4 Delicious yet Affordable Meal Ideas
It's not that eating well must always be expensive. You can meal plan with some realistic options and end up able to offer healthy yet affordable meals for your family. Here are five easy meal ideas that just seem to fit into any modest diet.
1. Vegetable Stir Fry with Rice
Stir-fry is one of the better ways to make use of random vegetables in the fridge. Carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers-economic vegetables in season-pair them up with rice and that is a fair meal. You could always bump the protein with tofu, scrambled eggs, or some cooked chickpeas if you wanted.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice
2-3 cups mixed vegetables
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
Optional: tofu or eggs for added protein
Instructions:
Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan.
Add in your chopped veggies and cook until tender.
Add in cooked rice, soy sauce, and your choice of protein.
Warm and enjoy!
2. Lentil Soup
Lentils are one of those staples that sit on your pantry: cheap, nutritious, and so versatile. This is such a basic lentil soup, hearty on such cold days. Of course, always fiddle with seasoning to taste.
Ingredients:
Lentil Soup Ingredients: 1 c dried lentils
4 c vegetable broth
1 onion, diced
2 carrots chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
Any of following spices, cumin, paprika or tumeric
Directions:
Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in the pot until tender. Add lentils, vegetable broth, and any desired spices. Let soup simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Serve hot with a slice of bread or a few crackers on top. 3. Baked Sweet Potatoes with Toppings
Sweet potatoes are nutrient-dense and super cheap, taking only a minimal amount of time to bake. Add toppings-try adding black beans or salsa while baking, and it's elevated to the status of a satisfying meal.
3. Egg and Vegetable Omelette
Eggs are one of those staple foods when on low-budget meals. Mixing them with vegetables makes a good, quick breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 cup chopped vegetables of your choice: spinach, mushrooms, or tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Whisk the eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper.
Sauté your vegetables in a non-stick pan.
Fold the omelette over and serve with toast on the side.
4. Pasta with Tomato and Spinach Sauce
Pasta is sort of one of those timeless cheap options. Adding to it a light sauce made from tomatoes and spinach just adds to its worth in that it would then be a healthier option as well.
Ingredients:
200g pasta
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups fresh or frozen spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
Optional: grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Boil the pasta, while in a pan over medium heat, sauté garlic, then add diced tomatoes and spinach.
Let it stew for 5-10 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the cooked pasta into the sauce and sprinkle Parmesan on top, if desired.
Here are some ideas for a few meals that prove something eaten on a budget need not be devoid of flavor altogether. Be imaginative and creative with the most everyday items in your pantry to bring about healthy dining daily. Bon appétit!
