I am in need of extremely cheap, healthy recipes

Posts: 59
4/9/13 8:51 P

A lot is in how you shop. Make recipes based on sales and coupons. When pasta is bogo stock up. Find out when meat markdowns are done at your grocery and be there. I can get rice for 16c pond when coupons available. Spaghetti sauce is often 10/$10 or bogo. Also cooking from scratch helps. Couponmom.com list deals at your local grocery.

Write meals you do on a calendar.meal plans based on sales. Doing this also helps you cause you can repeat meals and remember what worked. Also, sign in to cooking light.com. They have great meals, fast meals and if you search,they have dinners under $5 and a recipe finder based on "what you have on hand".

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3/29/13 2:12 P

Buy a bag of lentils about $1.29, Add one beef boillion cube and water, an a handful of matchstick carrots ....makes a nice soup.

How about brown rice $1.29 a bag and Cumberland Gap Ham Cubes...$3.00...mix together

A package of Jimmy Dean Tirkey Sausage is around 6 bucks and has 30-32 links for breakfast.

Eggs...21/2 dozen at Walmart around $6.00, Great Value Brand taco shell $1.00 for 12, Great Value Brand can goods most are 67 cents and are low in sodium and sugar, maybe a whole chicken for $3. They usually have 18 chicken legs for around $6.50.

2 Cucumber 2/$1.29 1.29 Approx.
1 Bag of Red Potatoes 2.99 for 9 2.99 Approx.
8 Sweet Potatoes 4.00 Approx.
1 bag of fresh Green Beans 2.00 Approx.
1 Bag of Carrots .89 Approx.
1 Bunch of Celery 1.89 Approx.
2lb bag of frozen Brocolli 3.59 Approx.
1 Huge Old Fasioned Oatmeal Box 2.59 Approx.
1 Huge box of Original Cheerios 3.00 Approx.

Hope that helps

Edited by: SUNSHINE6442 at: 3/29/2013 (14:24)

Posts: 156
3/12/13 3:50 P

One can of spaghetti sauce of your choice, one medium to large egg plant, depending on your crock pot size, 1 pound or more (depending on how much you want to cook, one small pepper, one small onion, some low fat grated cheese and set on low. Voila! First put in the chicken, it takes the longest to cook, then the egg plant sliced, then the other veggies if wanted, then the sauce and last but not least the grated cheese if you want. Just sprinkle it on, about 1/4 to one 1/2 cup depending on the size of the pot and your calorie intake.. Also you can wait until you have the meal served and then sprinkle it with the cheese.. It's economical, healthy, and yummy..

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3/10/13 1:02 P

I made a great chili recipe last night without beans, I used lean ground beef, diced red and yellow bell peppers, diced onion, one large can of whole peeled low sodium tomatoes ( cut into pieces ) a bit of tomato paste , cumin, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and it came out nice and think. It was delish!

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3/8/13 12:28 A

Check in your area if they have a store that sells close to expiring veggies and fruit, I make a spinach salad that is yummy.

Take spinach, puree frozen berries, add some cheap berry juice and a tsp-tblsp of honey. You can add ham lunch meat or chicken

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2/28/13 9:16 P

Great topic...
i also try to satisfy big appetites with as cheap as possible ideas..

lots of egg dishes
french toast with bread crusts...lowfat version

how do you buy fresh produce without breaking the bank??
i stick to canned or frozen
but it's just not the same

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2/26/13 6:59 P

hi everyone!

I recently started a blog where I've been posting recipes that I make for my boyfriend and I. He's a picky eater but so far all the recipes I've posted have been major hits with him! They are all very healthy recipes that don't contain processed foods and on top of it all, they're delicious! Most of my recipes are also very cheap! My spaghetti squash with brussels sprouts only costs about $4 and serves up to 6 people!
=]

hope you like it! Follow it for updates!
Thanks!

mysantamonicalife.wordpress.com

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2/26/13 6:33 P

Probably one of the cheapest hot meals that I can make is black beans and rice. Many times I will make this vegetarian but once in a while I'll put a few pieces of cut up Canadian Bacon in it. I use CB rather than ham since it's lower in fat. I'll buy a pack of CB and take a few pieces out and freeze the remaining packet. I use lots of celery too. Sometimes the recipes will call for broth or another liquid, but I'll use leftover white wine which I seem to always have. it will give it ZEST!

