Your goal is to serve your family healthier meals. But given the current economy, you are concerned about the cost.

After all, organic and lean foods are often much higher in price. And the cost of fresh vegetables and fruits has skyrocketed.

Don't let this discourage you. There are definitely ways you can feed your family nutritious and balanced meals, while sticking to your budget.

Below are a few tips for healthy and affordable family eating.

* Stock up on frozen vegetables.

Frozen vegetables have as much nutritional value as fresh ones. And they will last for a long time. Stock up on these when they are on sale.

You can do a lot of different things with frozen vegetables. Use them when you make soup. Steam them and serve as a side dish. Top your pizza with them.

* Buy chicken breasts and freeze them.

Chicken breasts provide lean protein, and they are extremely versatile. You can prepare them in numerous ways, so your family will not tire of them.

You can often purchase split chicken breasts for as little as 99 cents a pound. Put them in freezer bags so they will keep.

* Buy shrimp, and boil it. Serve with lemon juice and cocktail sauce.

You may think that fresh shrimp is expensive, and it can be. But, it is often on sale at a very affordable price. When it is, buy it in the shell.

Then simply boil it for a few minutes and serve with lemon juice and cocktail sauce. You can whip together cocktail sauce by stirring ketchup and horseradish together.

Fresh shrimp makes for an excellent meal, and the seafood is good for you. It is also a great source of lean protein.

And it tastes great simply boiled. Your kids do not need the grease associated with frying it.

* Use lean ground turkey breast and lean ground beef in your recipes.

One easy thing to make your meals healthier is to substitute ground turkey breast in some of your recipes. You can use it in spaghetti or lasagna.

You can also make ground turkey breast burgers. Be sure to choose the turkey breast, and not just the ground turkey.

Another option is to use lean ground beef. It can be higher priced, so purchase it when it is on sale. Your kids can enjoy a much leaner burger from the grill when you use a leaner cut of meat.

* Make pitchers of Crystal Light.

When it comes to what your family drinks, sodas are expensive. And they are not all that good for you or your family!

Instead of stocking the refrigerator with sodas, make a pitcher of Crystal Light and keep that available for the family. It is low in calories and is mostly water, so it is a great thing to keep on hand.

* Serve fruit instead of ice cream.

Keep some fresh fruit available for your family at all times. Stock up on various fruit items when they are on sale.

Substitute fruit in the home for ice cream. Ice cream is often expensive and offers little nutritional value.

These are but a few tips for healthy and affordable family eating. While there are many more, it's good to start with just a few and then let your healthy habits continue to evolve.

Learn more about this author, Ann E. Smith.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

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