does anyone have budget friendly healthy recipes???

[snappytomcat]

I love to cook,and I cook almost everynight,but for me the worst part of cooking is coming up with healthy ideas,it seems like we eat almost the same thing every week,i need some variety,and also my husband loves frozen broccoli(I don't know why)but can you give me some suggestions on jazzing it up,and no he wont eat fresh ive tried hes actually picky,im trying to help him lose weight,but hes a carb addict

thank you

[Mr Scorpio]

There are numerous websites that list healthy-recipes for under $2 (or even $1) per-serving. But, since you're asking us:

 

 

1. Chili -- either traditional "red" or white. If you make white, using canned chicken can cut down on the price and prep-time.

 

 

2. Spaghetti -- again either traditional "red" or with olive-oil, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, and more canned-chicken w/ whole-wheat pasta

 

 

3. Stir-fry -- broccoli, whatever other veggies you enjoy, and whatever meat you want to spend money on w/ brown-rice

 

 

4. Salad -- spinach, shredded carrot, tomato, black-beans, canned-chicken, cucumber. Balsamic vinaigrette for dressing. If hubby won't tolerate that, put normal-fatty dressing in a small dish on the side and tell him to dip his fork into the dressing before each bite.

 

 

5. omelets -- eggs (duh), spinach, tomato, black-beans, peppers/onions, low-fat cheese and hot-sauce

 

 

6. Burritos -- not so carb friendly because of the tortilla, but very portable and very healthy otherwise.

[amaysngrace]

I don't think I've ever cooked frozen broccoli in my life unless maybe in a vegetable lasagna or something.

 

I thought insisting on fresh broccoli was picky

[Tayken]

3. Stir-fry -- broccoli, whatever other veggies you enjoy, and whatever meat you want to spend money on w/ brown-rice

 

 

4. Salad -- spinach, shredded carrot, tomato, black-beans, canned-chicken, cucumber. Balsamic vinaigrette for dressing. If hubby won't tolerate that, put normal-fatty dressing in a small dish on the side and tell him to dip his fork into the dressing before each bite.

 

 

5. omelets -- eggs (duh), spinach, tomato, black-beans, peppers/onions, low-fat cheese and hot-sauce

 

Stir fry veggies is great, and am actually going to be having that for supper with some lean beef and shrimp. Brown rice is very calorie laden as shown in my post in the brown rice thread

 

I have omelets every morning...3 eggs with veggies (very low calories)

 

Salad....I am not sure about the canned food, as it's not fresh and will have additives in it

[d0nnivain]

I read a tip once that suggested coming up with menus for 21 days. If you can avoid the same things through 3 weeks you will want to eat that again once the cycle is complete.

[JDPT]

I keep things very simple I usually have 170 grams of chobani plain yogurt mixed with half scoop of isopure zero carb protein and half a packet of splenda, I know I ruin it with the splenda but I need just a little bit of flavor. It works out well for me.

[snappytomcat]

I don't think I've ever cooked frozen broccoli in my life unless maybe in a vegetable lasagna or something.

 

I thought insisting on fresh broccoli was picky

where did I say that I insisted on fresh broccoli?i didn't I said ive tried to serve it to him,and he doesn't like it that's all,i was just asking for recipe ideas not a smart ass comment

[amaysngrace]

where did I say that I insisted on fresh broccoli?i didn't I said ive tried to serve it to him,and he doesn't like it that's all,i was just asking for recipe ideas not a smart ass comment

 

Well I'd give you an excellent recipe but it's a pasta dish and you said he's cutting carbs and I don't use frozen broccoli so I couldn't really say how it would turn out.

 

My comment wasn't smart ass...sorry if you took it that way...

[snappytomcat]

Well I'd give you an excellent recipe but it's a pasta dish and you said he's cutting carbs and I don't use frozen broccoli so I couldn't really say how it would turn out.

 

My comment wasn't smart ass...sorry if you took it that way...

sorry my bad,yes im trying to get him to eat less carbs,he holds most of his weight in his belly I think it has a lot to do with carbs

[Tayken]

sorry my bad,yes im trying to get him to eat less carbs,he holds most of his weight in his belly I think it has a lot to do with carbs

 

Again.....it's not so much the carbs, it's the calories in the amount of carbs, fat and sugar that he is eating that is responsible for the beer belly. remember..."everything in moderation" (not talking illegal substances here)

 

Get him to cut out pop and all fizzy drinks, drink more water and add lemon to it for some taste. Additionally eat more veggies and fruits (watch for the high sugar, high calorie ones)

 

I am just sitting down now to have my stir fry of veggies with lean beef and shrimp (protein), I also bought a number of fruits that have "berries" at the end of their name, along with a pineapple and grapefruit. I cut them up and put it in the fridge, that acts as my snack for the next few days

[Ruby Slippers]

I think soup is a great healthy, delicious, and affordable meal. You can find tons of good, simple soup recipes for free online, and I like this soup cookbook.

 

I make vegetable soups of all kinds. There's a great recipe in that book for cream of broccoli soup - you puree it, and I just use a little bit of milk instead of cream. Same "cream" effect, with all the fat and calories.

[amaysngrace]

Pasta with broccoli:

This is really inexpensive and gets you full but it's pasta so the carbs are high...

