Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Recipe Collection -> Shabbos and Supper menus
Help with cheap healthy meal ideas
1  2  Next



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

Goldy6




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Aug 29 2016, 5:46 pm
I really never post here, I prefer to read what other people wrote. Smile But I think you guys could help out here. Does anyone have ideas for healthy meal ideas that are on the cheaper side (I live in Israel so keep that in mind for ingredients...). I am trying to budget but at the same time am trying to cook healthier and don't want to just make pasta every day. Any ideas?
Back to top

mummiedearest




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Aug 29 2016, 6:00 pm
legumes should be your friend. lentil soup, homemade falafel, lentil loaf, rice and beans, etc.

buy produce when it's in season. what's available near you right now? maybe we can give you recipes based on availability.
Back to top

Goldy6




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 4:24 am
yeah, so I do try to serve rice and beans or couscous and beans...my kids are getting a bit tired of it. I also try to cut fresh salad etc. Some of my kids will eat lentil soup. How do you make lentil loaf? Pretty much we only get produce that's in season, obviously some times it's more expensive than other times. I don't buy anything too exotic. Anything besides lentils?
Back to top

thankyou




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 6:14 am
Are lentils ( or legumes in general ) really cheap in Israel ?
I always wonder if to buy or not because it doesn't seem that cheap .
What kind of beans do you use for rice and beans or lentil soup ? I never know which to pick.
Op- im in same boat . Trying to cut the food budget and not sure how . I've dropped the meat / chicken during the week almost completely. Not sure what else to do .
Back to top

Goldy6




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 6:47 am
I don't think lentils are really cheap, but cheaper than fleishigs. For beans I usually use the canned white beans with tomato sauce...because it's already cooked and faster to prepare. For lentils I usually get the type you have to check, but for a lot of other packaged beans, barley etc. I get the prechecked vacuum packed kind, which I may have to stop buying because it really adds up. It's just hard because I work and I always rationalized that I don't have time to check everything, which is true, but maybe I'm being a tad spoiled, don't know. The big families I know here are certainly not buying Kitov...

For a long time I didn't make any fleishigs during the week, but I was filling in that gap with pasta or freezer food like soy patties etc. which are also really expensive, so in the end I was losing on the nutrition and not sure I was saving so much....it's really hard because I want to make very nutritious meals and also start saving more money but so far I'm not so good at either one so I'm trying to figure it out. I usually make a little bit more than I need for Shabbos, like a bigger pot of soup than we actually eat and then serve it for leftovers on Sunday with pasta, stuff like that.
Back to top

cbg




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 8:46 am
IMO eggs are healthy. I make omletes and add what ever leftovers I have. I've even added wilted Israeli salad or any wilted leftover green salad.
Anything leftover can go in an omlete.

One of my favorite meals is a sunny side egg on brown rice. You pop the yolk and eat, yum.

Vegetable soups you can thicken it with oats. Really yummy, and you can make a lot and freeze for a quick meal.

Pumpkin and sweet potato has a lot of nutrition cubed and sautéed like home fries and serve next to omelet
Back to top

thankyou




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 10:07 am
Goldy6 wrote:
I don't think lentils are really cheap, but cheaper than fleishigs. For beans I usually use the canned white beans with tomato sauce...because it's already cooked and faster to prepare. For lentils I usually get the type you have to check, but for a lot of other packaged beans, barley etc. I get the prechecked vacuum packed kind, which I may have to stop buying because it really adds up. It's just hard because I work and I always rationalized that I don't have time to check everything, which is true, but maybe I'm being a tad spoiled, don't know. The big families I know here are certainly not buying Kitov...

For a long time I didn't make any fleishigs during the week, but I was filling in that gap with pasta or freezer food like soy patties etc. which are also really expensive, so in the end I was losing on the nutrition and not sure I was saving so much....it's really hard because I want to make very nutritious meals and also start saving more money but so far I'm not so good at either one so I'm trying to figure it out. I usually make a little bit more than I need for Shabbos, like a bigger pot of soup than we actually eat and then serve it for leftovers on Sunday with pasta, stuff like that.


Right I feel Iikw people always say to make beans and such but I don't see how that's cheap . The baked beans in canes are quite expensive so I only buy on sale.
I also make lots of eggs - omelets and shakshuka.
I buy pasta on sale and couscous and ptitim too but these are carbs and I want my kids to eat more protein.
But not sure what people make here in Israel to save money on food .
I buy Tivol products on sale btw which makes it way cheaper than chicken or meat.
Back to top

Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 10:18 am
I don't know how much lentils and beans are in israel but if you buy them here dried they are very cheap. 500gr costs a little over $1 here. With that you can make a curry that serves 8 people.

