LearntYoung
Bluelighter
Hi there,
I am moving out next year and I will be studying.
From what I've heard, students often eat really unhealthy food, because it's cheap.
What I want to use this topic for, is to gather people's cheap, but healthy recipes or just products.
I am willing to update this starting topic and even categorize it, but I know any cheap & healthy recipes myself yet, apart from spaghetti.
I hope some of you have great recipes or advice which we all can use! :D
Also, join the CARB discussion!
Enjoy this topic!
I am moving out next year and I will be studying.
From what I've heard, students often eat really unhealthy food, because it's cheap.
What I want to use this topic for, is to gather people's cheap, but healthy recipes or just products.
I am willing to update this starting topic and even categorize it, but I know any cheap & healthy recipes myself yet, apart from spaghetti.
Requirements:
-Spaghetti
-Frozen vegetables (preferably Italian, but almost anything goes)
-(Cheap) pasta sauce
-Minced meat
Optional:
-Herbs and spices
-Can of concentrated tomato paste
How-to:
For the spaghetti itsself, just get some water boiling and add the spaghetti.
Wait 7~8 minutes and sift it.
For the sauce, use a wok, start with the meat. Make sure nothing is raw and then if you chose to add herbs & spices add these.
Add the frozen vegetables, don't pre-heat them or anything, this will keep them a bit crunchy.
When the vegetables are done, add the tomato sauce (and concentrated paste, if you want that) and heat it all up.
Your easy & cheap spaghetti is done!
-Spaghetti
-Frozen vegetables (preferably Italian, but almost anything goes)
-(Cheap) pasta sauce
-Minced meat
Optional:
-Herbs and spices
-Can of concentrated tomato paste
How-to:
For the spaghetti itsself, just get some water boiling and add the spaghetti.
Wait 7~8 minutes and sift it.
For the sauce, use a wok, start with the meat. Make sure nothing is raw and then if you chose to add herbs & spices add these.
Add the frozen vegetables, don't pre-heat them or anything, this will keep them a bit crunchy.
When the vegetables are done, add the tomato sauce (and concentrated paste, if you want that) and heat it all up.
Your easy & cheap spaghetti is done!
Requirements:
-Carrots (1kg)
-Onions (500gr)
-Salt, pepper and nutmeg
-Potatoes (1kg)
(-Laurus)
How-to:
Basically, you just make everything in a huge pot of boiling water (±25~30 minutes), sift the water and mash it all together. Then you add the salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir that through everything.
You can add butter / gravy / treacle for the taste. (Choose one of those, not all
)
-Carrots (1kg)
-Onions (500gr)
-Salt, pepper and nutmeg
-Potatoes (1kg)
(-Laurus)
How-to:
Basically, you just make everything in a huge pot of boiling water (±25~30 minutes), sift the water and mash it all together. Then you add the salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir that through everything.
You can add butter / gravy / treacle for the taste. (Choose one of those, not all
)Hummus on everything, which is simply chickpeas blended with whatever you like - olive oil, garlic, chili, tahini (I personally don't like it so never use it) lemon juice and a bit of cumin. Buy some pitta breads, cut them into wedges brush with olive oil and grill or bake until they are crunchy (few mins).
Not a fan of chickpeas - use any other bean (buy them dry and soak overnight) blend with garlic, lemon juice, cumin and chili to suit - eat them as is or use as a dip. (kidney beans with cumin on toast with cheese.)
Not a fan of chickpeas - use any other bean (buy them dry and soak overnight) blend with garlic, lemon juice, cumin and chili to suit - eat them as is or use as a dip. (kidney beans with cumin on toast with cheese.)
You can get a box of soft pretzels in the supermarket and they make for a quick snack and are healthy if you dont load them with salt (or dont use any salt for healthiest)
I dip mine in honey mustard, it's highly effective
They taste better in an oven but a microwave works
I dip mine in honey mustard, it's highly effective
They taste better in an oven but a microwave works
Dice up a good amount of celery, onion and carrots to make a Mirepoix.It's a cheap and healthy meal stretcher.
