r/EatCheapAndHealthy

I was reminded that you’re supposed to eat 30 different fruits, veggies, nuts, and/or legumes weekly. I already make veggie broth cubes with a variety of mixed veggies that I find on clearance, add lentils/peas to my rice, and assemble individual servings of mixed nuts + high dried cranberries for a calorie-conscious trail mix.

When it came to fruit, I was struggling to find a way to add more variety without over-purchasing, and I realized it’s actually cheaper for me to just find a <$10 fruit platter with at least 4 fruits and stuff half of it in the coldest part of my fridge to eat next week.

Does anyone have any other unconventional hacks to help boost the variety of fruits/veggies you eat weekly, especially for people who live alone?

I work an office job so I’m sitting for 7 hours of the day. I don’t like to eat too much during the day, we usually just have a bigger dinner but the feeling of hunger during the day still bothers me. I’m a vegetarian and would love some ideas of low calorie snack I can eat during the day?

I’m a college student who has never really learned how to cook but now over the summer I’d like to learn as I’m living on my campus over break and want to save money.

My mom never taught be how to cook nor how to tell what things are healthy. I also have a gluten allergy and chicken breast is the only meat I can eat without an allergic reaction. Everything I see online says things are healthy only to a certain extent and I’m having trouble figuring out how to create a balanced meal and what that entails.

I’ve set myself a budget of about $75 a week (I think that’s normal?!) and I’m looking for help on how to start. I bought the basics (pot, pan, spatula) and have been trying to find recipes but I’m struggling on what to do next.

If you have any advice on simple and cheap meals / methods that would be much appreciated. Thank you :)

I’m making chickpea salad tea sandwiches for a function. I usually make the filling very basic for myself: chickpeas, mayo, mustard, dill relish, salt and pepper. And I have them on whole wheat.

But since this is for others should I jazz them up?

I’m definitely doing them on soft white sandwich bread for the visuals; crustless and cut into rectangular fingers.

Maybe add finely diced red onion for crunch and color? Fresh dill in them or scattered on the plate for decoration? Something else?

Let me know your thoughts please. I always want to make the veggie option extra tasty.

I’ve recently realized I am now a “snob” when it comes to jarred tomato sauces. Sure, I can get a pretty cheap jar for a quick pasta, but once I learned how to make it with fresh or even canned tomatoes, veggies, plus control over spices… I can never go back, the taste is far superior, and it’s much healthier!

So it got me thinking, what are some cheap & healthy things that you’re okay being a “snob” about?

Hello beautiful people!

In a lapse of judgement I bought 12 cherry tomato plants (6 grape, 6 sweet 100s).

I just planted them, so we have time but i am trying to plan ahead.

I have a stand freezer, food processor, vacuum sealer, and am willing to learn how to can. I'm debating getting silicone freezer molds to be able to make portions of sauces and meals (please help im desperate).

There is no way Ill be able to eat/ donate the hundreds of tomatoes I am expecting. Help me plan ahead so i seem prepared and don't make a fool of myself in front of my husband.

Working with what I’ve got in the fridge/pantry:

Whole grain orzo
Chicken breast
Lemon
Dill
Feta
Cucumber
Plain Greek yogurt
Olive oil

These things sound like they would go well together, but the orzo being whole grain and the yogurt/olive oil I’m not so sure about.

I have a red onion too, would that be good added or should it be left out?

I can afford to grab one or 2 other ingredients maybe, if anyone has any suggestions or substitutions.

EDIT: Thank you everybody who has commented. I can't respond to everyone, but I have saved a bunch of these recipes to make.

A tired subject, but a lot of similar threads I've found on this sub suggest foods that I won't eat.

Unfortunately I am a very picky eater. I am working on it, but it's easier to eat foods that I struggle with when I am at home, rather than risking the chance of taking a meal I can't eat to work.

I do not eat things containing mayo or eggs, and I do not eat any seafood, which rules out eggs salads, chicken salads, macaroni salads, tuna, etc.

Cold vegetables (I know, I'm weird!) are often unappealing to me, but can be okay in the context of salads, or in small doses combined with other things, like in a standard salad.

