Budget Healthy Homemade Ideas

Eating at home is already 50% of a budget savings so don't feel TOO bad on eating decent grocery items

Balanced is basically 50% or more veggies, 25-30% protein/meat and 20/25% carbs/starch. Add minimal oil to your cooking.

Sauce and seasoning is your friend to make it tasty. Stir frys are easy and health. Curries can go far (Japanese curry cubes + carrots + onion with good beef cubes) over some rice. Add in stir fry veggies as a side to get more in is cheap, lasts many days and is pretty healthy if you portion control it.

I also made a poor-man's bibimbap style rice dish yesterday: ground beef seasoned with the right spices and sauces with a TON of chopped veggies (chinese broccoli, onion, carrot, mushrooms) over rice with a fried sunnyside egg on top.

For budget produce, buy on sale at Chinese groceries.

Have brown rice for more fibre.

Stay away from most meats. Rice, Pasta and lentils are cheap. Use a lot of spices and seasonings. Buy fruits that are in season.

I love brown rice, so many ways to make the dish healthy. Add in some veggies, and some spices a little bit of protein or lentils and boom you have a very healthy meal on the cheap.

Worriedone wrote: ↑ Stay away from most meats. Rice, Pasta and lentils are cheap. Use a lot of spices and seasonings. Buy fruits that are in season.
I love brown rice, so many ways to make the dish healthy. Add in some veggies, and some spices a little bit of protein or lentils and boom you have a very healthy meal on the cheap.

What?!?!?! Why?!?!?!

Healthy means different thing to different people. Going vegan or vegetarian does not equal healthy, not even close.

Some of the healthiest ways to eat is to home cook. If the food isn't good it isn't sustainable.

Eat what you like and can afford. If it is unhealthy, do it in low moderation. Cook what you know how and can do well. Buy/eat out what you cannot do at home.

cRaZyRaVr wrote: ↑ What?!?!?! Why?!?!?!

Healthy means different thing to different people. Going vegan or vegetarian does not equal healthy, not even close.

Because he was trying to be budget conscious, not health conscious. From a budgeting perspective meat in general is expensive. I love meat, but he was referencing $$, not health. He wanted a hack for doing it on a budget, hence Rice Pasta and Lentils

I’m curious what everyone’s hacks are for doing this on a budget Smiling Face With Smiling Eyes

But the title clearly states BUDGET HEALTHY HOMEMADE IDEAS.

The real advice is to have balance and moderation. Be sensible with the expensive items like certain fruits and veggies and cuts of meat. But also recognize you HAVE to enjoy and be OK with the food otherwise you wont sustain and then be tempted to eat out.

speedyforme wrote: ↑ But the title clearly states BUDGET HEALTHY HOMEMADE IDEAS.

The real advice is to have balance and moderation. Be sensible with the expensive items like certain fruits and veggies and cuts of meat. But also recognize you HAVE to enjoy and be OK with the food otherwise you wont sustain and then be tempted to eat out.

Exactly. This is the ONLY diet that actually works and will be sustainable by anyone, health issues aside.

You have to get used to the idea that produce is going to be the highest expense in your budget. Where to find the money? Cut out the chips/snacks/sweet bakery/candy/dairy other than basic milk/prepared & processed foods. If you are rigourous about eating healthy, you can find a lot of cash getting rid of the ready-to-eat stuff especially.

Worriedone wrote: ↑ Because he was trying to be budget conscious, not health conscious. From a budgeting perspective meat in general is expensive. I love meat, but he was referencing $$, not health. He wanted a hack for doing it on a budget, hence Rice Pasta and Lentils

Okay. So you aren’t trying to convert evil meat eaters into vegans? You alright with people eating a juicy bacon cheese burger?

UrbanPoet wrote: ↑ Okay. So you aren’t trying to convert evil meat eaters into vegans? You alright with people eating a juicy bacon cheese burger?

I'm not anything close to a vegan. I did Keto for years. I was focusing on the "budget" friendly aspect of his request and meat is not "budget" friendly compared to things like rice, pasta and lentils. I eat meat 5-6x a week

Beef and deli meat are not budget-healthy but pork & chicken are. If you are willing to live off a cut-up 7 lb pork loin or big pork shoulder you can have a pile of meat for cheap. Eggs are also cheap on a per lb basis, 9 eggs or 3/4 pkg = 1 lb.

Every time budget eating comes up people say "eat carbs, loads of them." That is not actually healthy/sustainable. You don't need big 10lb bags of rice or flour in a normal diet. To get the produce in your diet you have to cut the junk food & look at your beverage bill because beverages are really expensive too.

Organ meats are pretty cheap and tasty when prepared right.

Your biggest enabler or barrier (aside from the will to do it) is having a sufficient sized freezer IMO.
Most things (cheese, milk, bread, etc) can be frozen. This will allow you to buy in bulk, and stock up on sale and reduced produced. Depending on size, portion into smaller containers (for some things ice cube trays) and freeze. Just be sure to label.

For reduced vegetables, prepare a dish with them immediately and freeze portions for lunch or dinner.

I do all this regardless of food prices.

blarg wrote: ↑ Organ meats are pretty cheap and tasty when prepared right.

I buy liver when it is pink stickered at Zehrs & the cashier inevitably asks me if it is for my dog, because a lot of people buy for that reason lol. But liver & onions is a classic meal & at 50% off it is often $2-3/lb.

Canoes4Fun wrote: ↑ I’m currently aiming to eat more at home and eat a more balanced diet - more vegetables, more food from scratch, etc.

So the OP will certainly help his budget in terms of eating more at home and is looking for suggestions pertaining to preparing balanced meals.
1. Check Redflagdeals Flyers section under groceries for your area, buying food when it's on sale is very budget friendly especially if you have a freezer.
2. Some meals you can prepare en masse and freeze (pasta sauce, stew, soups etc.)
3. Check the Internet for recipes that check all the boxes (balanced diet)

most East Indian meals are budget friendly and reasonably healthy

rb wrote: ↑ most East Indian meals are budget friendly and reasonably healthy

You sure? The really good ones make you eat a TON of bread. Lol.
And theres that good naan with garlic butter

rb wrote: ↑ most East Indian meals are budget friendly and reasonably healthy

You have to be careful because especially the meat-based stuff can be just loaded with fat. Even vegetable dishes like saag paneer can be pretty fat-loaded...though if you are cooking at home, you can do something about that. East Indian legume-based stuff tends to be healthier.

I was vegan for 3 years & came away from that cooking a lot of East Indian stuff because the spices offered a lot of variety when paired with the same old legumes & vegetables. I add a bit of meat for interest these days because I don't think strict veganism is healthy. It's still cheap that way, using meat as just an accent/"condiment."

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