Healthy and Cheap Family Meals for Tight Budgets

Warm Lentil and Vegetable Wild Rice Salad

3/23/2018

The recipe for this meal came to me again via Pinterest. It was labeled as a salad recipe with warm vegetables, and looked delicious, so I decided to try it.

Of course, I made some changes. I wouldn’t be me, if I didn’t.

First of all the recipe is originally from one of those home delivery meal ingredient programs.

I'm just going to say right here - that trend in food preparation boggles my mind a bit, and has this frugal, self-sufficient old soul shaking her head in puzzlement and wonder at its very existence.

Honestly, I just cannot wrap my head around the idea that people need recipe ingredients delivered to their door.

I mean, it’s just really, really not that hard for able-bodied people to go to the grocery store, pick out their own ingredients, and bring them home themselves.

Really.

Vast majorities of people have been doing it for generations with no problem.

And I can only imagine the hit to the bottom line that such a practice takes.

So here’s my strong advice to people:

Just do your own shopping already. You’ll save bundles, and you’ll learn and employ some basic life skills along the way.

Just do it already. Seriously.

Okay, rant over.

Back to the recipe in question.

Greek Balsamic Beet, Egg, and Potato Bowl

1/18/2018

This was one of the first meals my husband cooked for me when we were dating. It’s a lovely meal that is perfect for just about any time, since it can be served warm, room temperature, or cold. I like it warm in the winter, in particular.

Like most recipes of this type, it also lends itself to just about endless variation. The traditional Greek way is simply greens, eggs, beets, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions, with a generous helping of olive oil and wine vinegar dressing.

But there’s nothing that says you can’t make all kinds of substitutions and additions.

For example, my husband usually uses regular salad greens. But I love beet greens, so I often opt to steam and serve them with this salad instead of the more typical romaine or green or red lettuce. In the wintertime, this is definitely my preferred version.

Spinach would also be a very nice alternative.

I also sometimes use diced sweet potatoes instead of, or in addition to, the tomatoes and cucumbers. And you can easily add other salad makings, such as carrots, celery, or just about anything that suits your fancy.

Regardless of the exact ingredients, it’s still a terrific, simple, and nutrient packed meal.

How to Wash Salad Greens and Make a Side Salad (That Everyone Will Love)

11/25/2016

Salad greens freshly harvested from our small, urban garden.

I got a call from one of my sons today, asking me how I wash my salad greens so that they are not gritty. I had actually meant to post a blog about this quite some time ago, but somehow never got around to it. So here I am, remedying that situation now.

As regular readers of my blog know, I recommend including a tossed green salad with every main meal as an easy and sure way to help guarantee that you are getting your daily servings of fruits and vegetables and the vitamins and minerals necessary for health.

I learned about incorporating salads into menus from my Mom, who was truly ahead of her time in promoting nutritious eating for her family.

Related Articles: Finding Local Produce Bargains
Your Health, Your Budget, and Portion Sizes
Organic Food as a Necessity?
Mom's Multivitamin

Many people don’t eat salad because they find the prep very tedious. But it really doesn’t have to be. I think the method I use here is pretty simple and quick. It can be used for salad greens, or any kind of greens you might use in your recipes, such as Swiss chard, spinach, collard greens, kale, etc.

Here’s how to make sure your greens are always free of any garden residue:

3-Bean Spinach, Tomato and Lime Pasta Salad

9/19/2016

This colorful, delicious recipe had its beginnings long ago in my desire to somehow turn leftover pasta I had sitting in the fridge into a quick and easy meal and avoid cooking over a hot stove in the middle of a heat wave.

That first meal was a haphazard affair, with a bit of this and that thrown in, but it was good enough to keep in my repertoire.

I have used it as a basic starting point for many a meal over the years, and it has seen a few different incarnations.

This particular version is a huge favorite with my husband. He just raves about it. I think it’s the combination of lime and fresh garden tomatoes that appeals to him so much. He is a real tomato lover.

And I like that, too, but what I really like is that it’s so darned easy to put together and involves no cooking at all if you have some extra cooked pasta on hand from an earlier meal.

And I love that I have lunch to take to work for a few days during the week.

