5 Cheap & Healthy Meals That Actually Taste Good
I’m embarrassed to admit it, but my boyfriend and I haven’t really gone grocery shopping for almost 2 months. This is sad for many reasons, mainly because I love cooking, but with all of the traveling and stress of the holidays, I just haven’t been able to find the time. This weekend, we finally did it. We made a list, stuck (mostly) to the list, and after two frustrating hours in Trader Joe’s dodging carts and attitude problems, we did it. We had groceries.
Of course, grocery shopping is just the first step. What to make with said groceries can be just as overwhelming. This past Sunday, I wrote down my favorite waistline-friendly recipes that aren’t terribly complicated AND make me feel full. In no particular order, here are my top 5:
Crock-pot Chicken Taco Salad
This is the perfect time of year to create spicy, warm crock-pot meals. Substitute the flour tortilla shells with a whole wheat tortilla, fill it with romaine, avocado, corn and salsa. Full recipe HERE.
Pork Chops with Stewed Tomatoes & Butter Beans
File this dish under the “looks weird, tastes incredible” category. this happens to be an old family recipe. It’s also super simple. With prep taking less than 5 minutes, even a beginner chef can pull this recipe off.
Ingredient List:
-Pork Chops (bone-in)
-Stewed tomatoes (2 cans)
-Butter beans (2 cans)
Lightly brown each pork chop in olive oil on stove-top with a bit of sea salt and pepper. Throw in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer on low for about an hour. Enjoy.
Flatbread Pizza
Want pizza that is fast, easy…AND guilt-free? I too thought "healthy pizza" was about as rational as unicorns existing, but after trying this awesome 3-ingredient recipe for flatbread pizza, my opinion has changed. This really hits the spot. Full recipe HERE.
3 Ingredient Portabella Mushrooms
Zucchini + feta cheese + mushrooms = 228 delicious calories. These tasty little treats are like mini Greek hamburgers. Check out the full recipe with instructions HERE.
Holubky (Czech Cabbage Rolls)
I love Eastern European food, and this is one of my go-to family recipes when I want to cut the carbs. It’s a little more complex, but it tastes SO good, and feels a bit like you’re eating a dense burrito. While the prep takes a bit longer, this recipe yields a tons of food. You can freeze the leftover Holbuky and eat them for lunch (which is what I will be doing today).
Ingredient List:
- 1 ¼ cup rice (you can use quinoa as a healthy substitute)
- 1 full cabbage
- 2lb lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1 ½ tbsp Parsley
- Sea salt
- Ground pepper
- Organic stewed tomatoes
- ½ clove garlic
-2 eggs
Full video instructions can be found HERE.
