To create healthy meals that cost less, decrease the types of and amounts of proteins you serve, and add nutritious substitutions. Nutrients such as fat, cholesterol and sodium are actually healthy--it's when they are eaten in excessive quantities that they can contribute to health problems, such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Shop smart, change a few cooking techniques, and add new and flavorful ingredients to eat healthy on a budget.
Step 1
Serve meals in courses. Starting with an appetizer, soup and salad will help fill your family before they get to the main course. This will allow you to serve smaller entree portions that often consist of more expensive, higher-fat proteins. Make soups from fresh vegetables using a vegetable stock and fresh seasonings, and add beans for protein. Use low-fat dressings in salads, and add nuts and seeds for protein. Grow your own vegetables and herbs to further reduce costs.
Step 2
Add proteins to dishes such as stir fries, salads and pastas to flavor them, rather than making a piece of meat, fish or poultry the main dish. Most of your diet should come from whole grains, fruits and vegetables, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Step 3
Use less expensive cuts of beef. If you hunt or otherwise have access to affordable game, this meat will be leaner and won't have growth hormones or preservatives. Except for ground beef, the less expensive the cut, the less fat and cholesterol. Choose cold water fish, such as tuna, mackerel and salmon, when serving seafood--these are high in cholesterol-fighting omega-3 fatty acids.
Step 4
Add nuts and seed to salads, entrees and desserts to replace the protein you lose when serving less meat, fish and poultry. Add iron-rich foods, such as beans, lentils, tofu and spinach, when you serve fewer beef and dairy products.
Step 5
Serve fresh fruit for dessert, or low-fat baked goods, such as angel food cake or ginger snaps. Read the nutrition labels on baked good to avoid trans fats. Pair fruit with low-fat or fat-free dairy products, such as sour cream or cottage cheese.
Step 6
Cook with monounsaturated fats, such as olive, canola and peanut oil. Bake or broil foods on a rack, rather than pan or deep frying to decrease saturated fats in your dishes. Serve low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Use egg whites or egg substitutes--one egg contains more than 70 percent of your recommended daily allowance for cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association.
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