I use a box of farfella (bow tie) pasta and once that starts cooking I cook the broccoli but not to death and once the broccoli is straining I put enough oil in the bottom of a medium frying pan and lightly cook a lot of minced garlic. Then throw the broccoli into the oil and add salt and pepper.

 

After I strain the pasta I put it back into the pot and I throw the broccoli on top of the pasta and put a bunch of Pecorino Romano cheese. The cheese is not cheap but the container lasts a pretty long time.

 

And if he will eat beans this black bean burrito is filling and I usually can get dinner plus leftovers from it...the only fat comes from the avocado

 

Black Bean Burrito:

In a large skillet cook one sliced green bell pepper and one sliced large onion in one can of chicken or vegetable broth.

 

Heat up one can of black beans in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove

 

Warm up the tortillas one at a time in a dry frying pan on both sides

 

Spread guacamole, fresh salsa, beans and the juicy peppers on to the tortilla and wrap it up

 

These are tasty and very healthy if he will do beans.

[thefooloftheyear]

sorry my bad,yes im trying to get him to eat less carbs,he holds most of his weight in his belly I think it has a lot to do with carbs

 

 

It has less to do with carbs and more to do with activity level...How old is he and when was the last time he had his Testosterone levels checked?...

 

TFY

[lollipopspot]

I agree with others that it's not the carbs per se that are giving him any issues. Carbs aren't bad. But he'd probably want to stay away from highly refined carbs and have foods in their more whole food form when possible. Starches are very filling, and the mainstay of traditional diets.

 

The Starch Solution: Eat the Foods You Love, Regain Your Health, and Lose the Weight for Good!: John McDougall, Mary McDougall: 9781623360276: Amazon.com: Books

[Under The Radar]

If you are not already familiar with it whfoods.com (world's healthiest foods) is an excellent resource.

[thefooloftheyear]

There are lots of healthy foods that are easy on the budget and easy to prepare..

 

I cant cook for anything, but I eat a lot of eggs, prepeared in different ways..(they are pretty cheap)..I also eat tons of fish, beef and chicken...If you buy right they arent that costly...Ill eat some whole grains and oatmeal- which is dirt cheap.

 

I make a dish that consists of ground beef, black beans and brown rice..Its very calorie dense, easy to make and loaded with protien. I normally dont season it, except when I crave some salt, then Ill use some taco seasoning or put a few slices of cheddar on it..

 

Stay away from too many processed foods and avoid sugared drinks...I only drink skim milk or unsweetened tea...I eat beef or venison jerky for snacks...The venison I get for nothing from my hunting buddies-the beef jerky tastes better but can be pricey..Ill also snack on greek yogurt or unflavored cottage cheese, or unsweetened peanut butter..

 

I work some vegs in between..

 

It can be done relatively cheap, but at the end of the day, I dont sweat how much it costs to feed my body...Id rather skimp in other areas.

 

Good Luck

 

TFY

Edited February 20, 2014 by thefooloftheyear

[dichotomy]

Wow I just typed something very similar to above - a big pot of brown rice, with lean ground sirloin (or beans if you wish), diced veggies (peppers, onions, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, what ever), and some tomato sauce all stirred together.

Edited February 20, 2014 by dichotomy

[JDPT]

Wow I just typed something very similar to above - a big pot of brown rice, with lean ground sirloin (or beans if you wish), diced veggies (peppers, onions, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, what ever), and some tomato sauce all stirred together.

 

Sounds like something a body builder may want to munch on.

[JDPT]

Just threw in the blender 2 cups of non fat milk, 3 scoops of plain chobani yogurt, one scoop of isopure zero carb protein powder and 2 Splenda. And munched on an ounce of peanuts. That was lunch.

[snappytomcat]

thank you all for the great recipes,and suggestions,i will be going to grocery store later

[pink_sugar]

Try pinterest.com or check out pages on facebook such as healthy foodie. They usually post all kinds of recipes each day. I know how it feels when the same thing gets tedious. I mostly eat fish, shrimp and a lot of chicken.

[EasyHeart]

Lots of good ideas in this thread. My go-to meals are stir fries, chilis, stews and curries. All of them are easy to make and relatively inexpensive. Chilis, stews and curries (which are all basically the same thing) are easy to make in bulk and freeze or eat on for the whole week. And there's really no recipe for them -- meat, broth, veggies and spices (and maybe beans) simmered in a pot. Toss in your favorites and experiment.

 

Eggs are great, though I'm allergic to them now. One of my favorite egg dishes was to take a box of frozen spinach (thawed), and put it into my wok with 3-4 eggs and some onions and mushrooms. Cook it til the eggs are done, then top it with some fresh tomatoes and some cheese if you want. That's a big pile of food for about $1.50.

 

Rice and beans are probably your cheapest, most basic meal. Toss in lots of spices and it still costs less than 50 cents for a meal.

 

I feel bad for anyone who's never had frozen broccoli!!! It's probably the cheapest and most nutritious food out there. One way to serve it to cook some frozen broccoli in a little bit of water, just til it heats up and turns bright green. Throw the whole thing in a blender and puree it (use the water to control how thick you want it). Salt, pepper and maybe a pat of butter and you'll have the best soup you ever tasted. (I stole that one from Gordon Ramsey. It costs about 25 cents to make and he charges $10 for it in his restaurant. ).