Wallet Friendly Meal Ideas

Recently I had a friend post on Facebook that she was looking for cheap recipes.  I can understand that raising a large (and ever growing) family can cause strains on the ole pocket book. But aside from that she's also trying to achieve a healthier lifestyle. So I offered to write up a little something on the healthier side for cheaper meal ideas. 

Now you've all heard the phrase "You are what you eat, so don't be fast, cheap, easy & fake!" right? To a point I agree. If it's fast food, comes through your car window, it's likely fake and you shouldn't be eating it. BUT there are ways to eat clean & healthy on a budget, while keeping your wallet happy.

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If you don't know it by now, I'm a Pinterestoholic. It's pretty much my virtual cookbook. I'm able to organize things my way (thanks to my OCD) and I can access it on my phone when it's dinner time so there's no shlepping the laptop to the kitchen counter.

The first thing you should know about my boards... just because I pin it as "clean, healthy or weight watchers" does not make it so. I like to pin things that I a) believe would go over well with the family and b) that I can adapt to our clean eating style. Most of the time you'll see me post in the description what I intend to change when I make it (examples: no vegetable oil, use coconut oil instead / no mayo, use Greek yogurt instead). Also you can find my boards for motivation, exercises and fitness related posts. Feel free to click the picture above to view my boards and follow away!

One key component to making ANY of these recipes work for your budget is PLANNING. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I have a white erase board, square calendar style, on my wall next to the fridge. This is where I write down my meal intentions, what we plan to have, when leftovers may happen, and where my husband gets his say in what he gets to enjoy. ;o)

Start by rounding up a handful of recipes, figure out what ingredients you need, what you have on hand and work it around your budget. Trust me, planning is your best friend!!!!

Now I'll get down to some of my favorite, budget friendly recipes.

Tilapia can be purchased in bulk, making it more affordable, and is generally vacuum sealed individually making it ideal for quick prep. This is one of our most recent favorite recipes, and it works well for Swai fillets as well, another budget friendly fish option.

The Parmesan Broiled Tilapia recipe I found at Spend With Pennies has amazing flavor and can be on the table in around 10 minutes. The basic ingredients I use are plain Greek yogurt, dried dill weed, lemon juice, Kerrygold butter,  and Parmesan. Once I was in a pinch and didn't want to take a few minutes to grate my Parmesan so I subbed some already grated Pecorino Romano. Mmmmm!

We do try to throw in a meatless meal from time to time and this Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Black Bean Casserole from Healthy & Homegrown was one I wanted to give a shot. The first time I tried it I did not have all the ingredients I needed but I made due with what we had and it was still wonderful. The name pretty much tells you what's in it, but I didn't have tortilla shells or enchilada sauce. I used tomato sauce, seasoned with basil, garlic & oregano and it was still fabulous! A dollop of plain Greek yogurt was an amazing way to top it off.

Another thing you will come to love about clean eating is making your own seasonings. Anything mixes/seasonings that you can buy at the store... generally can be replicated at home and when you do, you'll know that there are no additives or hidden chemicals. Home made seasonings can spice up any meal. I found this Onion Soup seasoning recipe at Our Nourishing Roots, and created my own stove top and crock pot versions of Onion Soup Chicken.

In our home we enjoy spicy food and so this Spicy Paprika & Lime Chicken is AH-mazing! Citrus + a slap of spice and perfect on a huge bed of romaine and fresh veggies. It also includes healthy fats provided by coconut oil. And if you've been following me long you know I LOVE my coconut oil. Check out this recipe and more from Eat Drink Paleo.

This is another recent find and it's so delish! Cubed up chicken & your own home made Greek seasoning? What's not to love? I spiced mine up a bit; after cubing the chicken and tossing it into the dish I sprinkled a portion of the Greek seasoning over the chicken but not all of it. I then tossed on top of the chicken, whole cherry tomatoes, sliced mini bell peppers, chopped onion and quartered Brussels sprouts and topped it off with the remainder of seasoning. Because of the added ingredients I had to extend the cook time a bit, but it was so good. Definitely worth a look around over at He and She Eat Clean.

Another of my favorite recipe sources is Skinny Taste. I discovered Gina when I began my journey with Weight Watchers and she has some really great, easy and oh so savory recipes. One of our favorites are Loaded Santa Fe Baked Potato Skins, topped with my fav Greek yogurt and green onions of course. This recipe is great for it's dual purpose! First you have dinner with these amazing loaded skins, but the next day you can eat the Skinny Garlic Mashed Potatoes made from the skins flesh. How awesome? Two meals from one dish!

