Eating on a budget doesn't have to mean you have to skip healthy foods. While meat, fish and poultry can be expensive, they are also high in protein and certain vitamins and minerals. If you're going to sacrifice or reduce the amount main dish proteins you serve to stretch your budget, make sure you replace those lost nutrients. Knowing how to substitute for animal products will let you create healthy, inexpensive dinners.
Mac And Cheese Casserole
Macaroni and cheese is a family favorite, but usually served as a side dish. Butter, eggs, cream and cheese make this dish rich and savory, but cause the saturated and fat cholesterol levels to skyrocket. Make a healthier and more filling mac and cheese by turning it into a lower-fat, lower-cholesterol casserole. Start by skipping the butter or using a butter substitute. Check the nutrition label to find one with no saturated or trans fats. Use skim milk, low-fat cheese and an egg substitute. You can skip the eggs and butter, depending on your budget. Use a whole grain pasta for more nutrition. Dice up large chunks of your family's favorite veggies for crunch, sweetness and more vitamins and minerals and add them to the casserole. Top with whole grain bread crumbs and bake. Let it cool so you can cut it in large squares for entree servings. Serve with a salad with more fresh vegetables and nuts or seeds for more protein and pair with a fat-free salad dressing. Offer whole grain bread or rolls. Serve fresh fruit for dessert.
Spaghetti and Tuna
Make your own spaghetti sauce to save money. Start with fresh or canned tomatoes, then add olive oil, garlic, Italian seasonings, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat, recommended by the Mayo Clinic as one of its top five foods for fighting cholesterol. After you have processed or mixed your ingredients, add a can of tuna instead of ground beef. You'll save money, eliminate significant saturated fat and cholesterol, and add omega-3 fatty acids for further cholesterol-fighting benefits. Buy whole grain pasta and whole grain Italian bread. Serve the bread with olive oil infused with fresh garlic, or roast garlic cloves and serve them as a bread spread. Serve with a low-fat Caesar salad made with a fat-free creamy dressing, low-fat cheese and whole grain croutons.
Breakfast Dinner
Serve breakfast for dinner for a change of pace. Start with an egg substitute or make egg white omelets. Whole eggs are high in cholesterol, with one egg providing more than 70 percent of your daily recommended value. Dice up veggies and saute them in olive oil before folding into your eggs. Serve your eggs Tex-Mex style with protein-rich black beans, fat-free salsa and low-fat cheese or sour cream. Black beans are an excellent source of iron. Make healthy pancakes using a whole wheat batter. Top with applesauce, fresh fruit or berries. If your budget allows, serve a healthy bacon substitute or lean ham. Make hash browns or home fries using unpeeled potatoes to get the nutrition from the skin. Bake home fries, or fry potatoes in olive oil, then drain on a rack before serving to remove excess oil.
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