My Top 7 Cheap Easy Healthy Meals

Looking for cheap easy healthy meals on a budget? With the global pandemic still making big changes to our everyday lives, there are a few things we are all trying to do. Number one is we are trying to save money as we are not sure quite where the economy is heading.

Number 2 we are experimenting in the kitchen a lot as we are bored of being at home so much.

Also, nearly all restaurants are currently shut so no taking the wife out for dinner. To that end, I thought I would give you my top 7 cheap easy healthy meals. We can experiment with some different meals and we can keep it cheap and healthy which is ideal for all families.

After paying our mortgage or rent and household bills food is the next biggest expense. But if you plan right saving money on food can be easy and make a big difference to your monthly budget.

The great thing about these meals is not only are they cheap but they can be cheap meals for large families or cheap healthy meals for one. It doesn’t matter. If you make loads you can always freeze all the meals for a quick meal at a later date.

Feeding the family on a budget and making cheap easy healthy meals on a budget is even more important in the current financial climate and with even more families now struggling with money it is crucial that these meals are cheap.

I do love to cook myself but I am always pushed for time due mainly to a full-time job and running this blog. This means I am always looking for super quick dinner ideas and a couple of these have made it into my top 7.

So let’s dive straight in and see what cheap easy healthy meals on a budget we can all make to save money and stay healthy.

I have tried to stay clear of actually including a recipe as they are all cheap easy meals that we all should know how to cook. This also allows you some freedom to express yourself in the making of your dish.

Spaghetti Bolognese:

Ahh, one of my top meals, and also if you are looking for super quick dinner ideas like I always am then this has to be at the top of the list.

The great thing about this Spaghetti Bolognese recipe is you dont even have to make the sauce yourself. This in itself is quite easy and it really takes not much more than a tin of chopped tomatoes some onion, Garlic, and perhaps some herbs.

If you want to cheat on your Spaghetti bolognese recipe then you can get generic Bolognese sauces for around 30 pence. Pasta is relatively cheap despite the fact in the UK we nearly ran out due to people panic buying it all in the pandemic.

500g of Lean mince typically costs less then £3 which means for less than £4 you can make a hearty meal for at least 4 people and perhaps even have enough left to freeze making it top in lists of cheap meals for large families.

When it comes to cheap easy healthy meals Spaghetti Bolognese is one of the more common ones available

Stir Fry:

If you like vegetables and using leftover stuff in your fridge and cupboards then a decent Stir Fry is not only one of my super quick dinner ideas but also one of the best cheap easy healthy meals. A great way of getting vegetables into the kids as well.

I love looking up different recipes for Stir fry as different people use different ingredients so sometimes you come across one that is really different in a good way.

Firstly you cannot go wrong with a Stir Fry if you are looking for a cheap easy healthy meal on a budget. Simply gather up all the leftover vegetables in your fridge. You can use either Rice, Rice noodles or plain noodles. Once you have those going in the pan with a little vegetable oil simply add your pre-chopped vegetables and then to taste add either Soy sauce or Tamari sauce.

Get all of that going in the pan until the veg is cooked. This usually doesn’t take much longer than a few minutes. Serve piping hot and this is super cheap and super healthy. If you want to mix it up but at an extra cost then add some diced chicken to give it a fuller flavor.

That’s my recipe for Stir fry and it is cheap and healthy for all the family.

Sausage Casserole:

This is another one of those full and hearty meals which makes it easy to feed the family on a budget. The ingredients are pretty cheap but you can make a ton of food in one big oven dish and then whatever you don’t eat can be safely frozen for one of those cheap easy healthy meals during the week.

Even though this dish does contain a ton of food it can be made in around 45 minutes which means you could make this on school nights for the kids without too much fuss.

Freezing food when you have lots leftover is such a great idea as it means during the week when you are busy with work or the kids etc then you can have some super quick dinner ideas ready in the freezer to be heated up and served.

Sausage Casserole is the dish I like to make in the winter as it warms you up really quickly and leaves you feeling very contented. Here is how you make it as cheaply as possible.