Cook it down, you can use a crock pot or saute, add beans/peas, add rice or keep rice separate and top with the bean sauce, up to you.
Adding a meat or meat-fat to the mix in the pot is optional.
Lots of variety in seasoning and choice of beans/peas and lots of cultural dishes fit.
The same Mirepoix base works for pasta, but I do it without carrots (add diced garlic, and bell peppers instead)
Cook it down, you can use a crock pot or saute, add beans/peas, add rice or keep rice separate and top with the bean sauce, up to you.
Adding a meat or meat-fat to the mix in the pot is optional.
Lots of variety in seasoning and choice of beans/peas and lots of cultural dishes fit.
The same Mirepoix base works for pasta, but I do it without carrots (add diced garlic, and bell peppers instead)
Store bought canned tuna can be pretty bad for you as a regular part of your diet, but it tastes really good.
1/4 diced onion + 1 stalk of diced celery + a can of tuna + 8 tblspns of mayo (or basically as much mayo as possible w/out completely demolishing the spread) + pepper, garlic powder (or diced garlic,) paprika
(*Bonus* for dicing up some leftover chicken or something to use instead of tuna).
Makes a super cheap and tasty spread for snacks.
Got a loaf of french bread on sale for $1 yesterday, sliced into 1/2 inch slices, toasted and topped with just enough spread to sufficiently cover.
Each has several slices, so snack/small-meal = something like 50cents/person.
You can run a few loaves of bread/crackers/etc on just one bowl of this spread, or add the last half to boiled/drained egg-noodles w/ a tablespoon sour cream and/or a little parmesan cheese.
1/4 diced onion + 1 stalk of diced celery + a can of tuna + 8 tblspns of mayo (or basically as much mayo as possible w/out completely demolishing the spread) + pepper, garlic powder (or diced garlic,) paprika
(*Bonus* for dicing up some leftover chicken or something to use instead of tuna).
Makes a super cheap and tasty spread for snacks.
Got a loaf of french bread on sale for $1 yesterday, sliced into 1/2 inch slices, toasted and topped with just enough spread to sufficiently cover.
Each has several slices, so snack/small-meal = something like 50cents/person.
You can run a few loaves of bread/crackers/etc on just one bowl of this spread, or add the last half to boiled/drained egg-noodles w/ a tablespoon sour cream and/or a little parmesan cheese.
Pulses and beans! Serve with your carb of choice (rice is usually cheapest) you have a great balance of fiber, protein etc.
Make something like Dahl - which can work out at pennies per serving, if you have that with rice or bread then you have a very filling nutritious meal for next to nothing in cost.
Make your own bread for the above - tip a single serving 170g pot of low fat yogurt in a bowl, add salt and pepper and stir in self raising floor until it starts to look like a thick paste (usually two tablespoons) . Cut that up into say four bits and fry in a dry non stick pan.
Make something like Dahl - which can work out at pennies per serving, if you have that with rice or bread then you have a very filling nutritious meal for next to nothing in cost.
Make your own bread for the above - tip a single serving 170g pot of low fat yogurt in a bowl, add salt and pepper and stir in self raising floor until it starts to look like a thick paste (usually two tablespoons) . Cut that up into say four bits and fry in a dry non stick pan.
For a snack, air popped popcorn is fairly cheap, it's cheaper than the no name chips, considering how long a bag will last.
Considered checking out a foodbank.
Students count as low income people.
You can probably scrape up some decent meals from that, especially if they can give you bags of rice or whole grain pasta.
Potatoes and yams are not expensive. You can boil them and mash them with butter, and add nuts and eggs to make it have more protein. Bacon is not all that expensive, and you can drain the fat to use in other things. Produce is not really that expensive... to me, junk food adds up faster than produce. You can buy veggies and cut them up, put them into tupperware, and add them to various meals throughout the day. You can also freeze veggies in airtight containers. In fact, just buying frozen veggies is not that expensive either.
Fruit, is mostly a waste of time. It's almost straight up sugar, aside from some polyphenols.
Almonds are great for balancing blood sugar.
