Inexpensive Healthy Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Inexpensive Healthy Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
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Change up your routine and create tasty meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner that will help you maintain a healthy weight. You don’t need to spend any more than usual on your grocery bill to eat healthy. Change the items you buy and how you cook to create inexpensive healthy meals.

Breakfast

Make a homemade parfait for a quick breakfast on weekday mornings. No cooking and limited prep is involved and with only 185 to 248 calories per serving. You can mix and match your favorite fruits and yogurt flavor to create a new taste for every day of the week. All you need is 3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese or low-fat plain yogurt, 1 cup pineapple chunks, papaya chunks or cling peaches and 2 teaspoons toasted wheat germ. Put the cottage cheese or yogurt at the bottom of a cup or bowl and top with the fruit. Sprinkle the wheat germ on top and enjoy.

For those days when you can relax in the morning and have time to make a full breakfast, treat yourself to a 153 calorie breakfast taco. You will need 2 corn tortillas, 1 tablespoon salsa, 2 tablespoons reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute or 2 egg whites. Scramble the eggs in a skillet until cooked through. Place half of the eggs, salsa and cheese on each tortilla and microwave until the cheese melts. Fold like a taco and serve.

Lunch

Pack up your leftovers from yesterday’s dinner for a cheap, no fail lunch for any day of the week. On the days where no leftovers are available prepare this unique pasta salad complete with whole grains, protein and vegetables. For the dressing you will need 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise, 1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt, 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 1/2 teaspoons chives, 1 1/4 teaspoons dill, 1/2 teaspoon onion salt and white pepper to taste. To make the salad you will need 3 cups cooked whole-wheat pasta, 4 cups chopped broccoli florets, 1 1/2 cups diced ham, 1 large diced red pepper, 1/4 cup diced red onion, 1/3 cup raisins, 4 cups spinach leave, 1 cup torn radicchio leaves and ground pepper to taste.

To prepare the dressing combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sour cream, vinegar, mustard, honey, chives, dill and onion salt in a bowl. Season the mixture with white pepper than set aside to make the salad. To prepare the salad combine pasta, broccoli, ham, bell pepper, onion and raisins. Mix with the dressing and toss to coat. Cover the salad and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 2 days to blend the flavors. Serve on top of spinach and radicchio.

Dinner

Make this delicious dinner with minimal prep and cook time and just a few ingredients, most of which you can find in your pantry. The meal contains only 196 calories per serving however you may add rice making the total calorie count around 556 calories, depending on the type of rice used. The recipe requires 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 2-inch pieces, 1 tablespoon canola oil, 1 chopped bell pepper and 1 chopped onion. Begin by combining sugar, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne in a bowl. Add the chicken to the mixture and toss to coat evenly. Cover the coated chicken and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Heat the canola oil over high heat than add the peppers and onions cooking until the vegetables are soft. Add in the chicken until cooked through. Serve over rice or alone.

Conclusion

Eating healthy throughout the day doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. You can create and enjoy inexpensive healthy meals without purchasing special dietary ingredients. Stick to basic items and add spice and flavor rather than fat for a healthy lifestyle rather than a fad diet.

References

Breakfast Parfait: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/breakfast_parfait.html

Quick Breakfast Taco: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/quick_breakfast_taco.html

Broccoli, Ham and Pasta Salad: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/broccoli_ham_pasta_salad.html

Stir-Fried Spicy Chicken Tenders: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/stir_fried_spicy_chicken_tenders.html