• Healthy meals for 60¢ or less

    Posted on October 22nd, 2008 Saver Queen 3 comments

    One of the best tips to reduce you grocery bill is to simply make good use of what is affordable and plentiful.  Josh and I bought a chicken on sale several months ago for $4 and we stored it in the freezer.  We roasted it a couple of weeks ago and had a cheap and lovely meal together.  The leftovers made great sandwiches and chicken salad, and the bones are sitting in our freezer, waiting to be used as stock.

    Upon returning to the store on the weekend, we hoped to cash in on another great deal, only to find that similar sized chickens were now being sold for $12!  

    So this week, I am focusing on making mostly vegetarian meals.  I nearly laughed when I picked up a package of tofu for 99¢, thinking about how cheap tofu is in comparison to meat, not to mention its versatility and healthful benefits.  A single block of tofu will go far - in a single package there is probably about 4 meals worth (I count one meal as a single portion).

    One great thing I always make when I am trying to be frugal with my grocery budget is a vegetarian chili.  You can pack it with beans, which are obviously full of protein.  I love adding a little cheddar cheese or sour cream to mine and lots of spices.  A big batch of vegetarian chili will feed you for days, keep well in the freezer, and you won’t spend more than $.60 per meal (per person).

     Another favourite in our household is homemade Indian food.  Josh makes a lentil dish by simmering red lentils with stewed tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices.  He serves it over rice, and it’s great comfort food. This dish works out to cost about $1.75 for the entire dish, but it serves up at least 4 meals, making each dinner cost about 44¢.  For a cheap and tasty side dish, Josh whips up a chickpea salad with chickpeas, cucumbers and a dressing consisting of yogurt, garlic and lemon juice. This salad, which also makes at least 4 portions, will add approximately 60¢ to each person’s portion.

    Tip: If you enjoy Indian food, learn how to make your own samosas, or buy them at an Indian grocery store.  Non-Indian stores mark up the prices. Shop there for other Indian food products as well.

    Use beans, lentils and tofu (really just another bean product) reduce your intake of meat - you will simultaneously reduce your grocery budget substantially!  

    Bean dishes, like vegetarian chili, are tasty, healthy and cheap

     

    Groceries, Recipes, Uncategorized
     

    3 responses to “Healthy meals for 60¢ or less”

    1. Tracy J October 22nd, 2008 at 22:26

      You asked about this on Gail’s blog… it’s a SMALL book that I am having fun reading. It’s a positive little tidbit with easy to remember points (like the cat thing)
      See if you can get it from the library (and don’t forget to return it!LOL)
      “Work Like You’re Showing Off: The Joy, Jazz, and Kick of Being Better Tomorrow Than You Were Today”
      by Joe Calloway (Author)
      -Tracy J — fellow frugal friend

    2. Saver Queen October 23rd, 2008 at 18:41

      That sounds fantastic, thanks so much! I’ll definitely pick it up!

    3. Nancy November 12th, 2008 at 10:40

      I like to keep things simple and healthy, so one of my favourite dishes in the fall and winter is the “one pot dinner”. A few months ago, I bought an Emile Henry stew pot when it was on sale. They are expensive, but worth it because the food cooks very evenly. The flavours of vegetables and meats are really enhanced with this pot, and I highly recommend it.
      One night I decided to make one of these dishes to take over to my mom’s home. I bought a small roasting chicken, and around it placed all kinds of vegetables..potatoes, carrots, squash, beets, brussel sprouts..anything I had in my fridge that would work (root vegetables work best). I placed it in the oven and didn’t have to think about it until it was done. It was wonderful..a real comfort meal.
      AND the bonus is that I was able to slice chicken for both my mom and me for another meal, along with some left over veggies. Then I took the carcass, added the rest of the roasted veggies, and others from the fridge and freezer, some rice from the pantry, and made a huge hearty soup! By the way, my daughter showed me a great trick..wash, dry and freeze kale..it’s perfect to throw into soups and stews and so nutritious. I enjoyed three more meals out of that little roasting chicken and some beautiful fall vegetables.

      You CAN eat healthily AND cheaply!!

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