The cheapest meat I can get is mince that costs about $7 a pound, which feeds maybe 6 people if I stretch it. Big difference in price. tival is probably more expensive then meat but more convenient. (It never goes on sale Sad )

Canned beans and lentils obviously cost more.
Back to top

rowo




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 10:31 am
What about recipes that use only a little meat that gets stretched with other foods?
Not such a summer food, but I make vegetable soups with lamb shank or oxtail. Even though it's not a huge amount of meat the bones also provide a lot of nutrients. I grate tons of vegetables in the food processor, zucchini, pumpkin, parsnip, sweet potato, cauliflower, onion, leek, celery, carrots etc
It's really filling, and I usually make enough at one time to last for a few meals.

I don't know how expensive it is in israel, but one or two cans of canned salmon can make a lot of salmon patties! You can add mashed potato and grated zucchini and carrots.

The same with meatballs or bolognais, when I make it I add tons if vegetables and it really stretches the meat out.

I think on pennilessparenting.com she has calculated and compares the real cost of various proteins in Israel.
Back to top

gibberish




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 11:05 am
We also do tuna often. Canned tuna is significantly cheaper than chicken or meat

Try:

Tuna wraps
Tuna patties
Tuna shepherds pie (tuna with mashed potatoes)
Tuna and pasta
Back to top

etky




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 11:13 am
Raisin wrote:
I don't know how much lentils and beans are in israel but if you buy them here dried they are very cheap. 500gr costs a little over $1 here. With that you can make a curry that serves 8 people.

The cheapest meat I can get is mince that costs about $7 a pound, which feeds maybe 6 people if I stretch it. Big difference in price. tival is probably more expensive then meat but more convenient. (It never goes on sale Sad )

Canned beans and lentils obviously cost more.


On average, a 500g. package of dried legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils etc.) and grains (wheat, buckwheat, bulgur, barley etc.) purchased in a discount supermarket will be about 5-6 shekel. Double that or less for a kilo. More than $1 but still very cheap. Buying in bulk is even cheaper.
They are definitely the cheapest source of protein you can buy, given the number of meals you will get out of that amount. Cans and frozen are more expensive and for a much, much smaller amount.
Back to top

mandksima




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 1:07 pm
Sometimes I'll make a big pot of Spanish rice and add either a bit of ground beef or leftover cubed chicken/turkey. I add a lot of vegetables through the shredder like onion, carrot, zucchini. Dice peppers that aren't the best (this is great to finish all the veggies that aren't too fresh.) Saute it all in a little oil, add lots of garlic, spices to your taste like black pepper, cayenne, lots of paprika, tumeric is good. Add in chopped tomatoes (fresh or jarred). Add in previously cooked rice, marinara sauce (you can make your own with tomato paste, water, olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper) any cooked meat if you want (I've used soup bone meat as well) or cooked leftover beans. Let everything simmer on low a while. Might need a touch of sweetness if using a lot of tomatoes. My family eats it up.

I also make lo mein sometimes which is a stir fry of cooked noodles (we do a lot of rice noodles) with vegetables (I use frozen peas and onions, scallions, sometimes shredded carrot), add in scrambled egg and season with soy sauce and garlic. If I have , I use a few pieces of cubed deli slices to give more protein.
Back to top

soaraway




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 2:32 pm
500g dry beans/lentils goes a long way. It's annoying to cook beans and takes time but you can make a huge batch and freeze in portions. Make mexican style food like burritos, chili's, taco salad. lentils are versatile and tasty, you can make burgers, stew, chili,patties, shepherds pie.
Bulgar/cracked wheat is a healthy and cheap option also. You can use it instead of rice/pasta etc.
Also as someone mentioned you can stretch meat or chicken. Make a meat sauce over pasta (add in tomato sauce, veggies) a stir fry with loads of seasonal veggies and some cubed chicken, turkey/chicken meat balls/patties.
Tuna steak is sometimes cheaper than chicken, loaded with protein and easy to cook. You can even cut in strips and serve on stir fried veggies and rice.
Back to top

tichellady




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 2:42 pm
We like to fill up on one or two bowls or healthy soup before having the main course. We make lots of soups and they are pretty cheap and healthy! We like spiralized Zuchinni- not sure how much zuchinni costs by you. Soup, roasted zuchinni with salsa and 2 sunny side eggs is a great dinner
Back to top

baby12x




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 3:21 pm
etky wrote:
On average, a 500g. package of dried legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils etc.) and grains (wheat, buckwheat, bulgur, barley etc.) purchased in a discount supermarket will be about 5-6 shekel. Double that or less for a kilo. More than $1 but still very cheap. Buying in bulk is even cheaper.
They are definitely the cheapest source of protein you can buy, given the number of meals you will get out of that amount. Cans and frozen are more expensive and for a much, much smaller amount.


