Healthy Meals That Won't Break the Budget

Everyone wants to be able to eat healthy meals and still watch their grocery budget. In this floundering economy, juggling a healthy lifestyle with a depleting budget is a very real struggle for today's family. Below are some ideas for healthy meals that won't break the bank.

1. Substitute lean ground turkey for pricier hamburger. Unless lean hamburger is on sale, ground turkey is usually cheaper per pound, and much healthier for you. Just be sure and buy ground turkey breast, which is leaner. Regular ground turkey that contains dark meat has just as much fat as regular hamburger.

2. If fresh produce is too expensive for your grocery budget, buy frozen or canned. However, most fruits and vegetables in season will be cheaper, but if it's the middle of winter, most frozen or canned varieties will be just as healthful as fresh.

3. Go meatless at least once a week. Use eggs, beans or lentils, pasta, tofu and seafood. Meal ideas include: bean and cheese burritos, huevos rancheros (a Mexican egg dish with beans, tortillas and salsa), tuna casserole, canned salmon with linguine in a garlic-butter sauce, cheese or canned chicken quesadillas and hearty lentil-vegetable stew.

4. Wild game can save your grocery budget. If at all possible, try this idea. If you know someone, or someone in your family is a hunter, consider adding these meats to your meal planning. Venison (deer meat), rabbit, squirrel, bear and even moose or elk meat are all lean and, often, free. Some larger grocery stores even carry venison and rabbit, although they might be pricier than getting the meat from friends or family. Search on-line for recipes utilizing wild game. Taste Of Home magazine and website have some recipes for deer and rabbit, even squirrel.

5. There are a ton of frugal recipe cookbooks out there. Don't spend money purchasing them yourself when you can rent them from your local library. Just write down the recipes you want to try out in a notebook or Word document before returning it. Here are a few to look for at the library: The Frugal Gourmet by Jeff Smith, The Tight Budget Cookbook by Heidi Smalheiser and Dining on a Dime Cookbook by Tawra Jean Kellam.

6. Use leftovers wisely. Many families waste hundreds of dollars a year by throwing away uneaten food in the refrigerator, simply because they have no ideas on how to use leftovers in a creative new ways. For example, if you roast a chicken for a big Sunday dinner, use the leftover meat the next in quesadillas, burritos, soups and casseroles. The possibilities are endless. Search online for leftovers, or leftover recipes for more ideas.

7. Slow-cookers (often called Crock-pots) are a lifesaver, both time-wise and on your grocery budget. A cheap piece of meat such as a chuck roast will end up as tender as a pricier cut of meat when cooked in a slow-cooker. This website, www.crockpot-recipes.com has many good recipes for using your slow-cooker.

8. Use dried or fresh herbs to season your food instead of salt. Fresh herbs may be more expensive, but they generally will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Dried herbs last longer, of course, and still add flavor to your foods without added salt.

9. Prepare meals from scratch, instead of purchasing pricier pre-made food such as Hamburger Helper, boxed scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, etc. Not only are they more expensive, but they have added sodium and other ingredients that aren't very good for you. By making them homemade, you can control the quality of the ingredients and amount of salt. There are a ton of websites with homemade recipes for you to try. Here are just a few: www.hillbillyhousewife.com, www.easyhomemaderecipes.com and www.frugal-families.com.

10. According to Meal Consumption Behavior 2000, an average of one out of five meals consumed by Americans, or 4.2 meals per week, is prepared in a commercial setting. If you are guilty of dining out more than once a week, follow a few simple steps to save money and still eat healthfully at restaurants.

a. If you hit the drive-through a lot, which most busy moms and dads have done on more than one occasion, stay away from the larger burgers made with tons of cheese and heavy sauces. Instead, choose a grilled chicken sandwich or a wrap.

b. At sit-down restaurants, try to order lean grilled meats or seafood. Stay away from heavy sauces, deep-fried or baked items. Many restaurants now have a lighter menu selection to choose from, since so many of us are watching what we eat now.

c. Opt for water instead of pricey sodas or alcoholic beverages. Water is so much better for you and, usually, free.

d. If you order a salad for the health benefits, cover it in a light vinaigrette instead of calorie-laden mayonnaise-based dressings. Also, load up on fresh veggies instead of fatty cheeses.

By following these steps and ideas, you're sure to make healthy choices and save money at the same time.