BUDGET-FRIENDLY RECIPES
A healthy diet is a big part of a healthy lifestyle! You can start achieving your goals for healthy eating, one meal at a time. There are many healthy recipes and meal ideas in the MyPlate.Gov Kitchen. Here are five quick and cheap recipes to get started:
Avocado Melon Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 1 slice of honeydew melon (about 1 cup)
- Lime juice (1 1/2 tsp)
- 1 cup 8 ounce skim milk
- 1 cup fat-free yogurt
- 1/2 cup 100% apple juice or white grape juice (no added sugar)
- 1 tablespoon honey
Directions
- Cut avocado in half and remove the pit.
- Scoop out the avocado flesh and put it in the blender.
- Add the other ingredients and blend well.
- Serve cold!
Avocado melon smoothies can stay in the refrigerator for 24 hours before spoiling.
Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups carrots, chopped
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped, including some leaves
- 8 cups chicken broth, fat free, reduced sodium
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
Dumplings
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup skim milk
- 1 egg, large
Make the soup:
- Heat oil in Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium-high heat.
- Cook carrot, onion and celery for 5 minutes.
- Stir in broth, chicken, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Turn down heat and simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes.
Make the dumplings:
- In small bowl, mix dumpling ingredients until well blended.
Combine soup and dumplings:
- Drop small spoonsful of dumpling dough into simmering soup.
- Cover soup and allow dumplings to cook for about 20 minutes. They will rise to the top of the soup as they cook).
- Stir in spinach.
Remove bay leaves before serving soup.
Caribbean Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 1 cup canned black beans, low-sodium (drained and rinsed)
- 1 orange, peeled and diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or cooking oil of choice)
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- black pepper (to taste, optional)
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Toss all ingredients together in large salad bowl.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate up to one hour.
Caribbean Bean Salad can last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin (1/4”) slices
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, low-fat, shredded
- 2 tablespoons margarine
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 dash black pepper
- 2 cups milk, non-fat
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Prepare a large casserole baking pan (9″ x 13″) by coating lightly with oil or cooking oil spray.
- Place a layer of potatoes in pan, using one-quarter of the potatoes.
- Sprinkle layer with one-quarter of each ingredient: onion, cheese, margarine, flour, salt, black pepper.
- Repeat and make four layers.
- In a separate pot, warm the milk, and then pour it over the casserole dish.
- Bake at 350 °F. for one hour.
- Take out and serve!
Leftovers must be refrigerated within two hours.
Ingredients