And last but not certainly least... The most awesome way to sneak a vegetable into your child without them being able to detect it! Turkey Burgers with Zucchini is another great Skinny Taste recipe. I am telling you, because of this post I have been able to get my kids to eat more vegetables than I ever thought possible. Of course now they are pros at eating whatever I put in front of them, but this most certainly helped in the beginning when we began transitioning to eating clean.

You're probably wondering where's the beef? Well, we do eat 93/7 or 90/10 beef depending on what we find in bulk, and we generally use it for burgers every other week, it's been a compromise with the hubby. LOL. I find the only other time I use it is for our Tex-Mex taco salad or when I make Spaghetti Squash with meat sauce. Being raised a meat & tater girl... sometimes there's nothing better than a big juicy burger!

All of the recipes below come from EatingWell.com. They are a great resource, but be sure to double check the ingredients and avoid using canola or vegetable oil. Always use your healthy oils; olive oil or coconut oil. Click on the pictures to open the recipes in another window. Note: I've never made the sauce that accompanies the nugget recipe so I cannot vouch for it.

Beef & Bean Chile Verde

Chili Cornbread Casserole

Cornmeal Crusted
Chicken Nuggets

Tortellini Primavera

There are a bunch of great Weight Watchers resources out there, but I have to be honest... Skinny Taste is my go to. She has a huge recipe box full of fabulous ideas, and I've yet to make a bad recipe from her.

I was hesitant to make these Spinach Lasagna Rolls until a fellow WW friend told me that she did. I made a couple of tweaks to the recipe: 1) Add a bunch of minced garlic (I'm a garlic lover) 2) Use Basil, Oregano & Garlic flavored tomato sauce (or add those spices to your own tomato sauce). My kids even eat this and it's another great Meatless Monday idea.

I'm always looking for new ways to up the veggie intake and I LOVE me some bell pepper. This Turkey Stuffed Bell Pepper recipe is a perfect combination of vegetable, protein, complex carbohydrates and full of flavor. I've even been know to throw in some fresh chopped asparagus, just because I can.

This recipe isn't a complete meal but it is a perfect accompaniment to your dinner. Zucchini Tots! Yep, I had two zucchini's in dire need of a destiny and I found this awesome recipe. In fact I think the first time I made them I paired them with the Parmesan Broiled Tilapia from above. Believe it or not, the kids chowed them down and the hubby text me from work that a co-worker needed the recipe. Apparently he was bragging over them enough that he shared one and well... all it takes is one bite and you're hooked.

I'm a huge proponent of being lazy when it comes to food. Meaning, I enjoy being in the kitchen, but I don't want to live there. So it's no surprise that I utilize my crock pot year round. I'm pretty sure I use it at least once a week. This is one of my favorite recipes, Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I have no other words to describe this meal other than p-e-r-f-e-c-t.

Speaking of crock pot... My friend I would marry you if it weren't for my husband. This post turned out a lot longer than I intended, so I will save my crock pot favorites for another day. Stay Tuned!

Feel free to link your favorite recipes in the comments below!!!!

**Please note that not all of the above photographs are mine, I used the photographs from the links 
 sourced. All credit is given to those website owners.**

My Favorite Fitness Sources

What are your favorite fitness forums and blogs?

This one is a tough question of sorts. I follow several sources for a variety of reasons. Personally, with doing a lot of weight training myself, I tend to look more towards a variety of female bikini/figure competitors via Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr. It truly inspires me to look at others and a lot of them have wonderful advice or post a lot of inspirational posts. I look at these women and see what they are able to accomplish and it makes say "why not me?" I also follow a few fellow "every day mom's" via blogger. I'm almost tempted to change the title of this post, because these ladies are more inspirational sources, rather than fitness sources. (I'm too lazy to redo my main picture for the title, LOL.)

