cheap healthy foods???

[Yvette84]

Anyone know of any foods that are cheap, and healthy???

[astaro]

vegetables

[BetterKarma]

How about some fruits?

[willow2900]

spinach is cheap and very, very healthy for you. Yummy salads!

[Yvette84]

those are good snacks, but what about for meals?? I know of stuff but everything costs too much.

[jengh]

Oatmeal is great... be sure to get the regular stuff though, not the "quick" one. I make it with a cut-up apple in it and it's soo good and it keeps me full for a long time

[ImThatGirl]

Chicken Breast, Rice, and Vegetables Maybe?

[Dako]

I buy all the fresh veggies I like, chop them and stir them in a wok while the rice cooker bubbles. A few bits of chicken, peanuts or shrimp add proteins. and some ponzu or stirfry sauce add seasoning. Takes 20 minutes to make dinner.

40 pounds of rice costs 6 bucks at the Asian market.

Apples yogurt and bananas for dessert.

 

Cabbage, bok choy, celery and carrots keep a long time.

 

Prepared foods are expensive.

[rocio]

Cooking everything from scratch can save money. Meat is expensive, especially for grain-fed or organic. It's hard to get around that. But rice is dirt-cheap (especially if you buy it in bulk) and so are spices, oil, etc. You can buy discounted vegetables that aren't so fresh to use in your cooking.

 

Some cheap alternatives to meat can include lentils and chickpeas or canned tuna.

 

Shop around for cheap fruits and veggies in markets or in ethnic stores (chinese, indian, african...). Normally if you can find locally grown produce you'll save money.

[CharLit]

cheap healthy meal:

 

ingredients:

- wholemeal pasta

- frozen spinach

- couple of onions, chopped

- some garlic to taste, minced

- cream cheese (like boursin or similar, but non-brand name)

- bit of vegetable cooking oil

 

preparation:

- cook pasta according to packet instructions

- in another pan, gently fry you onions and garlic until onions are glassy

- then add frozen spinach and cook until defrosted & hot enough

- stir in cream cheese

- mix with cooked pasta

 

presto!

 

(you can also use creamed spinach and leave out the cream cheese)

[CharLit]

similar and yet cmopletely different:

 

- frozen spinach

- curry powder

- yoghurt

- couple of chopped onions

- garlic

- can of chick peas

- rice (i like basmati rice, but whatever you prefer)

- cooking oil

- salt & pepper to taste

- optional: mango chutney. A bit expensive, but you don't need much and it keeps for ages in the fridge

 

Preparation:

 

- cook rice according to packet instructions

- fry garlic and onions in oil until onions are glassy

- drain chick peas and fry gently in separate pan

- add frozen spinach to onions & cook until defrosted and hot

- throw in dollop of yoghurt

- add chick peas

- add curry powder carefully, as strength and people's tastes vary: add a little, stir thouroughly, taste, add more if necessary, etc.

- add salt & pepper to taste

 

... and serve with rice

and a bit of mango chutney if you like it

[Daddy Bear]

As a Cali girl, there must be a 99-cent Store not far from you. That's a great place to buy a dozen eggs, and I usually get some turkey slices, dried fruit and cran-grape juice while I'm there.

 

Dried beans are cheap and healthy protein, especially when combined with rice; and chuck roast ain't so tough when you cube it up, brown and boil the whammy out of it, and add some veggies and whatnot to make a satisfying stew.

[Dako]

I'm noshing on a mix of canned beans right now. Garbanzo, black, kidney, chili in sauce. I rinse all but the chili beans add some water and maybe some turkey chili and stir.

 

I call it dumpstir.

[fnlyfrei]

Egg whites are great...they have tons of protein and little fat. Oatmeal as stated before...bananas! Vegtables and fruits in season are usually on sale...and you can process and freeze them so you have them on hand. Good for you for eating healthy !!

[BetterKarma]

You can make ground chicken(healthy) bolognese sauce and freeze it. Then you can take it out and make quick meals out of it. Reheat and throw some veggies in the sauce put over pasta. Or when you reheat and throw some chopped veggies in it, also put uncooked rice and spices and make a mock jambalaya.

 

Eggs are great too. You can make an veggie omlet or scrambled eggs with some lean ham and eat with rice or toast.