Cheap and Healthy Food?

Overlord

I'm a college student, and was wondering what you guys would recomend for cheap and healthy food. I've been a bit worried about my general eating habits relating to my health, and was wondering if you guys had any tips and or advice on whats good eats.

Kyougu

Tuna is great, and can be made into some pretty simple, but tasty meals.

locomotiveman

Brown rice>white rice any day. Also tastes better.

Blake T

Go to your local farmers market, the vegtables will be far cheaper than you will find at the supermarket.

The best value piece of meat you will find will always be the Lamb Shank. Chicken is cheaper and a Roast is better, but the Lamb Shank is damm good value and you aren't limited by the fact you need to cook at least a kilo of meat to do a decent roast.

HiredGun

if you have even rudimentary access to a kitchen, i would make some tabbouleh. It's a lebanese dish made mostly of vegetables and it both tastes fantastic and is rather healthy. It also doesn't require any cooking... just some chopping and mixing, and you're good to go with some pita on the side.

"Old Country Style"

1/2 c. (115 mL) medium or fine burghul (bulgur wheat)

1/2 c. (115 mL) chopped onion
1/2 t. (2.5 mL) ground allspice
1/2 t. (2.5 mL) freshly ground pepper [more, I think]
1-2 t. (5-10 mL) salt

3 c. (690 mL) finely chopped parsley
1/2 c. (115 mL) finely chopped scallions
2 c. (460 mL) finely chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 c. (345 mL) fresh spearmint leaves, chopped fine

1/2 c. (115 mL) fresh lemon juice
3/4 c. (177 mL) olive oil

Corvus

For breakfasts, oatmeal is both dirt cheap, and good for you. Season with cinnamon, maybe some dried fruit (raisins, etc, ) and a tiny bit of brown sugar if you want.

Tweaked_Bat_

Well, I guess food that you buy whole and prepare yourself is in most cases healthy, considering you don't deep-fry it or lather it in butter or something :P

You could... you know... buy some bread, tuna, tomatoes, cheese and make sandwiches for lunch, if that's your thing. Could also grab some lettuce and other veggies and make a simple salad.

That all can come pretty cheap and fresh if you buy it from the right places

Tiemler

Some stuff from my shopping list.

Stagg Vegetable Four-Bean Chili - Has the taste and texture of their regular chili, but with much less fat.

Healthy Choice soups - Low in fat, low in sodium.

Chicken sausage - I buy a brand at Costco that has sun-dried tomato and basil. Waaaaay lower in fat than traditional sausage, and still ridiculously tasty. They make for a good breakfast, and are amazing chopped up and added to pasta.

Speaking of which.... Pasta - Since there are lots of types, it's easy to keep things from getting boring and still keep it cheap. Even run of the mill spaghetti is great with some marinara and some olive oil (only buy extra virgin, a lot of the health benefits are lost in the more refined varieties)

Sweet, dark whole-wheat bread - My favorite snack.

Bags of peeled carrots - Another good anytime snack.

Bananas and fuji apples - My favorite fruits. The apples are always much larger and cheaper per pound at the open-air produce market down the street than at the grocery store.

Rice - I know brown rice is better for you, but I always preferred white. Just don't go crazy on the servings, and you'll be okay. Don't feel like you have to finish the whole batch in one meal, just save the rest in the fridge. I like to mix day-old rice with frozen or canned peas, chopped carrot, and maybe an egg. Then add some soy sauce, and just heat it up on the skillet. I don't call this fried rice, because I use very little oil, and the end product ends up being kind of fluffy and much lighter.

Ant000

Is using tuna as a primary staple food not of any concern what with the whole mercury exposure business? I'm really not sure how big a concern it is, this is almost a question as much as it is advice, but if you're eating it daily that might be something to read up on.

Tiemler

Ant000 wrote: »

Is using tuna as a primary staple food not of any concern what with the whole mercury exposure business? I'm really not sure how big a concern it is, this is almost a question as much as it is advice, but if you're eating it daily that might be something to read up on.

Most tuna has a fairly high mercury level. http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp

So, yes, limit your intake. It's definitely not something you should regard as a staple food.

I looooove fresh maguro sashimi, but I keep it to once every two weeks or so.

Janson

Definitely oatmeal for breakfast. I have mine with soya milk as dairy and wheat don't agree with me. That or eggs; although eggs aren't quite as cheap, they are fantastic breakfast food.

A lot of really nice meat stews and curries can be bulked up with beans and lentils. I cooked a lamb curry last night with minced lamb, red split lentils and lots of spinach, and it'll do four servings. The spices are dirt cheap from Asian supermarkets or the foreign foods section at your local supermarket.

Bananas are super cheap fruits. Also nuts for snacks. And lightly steamed veg is good in any form; cabbage is really cheap and not many people like it, but it's really quite flavoursome if just lightly steamed.

Tweaked_Bat_

Ant000 wrote: »

Is using tuna as a primary staple food not of any concern what with the whole mercury exposure business? I'm really not sure how big a concern it is, this is almost a question as much as it is advice, but if you're eating it daily that might be something to read up on.

Oh yeah, I probably wouldn't recommend you eat it every day. Plus, it would get kinda boring anyway :P

Dalboz

Lentils or beans and brown rice. Filling, simple, cheap. The key to getting the most enjoyment out of it is to remember that spices are your friend. You can spice the dishes to whatever your tastes are. Personally, whenever I cook lentils or beans, I like to drop a bay leaf or two into the pot while they're boiling (just be sure to remove the bay leaf before you eat it). With black beans, after I've spooned a serving up, I'll put some red pepper on it to spice it up. With lentil, I'll add turmeric and cumin (or curry powder) while it's still boiling but near the end of the cooking. Add a few steamed vegetables and you have a cheap and health vegetarian curry.

PirateJon

Dalboz wrote: »

Lentils or beans

Correct. Get your protein and don't just fill up on starches like rice or pasta, even health ones like brown rice or the barilla pasta.

MuddBudd

I just cooked up a big mess of Curry Rice. It's really easy to make. Toss some chicken in the pan, cook it with a chopped onion. 3-4 chopped carrots, 3-4 chopped celery sticks, maybe some potatoes. Add some water and boil for a bit, add in the curry mix. (it's just a storebought brick of compressed curry paste, but it's easier than making it from scratch). That's 3-4 meals right there.

Serve it over some rice and you are all set. Or do what I do and mix it all into one big curry and rice mash. Easier to reheat and tastes just as good.

LewieP

Lentils ftw, cook 'em with onions and curry powder for a simple basic curry.

Chick peas are great too.