Sapphire P
I'm broke and I'm trying to get healthy!
Answer
You are in a tight spot. I was once in your situation and I learned 2 things. The 1st is that you CAN eat healthy on a budget. 2nd is things DO get better.
Certain things like meat, dairy, and prepared food is usually more expensive. Use canned tuna, chicken, sardines, and salmon packed in water. Compare prices and labels. Cans that are in the middle shelves of the display are usually more expensive than the ones on top or boton shelves. But DO compare labels. Cheap doesn't always mean healthy. Compare the cost of fresh, canned, and frozen veggies. Eat beans, lentils, and peas, they are very cheap and very healthy. Don't be ashamed of using coupons and shopping when stores have big sales. Here are some ideas:
*tuna or salmon casserole
*chicken salad
*chicken tacos
*tuna or salmon croquettes
*pasta with tuna or sardines
*sardines in tomato sauce
*sardine sandwich
Here are some recipes. I make these all the time and just eye ball it so adjust ingredients to your taste.
***Tuna salad***
â¢1 can tuna
â¢1/4 of a small onion
â¢2 celery ribs
â¢1 cup mix of any other crunchy veggie that can be eaten raw like bell peppers, radishes, jicama, carrot, cucumber
â¢1/2 tablespoon fat free mayo
â¢1 tablespoon light vinaigrette
1. In a bowl mix mayo and vinaigrette until well combined.
2. Chop onion, celery, and veggies. Put in bowl. Mix with dressing.
3. Add tuna and toss.
***Pasta Primavera***
â¢1 small package
â¢1 cup frozen spinach
â¢1/2 cup frozen chopped veggie mix
â¢4 garlic cloves sliced
â¢1 jalapeño or red pepper flakes if you like spicy
â¢cheese if you have some extra cash
1. Cook pasta acording to directions. Save cooking water for veggies.
2. Cook veggies according to directions. Don't over cook, veggies should be crunch.
3. While pasta and veggies cook fry the garlic and peppers (if using) in olive oil.
4. Toss pasta, veggies, oil, and garlic 'chips'.
Add cheese if using.
***Lentil or Bean Soup***
â¢2 cups cooked lentils or beans
â¢1 cup chunky salsa
â¢4 or 5 slices bacon chopped
â¢1 can low sodium chicken broth
â¢fresh pico de gallo salsa
1. Fry bacon in large pot. Remove most of the fat.
2. Add chunky salsa and sautee briefly.
3. Add lentils or beans and broth. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
4. Serve with a big spoonful of pico de gallo
***Chicken Pasta***
â¢1 can chicken
â¢1 can diced tomatoes
â¢1 package large pasta shells
â¢garlic, chopped
â¢onion, chopped
â¢Italian spices
â¢cheese
1. Cook pasta according to package
2. While pasta is cooking sautee onion and garlic.
3. Add tomatoes, spices and chicken.
4. Toss chicken with pasta and top with cheese
Hope this helps! Good luck!
You are in a tight spot. I was once in your situation and I learned 2 things. The 1st is that you CAN eat healthy on a budget. 2nd is things DO get better.
Certain things like meat, dairy, and prepared food is usually more expensive. Use canned tuna, chicken, sardines, and salmon packed in water. Compare prices and labels. Cans that are in the middle shelves of the display are usually more expensive than the ones on top or boton shelves. But DO compare labels. Cheap doesn't always mean healthy. Compare the cost of fresh, canned, and frozen veggies. Eat beans, lentils, and peas, they are very cheap and very healthy. Don't be ashamed of using coupons and shopping when stores have big sales. Here are some ideas:
*tuna or salmon casserole
*chicken salad
*chicken tacos
*tuna or salmon croquettes
*pasta with tuna or sardines
*sardines in tomato sauce
*sardine sandwich
Here are some recipes. I make these all the time and just eye ball it so adjust ingredients to your taste.
***Tuna salad***
â¢1 can tuna
â¢1/4 of a small onion
â¢2 celery ribs
â¢1 cup mix of any other crunchy veggie that can be eaten raw like bell peppers, radishes, jicama, carrot, cucumber
â¢1/2 tablespoon fat free mayo
â¢1 tablespoon light vinaigrette
1. In a bowl mix mayo and vinaigrette until well combined.
2. Chop onion, celery, and veggies. Put in bowl. Mix with dressing.
3. Add tuna and toss.
***Pasta Primavera***
â¢1 small package
â¢1 cup frozen spinach
â¢1/2 cup frozen chopped veggie mix
â¢4 garlic cloves sliced
â¢1 jalapeño or red pepper flakes if you like spicy
â¢cheese if you have some extra cash
1. Cook pasta acording to directions. Save cooking water for veggies.
2. Cook veggies according to directions. Don't over cook, veggies should be crunch.
3. While pasta and veggies cook fry the garlic and peppers (if using) in olive oil.
4. Toss pasta, veggies, oil, and garlic 'chips'.
Add cheese if using.
