What is a cheap way to eat healthy?

In the South we have a wonderful and economical dish called red beans and rice. I use smoked turkey sausage to season. It is made for pennies per serving. It is very healthy and filled with fiber! Sweet potatoes are awesome and are in season. You can bake them and add a little honey, butter (I use a no fat substitute), Cinnamon.....YUM! High in vitamin A and so good! There are many seasonal fruits and veggies that can be purchased at fair price fresh now. We love baked apples with Cinnamon around this time of year! I love to make three bean chili too. I use either no meat or ground turkey. Home made soups with leftover veggies and broth made from chicken thighs ..... wonderful! There is so much you can make from scratch for next to nothing! Become acquainted with your spices and herbs, because this is the secret to good economical cooking on a dime. To have healthy food, just think about reducing the amount of fat. Like taking the skin off the chicken when making broth. Think about steaming your veggies. Baked potatoes in the microwave with beans and low fat cheese is a fast and tasty meal. Or just add broccoli and low fat cheese. Make sure you are getting things like oatmeal in the morning instead of sugary ready made cereals that are not only not as good for you, but much higher to buy. Dried beans and peas are a good deal in usually any market. I stock up and make things like split pea soup, black bean soup, etc. Eggs are a great value and high in protein. I buy the ones with the omega three added. It is the making of a great omlett that is really cheap to make. Fill it with whatever you have handy in your kitchen. Leftover veggies, lowfat cheese, etc.

Stir fry is mostly veggies (of your choice) with a small amount of meat, like chicken. This is cooked very quickly on a high heat . Do not overcook because you want the nutrients to be sealed in, not cooked out. Add a little rice and you are good to go! I am from the South, but my mother is Hungarian. We value the flavor of garlic in our dishes. Very good for you and makes any dish better! My other side is Cajun and Scottish with some Irish thrown in! They loved the spices of typical Cajun foods! Spices like red hot pepper add to the vitamin C content of a dish! Think color also when thinking about what to cook. Get a rainbow of in season veggies. Pick fruit that is in season. If there is a farmer's market where you live, you can often find local produce at a reasonable price.

The Dollar Store is your friend. It has wild caught salmon in a can that is super nutritious and very reasonable. You can make salmon patties and salmon dishes. It also has things like pasta very cheap. I get mine for like 1.00 per box. Great deal! Tuna is wonderful too and very reasonable. Keep an open mind about where you purchase your food. You can find great deals in what I used to think was the strangest places. If you cook a large amount, freeze some for later.

I hope this helps! I am sorry you were laid off! May you find work soon! Peace!

Make use of the fruits and veggies that are IN SEASON. Take advantage of sales and look beyond your local grocer. I visited a " produce house" over the weekend and bought several veggies each were at least 1/2 the price of what my usual grocery store charges!

Use any and all dried beans for a source of protein. Peanut butter is a good source of nutrients as well. Experiment with soups and salads.......anything to your taste and imagination goes. Don't worry about rules or recipes..... save all leftovers to be used in these soups and salads.

Each time you can, choose brown over white, whether it is rice or bread. Eat foods in their purest forms, and not overly processed. Peal, chop, slice , or skin your own foods....stores make a huge profit for having done these things for you.

Learn to cook.......you can get at least 3 meals out of a single whole chicken. Chicken soup, chicken salad can be made from the leftovers of a baked chicken. Left over steak can be used for fajitas, roasts can be the base for homemade stews or sandwiches. Most vegetables are cooked by boiling. Even the frozen ones that you are currently buying. You will get more raw spinach for the dollar than you will for frozen corn.

There are a multitude of healthy eating and recipe channels on the web, many have sections grouped by cooking skill from the beginner to the professional.

I suggest the Dollar Stretcher and All Recipes.....both are .com.

Look at the ingredients list on your canned soup. Subtract everything you can't pronounce and write down the rest.