I'll try to make black beans from scratch tomorrow night, so I'm actually soaking a bag of black beans right now. This will be even cheaper since I'm not buying cans. I can't wait to see how or if it differs in taste.

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2/26/13 4:01 A

I love to make healthy and inexpensive pasta dishes. I buy whole-grain pasta, which is healthier and fills you up more than regular white pasta. Instead of sauce I prepare it carbonara by stirring eggs, bacon and cheese into the cooked pasta (lots of recipes for this online, if you've never made it). For half a box of pasta I use one or two slices of turkey bacon, two eggs, and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. You can also throw in a handful of frozen vegetables to bulk it up and add nutrients, and if you want some more protein you can chop a couple ounces of cooked chicken breast and mix it in.

Even with the extras it ends up costing only about $1 to $2 per serving, depending on your ingredients. It's very filling, and if you make a big batch you can refrigerate it and reheat it later!

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2/25/13 2:38 P

I only buy what is on sale. Typically, chicken drumsticks and thighs sell for 99cents a pound in a big family pack. So I buy them and seperate them and place in ziplock freezer bags.

Same goes for fruit and veggies. Buy what is on sale or marked down. I can buy loads of stuff in the "marked down" section.

Pasta and brown rice goes on sale quite often, stock up when it is . Same goes for frozen veggies. Right now my local market has bags of frozen veggies for $1.00 a bag.

Good Luck !!



Edited by: SNOOPY1960 at: 2/25/2013 (14:38)

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Posts: 2
2/25/13 12:10 P

I just made tacos lastnight & used LaTortilla Factory Wheat Wraps (Walmart) & they were delish..my husband loved them..the fiber in the wrap makes them hearty & easily filling..the wraps are a little pricey but much healthier than your basic ones..I am the only one in the house on a weightloss program so all my ingredients go a long way..I also used 93/7 ground sirloin..as long as long as its not over cooked, it is good..I weigh my cooked sirloin into 2oz servings which is plenty for one nice burrito..I know u were looking for cheap, but this is a healthy idea & if u broke it all down into individual serving sizes, it comes out to pennies to make & easy on the budget...hope this helps..

Posts: 2
2/25/13 12:08 P

I just made tacos lastnight & used LaTortilla Factory Wheat Wraps (Walmart) & they were delish..my husband loved them..the fiber in the wrap makes them hearty & easily filling..the wraps are a little pricey but much healthier than your basic ones..I am the only one in the house on a weightloss program so all my ingredients go a long way..I also used 93/7 ground sirloin..as long as long as its not over cooked, it is good..I weigh my cooked sirloin into 2oz servings which is plenty for one nice burrito..I know u were looking for cheap, but this is a healthy idea & if u broke it all down into individual serving sizes, it comes out to pennies to make & easy on the budget...hope this helps..

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2/25/13 7:22 A

Some of my favorites are homemade soups and stews. My family loves to eat them all year long. You can use what ever meats and vegetables you like. Stews are healthy and delicious and they are very filling for very little money. I buy bone-in chicken breasts in bulk on sale for about $1 per pound. Then I split them up into meal sized portions and put them into freezer bags for use in recipies. You can buy the whole wheat pasta on sale as well. I ususally buy a bunch when it goes on sale for 99 cents a box or during the buy one get one free sales. Same thing with the frozen vegetables and soup starters, buy them on sale and freeze them until your ready to use them. Here's another tip. You can buy the chicken broth and beef broth at most of your Dollar Tree stores for $1. That alone saves me a lot of money. You can also find other great food bargains there too, if you just take the time to look. They usually have jars of olives, pickles, and pepperoncini peppers for $1 as well. Try this simple recipie for a really cheep and very hearty sub. Buy a cheap cut of beef roast on sale. Buy a jar of pepperoncini peppers from the Dollar Tree. Pour the whole jar of peppers and juice over the beef roast in a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. The vinegar in the peppers breaks down the meat and makes it tender. Then just shred the beef right into the juice in the crock pot. Serve on a low fat whole wheat sub roll with your favorite sub-fixings for an easy and very tasty meal. This same recipie works well with the very lean pork loin as well. It comes out tasting like vinegar based bar-b-que. Just add some slaw and pickles on a low fat whole wheat bun. Oh, and by the way, most Dollar Tree stores carry the breads for $1 too.

