The Cheapest Healthy Meal Ever!

bupster

To the OP, veg, veg and more veg! I find it's always possible to add half a plate of steamed vegetables to anything else you're eating for next to nothing in terms of cost, rather than expensive meat and fish. As another poster said, beans and pulses will also bulk everything up rather than carbohydrates.

Having said that, I tend to go for a low GI diet, which means I can eat pasta and basmati rice until it comes out of my ears :rotfl:. I also make my own wholemeal bread with seeds and grains to make sure it's low GI. That way I'm not dependent on processed carbs that send your blood sugar rocketing all over the place.

Finally, the brief squabble about protein - meat is not the only source of protein. If the poster is really concerned about a rugby player not getting enough protein, you don't have to feed them a whole chicken with the head still on it - give them a couple of boiled eggs and a glass of milk. Or, come to think of it, some tofu and quinoa. Protein and meat are not the same thing at all.

shandyclover

Thanks RinaBean for posting that link to 'Elena's Pantry'. My brother has been very poorly for 2 years after he contracted a stomach bacteria in India while there doing volunteer work. After many unpleasant tests, and several courses of the strongest possible antibiotics humans can take, he is at last on the mend. Dr has told him though he has to continue with the no wheat/sugar/dairy/red meat diet for the next year. Special food is expensive and since he's been jobhunting he doesn't like to spend the money. I see lot's of goodies on there we could rustle up for him very economically.

Badger_Lady

If you want budget lean proteins, you have to think outside of meat. This stuff is amazingly good value - it absorbs water as you cook, so in fact one handful of the stuff dry makes a huge portion cooked. You can bulk out any stew / curry / sauce type meal with it, either as chunks or as mince.

Someone has already mentioned quinoa - again, an excellent alternative to carb-heavy grains. It isn't the cheapest food but it does go a long way. Brown rice also has a much higher protein and lower carb content compared to standard white rice.

adelight

The cheap meals on here can easily be altered to make them healthier, I've always managed it on a pretty small budget by eating seasonal veg, special offer meats and lots of pulses. I'm generally quite active but some months exceptionally so doing several hours of high intensity exercise a day or hiking for days. During those months I alternate expensive(lots of meat) and cheap days(cheap pulse based meals) depending on my activity levels.
In the UK severe protein deficiency is very uncommon but eating too little and not getting complete proteins isn't unusual. It leads to niggly little problems that many people ignore or accept as "that's life" such as getting ill often, bad skin, thinning hair, fatigue, muscle wastage, being slim with a high body fat percentage.

Definitely try making your own versions of the bread you buy and the Dr Food mix. Oats, seeds and flax meal(grind your own) makes a relatively low carb, high fiber porridge mix.
Brown rice, lentils and beans are cheaper bought in bulk from ethnic shops. If there are none where you are it could be worth making a trip and stocking up on 10s of kilos of rice, beans, nuts and spices.
Do you have much freezer space? Meat is cheaper when bought in bulk, especially pork which is often considered to be white meat like chicken. You can buy an entire butchered pig of excellent quality for ~£200. It seems like a huge outlay but it works out in the long run.
Experiment with making your own non-dairy milks. Coconut, rice, oat and nut milks can be made easily and cheaply. It's basically a case of blending the solid with water, straining and sweetening/enriching. Nut milks are easy to make thick like cows milk and flavour well. This milk recipe is incredible: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/03/cashew-oat-milk-with-cinnamon-and-agave/
It works out so much cheaper than lactofree that it really is worth trying even if it can take a while to get used to the taste and the ways of cooking.

Penelope_Penguin

Eating vegetables in season and locally is hard to beat for health and thrift

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing thread to give you more ideas for cheap, healthy, meals

kippers

beccad wrote: »

Re. the lactose thing, rice milk isn't too bad. My husband can't have ordinary milk, and we do get the lactofree milk but he only drinks that in a cup of tea a few times a week. Thankfully it lasts for ages :j He uses rice milk for his porridge. Not being able to have regular milk and cheese does make things more expensive, though. We get ewes' milk cheese for him. Did once try soya cheese but never again :eek:

My dd 2 has the lactose free cheese that asda and tesco sell and she likes that, but it is expensive, but she is the only one who eats it in our house. she did try a couple of diaryfree cheeses once and they were horrible:eek:

cornishchick

fantastic thread,, made me look up the pauper's cook book, on amazing,, only its not avaible for the kindle... wondered if everyone clicked on the " want this one on kidle" it should be cheap then. worth a try .

tina_malteser

cut up and fry a sausage or 2, add onions and mixed peppers(i use frozen) throw in some cooked cold rice,season with whatever you fancy fry gently, dish up..i can't eat eggs but you could mix one into the pan i suppose x

cornishchick

:Djust made the potato, onion and bacon hotpot for tea,, used up some left over cheese sauce from last night in it.
was lush,, even though the sauce split.. lol