6 healthy, money-saving meals

Trying to stretch your food dollars? Who isn’t? It’s easier than you think: Cooking at home using seasonal, fresh foods is the number-one secret to healthy eating and saving money. When you use items like beans, potatoes, whole grains, leafy greens, and seasonal produce—always the most economical foods in the store—food not only tastes good but stretches to feed more people. When you choose protein, select choices that reduce cost without sacrificing taste: cottage cheese, eggs, and beans (again), plus lower-food-chain fish and economical poultry or beef. Small changes like these will go a long way toward making family wellness a priority—and keeping money in your wallet.

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Salad with Egg

Price per serving: $1.00

Serves 6–8 / A lovely summer dinner. Pound for pound, even organic eggs are far less expensive than chicken, and soy bacon is half the price of pork bacon.  view recipe

Roasted Vegetable Tostadas with Chipolte Cream

Price per serving: $1.30

Serves 6 / Hearty, beans, corn, and zucchini replace ground beef in this Tex-Mex favorite - and with so much flavor, you won't miss the expensive cheese.  view recipe

Green Bean and Pesto Pasta with Chicken

Price per serving: $1.30

Serves 6 / This pasta stretches two chicken breasts into six servings with a garden of fresh vegetables.  view recipe

Asian-Spiced Catfish with Carrot Slaw

Price per serving: $1.87

Serves 4 / When you want a versatile, tasty, sustainable and affordable fish, catfish is it.  view recipe

Rosemary Beef Hash

Price per serving: $1.41

Serves 6 / This stretches 1 pound of high-quality, grass-fed beef or bison into a hearty one-dish meal with the addition of fiber-rich mushrooms and potatoes.  view recipe

Creamy Yellow Squash and Corn Casserole

Price per serving: $0.85

Serves 6-8 / Cottage cheese, fresh corn, and yellow squash make an easy, healthy and economical summer dinner that kids will love.  view recipe

12 healthy, money-saving produce picks

Artichokes

Asparagus

Avocados

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cucumbers

Peas

Radishes

Rhubarb

Spinach

Strawberries

Zucchini

source:  eattheseasons.com

About the author:  Food and health writer Kimberly Lord Stewart is the author of Eating Between the Lines (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007).