After a busy day with work, kids, spouses and household responsibilities, it's easy to pick up a ready made meal at the supermarket. But what are you really getting in those 'healthy alternatives'? Here are tips on how to make quick, healthy meals on a budget.
The Convenience of Fast Food
Nowadays, with all the responsibilities of our busy lives, food preparation and dinner options often fall to the fast food cook, or the pre-packaged 'healthy' alternative. And why not? Cheap, fast and convenient, these foods taste good, are easy to find, and have virtually no clean up. Unfortunately, these "low-fat" foods are also often unhealthy, carb-rich, sodium filled poor alternatives for the 'real-deal'. It is easier than you think to keep your kitchen healthy, and your budget happy, with just a little planning!
Quick, Healthy & Budget-Friendly Meals
Creating fabulous dinners which are nutrient rich, low in fat and carbs is easy with a crock pot! With six simple ingredients, you have delicious Minestrone soup - 1 carton low sodium vegetable broth, two cans low sodium tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 zucchini, 1 box whole wheat pasta, and one bunch kale. This meal provides lycopene from the tomatoes, digestive aid in the onion, vitamin C in the kale and healthy carbs and protein in the whole grain pasta, as well as a delicious, easy meal for 4-6 people for under $10.00! Simply place all the ingredients except the pasta in the crock pot before work, and set it on low. When you arrive home, just add the pasta and allow to cook for 15-30 minutes on high, just long enough for the pasta to become tender. Easy, and one pot clean up!
Save Money with Frozen Vegetables
For individuals trying to avoid pastas and grains, veggies are a must! Clearly, fresh is best, but fresh is also often prohibitive when on a tight budget. But they don't have to be! Studies show, frozen vegetables are healthier than canned as vital nutrients can leach out of canned vegetables over time. Buy on sale and store for up to 6 months. Keeping a staple of frozen veggies on hand allows healthy additions to meals in fast and satisfying ways! For example, omitting the pasta in the soup above and adding a bag of frozen spinach, ocra, or mixed vegetables, offers iron, fiber, vital nutrients, as well as added color and interest to your meal!
Find Alternatives to Soda & Juice to Cut Back on the Grocery Bill
An easy way to save money, sugar, carbs and empty calories is by removing soda and juice from the shopping list. Enjoy Mountain Dew? Purchase plain seltzer, and add some diced orange, lemons and limes! What a refreshing and healthy alternative, lower in cost, carbs, calories and your dentist will thank you!
A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
Between rising costs and lessoning time, feeding the American family is more challenging than ever. But, with some ingenuity, effort and a little planning, it is a most fulfilling task.