Cooking your meals at home will save you a ton of money. But when you’re eating to lose weight, there are other things you’d have to consider. For example, there’s a big myth about healthy meals costing an arm and leg. Well, that’s not exactly true. While some healthy snacks come with high price tags, you can cook meals for less than $3 per serving if you have a decent pantry.
It’s possible to eat healthily and save money at the same time. Take potatoes, for instance. A sack costs roughly $6 in some stores. You can make at least ten servings from this one sack. Are you wondering what other budget-friendly foods to shop for when trying to lose weight? Grains like lentils, brown rice, and oatmeal come at affordable price points. Other cheap foods include beans, carrots, mushrooms, and cabbage.
Cooking isn’t for the fainthearted. No amount of 15 minute-recipes can save you if the kitchen isn’t your safe place. Thankfully, meal delivery services offer healthy weight loss meals on a budget. Whether you want prepped ingredients or cooked meals, there are many cheap options available all over the country.
Whether you are cooking your meals or ordering from delivery services like Meels, eating healthy is crucial to weight loss. Here are five healthy meals that can help you lose weight:
1. Veggie Scrambled Eggs for Lose Weight
A box of a dozen eggs costs under $3. With the right recipe, you can make at least six servings per box. Eggs also provide a rich supply of proteins, which you need in your weight-loss diet. While scrambled eggs are delicious on their own, adding vegetables to this recipe provides a balanced diet loaded with healthy carbs for energy and vitamins.
The ingredients for this recipe include bell peppers, eggs, onions, a dash of turmeric, olive oil, black pepper, one small tomato, and salt for seasoning. For a creamy texture, you have the option of adding ¼ cup of low-fat milk, like coconut milk or almond milk.
Whisk the eggs until fluffy before incorporating the milk. In a separate bowl, chop the vegetables into small cubes. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and saute the onions until golden brown. Add the vegetables and season with black pepper, cayenne pepper, and turmeric for a spicy kick. Pour the egg mix and lower the heat. Add the tomatoes and scramble the eggs with a spatula. Leave to cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.
Parmesan Tilapia Bake
Whether you enjoy a pescatarian diet or want to eat more proteins, this recipe is a delicious way to lose weight on a budget. 87g of cooked Tilapia fillet contains 112 calories, so you have no worries about calorie overload.
Baking your fish also works on nights where you’re too tired to cook dinner. Thankfully, this recipe only takes 20 mins including prep time. You also won’t stand in the kitchen throughout, so you can get other things done while waiting.
Beyond the fish, you’ll need parmesan cheese, one egg, bouillon cubes, red pepper flakes, and other spices used to season grilled fish. While preheating the oven to 425º, add the cheese with season mix in one bowl. In another, whisk the egg properly. Dip the fillet in egg before coating in the seasoning and cheese mix. Bake the fillet for 10-15 minutes and serve with your favorite stir-fry.
Basil Chicken and Tomatoes
Beyond a delicious lunch option, you can enjoy two servings of this dish for less than $20. With chicken, tomatoes, seasoning, and vinegar, you’re ready to lose weight on a budget. The best part is that you can batch cook this recipe for a few days without worrying about lunch or dinner for a while.
Prepare the marinade for the chicken by blending the garlic, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, salt, and basil leaves. Marinade the chicken for an hour and transfer it into a 165º oven for ten minutes tops. Serve with a side of grilled tomatoes and brown rice.
Chicken Jambalaya
Eating healthy goes beyond eating salads. You can still lose weight while enjoying delicious meals like chicken jambalaya. The Cajun dish won’t put a dent in your wallet too.
Season the chicken breasts adequately and brown on both sides for up to eight minutes. Take out the chicken, thensauté the onions and vegetables for five minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients (tomatoes, hot sauce, garlic, and chicken broth). Add some cayenne pepper and salt. Add the rice and chicken to the broth and cook for about 30 minutes until the rice is tender.
Loaded Breakfast Burrito
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day for good reason. Skipping breakfast leaves you hungry midday, which could leave you unproductive and trigger your cravings. Dump the sugary cereal and try a loaded breakfast burrito instead. Burritos are delicious and come in different varieties, like this vegetarian recipe.
While you’d have to skip the rice for this meal, other ingredients like black olives, feta cheese, beans, eggs, spinach, tortilla, and sundried tomatoes come in handy. Start by scrambling the eggs until dry. Next, add spinach, olives, and tomatoes. Cover the eggs with some cheese until melted.
On a ten-inch tortilla, layer the egg mixture with a spoon of refried beans and wrap. Heat on a panini press, and you’re ready to dive in.
