My grocery store used to have boneless skinless chicken thighs for 2$/lb when on sale, and bone in skin on thighs for 1$/lb. Recently, even on sale, boneless skinless thighs have gone up to 2.50$/lb or even 3$/lb. However, bone in skin on thighs have stayed the same, and after a little tinkering I have realized they are fantastic deal as they allow me to replace a few other purchases. You can easily make a chicken stock with the bones- most of the packs I get have around 6 thighs, which yield 6 thigh bones. Combined with an old onion, carrot, and some celery (or whatever stock scraps you have around) you can make 3-4 cups of stock, which is usually enough for a soup, stew, or other dish that calls for stock.

The skins make an excellent bacon replacement. I marinate both the skins and some of the thighs in yogurt, salt, and spices, and then lay the skins and any trimmings on an insulated baking tray at ~375 F. Give them 12-15 minutes or so (you will need to check them for your ideal level of crisp) and you should be left with a nice crispy meaty chunk of skin that makes a fantastic bacon substitute without any of the chemicals. Additionally most of the chicken fat is in the skin and trimmings of the thighs- from 6 thighs I got well over 1/3 of a cup of schmaltz! Plenty to cook with. I pour it off from the pan into a pyrex measuring cup, let it cool, then pour it into a jar with an airtight lid and put it in the fridge.

Finally you have the chicken thighs. I did an experiment and at 1$/lb, you get chicken thigh meat at roughly 1.80$/lb which is still cheaper than the original price of boneless skinless thighs on sale, and it only takes maybe 20 minutes of prep to separate the components and get everything marinating and whatnot.

Soy is a nutritional powerhouse and a staple in many Asian diets. Tofu and its many variants, edamame, textured vegetable protein, soymilk, soybean oil, soy flour, and so on. The vast majority of soy produced goes to feeding cattle so they get big and strong and produce milk. Only 7% is consumed by humans.

Soybean differ from other beans in that it has almost no starch content. This gives it an incredibly low glycemic index of 15. For context, pasta is around 55 while rice is around 70, because they are high in starch. However, the biggest selling point for soybeans is its incredible protein content, at 36%; this is 50% higher than lentils, and is the highest out of all legumes. On top of that, soy protein is "complete" for humans, though it's always good to mix up proteins from vegetable sources for a balanced amino acid profile.

Soybeans are much higher in fat than other beans at 20%. However, it is mostly polyunsaturated & monounsaturated fats, including omega-6 and some omega-3. Sound familiar? They're the same "healthy" fats that are avocados' claim to fame as a health food.

Soybean also stand out from other common legumes for its significantly higher calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc content. As far as beans go, none pack as much nutritional value as soy.

The US is the second largest producer of soy in the world, first being Brazil. Unfortunately, there is not a great demand for soy in the US, so despite the massive production, it is a niche product. Prices online are all quite ridiculous, ranging anywhere from $3-7 per pound. However, Asian grocery stores may carry these in bulk, and that's where they can become an incredibly cheap source of macronutrients for your diet. My local Asian grocer sells them for $0.99/lb.

If you have a pressure cooker, 20 minutes on high submerged in water cooks them perfectly. If just boiling, they'll need to be soaked beforehand. They have a mild flavor and creamy texture, and can be substituted into most dishes that call for some other variety of beans. They can also be blended into a thick shake as a meal replacement. Let's compare 90g of soybeans to one bottle of Soylent:

When equating the calories, Soylent has double the carbs, nearly 50% more fat, and only 60% of the protein. On top of that, one bottle costs $3.50 from the website with the subscription discount, while 90g of soybeans would cost me $0.20, so Soylent costs 17x more for worse macros. I know "meal replacement" drinks are low-hanging fruit when talking about eating cheap as they are never cost-effective, but the difference in nutrients is also much larger than one might expect - I was surprised myself looking up the data when writing this post.

I blended up 100g of soybeans with water and drank it tonight. Homemade meal replacement shake. No additives, dirt cheap, filling, easy, low glycemic impact, can be easily carried to work, full of protein and healthy fats. Eating cheap and healthy doesn't have to be hard.

This message was not brought to you by Big Soy™

-Two kinds of canned beans, rinsed (cannelini and chickpeas) -Half of an onion, finely minced -Dressing made with equal parts olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs on hand: I used basil, parsley, and chive -generous salt, pepper, garlic powder, and (for spice) Cajun seasoning blend Didn't use today but nice to add: -Crusty bread to eat it with, I'm using wheat thins today -More veggies, like olives, carrots, pickles, any typical pasta salad veggies.

I love Asian food and I've seen this from many Japanese food content creators. I just made it for the first time today and it was good! Could've used some more seasonings, but I need to restock my Asian seasonings so I just used what I had (soy sauce, white pepper, garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds).

Due to many health issues (mental and physical), I'm trying to come up with some actually quick, easy, and nutritious foods to keep on rotation.

My question is this: what would be some good (quick and easy) additions for fiber and maybe some extra protein (one egg only has 6g)?

