when I use meat in something like meat balls or enchiladas or tacos I use 1 or 2 chicken breasts and add veggies that have been chopped fine such as onion, zucchini, carrot, cabbage and mushrooms. it really works well and makes your food dollar stretch. especially if you can get them on sale. Oh it is also good for chicken burgers. I forgot to add that I make my own ground chicken in a food processor. just dice your chicken first. I found that the ground meats out there either have too much fat in them or if they were low in fat they are very expensive.
IAMFINALLYME 5/16/08 6:48 P
Thanx for all the info guys!! And thanx for the links to those recipes!!!
ELAINEHN 5/14/08 2:01 P
You can also find lots of great recipes, ideas and discussions right her on the message boards ... the forum right above this one "Recipe Requests" - www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/messageboard_topics.asp?imboard=62 has a lot of great info too.
ELAINEHN 5/14/08 1:59 P
I stock up on non-perishables & packaged foods (canned foods, frozen veggies, rice, etc.) when they are on sale and I have coupons on them. I try to keep lots of microwaveable steamed veggies in the freezer for when I don't have fresh available ... and I always have rice in the pantry ... same with canned fruits and veggies. They may not be as 100% healthy as fresh, but I know I'm not ALWAYS going to prepare meals from scratch and they're better than eating fast food. Canned soup can be high in sodium ... but there are LOTS of healthier varieties out there. Soup can be a quick easy meal with a sandwich or salad ... or it can be an ingredient in a pot-pie or casserole dish.
Similarly, I stock up on whatever meat is on sale ... ground beef or turkey, chicken, etc. I may not need 10 lbs of chicken breasts at one time. But I'd rather buy them when they are on sale for $1.29 (or less) a pound than to wait till they aren't on sale and pay $3.99 lb. Know what I mean?
I add beans to almost any meat dish that I can possibly get away with it. Beans are full of fiber which is good for you ... and which helps you feel full longer. Black beans are GREAT in taco meat. You can STRETCH a pound of ground meat into enough chili to feed an army if you add LOTS of different beans... black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, garbonzo beans, white beans, etc.
Some of my family's favorite meals include:
1 of Everything Chili (super Quick & Easy) recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=233320
Flat Out Pizza - recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=83341
Chili Lime Tilapia (daughter's favorite) - recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=163461
Caramel Apple Salad - good as a side dish, snack or dessert (my son likes it better than icecream!) - recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=79020
You can view more, by clicking my name at the top of any of the recipes and then scrolling down to the section that's labeled "Recipes I've shared"
Good Luck! Elaine
EATINGSMARTER 5/14/08 10:12 A
try simple and delicious, they have a website, but I get a suscription to the magazine, they have a section for inexpensive dishes as well as the nutrition information on many of their dishes. The website does not require a subscription but does not give access to 100% of the recipes, I think it should be a good thing.
IAMFINALLYME 5/14/08 9:31 A
Ooh thanx!! I'll have to remember these awesome tips.. Anyone else out there have any other tips?
I_DRAGONLOVER 5/14/08 12:02 A
I've found one of the best things to get are the large bags of frozen chicken breasts (usually the generic Ralphs brand)they are half the price of fresh chicken and taste just as good and if you're on the go like I am they only take about five minutes to defrost in the microwave and they're ready. In addition, you'll find that many discount stores such as Target, Walmart, and even the 99cent store carry a large variety of spices and produce just as comparable as any name brand. I hope this is a help to you as I have found it a great help.
IAMFINALLYME 5/13/08 10:35 P
I'm talking about meals for under 20.00.. You see I've only got about 200.00 a month to spend on food, so you see I have a very strict budget, do they have meals like those?
DONNALUV2C 5/13/08 10:26 P
yes, they definately have some lower cost dishes, you just have to look around a little bit, and be a smart shopper.
IAMFINALLYME 5/13/08 6:05 P
Does cookinglight.com have low income recipes as well? Because I'm on a very small budget when it comes to food, and I still wanna eat very healthy, good bye Chef Boyardee.. Lol
DONNALUV2C 5/13/08 6:03 P
check out cookinglight.com
IAMFINALLYME 5/13/08 5:57 P
Alright, so I'm 23 and a beginner cook, and I'm looking for some low budget and yet low on calorie recipes. I've looked through Spark Recipes, what a mess, and was wondering if anyone else has been successful and perhaps found another website? Or if perhaps you have a website or recipes that aren't in Spark People? Please someone HELP ME!!!
