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Top 10 Healthy & Cheap Foods

Jennifer — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 07:14:21 +0000

So, summer’s coming and you want to look good. But your recession-squeezed wallet is flinching at the high prices of healthy foods. Yes, it’s costly to buy the fresh fish and fancy fruits that many diets recommend. Fortunately, though, you don’t have to spend a lot to eat healthy. Here’s a list of the top ten healthy and cheap foods to try.

1. Cooked Black Beans
Cost per serving 7 cents
Calories per serving 114
Actually, most kinds of beans – black, pinto, garbanzo, lentil— are low in fat, and provide you with important fiber, folic acid, calcium, zinc and potassium. Dry beans take work to prepare; canned beans are a lot easier. Just make sure to rinse the beans well before using. Mix them in salads, soups or casseroles, or serve with rice.

2. Eggs
Cost per serving 9 cents
Calories per serving 78
Eggs provide plenty of protein for not much money. Plus, there are so many ways to prepare them – scrambled, fried, sunny-side up, or hard-boiled for sandwiches and salads.

3. Cooked noodles
Cost per serving 13 cents
Calories per serving 166
Noodles go with everything. They’re a side dish, or good in a casserole or soup. The whole wheat ones are even better for you, although they do cost a bit more.

4. Oats (Old-Fashioned or Quick)
Cost per serving: 19 cents
Calories per serving 140
An 18-ounce container or oats costs around $2.29 (on sale) and each container contains about 13 servings (if 1/2-cup of dry oats is a serving). Oatmeal is filling, has plenty of fiber and you can also make your own granola and muffins with it.

5. Frozen Vegetables
Cost per serving: Around 25 cents
Calories per serving: 82 (for mixed vegetables)
Frozen vegetables come in 12-ounce to 24-ounce bags that cost anywhere from $1.75 to $2.25 and contain 6-8 cups, depending on the vegetable and the size of the bag. I like them because they keep a long time, don’t need any chopping, and cook quickly in the microwave.

6. Potato (Russet)
Cost per serving: About 23 cents per potato
Calories per serving: 168 calories
Potatoes are great whether you have them mashed, boiled, or baked. Just avoid the fattening toppings; stick to a little butter or margarine, or pile them with broccoli and melt some low-fat cheese on top.

7. Canned Tuna (solid white albacore or chunk light in water)
Cost per serving (3 oz): About 62 cents
Calories per serving: 70
Tuna is healthy for you, filled with protein, and it’s so quick and convenient, too. Use it in salads, casseroles, or just plain.

8. Bananas
Cost per serving (1 banana): about 20 cents
Calories per serving: 100
Bananas are an easily portable source of fiber, potassium and vitamin B6. Eat them plain, slice them into cereal, or blend them into healthy shakes.

9. Apples
Cost per serving (1 apple): about 60 cents
Calories per serving: 80
Apples are full of fiber and make a great snack anytime.

10. Lowfat Milk
Cost per serving (8 oz.): about 35 cents
Calories per serving: 100
Milk is rich in protein, vitamins A and D, potassium, and niacin, and is one of the easiest ways to get bone-strengthening calcium.

Photo Credit via Flickr

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Top 10 Healthy & Cheap Foods

5 Delicious, Cheap & Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

Dean — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:02:37 +0000

Slow cookers are allow you to make cheap, hearty and easy meals. Especially around the busy holidays now might be a good time use your slow cooker. Here are 5 slow cooker meals that you should give a try.

CROCKPOT COQ AU VIN

–6 to 8 frozen chicken thighs

–6 slices cooked and crumbled bacon (regular or turkey bacon)

–8 oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms (they are right next to the regular mushrooms)

–1 cup baby carrots

–1 chopped yellow onion

–3 cloves chopped or minced garlic

–1/2 tsp. black pepper

–1/2 tbsp. kosher salt

–1/2 cup chicken broth

–1 1/2 cup inexpensive red wine (or cooking wine)

–2 large fresh thyme sprigs, or dash of dried, powdered thyme

Coq au Vin is French for "Chicken in Wine". The alcohol burns off, leaving just the flavor, by the way. This is a great recipe for a holiday or special occasion.