Candice Keene - 2013 Figure International Champion

Facebook

Instagram

Erin Stern - Ms. Figure Olympia

Facebook

Instagram

Nathalia Melo - 2012 Bikini Olympia Champion

Facebook

Instagram

Savannah Neveux aka Muffin Top-less - Fit Blogger, Published Nutrition Author

 Employed by Iron Man Magazine

Facebook

Instagram

Nicole Wilkins - 2x IFBB Figure Olympia Champion, 3x IFBB Figure International Champion

Facebook

Instagram

Bella Falconi - NPC Figure Athlete and Fitness Model

Facebook

Instagram

Bloggers:

The Fitnessista
Fat Girl Gone Fit
Sexy Mother Runner
Best Body Fitness

Exercise Resources:

Body Building
JEFit
You Tube - Search for specific workouts/exercises or "exercise" in general
Pinterest

My biggest source of inspiration I find, is Instagram. There is really a great fitness community there and a lot of support from others going through their own journey's. I love posting there and getting feedback as well as applauding others as they work it out. ;)

There are a lot of inspirational sources out there. All you need to do is start looking, find the ones that move you and follow along! What moves one person, may not work for another but keep your eyes open, sometimes your source of inspiration is closer to you than you think.

How Do You Do It - My Home Gym

For some time, only my close friends have been privy to the ins and outs of my every day life. And they know that I strictly lift weights at home, meaning I don't have a gym membership (at least I don't pay for one). One of those friends kindly messaged me and wants to know:

If you would consider doing a post on your home gym, I would love to see what equipment you have and why you chose it.

You're darn skippy I'll do it! Before I get into it, here's my reasoning for NOT having a gym membership. 

1. I have small children and I'm not fond of leaving them in a strangers care, and even if I were comfortable with that, that may or may not cost extra money in addition to the gym membership.
2. My husband works a graveyard shift and his days off vary, making it very difficult to tie down an exact routine. And I am very much and OCD/Scheduler.
3. I'm too damn cheap to buy a gym membership , er I mean we're living on a single income and a gym membership is not exactly a luxury we can afford any more. We did have a membership before we were married and quite frankly that's A LOT of money and we didn't even use the gym for the last 3? 6? months we had memberships.
4. I can visit my "gym" any time I want. I can workout in the wee hours of the morning, yeah right like that happens, or I can work out after the kids pass out.
5. I don't have to feel intimidated or scared or afraid of being judge by someone else who may appear like they know what they are doing. I don't have to wait on a piece of equipment or wait for Joe Meathead to quit bs-ing with Bigger Arms Than Brains guy. I don't have to be embarrassed or ashamed to do certain moves if my shirt accidentally flies upward exposing my not to tight midsection. I LOVE the seclusion I get in my "gym."

Okay, enough with my reasons because I'm sure I could go on and on. So I will instead break it down for you, piece by piece; how and why. Obviously We didn't go out and purchase all of this equipment at once. It's a slow process, some were planned out in advance, some were spur of the moment/they had a sale going on, and some were "I had it before I knew you" purchases.

Decline Bench

This piece was not of my choice. This was a piece that my husband purchased back in his single days. It works great for exercises that require a decline; legs lifts, Russian twists. Before we were able to purchase a newer bench I used it for everything that required a bench. It was cumbersome at times because of it's short length, but I worked with what I had. It hasn't seen much use as of late but it will be hanging around. It does fold up so that we can store it more easily.

Incline Bench

This is our new bench, purchased not that long ago. We found it at Dick's a while back but passed "until we had the money." I forget why we went in to Dick's the day we purchased it (probably a month after we had talked about buying it), but we made a decision that the old but usable decline bench was holding us back. We needed that incline more than we realized. I believe we purchased it for $150.00 and I have to say it was money well spent. Some of my favorites with this bench are Reverse Leg Hypers, Incline Hammer Curls, Shoulder Presses, Bent over Rows, and Tricep Dips. Downside: It does not fold up, but it has wheels so we can easily move it back and forth to its storage location.

Weight Rack/Weight Plates/Dumbells

I saved up some money from my bow business to purchase this awesome hybrid weight rack. It was another purchase from Dick's. When we first purchased it we did not have near the amount of dumbbells you see now. I had purchased my "starter" set of dumbbells which included 5lb, 8lb, 10lb, 15lb, and 20lb weights while Dick's had a 15% off sale going. When not purchased on sale they cost close to $1.00 per pound. That can add up really quickly. Lucky for me I only had to purchase one 15lb dumbbell because for some bizarre reason the hubs already had one. Can you pick it out? LOL.

