils and remove any foreign matter.
Saute the veggies until soft in olive oil. Add the lentils, bay leaves, thyme salt and pepper. Add the broth, reduce heat and cover. Stir occasionally until the lentils are soft about 20-25 minutes. If it seems like they need more liquid throughout the cooking process add water or broth as needed.
In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for the vinaigrette.
When the lentils are done remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Then toss with the vinaigrette. Stir a few times to release the steam. Taste, and season with more salt, pepper, and olive oil if desired.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

This one is a great, cheap, hearty meal. If we want to jazz it up, we buy the frozen Garlic Naan from trader joe's and eat that with it, too.

Curried Lentil Stew

Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp curry powder
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or ½ tsp dried
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 ¼ cups water
½ cup dried brown lentils
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ cup sherry
½ tsp salt, more to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

(Note: I don't use the tomatoes. I hate cooked tomatoes, so I just increase the water to compensate for the moisture and it works fine.)

Procedure

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add th eonion, and cook it, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown at the edges, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, curry powder, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and potato, then the water and the lentils. Cover the pan, let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sherry, salt, and pepper and simmer for 5-10 minutes more, until the potatoes and lentils are tender.

Serve with rice.

From Vegetarian Planet, by Didi Emmons

I like this one, too, but it's a little more prep, IIRC.

Sesame Stir-Fried Lentils and Vegetables

Ingredients

1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 cup diagonally sliced peeled carrots (or small baby carrots)
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup halved pattypan squash (or yellow squash, cut into rounds)
1 cup trimmed snow peas
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ cup of ½-inch pieces of red bell peppers
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 Tbsp finely chopped, peeled, fresh ginger
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
3 cups cooked brown or green lentils (about 1 cup dried)
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
3 Tbsp light or dark soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Procedure

Toast sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Set aside. Place carrots, broccoli, squash, and snow peas in a vegetable steaming basket over boiling water. Cover and steam until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. (I do this in the microwave, too. Either way.) Rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add red bell peppers and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and red pepper flakes (if desired). Cook, stirring, until sizzling, about 30 seconds. Add the steamed vegetables, along with the cooked lentils, the scallions, the soy sauce, and the sesame oil. Cook, stirring, just until heated through, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, and serve hot. From the Joy of Cooking's Vegetarian Cooking book.
I serve this with white rice, although you could do brown too, or no rice, since the lentils are kind of starchy.

[bananacake]

I have been putting whole chickens in the crockpot: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/crockpot-rotisserie-style-chicken.html. It works much better with a natural/organic chicken because it lets off less juice. One meal is chicken with rice/potatoes, then strip off the rest of the chicken, leaving the bones in the crock. Cover it with water, add some peppercorn or thyme if you have it, and leave it on low overnight. Strain the bones out, and then refrigerate. I skim most of the fat off and then put the broth in the crock with maybe garlic, potato and celery/carrots with some lentils. You can use the rest of the chicken for lunches, tortillas, or with pasta.

And I do not take the skin off the chicken, like the above recipe suggests.
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[filmgirl2911]

Leen - those just sound delicious, especially the red wine idea :giggle

oh and the stir fry too