Protein or calorie shakes are expensive up front, but you can stretch them to make them last. Mix them with plain yogurt, which isn't all that expensive.
You can get enough calories from eating vegetables and meat with vegetable fats and nuts. fat sources in general are very calorie-dense and contain loads of macro and micronutrients.
When you're buying meat protein (chickpeas are a cheaper source of protein and so much better for you), the frozen is often the cheapest but always check the 'defrosted' meats as they can work out cheaper - also keep you eye on your local deli or food stores for promos and offers, closing offers etc.
Buy seasonal stuff, go to a farmers market or neighborhood grocer as they often cheaper than a chain supermarket.
Bananas are super cheap where I live. One banana is like 50 cents? They are pretty filling too. I can get full on like 4 bananas and a glass of water.
http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-banana-i9040
Bring the food in school from the leftover dinner from last night, so you won't feel bad on eating the same food the next day.
Do not buy premade meals.
Considered checking out a foodbank.
Students count as low income people.
You can probably scrape up some decent meals from that, especially if they can give you bags of rice or whole grain pasta.
Potatoes and yams are not expensive. You can boil them and mash them with butter, and add nuts and eggs to make it have more protein. Bacon is not all that expensive, and you can drain the fat to use in other things. Produce is not really that expensive... to me, junk food adds up faster than produce. You can buy veggies and cut them up, put them into tupperware, and add them to various meals throughout the day. You can also freeze veggies in airtight containers. In fact, just buying frozen veggies is not that expensive either.
Fruit, is mostly a waste of time. It's almost straight up sugar, aside from some polyphenols.
Almonds are great for balancing blood sugar.
Protein or calorie shakes are expensive up front, but you can stretch them to make them last. Mix them with plain yogurt, which isn't all that expensive.
You can get enough calories from eating vegetables and meat with vegetable fats and nuts. fat sources in general are very calorie-dense and contain loads of macro and micronutrients.
When you're buying meat protein (chickpeas are a cheaper source of protein and so much better for you), the frozen is often the cheapest but always check the 'defrosted' meats as they can work out cheaper - also keep you eye on your local deli or food stores for promos and offers, closing offers etc.
Buy seasonal stuff, go to a farmers market or neighborhood grocer as they often cheaper than a chain supermarket.
Bananas are super cheap where I live. One banana is like 50 cents? They are pretty filling too. I can get full on like 4 bananas and a glass of water.
http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-banana-i9040
Bring the food in school from the leftover dinner from last night, so you won't feel bad on eating the same food the next day.
Do not buy premade meals.
I hope some of you have great recipes or advice which we all can use! :D
Also, join the CARB discussion!
thujone: I work out regularly; a bowl of instant oatmeal for breakfast is all the dedicated carbs I need in a day. The thing to keep in mind is that vegetables and fruits also have carbs, some of them quite a lot, but they also have loads of healthy fibre and micronutrients. The issue with food like rice is that it's 90% carbs, and carbs are quickly converted to glucose. In other words, there's no point in filling yourself up on carbs until you feel that there's a definite need for energy then you can eat a bowl of rice and twenty minutes later have enough glucose coursing through your bloodstream. If you don't feel that sudden need for energy, doesn't it make more sense to consume more calories of protein and fats which get metabolized into stuff that's more useful to the body than just a constant stream of raw energy?
LearntYoung: I personally eat a lot of carbs every day, mostly from whole grain bread. I am a healthy weight and also eat this when I am not sporting. When I don’t eat a lot of bread (I mean, I can eat 8 slices easily on a lazy day) I just get tired and don’t function as well as I do with it. In my opinion energy is also required to keep hard working brain functioning and therefore you need plenty of carbs as a student even if you’re not the type that works out.
LearntYoung: I personally eat a lot of carbs every day, mostly from whole grain bread. I am a healthy weight and also eat this when I am not sporting. When I don’t eat a lot of bread (I mean, I can eat 8 slices easily on a lazy day) I just get tired and don’t function as well as I do with it. In my opinion energy is also required to keep hard working brain functioning and therefore you need plenty of carbs as a student even if you’re not the type that works out.
Enjoy this topic!
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