Recipes for a Healthy Diet on a Low Budget
We spoke about how to have a healthy diet on a low budget last week. Now you can find some good recipes here that are nourishing, tasty, and cheap. In addition you will find some good tips here on basic stock ingredients to fill your cupboard.
You are unlikely to have a lot of time to spend on cooking so these recipes are all simple and fast. Another time saver is stocking up your cupboards with those ingredients that are the basis of your diet. So look at this first. If you can shop once a month you will not only save time but also money as larger quantities are mostly cheaper. Make sure you have a good amount of rice, lentils, cous-cous, fine oats, potatoes, apples, raisins, milk, juice, oil and vinegar. Herbs and spices are a must for a well seasoned cuisine. On a weekly basis you can buy your fruit and vegetables and the occasional cut of meat or fish. I am assuming you have a fridge for perishable goods. Cheese and tofu can also be bought on a weekly basis.
Breakfast
For an easy but very nourishing breakfast place a cup of oats into a bowl and cover with orange juice. Do this the night before and allow to soak over night. The oats will absorb the juice. Add a grated apple or sliced banana and a little yogurt. Another good breakfast is toasted wholemeal bread with a banana and a smoothy. Use milk or Soya milk for the smoothy and add juice of your choice and fruit. The variations for a smoothy are endless.
Main meals
Lentil Soup
This may sound a bit monastic but I assure you it is delicious.
1 cup of red lentils
2 carrots
1 onion
I other root vegetable such as sweet potato or squash
Tofu
Soy sauce
Slice the vegetables, put a little oil in a saucepan and fry the onions gently for a minute. Add the remaining vegetables and a half teaspoon of thyme or oregano. Braise shortly then add enough water to cover and allow to simmer until the lentils are soft. Season with salt and pepper or add a good stock cube. While the soup is cooking cut a few slices of tofu, place them on a plate and sprinkle with soy sauce. Fry the slices of tofu and add to the soup before serving.
Mediterranean Style Fish
A cheap filet of white fish
1 tomato
A small onion
Oregano, salt, pepper
Put oil and a dab of butter into a frying pan and heat. Add sliced onion and sliced tomatoes then add the fish and the seasoning. Garlic is an option. Fry gently until done turning fish once.
Easy Pasta
1 portion of tagliatelli or pasta of your choice
1 zucchini
Butter
1 clove of garlic
Grated cheese
While the pasta is cooking in plenty of salted water slice the zucchini very thinly and chop the garlic finely. Put the butter and a little olive oil in a deep pan so that it braises rather than boils. Heat and then add the garlic for about 20 seconds before adding the zucchini and a little salt. When the pasta is ready, drain and mix in with the zucchini and garlic. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top and serve with a good salad.
Various Stir Fry
Allow your imagination some play here. You can do this with meat, chicken, or tofu sliced thinly, plus thinly sliced vegetables such as carrot, pak choi, cabbage, peppers, onions, and garlic. Use a mix of spices. Chilli powder and Thai or Chinese five spices are good and a touch of cumin. Heat some oil in a wok or frying pan, Add the meat shortly then the vegetables for a minute and finally the spices. Cook for about five minutes. If it seems too dry add just a little hot water, not too much, which should steam and cook off quite fast. Serve with rice.
Desserts
Any mix of chopped fruit with a squeeze of lemon juice and a spoonful of sugar makes a quick fruit salad. Banana is always a good ingredient. For variety add some chopped nuts. Mix well and allow to stand for half an hour. Take advantage of fruits in season as this will be cheaper. If you have a blender you can also make your own fruit yogurts with plain yogurt, soft fruits and honey or sugar.
These are just a few examples of how it is possible to have a healthy diet on a low budget. Next time you go into a used book store look out for recipe books. It is a good policy to eat a basically vegetarian diet to ensure you get enough fibre, minerals, vitamins, and wholemeal foods and then if you are a meat eater just add an occasional meat or fish dish. Bon appetit!
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