Healthy recipes for a beginner cook on a budget?

Question

I want to eat healthier, but it's so hard because I have no money and I don't do much cooking other than grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese! Does anyone have easy, good-for-you, cheap recipes? Thanks!

Answer 1

Broccoli cheese cassorole is wonderful, it's also quick and easy. Just buy 2 or packages of broccoli, a small block of velveeta (or the generic equivalent) cheese and 2 packs of connbread stuffing mix. Chop the broccoli and steam or boil it for about 15-25 minutes, while it is cooking make your stuffing according to the directions on the box (I use the microwave directions) and slice your cheese. Once the broccoli is as tender as you like it drain it and put it in a cassorole dish, lay the cheese slices over top of the broccoli, then spread your stuffing over top of that. Put it in the oven at about 350-400 degrees until the stuffing is slightly crisped on top. It's so good!

Answer 2

Tuna-ala-King is good and inexpensive
1 can tuna
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c frozen or 1 small can sweet peas
Cook over low-medium heat
Serve over toast

If you don't like mushrooms you can make a white sauce with:
2 Tsp butter or oleo
2 Tsp flour
1 cup milk
Stir flour into melted butter until creamy then add milk
Cook until bubbly and thick. Salt and pepper to taste

I use this sauce to make a ham and potato casserole
Parboil 3-4 sliced potatoes
Butter 2 quart casserole dish
Layer casserole dish with potatoes, ham pieces, sliced onions, white sauce, salt and pepper. Bake in 325'F oven for 35-45 minutes.

I usually buy a nice ham and boil it on top of the stove in a little water then take it out of the pan, slice it and serve with potato salad and baked beans. There is always some left over for ham sandwiches and that is the ham I use for the ham casserole. A ham will give you several meals and can be used several different ways. You can even have ham at breakfast.

Answer 3

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive at all. Don't think that you need to go out and buy all that overpriced health food stuff. The best plan is to get more whole grains (buy good bread), eat more fruits and veggies, and cut back on meat.

You should find a good recipe book with easy recipes and lots of stuff that you like in it, this will help you out immensely. I'm a good cook, but I have a number of cookbooks to refer to when I need info.

So, I don't know what kind of food you like...so recommending recipes is kind of hard...but since you like grilled cheese - try it like this sometime:

A slice of ripe tomato
A slice of swiss cheese
2 slices of good whole grain bread.

Slap the tomato slice on the cheese, cook as usual. Tastes pretty darn good.

Answer 6

Boil some pasta, when cooked toss through a tin of tuna (the flavoured ones u get now make this such a versatile recipe) a handfull of fresh chopped parsley (think about growing a little herb garden even if its just on ur window sill or in little pots outside) a dash of black pepper and a dash of olive oil before u eat it, u can sprinkle some cheese on if u like
delicious, cheap, easy and quick.

Answer 7

Get a folding steaming basket.

Take a bunch of plain old potatoes, scrub them clean, and steam for about an hour. Keep in the frig. They keep well unwrapped for about a week.

They will cook up very quickly if you fry, or otherwise cook them and precooking saves a lot of time.

Used with other veggies and with meat or poultry for protein, they make a nutritious meal. Experiment with seasonings and you can get a lot of variety for a little $$.

Answer 8

I do agree with the answer cursed gave, however I would tell you to watch for sale items on veggies, meats & if you are looking for the low fat way check and make sure that the extra's that you use when cooking are low fat and not just lite. I would invest in a metal steamer basket or if you have a metal colander that will work with a bigger pot. Steam veggies add your spices your oddles of noddles to the veggies & you can brown your chicken breast that you cut in half to cut down on portion and brown this and add to the mix or leave whole. Cook other chicken breast and save for chicken salad next day. (Steaming keeps vitamans)

Answer 9

Make use of frozen vegetables - they are not as expensive as fresh - but the nutritional value is just about the same - actually better sometimes (because the vegetables are frozen quickly after they are picked - therefore retaining a lot of the nutrients).

Canned tomatoes are actually really good for you.

Dried beans are very inexpensive - and good for you.

Easy Mixed-Bean Salad (made from canned beans - so no so expensive)

Prep: 5 min - Chill: 3 hr

1 can (15 to 16 ounces) cut green beans, drained
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) kidney beans, drained
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup Italian dressing


1. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, at least 3 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

2. Serve salad using slotted spoon.

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Make vegetable soup:

2-4 cups of water
2-4 chicken boullion cubes (match a cube for each cup of water)
1 canned diced tomatoes
1 pkg. frozen mixed vegetables - your choice of vegetable mix
salt
pepper
garlic
mix all together - bring to a boil - turn down heat to a medium low and allow to simmer for 30 - 45 mins.

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Bean Burritos

Ingredients
1 can black beans
1 can tomatoes with green chiles (rotel tomatoes)
tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese
Cumin
Oregano

Directions
Drain and rinse the can of black beans. Drain the can of tomatoes with green chiles and add to the beans. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of cumin and oregano to the beans and heat for 10 minutes.

Fill a tortilla with the bean mixture and add 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. Roll up and eat! Makes four burritos.

I hope this has helped some!

Answer 10

You have the internet so I am going to direct you to few websites.
Look for chicken, beef, or vegetarian recipes on these sites. They are low in cost but can be tasty.

Been where you were, and found that cheap doesn't have to mean tasteless and fattening.

Good Luck.