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2/23/13 12:30 P

I liked to make a version of tacos (not sure what kind, just something I made up) where I used a pork shoulder roast that was crockpotted for 9 hours (after having a rub/marinating it for 2 days) so it was fall apart goodness. I made it with tomatoes, cumin, garlic and other of my favorite taco like seasonings. Then I took broccoli slaw and sauteed them up in a tiny amount of soy sauce and added cumin. The result was for very little meat, a good helping of veges and a tortilla (I put a tiny bit of cheese and a good helping of salsa) I had a very cheap, very satisfying meal. You can do this with chicken and wheat tortillas and it will be extremely low calorie for the satisfaction and easy on the budget. IT can look funny but well worth the trying.... Dang, now I want one

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Posts: 13
2/22/13 6:01 P

You can try checking out this www.penniesandpancakes.blogspot.com blog. She has tons of awesome recipes and gives a price breakdown of all of them. I've tried a few (the oven steak fries, healthier quarter pounder, and frozen burritos) and they were all delicious and decently healthy per serving. I entered all of the recipes I tried into the SP recipe calculator to get the exact nutrition data for the particular ingredients I used.

Another one of my favorite sources for cheap and healthy recipes is here www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy. It's constantly updated and they tend to favor stuff that is in season and appropriate for the time of year (soups and stews in winter, salads, etc. in summer). Hope these can be of some help!

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2/22/13 9:43 A

This sounds really good. I am going to borrow this, OKay?

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2/20/13 2:27 P

I make various combinations that I take for lunch for the week. They easily could be eaten for dinner. Brown rice and black beans, with salsa; brown rice and lentils with onion, celery and carrots Cook this with 4 bay leaves, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add a can of diced tomatoes to either one of these. Pea soup is cheap and filling. Don't bother with broth, just use water, split peas, potatoes, celery, onion, and carrot. Great flavor.

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2/20/13 10:50 A

Try this :
1 (15oz) can of broth - any flavor
1 (15oz) can of refried beans
1 (15oz) can of balck beans
2 cups frozen corn
1 (15oz) can of tomatoes with green chilis

Combine the broth and refried beans in a soup pot and whisk until well blended. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and and cook for about 20 minutes.
Serve with your favorite Mexican toppings: fresh cilantro, light sour cream, grated cheese, chives, reduced fat tortilla chips, etc

Makes 6 (1 1/2 cup) servings Cal:235 Fat: 2 gm Carb: 48 gm Fiber: 11 gm Protein: 12 gm
Sodium: 511 mg Cholesterol: 0

Hope you enjoy this fast, easy and delicious recipe as much as I do.

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2/17/13 1:02 P

I really try to stick to a reasonable budget for our meals, so here goes with what I get for us. I buy boneless chicken @ $2.99/lb., eggs, rice, and beans to start with. I take the time once a week to cook up batches of the rice and beans so we have quick meals during the week. I check the store ads to see which veggies and fruits are on sale. I often just get a bag of apples or oranges because it is more cost effective. At this time of year, frozen veggies are a better price here than fresh. I pick up a couple yogurts, some pasta, and canned tomatoes or low sodium V8 to make a pasta sauce. I get bread on sale for a dollar a loaf and use that for sandwiches using cooked chicken or eggs, and when it's on sale, tuna. I make french toast in batches and it's quick and easy to microwave it in the morning and have that and a piece of fruit. I like to make a pot of soup with whatever I have on hand. It will last all week and is good and filling. It can be as easy as V8, water, rice, beans and leftover veggies. Hope this helps.

Edited by: ZELDA13 at: 2/17/2013 (13:03)

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2/16/13 11:49 A

If you do a search over on the diet and nutrition board, you will find a bunch of threads that discuss this subject.

Also check out the blog budgetbytes.blogspot.com. It's not a "healthy cooking" blog, but many of the recipes end up being healthy.

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2/16/13 2:15 A

As the title suggests, I need some super cheap healthy recipes. I have access to $30/week for food and while I know that prices vary per region, I need to stay around that price.

So...

Anybody know some cheap, filling, low calorie, healthy recipes? Vegetables in my area are currently outrageous in price due to the season but when summer comes I will have access to a small garden through my pots system at my apartment. So zucchini, squash, and bell peppers will be pretty much free.

What I need are some recipes for now and some for the summer.

I greatly appreciate any help you can offer!

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