Good Recipes for You and Your Wallet

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Good Recipes for You and Your Wallet

When I was in college, I decided to move to an off-campus apartment after sophomore year. While I loved the independence and privacy of having my own room, I admit that I found myself missing the old, convenient meal plan. Trying to eat well on a budget was a real challenge, but over time I began to figure out which foods were both affordable and nutritious. Nowadays, cooking healthy, inexpensive meals has become just a question of using affordable ingredients and tailoring recipes around them.

My go-to ingredients

Most of us tend to buy the same foods out of habit, with or without coupons, but you’d be amazed that in-between those familiar, pricey items are some really affordable healthy picks. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Brown rice

• Dried or canned beans

• Bananas

• Cabbage

• Onions

• Carrots

• Tempeh

• Canned tomatoes

• Button mushrooms

• Potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes

• Canned pumpkin

• Oatmeal

• Peanuts

• Eggs

• Tuna

• Flank steaks

• Whole grain pasta

This USDA report gives a comparative overview of produce prices to help you get started on finding the best values.

3 wallet-friendly recipes

Once you know what to work with, try your hand at cooking a few of these healthy, easy dishes:

Sweet Potato Surprise (serves 4)

Yams, onions and tempeh are all on my affordable foods list, but few people would think of combining them. That’s because yams often bring to mind rich dishes loaded with brown sugar and marshmallows. But as a good friend showed me, you can pair yams or sweet potatoes with savory ingredients instead, making for a dinner high in vitamins and protein.

Ingredients:

• 4 yams or sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

• Olive oil for pan

• 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped

• 1 large shallot, minced

• One package of tempeh

• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

• One cup of finely chopped, fresh spinach

To make the dish:

1. Place potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl with a vented cover and cook on high until soft. (Microwave times vary, so be careful not to overcook.)

2. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onions and shallots until transparent.

3. Add the cooked sweet potato and tempeh, and sauté for about a minute or so until all flavors are blended. Stir in sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

4. Wilt spinach over the mixture and stir before serving.

Curried Lentil Stew (serves 4)

Of all the different types of dried beans, lentils are the easiest to work with because you don’t have to soak them. In addition to the inexpensive ingredients you’ll need— such as beans, potatoes, carrots and onions—you can add a touch of the exotic to this basic comfort food by throwing in some Indian spices.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry lentils

• 3 1/2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

• 1 14 1/2 ounce can of tomatoes, chopped

• 1 cup cubed Yukon gold potato

• 3/4 cup chopped carrots

• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion

• 3 garlic cloves, minced)

• 1 tablespoon good curry powder

• 1 tablespoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon coriander

• Dash of red pepper flakes

• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Rinse lentils and drain.

2. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.

Tropical Peanut Butter Cup “Ice Cream” (serves 3-4)

I couldn’t resist including a decadent frosty dessert featuring bananas, one of my

favorite fruits. This mock ice cream is always a hit with my friends and family. It tastes so great that you’ll have a hard time believing it’s good for you, but it’s truly as guilt-free as it is affordable. Even if you splurge on top quality organic cocoa powder, you’ll find that it lasts a long time and can be repurposed in many dessert recipes.

Ingredients:

• 3 frozen bananas

• 4 dates, chopped

• 4 tablespoons of natural peanut butter

• 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cacao powder

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

• 1/4 cup of coconut milk

To create the dessert:

1. Peel and freeze bananas in a sealed plastic bag overnight.

2. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor for about 30 seconds, until dessert develops a gelato-like consistency. If mixture is too thick, add a bit more coconut milk.

By building recipes around affordable and healthy ingredients or substituting them in traditional recipes, it really is possible to find food that’s good for you, your wallet and your taste buds.

Posted on 7/31/14

Writer bio: Alexandra Rice is a writer who loves talking about all things education. After living in the Mid-Atlantic, South and Midwest, she has finally settled down out West in San Francisco. When not thinking about education, Alexandra can be found at the beach, playing with one of the many dogs at her office, or searching for the perfect cup of coffee. Catch her on Twitter day or night at @Alexandra_Rice.Company bio: NerdWallet has been around since 2009, helping consumers make smart financial decisions. We cover the spectrum of consumer finance — banking, credit cards, education, health care, insurance, investments, mortgages, shopping, small business, travel — you name it. We’re Nerds who create great tools, crunch numbers, check the fine print and give consumers all the results — unfiltered and transparent.NerdWallet has been featured by outlets such as CNBC, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Kiplinger, LifeHacker, The New York Times, Reuters, TIME magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Money Magazine has named NerdWallet the web’s Best Credit Card Site, and consumer advocates Clark Howard and Liz Weston have recommended NerdWallet’s products.