After storing the weights on cardboard I'd laid out on the garage floor, I tired of having to bend over constantly to pick the weights up and put them down, ironic I know. :P Same goes for the weight plates, I smashed my fingers more than once moving them around to get what I needed when I needed it as they were stacked on one another on the floor as well. The weight plates - 2 1/2 lb, 5lb, and 10lb - belonged to the hubby before we married. The 25lb plate I purchased because I needed it for weighted triceps dips and we plan to add it's mate in the not so distant future. I found it at Wal-Mart for $21 and it is nicer than what I found at Dick's because it has handles for an easier grip (and it's cheaper per pound). Back to the rack... So we bought and assembled this rack which now supports my starter dumbbells and my newer dumbbells in 25lb, 30lb, 35lb and 40lb weights respectively (Adam's Krav Maga buddy now works for Dick's and let us know when they were on sale again). And I'm already contemplating adding a 45lb and 50lb weight to the set. Before we had the hex dumbbells we used Adam's previously purchased hand weight bars (below the rack on the floor) with the weight plates. While it worked in the beginning I can honestly say purchasing the hex dumbbells was one of the best decisions we've made. It's so nice to not have to change the weight plates for every set. And Adam still uses the hand weight bars when he needs to lift heavier than 40lbs.

Barbell

We bought this pretty fella on Amazon. It's a 5ft, 14lb straight barbell. It's very versatile and easily stored, upright, in a corner. We did recently purchase spring clamps for it as the star collars were a bit cumbersome with two of us working out at the same time. The clamps were worth the $5 purchase.

Some of my favorites with the barbell are deadlifts, seated calf raises, bicep curls, shoulder presses, behind the neck tricep extensions.

Sound System

Okay okay so it's not so much a sound system as my old iPod speakers from back in the day sitting on a hand-me-down stool. It's also where I stash my go-go juice while I'm lifting. I'm too cheap to upgrade to an iHome or whatever they're called when these speakers do the trick. It also allows me to hear my rest timers when they alarm from my JEFit app.

Fitness Ball

I have come to love my fitness ball. This was another Wal-Mart purchase ages ago. It has lots of uses, besides entertaining the littles. We use it for tricep dips, leg bridges with hamstring pull in, and my new favorite ab pikes. There are a lot of great stability exercises out there to use this ball with. Con: It's large and hard to store out of reach of little hands.

Yoga Mat

This yoga mat has come in handy. I never understood why my husband bought it as it was never put to use... until my trainer came along and made me do exercises that needed a mat on a concrete floor. Of course it's useful with the obvious ab exercises, but I use it for pushups and other moves that require me to lie on the floor. If you're working out on a cushioned floor it may not be needed but my knees are so bony I cannot fathom working out without it.

Erg (Rower)

This purchase was not one we took lightly. It cost a pretty penny, so it was clearly something we planned in advance. It was purchased a few years back and I think until last year I had only been on it a handful of times. Adam really pushed to get this piece. I was all "what's the big deal, it looks stupid" and he's all "it's such a great workout." I will say it was a wise decision. It breaks down into two pieces for easy storage and provides one of the best cardio workouts you'll find. It uses your entire body from the legs to your back, shoulders, abs, arms, you name it... it get's worked. I love it for days when I'm unable to get out for a run or a ride due to weather or children. I've really come to love rowing on hot humid days with the garage door open and letting the sweat pour off of me. While I think a treadmill would be nice, this is much more portable and sensible with our lack of storage space.

Odds & Ends

Medicine Balls - These we purchased when Dick's had a Buy One Get One Half Off sale. I needed them for Russian Twists, but there are a lot of other great exercises out there for them as well. 

Ab Roller - This was one of those "my husband bought it before we were married, what the hell is it" purchases. Basically my trainer assigned me ab roll outs using the barbell. Unfortunately with the barbell we have, it has gaskets that keep the weights from rattling, therefore it didn't want to roll for me. That's when the hubs said "wait a minute" and he ran to the master bedroom and returned with this goofy device. I'm forever grateful he had it hiding in the closet. LOL.

Kettlebell - I purchased this to test drive a Kettle Bell Class at the local dojo. While I cannot afford to take the kettlebell class I did learn a lot and this tiny little critter can give you one heck of a workout. It's also great for the beginner when learning to do one legged kettle bell deadlifts.

Forearm Roller - This was a purchase the hubby made to work his forearms and while I don't use it near enough, it will kick your forearms butt!

So that's a little tour of how I do what I do. I also suggest, for you ladies, a great pair of lifting/fitness gloves. You should still grow callouses but the gloves will help during that process, as well as give you a better grip on those heavier weights. If you have any questions, let me have them!