Creating nutritious meals on a budget requires a bit of research and a little planning. Using the right ingredients, you can create satisfying breakfasts, lunches and dinners so tasty your family won't even know what you're serving is "good for them." Use substitutes for high-fat, high-cholesterol animal proteins and keep dishes familiar to ensure you create meal plans that keep everyone happy and healthy.
Considerations
Before you focus on your budget, consider if you or anyone for whom you are cooking has any special dietary needs. Diet plays a key role in combating diseases and conditions, such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, poor blood cholesterol and diabetes.
Nutrients
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and other health and medical organizations recommend that carbohydrates, specifically whole grains, vegetables and fruits, make up more than 50 percent of your daily calories. The rest of your calories should be almost equally split between protein and healthy fats. Good protein sources for budget-conscience cooks include cheaper cuts of beef, nuts, seeds and legumes. Remove the skin from less-expensive turkey and chicken parts. Peanut butter is a good source of protein and a good source of healthy, monounsaturated fat. You can find healthy fats in nuts, olive oil and coldwater fish such as tuna, which are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. As you decrease animal products in your meals, make sure you add foods that contain iron and calcium to replace what you'll lose cutting back on beef and dairy. These include black beans, leafy greens, fortified cereals and oats.
Breakfast
Oatmeal is an excellent source of cholesterol-fighting dietary fiber. Serve with a fat-free butter substitute or skim milk. Serve whole grain pancakes, waffles, toast, bagels or muffin with a sugar-free fruit spread, instead of bacon, eggs and sausage. For protein, serve yogurt, lean ham or a bacon substitute.
Lunch
Start with a vegetable soup, adding beans for protein. You can make your own with fresh vegetables and a food processor. Add nuts and low-fat cheese to salads for more protein, and serve with a low-fat dressing. Make tuna salad with a fat-free mayonnaise and add some curry powder for flavor. Add some celery and onions for crunch and nutrition. Serve in lettuce cups instead of using bread to save money and cut down on refined carbohydrates.
Dinner
Instead of making meat, fish or poultry the centerpiece of your dinner, served with side dishes, use protein to flavor stir-fries, pastas, bakes and casseroles. Fry up a wok or pan of your favorite veggies, adding flank steak you've marinated. Add just a bit of lean ground beef to tacos filled with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado, low-fat cheese and sour cream. Skip the meat altogether when you make a lasagna or spaghetti and put big chunks of veggies in your marinara sauce. Serve different combinations of fruits and berries for desserts to keep costs low and boost vitamin intake.
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