***Lentil or Bean Soup***
â¢2 cups cooked lentils or beans
â¢1 cup chunky salsa
â¢4 or 5 slices bacon chopped
â¢1 can low sodium chicken broth
â¢fresh pico de gallo salsa
1. Fry bacon in large pot. Remove most of the fat.
2. Add chunky salsa and sautee briefly.
3. Add lentils or beans and broth. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
4. Serve with a big spoonful of pico de gallo
***Chicken Pasta***
â¢1 can chicken
â¢1 can diced tomatoes
â¢1 package large pasta shells
â¢garlic, chopped
â¢onion, chopped
â¢Italian spices
â¢cheese
1. Cook pasta according to package
2. While pasta is cooking sautee onion and garlic.
3. Add tomatoes, spices and chicken.
4. Toss chicken with pasta and top with cheese
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Cheap Healthy Salads Recipes?
Tarazha
I'm looking for healthy salad recipes that I can make at home on a strict budget of 50 dollars for the whole month to cover 1-2 out of 3 meals a day. The reason is I'm trying to lose weight and my goal is to prepare something healthy for at least two of my daily meals since dinner is usually cooked for the house by someone else. Salads have caught my attention just because I really like salads and my diet currently has few fruits and veggies in it so I'm killing two birds with one stone there. Anyone have some salad recipes that can cover lunch for a week that incorporate chicken (i hate chicken breasts it's so dry) and some kind of pasta for around 300-350 calories a serving? I'm not a picky eater but I'm also not a chef. If the salads voluminous enough I wouldn't mind swapping out snacks for salads and eating a lighter lunch. If it helps I'll lay out the regime the nutritionist gave me.
Breakfast: 300-500 calories
Snack: 100 calories
Lunch: 300-500 calories
Snack: 100 calories
Dinner: 400-500 calories
The recommended amount of calories consumed was less than 2000 calories with regular walking exercises. I'm morbidly obese trying to get healthy so obviously I'm not going to actually consume 2000 calories a day. I've looked uo all the tips there can be found on stretching a meal I don't need more tips I'm asking for salad recipes to try.
Answer
Hi Tarazha,
I used to make fairly cheap salads for lunchâa wedge of cabbage, some carrot, celery and cucumber sticks, sliced yellow paprika and red cherry radish, a few cherry tomatoes, 3-4 slices of rolled supermarket ham, and 6-8 half-inch cubes of cheese, usually natural, sharp cheddar. For dressing? A pinch of salt and a dash of pepper! VERY occasionally, my wife would put a teensy tub (about one ounce) of miso + mayo + soy or Worcestershire sauce, for dipping the vegetable sticks and sometimes I'd throw a whole, or half a boiled egg into the lunch-box. I could eat this 3-4 days running, but would want a ham & cheese sandwich or a burger at least once per week
I've been eating only fresh fruits for breakfast for the past 18 months, and lost 28lbs (13 kilos) in less than a year without any change in exercise, which shocked my doctor! My previous weight was 93kg/200+lbs (borderline obese at 5'11") and my last 'target' weight was 88kg, but I was a smidgen under 80kg at our next meeting. I was eating 'mostly' salads for lunch, but I could also do a small ham and *real* cheese bagel (180-190kcal) and a cup of cold Vichysoisse/corn/pumpkin soup (70-80kcal) and I could work all evening on that.
Best of luck with the weight loss. Watch out for the 'stealth calories' in salad dressings, please!
Cautionary tale linked below, but just for fun!
Hi Tarazha,
I used to make fairly cheap salads for lunchâa wedge of cabbage, some carrot, celery and cucumber sticks, sliced yellow paprika and red cherry radish, a few cherry tomatoes, 3-4 slices of rolled supermarket ham, and 6-8 half-inch cubes of cheese, usually natural, sharp cheddar. For dressing? A pinch of salt and a dash of pepper! VERY occasionally, my wife would put a teensy tub (about one ounce) of miso + mayo + soy or Worcestershire sauce, for dipping the vegetable sticks and sometimes I'd throw a whole, or half a boiled egg into the lunch-box. I could eat this 3-4 days running, but would want a ham & cheese sandwich or a burger at least once per week
I've been eating only fresh fruits for breakfast for the past 18 months, and lost 28lbs (13 kilos) in less than a year without any change in exercise, which shocked my doctor! My previous weight was 93kg/200+lbs (borderline obese at 5'11") and my last 'target' weight was 88kg, but I was a smidgen under 80kg at our next meeting. I was eating 'mostly' salads for lunch, but I could also do a small ham and *real* cheese bagel (180-190kcal) and a cup of cold Vichysoisse/corn/pumpkin soup (70-80kcal) and I could work all evening on that.
Best of luck with the weight loss. Watch out for the 'stealth calories' in salad dressings, please!
Cautionary tale linked below, but just for fun!
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