Want to get my family eating more healthy.. We have recently started purchasing(contributing) to the Bountiful Baskets food Co-op and was thrilled at the food we recieved.. All fruits and veggies were awesome and the Organic bread is wonderful.. I don't know how to start as far as meat goes.. I don't have a huge budget so I have to be really careful. We already eat TONS of Chicken.. It's cheaper than beef and I put it into casseroles. But I would like to have other ideas on meats and other things I can make for my family that would be healthy and not blow my small food budget.. Thanks Angela
We rarely buy meat, so I really don't know the price comparison, but what about cuts of fish? It is loaded with great stuff. It seems like our Aldi has talapia fillets for about the same price as chicken.
I've told dh that we're going to be eating lots more chicken! I can buy boneless chicken breast (not the bagged kind, but the "real chicken" kind, lol!) on sale for $1.99/lb. Hamburger (the higher fat kind) I was getting on sale for $2.50/lb. The last sale was a bit higher than that.
Check with a local butcher for better prices. I agree with the fish thought too, although most fish is fairly high in our city because of our location. Jackie, our chicken and turkey prices are much more affordable than ground beef right now. You can purchase roasts and make your own stew meat; or slow cook the roasts and shred for burritos, beef sands, etc. (The same applies to pork roasts too.) Stretch your recipes by using rice, beans, pasta. Stir frys! Lots of veggies with various sauces- serve on rice, rice noodles, ramen noodles. Sometimes you only need a little meat to boost the stir fry. Soups and stews are served a lot here. I can also put these in the crockpot and they are ready when we get home from practices, etc. I'm not sure if that helps with the "healthier" part of your question, but that's how I'm making our grocery budget stretch with three teenage boys to feed. MT3
I have found that getting Bountiful Baskets EVERY week (not sure if it is available every week in your area) has made my meals healthier. Instead of planning meals and then coming up with sides to use up the basket, I am forced to plan my meals based on what is in the basket so I can have room for the next week. If you are on Facebook, Bountiful Baskets has a page and people are always posting great ways to use the veggies. Dh reminds me to try to make 2/3 of our plate a vegetable dish. The other 1/3 can be a meat and/or carb. This really helps us.
Chicken and Fish are great options, and if you family is open to you can serve other options at dinner to get protein instead of meat. Obviously you can use Tofu, but also the combinations of certain veggies and/or grains can also create a complete protein. For example: beans combined with rice are a complete protein, and quinoa is a grain that is also a complete protein all by itself. We have taken to eating veggie meals at least 3-4 times a week, and only having meat a few times a week because for us that is an easier way to be sure we get our veggies in. We have been getting more creative in how we prepare the veggies, and even made some of our favorite dishes without using any meat at all.
Jackie, I will do quinoa and then serve a variety of the family's favorite veggies, quinoa is a complete protein so I can pretty much do what I want with that. Also I will do a lot of salads, not just lettuce salads, but also rice and pasta based salads. I did a veggie lasagna the other night that was a big hit (I used eggplant for the noodles, and stuffed it with mushrooms, roasted asparagus, spinach, roasted cauliflower, tomato sauce, and cheese), I've also done stir fry's, fried rice, and mac & cheese with broccoli, spinach, and mushrooms. All of these foods are a huge hit here and the kids gobble them with delight!
How do you fix the quinoa? I've done some with it, but not much. I've tried adding it to things, such as soup, and made some quinoa pilaf.
I've never heard of Quinoa.. Sounds interesting.. Will have to do some research on it. Tonight we are having Beans,cornbread, and fried taters.. I know that's not healthy but I have NO clue what to do.. How do you eat healthy on a budget??? I'm talking a VERY small budget of $100 a week for a family of 6.
Many people actually eat complete proteins without knowing it, whether it is from a complete protein or from complimentary proteins. The great thing is that you can eat a complimentary protein at breakfast or lunch and another at dinner to make a complete protein. It does not have to be eaten in one sitting. The nutritional doctor we were seeing years ago told the class that most people only need a thin piece of meat that is no larger than the palm of their hand. Since Americans tend to eat far too much meat, cutting back on the meat intake is actually healthier and more cost efficient. Often times people think of their protein intake as coming from meats but combined with the other proteins they do not consider, we are taking in more protein than necessary. We eat brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat noodles and fresh veggies. They hold longer than processed noodles and canned veggies and are healthier. Sometimes I buy frozen veggies if I can't find a fresh vegetable that I need. We will eat whites sparingly. We do not have baked goods often. When we do, I make them. It allows me to control the ingredients. We enjoy salads before dinner. It is filling. Depending on how it is made, they can be very healthy and a main meal. We enjoy couscous, barley, and beans. I try to use very little mayonnaise which can be tricky. I like mayo in my tuna. But if you are careful in other areas, it is not going to hurt to eat high fats on occasion. I make apple, spinach, and carrot shakes at least three times a week for breakfast. I add whole wheat to the shake and sometimes flax. I add tofu or yogurt. Ems prefers yogurt so I will add a banana if I am using tofu. It adds to the sweetness. Soups are cheap and healthy as long as we aren't adding heavy cream each time we make it. I try to keep cut veggies ready to eat as a snack. Fruit is always available. I like to take meals and see how I can make them healthier. A little change here and there adds up.
We prefer them in red bell peppers since they are sweeter. Ds does not like the peppers, so he gets the "stuffing" while dh and I eat it in a pepper.
Ems actually likes the flavor the pepper gives the filling, but she doesn't like the pepper. The same goes for onions. She likes the flavor but picks out any visible onion from her plate.
We eat a lot of boneless chicken breast prepared in many ways. I make fajitas, saute with veggies, currie chicken, ginger chicken. Mrs. Dash has a lot of spices that can change your meal. One of your favs is ginger chicken. Here is my recipe. Brown 4 cut up chicken breasts in EVOO. Remove, put in a little more EVOO and put in a clove of fresh garlic shredded and 1/8 cup of shredded fresh ginger. Let it sizzle for a few minutes until you can smell the spices. Put in 1/4 maple syrup, teriyaki sauce and soy sauce. Cook until it stops foaming, about 4 minthes. Put chicken back in pan and cook covered until sauce thicken. Wa-la, the kids will LOVE it!
What is EVOO? I just bought four chickens today. I'll put all four in my electric roaster tomorrow. We'll eat one for dinner, and I'll debone the others. I want three pot pies from them...one to eat within the next few days, one to send to a friend who is having trouble with health and finances, and the third to freeze.
