by Pat Merewether

Created on: September 26, 2008   Last Updated: August 09, 2010

It's been said quite often by many people that poor people cannot afford to eat a healthy diet.  This is a lie that should be put to rest. Here are ways that you can eat nutritious and tasty foods, even on the smallest food budget.

1.  If you can, eliminate beef from your diet.  If this is too difficult, at least cut back on it.  Ounce for ounce, beef is a very expensive source of protein and vitamins and minerals.   Replace one or two meat meals per week with lentils or beans.  Black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, cannolini beans are all excellent sources of nutrition that are much cheaper than beef.   The least expensive way to eat them is to purchase them dried and cook them from scratch.  You can purchase a 15-bean mixture for only a couple of dollars and make an exceptionally healthy and delicious soup.  Follow the directions on the bad and add an extra amount of chopped fresh carrot, onion, garlic and fresh parsley and you'll have a 'super soup'.    Add a ham hock for flavor and it will also add a wee bit of meat if you simply must have some in your soup.

If you're a beef lover, gradually introduce other sources of protein into your diet. Make chili with half beef and half ground turkey - or take the plunge and use just ground turkey. It's cheaper, lower in fat and higher in food value. Add more veggies and beans and less beef to your soups and stews. Invest in a crock pot and make your own chili, soups, stews, pasta sauces and freeze meals ahead. This way you'll have a meal handy on those days when you're too tired or time is too short to cook something fresh and you're tempted to buy fast food or frozen pizza.  Add TVP to soups and stews and chili.  Red Mill brand sells it that is not GMO (genetically modified).  Rehydrate is in water with a little healthy (some are just salt water) soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce to give it a 'brown' color.  I learned the hard way that if you sneak into meatloaf it picks up whatever color is strongest, and if you use tomato paste or catsup, it will look red . . . like raw meat.

Freeze in small quantities to make defrosting quicker and easier. Consider all the water, salt, sugar and chemicals you're paying for with canned goods and there is no comparison when it comes to nutritional value and money saved. Also, think about all those cans and bottles you will keep out of the environment. Slow cookers are often available in thrift

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