Where can you buy beans for that price? All the stores by me have them for more. Where should I be shopping?
Back to top

cbg




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 4:12 pm
Everyone here is mentioning legumes as being a good source of protein.
Beans are healthy, don't get me wrong, but because they are full of fiber not because of their protein source.
FYI, non animal source of protein is not the same as animal protein sources.
For example gluten, is a protein, but most try to avoid.
Also, the body doesn't absorb the proteins in the same way (animal vs non-animal) Think gluten (a protein) intolerance and stomach issues.
Back to top

etky




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 4:21 pm
baby12x wrote:
Where can you buy beans for that price? All the stores by me have them for more. Where should I be shopping?


Rami Levy
Back to top

Teomima




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 4:30 pm
cbg wrote:
Everyone here is mentioning legumes as being a good source of protein.
Beans are healthy, don't get me wrong, but because they are full of fiber not because of their protein source.
FYI, non animal source of protein is not the same as animal protein sources.
For example gluten, is a protein, but most try to avoid.
Also, the body doesn't absorb the proteins in the same way (animal vs non-animal) Think gluten (a protein) intolerance and stomach issues.


Hmmmm, you've almost got it right. Legumes are a great source of protein, it's just the difference between vegan vs meat for protein is that vegan sources are generally* not complete proteins (they lack certain amino acids), whereas meat sources are. However, pair beans with rice and boom: complete protein (not that they even need to be eaten together to benefit from the complete protein).

Also, I don't know what you've got against gluten. Some people have issues with it, but saying most people try to avoid it is a bit of a stretch. In fact, gluten, such as in seitan, is regularly used as a meat substitute in various cuisines around the world.

*Some vegan sources, such as quinoa and soy (both of which also happens to be easy to buy cheap on bulk so it's perfect for OP), are complete proteins.
Back to top

etky




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 4:34 pm
cbg wrote:
Everyone here is mentioning legumes as being a good source of protein.
Beans are healthy, don't get me wrong, but because they are full of fiber not because of their protein source.
FYI, non animal source of protein is not the same as animal protein sources.
For example gluten, is a protein, but most try to avoid.
Also, the body doesn't absorb the proteins in the same way (animal vs non-animal) Think gluten (a protein) intolerance and stomach issues.


You're right that the protein from beans is not as complete as animal protein.
However, if you combine legumes and whole grains you do get a more complete protein than from eating each separately.
Combining seeds or nuts with legumes or whole grains (walnuts in your oatmeal for example) results in a very high quality protein too.
Back to top

Teomima




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Aug 30 2016, 4:43 pm
OP it sounds to me like you've fallen into an all-too-common trap with the misconception that we need constant high protein centered foods. The truth is with a well-balanced, vegetable and whole grain rich diet, you body gets everything it needs. From everything you share, it sounds like you're really lacking in fruits and veggies.

You say you pair couscous with beans. Do the Israeli thing. Make a stew with zucchini, carrots, onion, celery, and chumus beans. All cheap and delicious.

Buy cheap pallets of eggs from the shuk instead of tivol. Make frittatas with swiss chard (mangold) and garlic. Or with potatoes and onions. So filling!

If you want something so easy you don't need to dirty your hands, toss a can of chopped tomatoes, a can of corn, and a can of beans together. Add cumin and chilli and serve over brown rice.

Do keep in mind though canned products are deceptively expensive. Try to use fresh/dried whenever possible. And when you cook, make extra and freeze that, so you're pulling homemade food from the freezer instead of relatively expensive soy patties.
Back to top
Page 1 of 2 1  2  Next Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Recipe Collection -> Shabbos and Supper menus

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Looking to buy a cheap wig in rbs
by amother
12 Today at 9:02 am View last post
Cheap Plumber
by amother
8 Yesterday at 11:08 pm View last post
Working Mom Dinner Ideas 9 Yesterday at 6:17 pm View last post
Easy meal in a bowl suppers
by amother
1 Yesterday at 9:56 am View last post
[ Poll ] Cheap Wig
by amother
2 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 2:42 pm View last post