You can eat healthy and save on your grocery bill! Jonni McCoy, author of Miserly Meals: Healthy, Tasty Recipes Under 75 Cents Per Serving, serves up some advice!
Cutting back on your bill
When I first embarked on my frugal lifestyle, I heard critics say that they would never want to live frugally since it meant having to eat “frugal food." Many people believe they cannot serve healthy food to their family while on a tight budget. I am here to prove that "frugal" and "healthy" can be one and the same.
At the beginning of our frugal adventure, we lived on $40 per week for groceries. Since we were living on half of our usual income, we had to cut the grocery bill down this low to pay other bills. Despite this tight budget, we ate plenty of produce, adequate protein, and were even able to cook around my son's restrictive food allergies.
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The first key to cooking healthy frugal meals is to look at how you shop and cook. Cooking healthy has the same guidelines as any other type of shopping that I describe in detail in my book, Miserly Moms: plan menus around sales, don't shop at just one store, buy in bulk and cook in bulk. If you expect to be able to buy ready-made health food, then you will overspend. Furthermore, if you don't shop sales and pay premium prices for your supplies, then meals won't be frugal. So the key isn't what you are cooking but how you are shopping for it, and who prepared it.
The other way to save grocery money is to modify the menu. After all, how can we save money if we have steak several times per week? We need new recipes that call for simple ingredients, but still provide an appealing and healthy meal to the family. That's why I decided to share some of my frugal recipes with you, taken from my book, Miserly Meals. Each recipe in my book costs less than 75 cents per serving, has a nutritional breakdown to show that it is healthy, and is easy to prepare.
In each column, I will offer you recipes for a complete meal: main dish, side dish and dessert. I hope that with the help of my recipes, your frugal cooking will be an enhancement to your family's budget, not a frustration.
Calzones
Dough:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon oil
2 1/4 tsp (or 1 pkg.) dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Filling:
Ingredients:
8 oz. chicken breast, cooked and diced
2 Tablespoons water chestnuts, drained and diced
1 Tablespoon onion, chopped
2 Tablespoon mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
Directions:
Combine the dough ingredients in a bread machine (set on "dough" setting), or combine by hand and knead until elastic. Divide the dough into 6 balls. Roll each into a 6 to 7 inch circle on a floured surface.
In a separate bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Take one-sixth of the filling and place in the center of a dough circle, fold in half, and pinch edges shut. Repeat with the other circles. Place calzone on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
Other filling ideas: Combine any meat, cheese, tofu, vegetables and spices to make the filling. Avoid much liquid (i.e. use marinara sauce instead of fresh tomatoes).
Note: To make a quicker version of this recipe, purchase ready-made unbaked piecrust. Divide each circle in half, fill and bake
Cost per serving (1 calzone): $0.34
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 to 25 minutes
Nutritional analysis per serving
Calories 295; Fat 8 grams; Cholesterol 22 mg; Carbohydrates 42 grams;
Fiber 2 grams; Protein 13 grams; Sodium 479 mg
Marinated Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:
4 cups diced raw vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, red bell peppers, jicama, zucchini, celery, etc.)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning (see recipe in Mix chapter)
Directions:
Place all of the vegetables in a 2-qt saucepan and cover with water. Cover the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are still crisp but tender. Remove from heat, drain, and run under cold water.
Place the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until well blended. Add the vegetables and toss. Cover and let chill overnight in the refrigerator (to enhance the flavor).
Variations: Add shoestring-sliced cheese or salami, fresh parsley, black or green olives, or jalapeno peppers.
Cost per serving (3/4 cup): $0.56
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Nutritional analysis per serving
Calories 171; Fat 18 grams; Cholesterol 0 mg; Carbohydrates 3 grams; Fiber 1 grams; Protein 1 grams;
Sodium 55
Fruit Crisp
Ingredients:
3 cups diced fresh or canned fruit (apples,
peaches, cherries, berries)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons butter
Directions:
In a bread loaf pan, or 8x8 pan, spread the fruit around the bottom, distributing evenly.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Mix well with a pastry blender so butter is evenly mixed in. Crumble the topping over the top of the fruit.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
Variation: Add chopped nuts to the topping for added flavor and texture.
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Cost per serving (1 cup): $0.11
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Nutritional analysis per serving
Calories 300; Fat 12 grams; Cholesterol 31 mg; Carbohydrates 46 grams; Fiber 3 grams; Protein 4 grams; Sodium 254 mg
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About the author: No part of these recipes can be reprinted without permission. All recipes are used with permission from Miserly Meals by Jonni McCoy, copyrighted 2002, Bethany House Publishers. All Rights Reserved. Jonni McCoy is the author of Miserly Meals (2002 Bethany House), Miserly Moms: Living on One Income in a Two Income Economy(2001 Bethany House), and Frugal Families -- Making the Most of your Hard Earned Money (2003 Bethany House Publishing). Prior to motherhood, she spent 10 years at electronics firms such as Apple Computer and National Semiconductor. She presents seminars on living for less to women's groups and other conferences. She has been practicing her frugal ways since 1991. Jonni has appeared on several TV shows, including "The 700 Club," and radio programs such as "Family Life Today" and the "Dick Staub Show." She has also been featured in Good Housekeeping and Woman's Day magazines. Jonni and her husband, Beau, make their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. You can visit her web site at www.miserlymoms.com.