First, cook the bacon separately. Dump the frozen chicken into your crockpot and start layering in the rest of the ingredients, including the cooked bacon.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with French bread and salad.

POT ROAST OR BRISKET

2 to 3 potatoes, thinly sliced

2 to 3 carrots, pared and thinly sliced

1 to 2 onions, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 to 4 lb. brisket, rump roast, or pot roast

1/2 c. water

Here’s a perfect recipe for a classic cold weather meal.

Put vegetables in bottom of crockpot. Salt and pepper meat, then put in pot. Add liquid. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours (high 5 to 6 hours). Remove meat and vegetables with spatula and thicken for gravy if desired.

Or you can make this recipe with without vegetables: Season meat with salt and pepper. Add no liquid. Cook as directed.

CROCKPOT 15 BEAN SOUP

16 oz. dry bean soup mix

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. celery salt

2 stalk celery, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 dash cayenne (red) pepper

1 tsp. ground black pepper

(optional) 1 sausage, sliced

This is a very filling and inexpensive soup. It’s vegetarian if you don’t use the sausage.

Wash beans thoroughly. Soak overnight, changing water two times. Drain

Place beans in crockpot and cover with 1 inch water. All all other ingredients except sausage. Cover and cook on high for one hour; turn to low and cook 6-8 hours. Stir once or twice during cooking.

One hour before serving, check texture of soup. If it’s too thin, mash some of the beans to thicken it. Add sausage, if you are using sausage. Cook for one hour.

OBAMA FAMILY SLOW COOKER CHILI

-1 can kidney beans (do not drain)

–1 lb lean ground turkey or beef

–1 green bell pepper, chopped

–1 large onion, chopped

–5-6 medium tomatoes, chopped (include seeds and all)

–4 chopped cloves of garlic

–1 tsp cumin

–1 tsp oregano

–1 tsp basil

–1 tsp turmeric

–1 or 2 tsp chili powder, depending how spicy you like your chili

–1 tsp salt

–3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Yes, this is President-elect Obama’s actual chili recipe, slightly adapted for crockpots. He provided it to a New Hampshire newspaper a year ago, even before the first primary election.

Chop up the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Add to the crockpot. Open the can of beans, and pour in the whole thing. Add the ground meat. Stir in all of the spices and the red wine vinegar.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. I cooked our chili on low for 9 hours.

Season with a bit more salt, to taste. Serve over rice. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream.

EASY SEAFOOD CHOWDER

–1 lb of white fish (such as cod)

–3 cups of chicken broth, canned or homemade

–9 baby potatoes

–1 cup frozen corn

–1/2 white onion

–1/2 cup sliced carrots or baby carrots

–heart of celery

–3-4 cloves of garlic

–1/2 tsp. black pepper

–salt (to taste, especially if using homemade broth)

–2 cups frozen shrimp (to add later)

–1 cup heavy whipping cream (to add later)

I love creamy seafood chowder like this. It’s filling enough for a meal. Serve with rolls on the side.

Chop up all the vegetables. Partially thaw the fish in the microwave, and cut it into chunks. Put all ingredients in the crockpot except for the cream and the shrimp. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the potatoes are tender. 30 minutes before serving, stir in your cup of cream and the frozen shrimp. Turn your crockpot to high for and cook for 30 minutes.

Photo Credit

$4 Restaurant Gift Certificates

Mark — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:53:03 +0000

Get a $25 Restaurant.com gift certificate for only $4. Use code: EXTRA. I wish I had this gift certificate to use a couple weeks ago. I spent over $100 on dinner, but I could have save more money to spend on other things. If you eat out a lot like I do, then this is great for you. Sometimes I feel guilty eating out so much, when I can cook and save money. Hurry, this offer won’t last forever.

Expiration Date: 02/29/2008