7 Cheap, Healthy Meals You Can Make Tonight
Are you interested in delicious and wholesome meals but worried about breaking the bank? Luckily for you, taste and nutrition don’t have to be sacrificed even if you’re looking to cut back on your monthly grocery spending.
To get started on your budget-conscious journey, check out these seven cheap healthy meals that stretch your dollar further.
Veggie Stir-Fry
If you’re looking for a stir-fry recipe that allows you to use only the ingredients you have on hand, look no further than this basic stir-fry recipe, courtesy of Anetta Lancaster from The Wanderlust Kitchen.
Stir-fry is one of those clean-out-your-fridge meals that offers lots of versatility. No broccoli on hand? No problem. Do you have beef instead of chicken? Toss it in. There are an endless number of possibilities, all of which can be healthy, flavorful, and budget friendly.
5-Ingredient Chili
Budget friendly? Check. Wholesome ingredients? Check. Deliciousness? Check.
This 5-ingredient chili recipe, courtesy of Ali Ebright over at Gimme Some Oven, has it all. It’s comprised of beef, diced tomatoes, beans, onion, and chili powder — that’s it!
This warm, tomato-based stew is a great addition to your regular meal rotation. If you’re looking for additional cost savings, don’t be afraid to substitute the beef with any meat that you find on sale, such as ground turkey, shredded chicken, or shredded pork.
Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage
Pasta makes a great, budget-friendly staple and with the addition of broccoli and sausage, you can make a nutritious, filling meal that the entire family will love.
There are a number of ways you can go about this – none of them wrong – but Emeril’s Rigatoni with Broccoli and Sausage will give you a good place to start.
The rigatoni, broccoli, and sausage are accompanied by hints of garlic and lemon, and the anchovies act as the tie-in that gives it that extra-special savory flavor.
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
If you’re looking for affordable and delicious, you can’t go wrong with this sweet and creamy, fall-inspired butternut squash and sweet potato soup recipe created by Jennifer Segal over at her website, Once Upon a Chef.
Eat it plain or dress it up with yummy ingredients like sour cream and bacon bits.
And, as a cost saving tip, don’t be afraid to buy the squash and sweet potatoes in bulk while they’re in season – this soup freezes well, so you can cook a huge batch and serve it throughout the year.
Lentil and Goat Cheese Casserole
Stretch your food budget further by using lentils as an occasional alternative to meat.
Lentils are a protein-packed legume that are easy to prepare. If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to adding lentils to your meal rotation, give this lentil and goat cheese casserole a try.
Goat cheese is a tangy alternative to cheese made from cow’s milk, and it adds an extra layer of depth to this already flavorful dish.
Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers
If you’re looking to cut back on meat to keep your grocery budget under control, but you don’t want to feel deprived, this black bean and quinoa burger recipe created by Emilie, owner of Emilie Eats, is just the thing you need.
Black beans and quinoa – the mainstays of this meal – gives these “burgers” the beefy bite that meat lovers crave and the protein and nutrition that your family needs.
Tuna Melts
This grilled cheese and tuna salad crossover is an American classic, and since preparation is a cinch, there’s no wonder! This 5-ingredient recipe calls for one can of tuna, chopped celery, mayonnaise, toasted bread, and cheese.
If you’d like to jazz it up, add a dash of dill or a shake of cayenne.
Getting your food budget under control doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to bland, nutritionally-lacking meals. With just a bit of imagination, you can create a budget-conscious meal plan that you and your family will enjoy.