Healthy and Cheap Recipes

What mom doesn’t want to find healthy and cheap recipes to serve her family? In today’s world, it is getting harder and harder to find good affordable food that you can actually serve to your kids. Junk food is usually cheaper and of course, it’s also easier to whip up or just buy and serve. This has created a society where children struggle with obesity and parents are constantly in a battle over healthy food.

Healthy food doesn’t have to cost a lot, but you do need to be willing to prepare it yourself. The pre-made meals that are so common these days are expensive, particularly if they are healthy, so look for your own recipes and you will be able to change the way your family eats while on a budget.

Healthy and cheap recipes are actually not difficult to find. Places like TheGourmetMama.com offer quick and easy recipes that you can whip up in no time and on a budget. However, you can also create your own.

If you understand the basics of meal planning, including a protein, vegetable, and grain, you can come up with your own recipe. A grain base such as rice or pasta is a great way to start. Then work on a topping that incorporates vegetables and protein. Sauteing onions, celery and garlic will get you off to a good start for any sauce. Add tomatoes or cream for a pasta sauce, or include some meat or beans as a protein.

There’s really no reason not to experiment with the various combinations that your family has enjoyed in the past. If they liked spaghetti and meatballs, try the same thing with different veggies, blend cooked broccoli or spinach into the sauce or add some squash puree for creaminess and added nutrition without having to pay huge sums of money.

Healthy eating really doesn’t require a lot. You can even make perfectly balanced meals from canned food, all you need to do is plan ahead a bit. Chop up a cooked chicken breast and add it to a simple broth, along with chopped carrots and parsley and you have a very simple, yet healthy meal. Ad some beaten egg and you up the protein content without spending more than a few pennies.

You’ll find that many healthy and cheap recipes are really very simple. There’s no need to get very complicated . . . a simple meal of rice with beans and a little flavoring can be just what you need for a quick and easy dinner and it can feed your family for just a dollar or two, depending on whether you buy canned beans or opt to cook your own.

Healthy and cheap recipes combined with meal planning on a budget can really make all the difference in your family’s health and happiness. Everyone will be happier when they enjoy proper, healthy food that is prepared in the home and you don’t need a ton of time to manage it.