Cheap but healthy!!

[mnmarty03]

Hey guys. I'm trying to challenge myself to not spend over $50.00 this month in my grocery bill, but I also am itching to eat healthier and stay in shape. I can survive on pasta and rice, but in all honesty - my body is longing for good nutrition! I feel energyless most of the time, something I hate!

So, I was wondering if anyone knew of some good, healthy ways to eat that are cheap too. Are frozen vegetables as good nutrition wise as fresh?

Please, share your recipes and ideas!

Here's one cheap way I have found to eat for about a week:

Grocery List:
* Tortillas (I know you can make these homemade, but I don't have all the ingredients)
* 1 Pepper
* Head of Lettuce
* 1 block of cheese
* 1 Tomato
* 1 Bag of Tortilla chips
* 1 dozen eggs
* Bread/milk/cereal when needed

Meals:
* scrambled eggs and cheese
* macaroni and cheese (provided you have pasta on hand at home)
* tacos (provided you have meat at home. when I did this I used meat and corn from home, along with a little tomato and green pepper, and the tortillas)
* lunch wraps (use meat from your freezer {i used lunch meat} and tortillas along with other ingredients)
* nachos (tortilla chips and cheese - I know this isn't healthy!)
* omelete
* french toast
* salad (even w/only yummy homemade dressing I find this delicious)

And that's probably about it. I'm only one person, so I can live from those meals for over a week, including left overs. And all of it only cost me about $10.00! Of course, this will change depending on what types of meat you do or don't have at home, what types of canned veggies you have, etc. If I do this again I would like to use some more fruits in the mix and cut out the tortilla chips...

Anyways, give me your best ideas!

[lottaLove]

Its been my experience that frozen veggies can be as good as fresh (sometimes better!) because they are picked in season and frozen immediately. So eat these to your hearts content. If you opt for canned veg, check the sodium levels as these can be somewhat high.
My general rule of thumb for healthy eating is half the plate is veg, 1/4 grain, 1/4 protein. If I am having meat, the size should not be larger or thicker than a deck of cards.
Instead of juice, I eat the fruit and have a glass of water. This way you get all of the nutrients of the fruit plus fibre.
Keep yourself well hydrated. Drink a lot of water, try not to have any soda or any of those beverages that contain chemical sweeteners (ie crystal light, koolaid)
Throw legumes in wherever you can. They are cheap, a good source of iron, fibre and protein. I add kidney beans or black beans to salads and spaghetti sauces, eat cold chick peas as a snack, and make hummus to dip my veggies in.

Thats all I can think of right now, good luck!

[RaisingMen]

Don't forget potatoes! They are pretty cheap and very good for you. I read a study once that followed some people who lived on nothing but potatoes for 6 months and they were healthier than before. I can't remember where I saw it, maybe the McDougall website?

We eat a lot of potatoes here. Last night we enjoyed Colcannon, which is a traditional Irish dish made with potatoes, cabbage, and onions. I served it with cornbread. It was delicious!

Here you can get a 10lb bag of Russets for about $3.

[tbs727]

and make hummus to dip my veggies in.

Thats all I can think of right now, good luck!

Care you share your recipe?

[lottaLove]

Sure!

HUMMUS

1 can of chick peas, drained
1/8 cup tahini (toasted sesame seed paste)
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 pinch paprika
1 teaspoon parsley

Instructions:

Place the chick peas, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.
Sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil if desired.

I have made the recipe without having tahini on hand, by toasting and then grinding my own sesame seeds. If you have a food processor, you can do this really easily, and save the leftovers for another batch.

[mnmarty03]

Sounds great guys! I'm excited that frozen should be just as good as fresh, cause I love fresh veggies but they are soooo expensive. Here you can get a five pound bag of potatoes for about 2.00, but I haven't ever bought them because I seem to not use them up in time. I'll have to start getting more creative with potatoes. I've been reading today about chick peas, but I have to say I've never had them... I'll have to look into them some more! If anyone else has any good cheap recipes that are healthy to share, let me know!!!