In the age of growing health consciousness, people think twice before doing anything that might hamper their health. They are conscious about their lifestyle. They prefer doing exercises regularly than suffering from ailments. Moreover, they are specially concerned about the food they eat. Doctors all over the world prescribe that eating healthy and balanced food is the key to good health and prolonged freedom from health complications. They advocate that boiled, baked, steamed and lightly cooked food, fresh fruits and vegetables, balanced quantity of animal protein, dairy products, grains, cereals, etc. should be included in the everyday diet list of everybody. But does that mean that healthy diet is going to be heavy for your pocket? Absolutely not as you can prepare some delicious meal recipes in your home by mixing together all the regular ingredients and along with spices, toppings and condiments of your preference to make some of the most innovative and tasty dishes. But all these will definitely be within your reach as well.
Here are 11 such healthy meal ideas on budget for you. Try out some of them.
1. Innovative power salad
Salad is one of the best foods that is extremely health friendly. You can further make your home prepared salad a wholesome food by mixing up ingredients that have different nutritional benefits. Therefore, try out a power salad recipe which is low in calories too. Mix together pastas, shredded chicken, olives, flaked vegetable crispies to make a delicious dish. It gets prepared in a minute with much less spices and oil and the hassle of cooking too, so you save money in the process.
2. Tuna and bean salad lunch
This recipe is a fusion of fish protein as well as vegetable protein. This is a complete lunch recipe and meets all your nutritional needs together with satisfying your hunger rather than making you feel unnecessarily heavy. Baked tuna fishes and beans are the major ingredients of this salad. A touch of sophistication is added on to the dish with a dash of lemon juice, pinch of pepper and salt and a teaspoonful of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Nutritious taco salad
A popular recipe at the Tex-Mex chain of restaurants in the United States, this salad is easy to make at your home. Moreover, you can curtail the calorie rich ingredients too from the serving. The major ingredient s that you will need are lean turkey shreds, sour cream that is low in fat content and corn chips for preparing the dipping. Thus, enjoy this delicious salad at home without the need to drain out your wealth on a single dish.
4. Low calorie corn and black bean pizza
If you are utterly concerned about your increasing body weight and wish to switch over to a low fat meal recipe then this smoked, corn and black bean pizza will be a great alternative that will satisfy your taste buds too. Use fresh vegetables like plum tomato, black beans, etc. with corn and barbecue sauce on whole wheat pizza base. It is a stomach friendly option too as the dietary fibers in it helps in easy bowel movement.
5. Stuffed and tasty cabbage rolls
Cabbage is rich in proteins and vitamins. Therefore, this meal recipe takes cabbage as the basic ingredient. Get hold of cabbages at an economical rate in the dollar stores. Bring some of them home, cut and bake them and stuff them in rolls made from white flour which are supposed to be baked finally.
6. Brown rice and red beans meal
If you love to have rice but it always makes you feel drowsy in a working day, then try out this recipe that comprises of basic things found in a local grocery store without much money involved in the process. It consists of steamed brown rice with baked red beans, which will be a hearty and protein enriched meal for you.
7. Novel macaroni cheese recipe
The ingredients in this meal recipe are the ones that are always available in your fridge. Collect some frozen, chopped vegetables, cheese spread and macaroni. Arrange them in a plate, garnish and serve. Thus, you save money on the cooking part and well as buying of ingredients.
8. Low fat casserole topping hamburger
You might be surprised to hear that casserole could be low calorie too. But the casserole used in this recipe is made from cottage cheese and is thus fat free. Rest ingredients in this dish are egg noodles, tomato sauce and lean ground beef which are available in the grocery stores at a pocket friendly rate.
9. Healthy spaghetti and meatball recipe
While conventionally this dish is made by using fried meat balls, that is not much health friendly, you need to replace it this time with baked meatballs that cut down the fat content in the recipe. Rest ingredients are fiber rich bulgur, whole wheat crumbs and white pepper. This meal will be one of the most nutritious yet pocket friendly proposition for you.
10. Instant mock rissotto
Surprise yourself with this tempting meal that you can manage to prepare with things available in your home. Get hold of some brown rice, thick chicken broth, frozen peas and arrange them all on a nice dish. Further, there is no wastage of time and money on cooking or baking too. You can also pep up this recipe with a dollop of reduced fat cream cheese. This will be your instant meal that is nutritious and delicious and at the same time cheap.
11. Roasted chicken breast menu
Roasted chicken recipes tempt many of us. It is one of the most tasty chicken preparations and at the same time calorie free as there is no oil involved in the cooking. Chicken breasts are definitely going to be a cheaper alternative as compared to the other boneless parts. So, what can be a more economical yet healthy and tasty meal menu than this. You can save money on the ingrediant cost as well as oil less cooking idea.