One of the main reasons that i eat unhealthy is because it is cheap, fast and easy.

Is there any meals for dinner that i can possibly make tonight that is cheap? Like under $20.00 ? We arent in the money boat right now but i still want to be healthy.

thanks nichole. 

i have been making some of the recipes from the recipe area and they are really inexpensive and really good.  my favorite so far is the oven-fried parmesan chicken, it is so juicy and flavorfull.  i feed a family of five so i know how costly it can be.  my family has enjoyed eating the foods i prepare and they like that it is healthy.  if you want any more suggestions on the meals just let me know.

with gas prices all food is going to be high  I know what you are talking about.  My family loves rice but it can be very bland, I use chicken broth or beef instead of water.  We have a Sams membership so I can get fish rather inexpensive and frozen broccoli.  I am looking at this as not to spend alot of money on expensive foods because its not like we get the nutrients with alli.  One meal I make is the pillsbury pizza dough and I use the tomatoes flavored w/seasonings and low fat 2% mozzerela and pineapple chunks with ham that is less than 98% fat free and a purple onion. This is a really great treat.  Enjoy!

I am on a low budget too, so I know exactly what you mean about eating unhealthy foods because they are cheaperI have a good recipe to try that I started making on my own before I started on alli.  Now that I'm on this diet I realize it's also really low in fat.  It is really inexpensive and you might even have some of the stuff at your house. 

1 Pita Bread Pocket (about $1.00-$1.25 for a 10 pack)

1/2 lb. Ground Hamburger (or turkey burger)

1 Serving of Brown Rice according to package

Green Onions

Baby Carrots

2-3 Slices American Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook the burger and rice.  While cooking the burger, add some seasoning like garlic powder or onion powder, or whatever you like for seasonings.  Strain all the grease out of the burger.  Put the burger back in the frying pan and break it up real small.  Cook a few baby carrots in the microwave on a plate for 1-2 minutes  Chop up the baby carrots and a few green onions (depending on how much you like).  Add these to the burger and turn the burner on high for about 2 minutes, then turn it down and add the cheese.  Let it cook untill the cheese has melted.  Then mix in the rice.  Put some of this mixture into your pita pocket.  Don't fill it all quite all the way, or else it will all fall out.  Put your pita pocket on a cookie sheet and cook for 10-15 minutes in the oven, or untill slightly brown. 

The mixture you make will probably be enough for 2 or 3 of the pita pockets.  This way you can either serve a few people, or have leftovers for the next day.  Please let me know if you like it.  If you want to you can also try this with a little bit of hot sauce.

How many people do you have to feed? I only have $50/ week to spend for groceries for my husband and myself. Thus, just about everything we eat is cheap!

Some of our favorite recipes:

1 can of Chili Magic (may need to ask someone at your grocery store to help you find it)

1 can of any type of beans--we change it up: chili, northern, black beans, even chickpeas

1 can diced tomatoes any flavor

1 pound 95% lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken

Lots of diced veggies-whatever you have on hand, mushrooms (can be fresh or canned), onions, green bell peppers, carrots, corn are all reasonably priced-I rarely use the same combination, if you finely dice the veggies you can even sneak in some less conventional veggies like brocoli!; serve with a small servering of brown rice and reduced fat cheese sprinkled on top, this lasts us forever, so I usually freeze some in individual servings to be reheated in the microwave when we are in a hurry

Another...follow direction for your favorite noodles (mine are the shells)-you can use whole wheat if you please; stir in cooked frozen spinach-we started out with just a little but as we got used to it, we've added more and more; then again, saute and add whatever veggies you have on hand-peas, mushrooms, bell peppers, green onions, yellow onions, brocoli; top with a low fat/fat free marinara sauce and a tiny pinch of parmeasan cheese

"Potato Bowls"

Bake a potato in the microwave, cut in 1/4's, place each 1/4 in a pasta bowl or individual serving bowls and mash with a fork into pieces, top with cooked brocoli and baked chicken, then drizzle with teriakyi marinade and pepper jack cheese (You can add variety by changing the marinades, the vegetable, or the cheese)

Salads--so much cheaper is you don't buy the prepackaged options, it does take a little more prep time, but I just prepare one giant salad on sundays (when I am watching Home Extreme makeover, Oprah's big give, and the newlyweds!) and then we eat it slowly through the week.

I've adapted so many quick and easy recipes that work for us. When we started out, I have to admit that we put a lot more cheese on these recipes than we should have, but I've slowly cut back. Good Luck with experimentation!

I have used the kraft foods, 1 bag 5 nights under the dinner section they have a healthy living section, they are quick meals and do not cost allot

last night i made the shrimp, spinach & tortilli (sp) oh so good! (shirmp was only 3.99 a pound this week at publix here)

it only had 350 cal & 8 grams of fat

As of recently I have been modifying the alli recipes to feed my family of six. It has been averaging $20 - $27 a day. That really is good for a family of six. Seeing as how when we eat out at a restaurant it can cost up to around $70 for one meal.