Parmesan Tortellini Salad Supreme

6/3/2016

I am not a fan of processed food much, both because it’s often prohibitively expensive, and because it usually isn’t the healthiest in terms of ingredients. There are typically lots of hidden fats, sodium, and calories in most processed food. So I generally avoid it as much as possible.

That said, I’m also well aware of just how hectic life can be, and sometimes stuff happens that prevents us from putting the planned meal on the table. We all have those days where we arrive home at 5:45pm, everyone’s starving, there's basketball practice at 7pm, and there’s just no time to cook a meal.

Many families would be inclined to reach for the take-out menu in such instances. But that’s an option that’s tough on the budget and the waistline. So I recommend having “emergency rations” on hand for just such occurrences.

That can include leftovers from the freezer that you stored after a meal you cooked, or something such as frozen ravioli or tortellini that you bought on sale and saved for just such an occasion.

Carrot and Raisin Salad with Ginger Yogurt Dressing

2/25/2016

As I’ve mentioned many a time before, Mom always made sure we got our servings of fruit and vegetables every day, and one of the ways she did that was by serving salad with every main meal. It was usually a simple tossed one, and escarole was often the lettuce of choice.

In a time when iceberg lettuce reigned supreme, and few Americans had even heard of other options, Mom was ahead of her time once again. She recognized very early that iceberg contained far fewer nutrients than the darker colored salad greens did, so we were introduced quite young to many other options, including the aforementioned escarole, as well as romaine, spinach, chicory, and Boston lettuce.

Cole Slaw and Citrus Fruit Slaw (with Traditional and Maple Yogurt Dressing)

2/23/2016

Baked beans and coleslaw is a traditional Maine dinner that is served at many a Saturday night church supper in villages all over the state. In our house, very much in keeping with that tradition, they were on the menu just about every week that I can remember.

Of course, Mom knew that coleslaw is loaded with nutrition. The main ingredient is cabbage, along with some carrots and celery, and sometimes green pepper, all powerhouse vegetables that are full of vitamins and fiber.

But she also knew it was very cheap, which she no doubt loved just as much about it. It only costs pennies when you make your own, as we did. Starting from the age of about 11 or 12, we would be assigned the job of chopping the vegetables and making the salad. It was a kitchen chore deemed easy enough for a child to take on.

But many people don’t realize how very simple it is to make your own coleslaw. As a result, the end up buying the pre-chopped, bagged version that you find

Ramen Noodle Slaw - A No-Cook Dinner in a Bowl

8/25/2015

This salad has long been a standard for barbecues or picnics, which is where I first tasted it. But it's also great as a dinner option for those hot summer days when you just don’t want to turn on the stove.

In its original form and in the versions you see all over the web, the recipe calls for packaged coleslaw from the produce aisle, but it is very easy – and much, much cheaper - to make your own. A pound of cabbage typically costs around 49-69¢ per pound and can cost as little as 29¢ a pound, whereas pre-chopped coleslaw is typically $2 per pound and up.

As you might expect, I see no point in paying triple the price – or more - for someone else’s labor.

After all, chopping cabbage and whatever other vegetables you want to include, such as celery, carrots, broccoli, etc. is a simple task that takes only minutes.

Spicy Black Bean and Corn Salsa Salad

8/10/2015

It's a scorching week of weather this week, and this entree salad makes a satisfying and versatile dish that's perfect for when the temperature soars. Or for when it doesn't.

Come to think of it, it's great just about any old time.

To give you an idea about its versatility:

It can be vegetarian, as described here, but is also very nice with a couple of cups of cut up chicken;

It can be made with pasta, with rice, or simply served with tortilla chips. That means that for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, it can easily be made gluten free;

Warm Lentil and Vegetable Wild Rice Salad

Greek Balsamic Beet, Egg, and Potato Bowl

How to Wash Salad Greens and Make a Side Salad (That Everyone Will Love)

3-Bean Spinach, Tomato and Lime Pasta Salad

Parmesan Tortellini Salad Supreme

Carrot and Raisin Salad with Ginger Yogurt Dressing

Cole Slaw and Citrus Fruit Slaw (with Traditional and Maple Yogurt Dressing)

Ramen Noodle Slaw - A No-Cook Dinner in a Bowl

Spicy Black Bean and Corn Salsa Salad

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