How to Eat Healthy on a Budget #1: Meatless meals

When you have a limited budget, the thought of preparing tasty, healthy meals can be daunting. Not only is it easy to get sucked in by grocery merchandising tricks, but it’s also normal for most of us to fall into a mealtime rut, eating the same foods over and over. But you are in control of your kitchen—and if you cook smart, you can enjoy the first-class meals you deserve.

You can save money and still have quality food at the same time. However, it will take a little organization and creativity on your part to ensure you get the best bang for your buck.

This week's blog posts feature different ways to eat healthy on a budget. Tell us your money-saving tips to keep the cost of groceries down, share your favorite budget recipes with us, or any other thoughts you have on the topic. We'd love to have your feedback!

How to Eat Healthy on a Budget #1: Meatless meals

Many people have started adding at least one meatless dinner to their weekly menu to help save money. Meatless meals are built around vegetables, beans and grains instead of meat, which tends to be more expensive.

A National Cancer Institute study of 500,000 people found that those who ate 4 ounces of red meat or more daily were 30 percent more likely to diet of any cause over 10 years than those who consumed less. The fact is that most Americans are getting enough protein in their daily diet. Adults generally need 10-35 percent of their total daily calories to come from protein. Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, this would amount to about 50-175 grams per day. You can get your protein from sources other than red meat - sources which are often much less expensive.

• Eggs: One large egg has 6 grams of protein. At $2.16 for a dozen eggs, a gram of protein costs 3 cents.
• Milk: One glass of milk has 8 grams of protein. At $2.60 for a half-gallon, that's about 4 cents per gram of protein.
• Cottage Cheese: While many cheese are high in fat, cottage cheese offers a better alternative. At $2.50 for a pound, a gram of protein costs a little less than 5 cents a gram.
• Tofu: One of the more expensive meatless proteins, at $2.00 per pound, you are still playing just 6 cents for a gram of protein.

Challenge yourself or your family to go meatless at least one night a week for a month. Try our recipe for Pizza Without the Red Sauce, or one of the other budget-friendly recipes below - we guarantee you won't even miss the meat!

• Cheese Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce
• Penne Pasta with Cannellini Beans and Escarole
• Eggplant and Smoked Mozzarella Sandwich

Pizza without the Red Sauce (from AllRecipes.com)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ready In: 35 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 unbaked pizza crust
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, torn
• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 1 6-ounce package feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Preheat oven according to pizza crust package directions.
2. In a small bowl, combine butter, olive oil, garlic, pesto, basil, oregano and Parmesan cheese. Spread mixture evenly on pizza crust.
3. Arrange tomato, spinach, onion and jalapeno pepper on pizza. Top with crumbled feta cheese.
4. Back according to pizza crust package directions.

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Calories: 237

Total Fat: 12.5 g

Dietary Fiber: 2.2 g