That's your next grocery list. :-)

Add in barley, lentils or other beans to make it stretch further and add in some protein. You can find cooking instructions and recipes on the 'net. Or check out the library for not-too-fancy cook books.

Every shopping trip, look to price down a different type of food. Potatoes and pasta are cheaper carbs than processed cereals or bread, and generally healthier too.

And make friends with oatmeal. The real stuff, not the silly expensive instant packets. Even with raisins or apple, it's a cheap meal that lasts for hours. Eating well is cheaper than eating badly.

I'm so sorry you lost your job. Here's hoping you find another soon.

Frozen veggies are fine; stock up when they're on sale. Canned soup and peanut butter are also fine, look for the low-fat and low-sodium kinds.

Since you're cooking for yourself, I suggest you learn to make soup with dried beans (protein) and seasonal produce such as cabbage, onions and beets. It's not difficult. Canned beets are easier to work with than fresh and they don't cost much. A big pot of soup can be made for a few dollars, then frozen for weeks or refrigerated for several days.

Hi......I am assuming you live in NYC......I am not familiar with the City and the vastness of it but I did a quick search and came up with this Food Bank( free food )....I hope it helps you...it appears to be just what you are looking for, they say they have fresh food, healthy food and meet the diversity of cultural backgrounds and it is set up as a grocery store. If this does not help you search online for a Food Bank in your area....I would venture to guess that this one would be able to help you find the nearest food bank, if you are unable to get to this one.

Heartfelt wishes for you in finding another job...........when my husband and I still had all of our children living at homethey where teens at the time 3 teen boys and one teen girl....we went through the same........help came when we always needed it....and I can remember the joy from the children when we were givin a washer size box full of good food, staples, and even a few goodies for them......I was also taken to the grocery store by a loving giving friend and she filled the cart and paid the bill.....I will say it was at first difficult but when you have children to feed that fly's out the window in a heartbeat......we also went to a food pantry weekly......lastly I was able to return such favor years later....by opening a small food pantry at a church we used to attend.......

Thinking of you.....gee if you where my neighbor I would be over in a heartbeat......serious........ if there is anything else email me...I will not let someone go hungry. Please let me know how you make out with the food bank if you choose to use it........I am curious how they function in such a large city...seeing that they meet the needs and such.....

(HUGS) for you............

http://foodbanknyc.org/index.cfm?objectid=48207617...

We are in the same boat!

Plant your own veg garden. It's gonna take a while to get there, but it's the healthiest way anyway! You'll never turn back once you've had your own veg garden, even after finding a new job again. Hope you have a garden! Otherwise, go potted! Anything is possible!

And good luck in finding a new job!

Grains and legumes.

Get some barley and lentils, black beans, brown rice, etc. You generally can buy all of these for $1 a pound, which will go a long way. I know it does not sound appetizing, but it can be: cook with broth to add flavour, be sure to add onion, and if you eat meat, you can add a little to stretch it. You will end up with some tasty meals that will last for a while and be very filling----and extremely cheap.

Well, Sweetheart, now you learn the art of cooking.

You'll love it.

A crock pot is great. And there's so many good recipes that require cheap, but good cuts of meat that require slow cooking.

Check out the 'marked down' produce in the grocery stores.

There's nothing wrong with a bruised tomato.

And clip coupons.

Retailers want you in their stores.

Buy your own raw chicken, steak, pork chops, rice and beans and cook your own food.

Spaghetti is not more than 2 dollars. Buy a couple of those and make spaghetti with shredded cheese and parmesan.

Buy everything raw and learn how to cook. Frozen vegetables, you can steam them. add to that salads.

Canned: corn, beans, peas,etc.

to add to jack's suggestion, you can soak the grains (chickpease, beans, whole dry peas, wheat barley) in water overnight, let them gerninate and coo sprouts. chickpeas and bread basicall give most of the protein you need. also eggs are ok (1-2 a day).

lot's of veggies and some fruit.

try to eat foods that are less processed, avoid soup powders and ramens they are just chemicals.