Eating Well on a Budget

It has been quite an eventful week. I was an Occupier for a couple of days, met some brilliant people – some not-so-brilliant – and experienced a change in perspective. (I kind of occupied the Occupiers, really.)  I spent hours listening, commenting, and learning, while also managing to pass on a few nuggets of semi-wisdom myself. 

In my opinion, the complaints boil down to this: there is something wrong with the country, but no one knows what to do about it. A couple of decades ago, a family could live off of one income. Even a little over ten years ago, I remember gas being a little under a dollar, as was bread. Click here for some more price comparisons. 

Prices for everything have gone up significantly, but salaries haven't increased much. 

Obviously, that's a problem. 

Now, I'll stop talking about things that don't apply to my blog, other than to say it is hard to eat healthy when you have a limited budget. Your best bet is to plan out your entire week's meals on Sundays. If that's overwhelming, write out your plan on Sundays and Wednesdays.

If you prepare, then even on your busiest days you don't have to think twice about what to eat. You also won't stop by that seductive, red, glowing sign when you drive past on 78, or for a quick on your way home.

I have a rotation of about seven meals that we eat regularly, and occasionally I mix it up with something interesting. Double up on your favorite recipe so you can freeze it and avoid an extra evening of cooking!  Our go-to meals are:

Meatloaf with green beans, salad, and pinto beans.

Spaghetti made with either whole wheat noodles or garden vegetable noodles and a meat sauce and broccoli.

Grilled tilapia with whatever vegetables I have.

Stirfry with chicken, asparagus, red peppers over brown rice.

Zucchini soup – my mom's recipe, yummmm...

Mexican lasagna – layered tortillas, ground chicken with fajita seasoning, black beans, salsa and cheese. Not as unhealthy as it sounds.

Pot roast - I pour a cup of red wine and a cup or two of coffee over my roast.  Sounds weird, but the acid of the coffee tenderizes the roast.  It's pretty spectacular and makes a great gravy.  Serve cauliflower with it instead of mashed potatoes to cut calories and carbs.  

I can't think of the other ones right off. 

Here are a few things that I keep stocked up on that are inexpensive and healthy:

Frozen vegetables – if you are on a budget or incredibly busy, you may want to give up on fresh vegetables for a while. They go bad quickly, and take quite a bit of time to prepare. Frozen broccoli is my favorite.

Prepare a huge salad – my friend Julie told me about a contraption from Bed, Bath & Beyond that stores your salad and somehow keeps it fresh for a week. You can add the carrots and tomatoes and everything, and it keeps! Pretty cool.

Atkins bars – most diet bars are gross, but Atkins makes some really good ones, like their coconut chocolate bar thingy.

Almonds

Brazil nuts – I've heard they help digest carbs, and if you spray a little olive oil spray on them, sprinkle a little barbecue seasoning, and roast them in the oven for five minutes, they really are better than chips.

Apples – carries these apples now called New York apples. They're in the front of the produce section in little paper bags with handles. Super cute, and they are the best apples I've ever had.

Gum – to fight those late-night munchies.

Cheese cubes - I've always heard that protein holds off hunger more than anything else, and to me, a few cheese cubes with almonds is a satisfier.   

One last suggestion: . I am not a huge fan of their meat, but everything else there is very good, and at least a dollar or more cheaper than even Walmart brand. I stock up on kid food there. There is one on the Centerville side of Snellville, across from on 124. The other one is farther up 124, toward Lawrenceville. And FYI, they have a lot of toys there right now that are very good deals. Their party platters are probably their best current deal. Check out their weekly ad here.

If you prepare for your cravings, you will be less likely to give it to them.  So far it's working.  And on the days where you have to have a cookie, have a cookie or two.  But don't have six.  That ruins it.  Preparing and planning ahead of time also saves money in the long run, because you won't go out to eat on a whim or order a pizza because you have no food in the house!  

What are your go to meals?  Do you have a favorite healthy snack?  I would love to know!