I am looking to get away from the standard sandwich/wrap ideas, but I understand that my preferences limit my options, so I am happy to listen to any unique sandwich/wrap recommendations.

Right now I am going to make a cold peanut butter cucumber pasta dish, but I would like to add some more dishes to the rotation.

So, I understand that there's a very narrow list of options here, but I was hoping for some out of the box suggestions.

Tl;dr: Looking for cold lunch options that exclude mayo, eggs, and seafood. Can be picky about vegetables. Prefer non sandwich suggestions.

Thank you!

i am trying to eat healthyier but my parents say everything is too expensive and im not sure what to do they are only buying processed things mostly and theres no way for me to get my protein in and stuff and its making me feel a littie depressed because i wont be able to grow my body normally can someone please help me im begging you i feel like i have hit rock bottom

Realistically I can eat 3x a day maybe 4x if it’s a snack. College/work doesn’t give time so I do preparations. There’s not many bulk ideas online unless it requires eating huge amounts I only have a okay appetite. I live in USA any recommendations on high calorie carbs, meats, snacks,desserts fs even so I can get an idea or make ideas with it. I’ve began making my own protein bars as it gets pricey than I have a weight gain shake that I only drink 3x a week messes up with my stomach since it’s heavy.

It can be ingredients or ideas! Not allergic to anything and got a good tummy to handle heavy foods

We have a couple very large bags of dried black beans and I really need to go through them. I’m looking for not only black bean recipes but also your favorite way to dress us just some cooked black beans?

I love beans and rice but don’t want to grow bored of it either the volume of dried beans I have. How do you love to dress and change them up?

I have some refrigerated pierogies from Costco and am looking for a good sauce or something to jazz them up. Not looking for tomato based sauce today. I also have fresh asparagus.

I came across a video once that they used unflavored psyllium husk and juice to make a jelly top for a small yogurt cup. It could be fun to try different juices.

What other ideas are out there?

I've been wanting to get into eating more one bowl meals and was curious if anybody had any unique or different ideas beyond the basic ideas I've found Googling.

Just to clarify, one bowl meals are what I'm calling something I can make a large batch of at once and just scoop into a bowl and heat up for a quick meal. Chili or cowboy caviar are examples of what I'm thinking. TIA

Hi! My first post here. Hoping you can help me figure out how I might use bone-in chicken thighs. Normally I buy boneless and skinless, but there was an exceptionally good deal on the bone-in skin on type this week. Economy being what it is, I stocked up and now wonder how I might use these in new and interesting ways.

Personally, I don't like to eat the skin off my poultry, and that's easily removed. However, deboning them is a bit inconvenient. So far, most of my best ideas for using chicken thighs involve cooking methods that make the bones easy to remove. Next thing I thought about was making a big batch of shredded chicken to portion and freeze (single household, fixed income).

What are your favorite uses for bone-in chicken thighs?

Thanks in advance for your ideas. 😊

Do you consume peanuts for dinner on a daily basis, like peanuts sauteed on the pan with oil? They are a extremely cheap protein source with good macros.

Through no fault of my own, I have come into the possession of a whole frozen chicken (with a sack of entrails and all). I've never had to deal with such a thing, so I'm asking two questions:

1. What's the best way to stretch this whole carcass?

2. How do I deal with the entrails and not mess this up? (Help, I'm intimidated!)

I have an instapot, if that helps.

I’ve been making more simple weeknight soups lately (tomato, lentil, roasted carrot, butternut squash) stuff like that to use up veggies. The most annoying part is always pouring hot soup into a blender in batches, making a mess, and then having another giant thing to wash afterward.

I’ve been thinking about getting an immersion blender so I can blend everything right in the pot instead. The Koios one I’m looking at has a stainless shaft and a few attachments, but honestly I mostly care about how smooth it makes soup and whether it sprays hot soup everywhere.

For people who use one regularly: does it actually make soups smooth enough for everyday cooking? And do you need a super deep pot to keep splatter under control?

I’m not aiming for ultra-fancy restaurant texture or anything. I just want a reasonably creamy soup without turning the kitchen into a cleanup project.