One of the best ways of making this dish is in the slow cooker if you have one. Simply put all the fresh ingredients into your slow cooker and leave it on low all day and then no cooking when you return as it will all be done for you. Slow cooker sausage casserole is amazing as it also fills your home with the delightful smells.

Firstly you need good quality Sausages. This doesn’t mean they have to be expensive. I usually get mine from the butcher as you can explain what they are for and he will give you the best ones for this dish.

They will work out cheaper than buying sausages from the supermarket and trust me when I say they will add a lot more flavor to your dish than shop brought ones.

You can even cheat and get a sausage casserole mix in a packet which is quite cheap and has the same effect.

Chilli Con Carne:

A cheap yet filling and healthy budget recipe that will certainly warm you on a winters evening.

500G of lean mince is enough to make Chilli con Carne for 4 or more. Add to this some Kidney beans a Chilli mix and some rice and you have a cheap easy healthy meal that is easy to cook, fills you up, and perfect for freezing if you want leftovers.

If you don’t want to use a chilli flavor mix then you will need an onion, garlic, chilli, cumin, coriander, and red pepper to get the required flavor.

Slow cooker chilli con Carne is also a great way of making it and makes it easier if you are working or out of the house all day. The ingredients are great for slow cooking all day and really bringing out the flavor.

Chicken Curry:

Good old chicken curry. Curry is pretty much my favorite dish and if you keep it simple not only can it be healthy but also it can be pretty damn tasty.

Fresh chicken breasts from the butchers don’t have to cost the earth and they are also usually very generous in size so this dish can easily provide a cheap meal for large families and perhaps enough left over to freeze.

Rice is nice and cheap and the curry sauce can be made using Tikka curry paste, Onions, and chopped tomatoes.

Dependant on your tastes you can also add garlic and ginger if you wish.

This dish can be made and cooked in 30 minutes which makes it a nice cheap easy meal for during the working week.

Although it is pretty quick to make you can also do Slow-cooked chicken curry if you happen to have that slow cooker. Slow-cooked chicken curry just requires you to put all the ingredients in then leave all day on low.

Homemade Pizza:

Just like curry I also love a pizza. Homemade pizzas are nearly as good as takeaway ones because you can add just about anything to the top of them and bake it to your exact requirements.

It can also be pretty cheap to make and also healthy dependant on the toppings you choose. This is one of those cheap easy healthy meals that everyone should try to make at home.

A homemade pizza consists of 3 sections. The base which is flour, yeast, olive oil. The homemade pizza sauce can be whatever you like really.

I usually use tomato puree and some crushed herbs in mine but you can use whatever you wish to make yours. Passata and basil with crushed garlic is another good option.

The best part is, of course, the toppings. I prefer to keep mine simple by adding lots of grated cheese and some pepperoni. You can add grilled chicken if you wish to make it a little healthier or sometimes I have added cajun chicken for that extra spice.

Whatever toppings you choose these homemade pizzas are always going to be fun for the whole family to make.

Chicken With Tomatoes & Chorizo

This is one of my own meal ideas that I just threw together one evening when I didn’t have anything else in the cupboards.

I always make sure I have chicken breast in the freezer that I buy from the butchers as they are cheaper and bigger in size than the supermarket offerings.

I always try and cook cheap easy healthy meals so I can save money but also watch what I put in my body. This does become harder when you are short on ingredients.

However, the great thing about chicken breast is it doesn’t take a lot to make it more interesting and tasty and turn it into a great meal for families.

Simply defrost a chicken breast the night before if you have them frozen like me or use fresh chicken breast. Cut the chicken how you would like either into 2cm chunks or sliced thinly and pan fry with a little coconut oil or other low-fat oil.

Once the chicken has cooked add some cherry tomatoes and then add a small pack of chorizo. Keep frying and stirring this lovely concoction until all the flavors mix. Add salt and pepper and if you wish a handful of spinach for extra color and hey presto a beautiful healthy meal.

Summary:

Cooking cheap easy healthy meals does not have to be difficult as long as you do some research and prepare in the right way. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need and if necessary do all the cooking at the weekend when you have time and freeze for super quick dinner ideas during the week.