MemberMatters

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Posted on April 7, 2017

Eating healthy is important to your overall well-being, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are many ways to stay within budget and still get the nutrition you and your family need with some tasty meal options.

The ChooseMyPlate.gov website has tips for shopping and cooking on a budget. Learn more at https://www.choosemyplate.gov/budget.

 In addition, local farmers markets are a great place to save on fresh and healthy foods. With spring arriving, farmers markets are going to start popping up in Western Massachusetts. Read our previous article about farmers markets at http://hnetalk.com/member/shop-at-farmers-markets-and-save/.

Healthy recipes

Below are some healthy and budget-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try them out and enjoy.

Breakfast

Steel Cut Oats (4 servings)

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup raisins

 

Instructions:

  1. Place water, milk and cinnamon in a large, heavy saucepan. Whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. When butter starts to foam, add the oats and toast, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. When milk mixture gets to a simmer, add the oats (use a silicone spatula to get all of them off the skillet and into the saucepan). Stir once, bring back to a simmer, then lower heat to medium/low and cook, without stirring, uncovered, 20 minutes.
  4. Add the salt, vanilla and raisins to the saucepan. Stir to combine. Keep cooking the oats 10 more minutes, stirring often with the handle of a wooden spoon, until most of the liquids have been absorbed by the oats.
  5. Remove from heat and allow to rest, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir again, divide into bowls, and serve, with warm maple syrup and berries.


Nutrition per serving
Calories: 272; Fat: 7 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Sugar: 15 g; Sodium: 34 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Protein: 8 g
(Source: http://healthyrecipesblogs.com/2013/03/08/steel-cut-oats-recipe/)

Lunch

Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto Salad (4 servings)

Ingredients:

  • One 15- to 19-ounce can beans, such as chickpeas, black-eyed peas or kidney beans, rinsed
  • Two 5- to 6-ounce cans water-packed chunk light tuna, drained and flaked* (see Note)
  • One large red bell pepper, finely diced
  • ½ cup finely chopped red onion
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
  • 4 teaspoons capers, rinsed
  • 1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • ½ cup lemon juice, divided
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 8 cups mixed salad greens

 

Instructions:

  1. Combine beans, tuna, bell pepper, onion, parsley, capers, rosemary, ¼ cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl.
  2. Season with pepper.
  3. Combine the remaining ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil and salt in a large bowl.
  4. Add salad greens; toss to coat.
  5. Divide the greens among 4 plates.
  6. Top each with the tuna salad.

 

*Note: Chunk light tuna, which comes from the smaller skipjack or yellowfin, has less mercury than canned white albacore tuna. The FDA/EPA advises that women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children consume no more than 6 ounces of albacore a week; up to 12 ounces of canned light tuna is considered safe.

Nutrition per serving
306 calories; 16 g fat(2 g sat); 8 g fiber; 28 g carbohydrates; 15 g protein; 223 mcg folate; 15 mg cholesterol; 4 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 4,961 IU vitamin A; 97 mg vitamin C; 115 mg calcium; 4 mg iron; 467 mg sodium; 752 mg potassium
(Source: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252451/mediterranean-tuna-antipasto-salad/)


Dinner

Cauliflower Rice, Spanish-Style Beans and Oven Fried Chicken Cutlets (4-6 servings)

 Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

  • Two heads of cauliflower
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Two medium onions, chopped
  • One clove garlic, minced

 

Instructions:

  1. Dice up cauliflower.
  2. Heat olive oil in pan on low to medium heat.
  3. Add chopped onions and sauté until edges are brown.
  4. Add minced garlic to onions.
  5. Add cauliflower.
  6. Sautee cauliflower over medium heat until light brown.


Nutrition per serving (approximate)
139.6 calories; 11.1 g fat (1.5 g saturated); 0.0 mg cholesterol; 33.2 mg sodium; 392.7 mg potassium;  9.5 g carbohydrates; 3.5 g fiber; 0.0 g sugars; 2.6 g protein

Spanish Style Beans

Ingredients:

  • One 1 lb. bag of dry pink beans
  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • ¾ cup of Sofrito sauce (Hispanic specialty item)
  • 1 package of Sazon seasoning (Hispanic specialty item)
  • 2 teaspoons of Adobo Light (Hispanic specialty item)
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 4 cloves of garlic (whole)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • One 8 oz. can of tomato sauce (low sodium)
  • 8 cups of water

 

Instructions:

  1. Rinse beans.
  2. Soak beans in water overnight then drain.
  3. Sautee olive oil and onions over medium heat in large sauce pan until onions are clear.
  4. Add garlic cloves.
  5. Add dry beans.
  6. Sautee for one minute to cover beans.
  7. Add water, Sofrito, Sazon, Adobo Light, black pepper and tomato sauce.
  8. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until beans are soft. Stir often and add water as needed.


Nutrition per serving (approximate)
290.4 calories; 16.8 g fat (1.6 g saturated); 0.0 mg cholesterol; 817.1 mg sodium; 505.8 mg potassium;  26.1 g carbohydrates; 7.9 g fiber; 2.4 g sugars; 10.9 g protein

Oven Fried Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients:

  • Four boneless and skinless chicken breasts
  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup of skim milk
  • Garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups of bread crumbs (seasoned or Italian flavored)

 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Cut each chicken breast into four pieces.
  3. Pound chicken pieces flat between two pieces of plastic wrap.
  4. Season chicken with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Let chicken marinate for 2 hours.
  5. In one bowl, mix the eggs and milk together.
  6. Use a separate bowl for the bread crumbs.
  7. Dip the chicken into the egg/milk mixture, and then into the bread crumbs.
  8. Place on cooking tray.
  9. Roast in oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes until crisp and golden brown; flip after 10 minutes.


Nutrition per serving (approximate)
328 calories; 14 g fat (3 g saturated); 111 mg cholesterol; 475 mg sodium; 275 mg potassium;  21 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugars; 27 g protein

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