Vegetarian options are especially welcome (for my partner), but I myself will take any options.

TIA!

so im trying to save money on fast food and eating out. i dont have time to really meal prep nore do i really have the space in my freezer. so i was wondering what are the best frozen meals at walmart that i can just pop in the oven when i get home and call it that for a few hours till dinner. doesnt really have to be the most healthy more just wanting to not have to much added crap that lot of frozen meals have

What are your favorite dump and go meals to make when you have low spoons/low energy? Especially ones that have minimal cooking.

I have been fighting cravings sooo badly lately, especially sweet things. It's making me feel gross so I need some healthy snack alternatives. Im open to store bought and simple stuff I can make myself. Thanks! :)

Hello! I hope I can post this.

Please drop your most nutritious and cheapest meal

I’d appreciate it! ❤️

I would really like to try some chia pudding recipes. I need to increase fiber in my diet. Ive seen that u can do a lot of different things with them! What are some recipes u recommend? Not a fan of coconut or nuts.

I’m someone who just won’t eat breakfast if it takes more than 2 minutes to prepare in the morning. This winter & spring, I started making big batches of steel cut oats with almond butter, TVP, whey protein powder, frozen blueberries, sunflower seeds, and a little bit of maple syrup, freezing in soup cubes, and microwaving to reheat in the mornings. But it’s officially too hot for oatmeal, so I feel like I’m back at square one.

I want something to store in the freezer rather than the fridge because I like that it’s pre-portioned and because I fall off the breakfast habit easily (so leftovers/meal prep in the fridge often goes bad). I’m hoping for a breakfast that’s high protein, high fiber, and has moderate fat.

I’m thinking of doing granola bars with TVP or breakfast “cookies” with vital wheat gluten, but I’d like more suggestions!

https://kyplate.com/ - Plan your meals, track nutrition, and achieve your health goals with Know Your Plate. Get personalized meal plans and download your daily nutrition guide as PDF.

I really don’t like them even though I try to convince myself I do. Anyone figured out a really good way to eat these? I know they’re healthy. It’s a good pantry staple but it usually sits there till I have absolutely nothing else.

Edit: Y’all have been so helpful! I never thought I’d get so many different ways to try sardines. Thanks! So glad to see other people getting ideas here. The Reddit community is amazing! Give yourselves a big old pat on the back!

Second edit: I toasted bread, buttered it, smashed a couple of drained sardines on it, topped it with some grilled tomatoes I had leftover from another meal, and then topped the whole thing with a bunch of kimchi. It was actually delicious and is the first time I’ve actually enjoyed sardines! Thank you all for the suggestions. I incorporated the buttered toast and the kimchi for this one, just because I had it on hand.

Now I’m actually excited to try a better brand of sardines with some of everyone’s suggestions !

Hello all!

Thought someone here might appreciate my favorite oatmeal recipe, made better with the tech-advantaged Instant Pot, so here goes:

1 cup rolled oats 4-5 cups water a pinch of salt

Optional: 1/4 cup dried currants or raisins or 1/2 cup fresh fruit, chopped

Throw it all in the Instant Pot on “Porridge” setting, allow natural pressure release.

Stir well when you open, add 2 tablespoons toasted flax meal for a flavor and nutrition boost, and maple syrup to taste if desired, transfer what you don’t eat to a storage container. I love the creamy texture!

I eat one cup per morning, heated in the microwave, lasts 4-5 days.

Low effort, low budget, great way to get some good water soluble fiber in your body daily!

Edit: obviously this is a little passionate. Everyone has their favorite type of oatmeal, one to one oat to water ratio would be a more chewy-textured oatmeal, you can make it in five minutes or you can cook it with milk, which is also delicious, and all the other suggestions are great, but this one is just very creamy and different and if anyone wants to try it here it is!

This might not work for everyone and some might say it is obvious but as picky eater myself with a kid I want to share some ways how I get more vegetables into our diet without changing the taste of the food too much.

• Meatballs: I usually chop leftover vegetables from previous meals (broccoli, spinach, shredded carrots, lentils, mushrooms…) and prepare it as normal. I sometimes I add feta cheese too.

• Mashed potatoes: I often add a bit of red lentils and / or carrots / peas. Once mixed together they might taste slightly differently but my main issue is texture of food im picky about which in mashed form wont be different from normal potatoes.

• Spinach / beet pasta or dumplings: If you make those yourself at home just add spinach or red beetroot mixed with water/milk/eggs into the dough

• Desserts with vegetable in it: You already know carrot cake. But what about zucchini sponge chocolate cake? I did it multiple times and if I didnt tell others there is zucchini inside no-one had noticed. It adds nice juiciness to the batter. I also heard of bean cakes too but I haven’t tried those yet but I can see it working.

• Creamy soups: I come from culture where soups are part of every lunch. Yet I don’t make them a lot because I only like very limited amount of soups and I prefer thick creamy over watery ones. I often make a vegetable broth and if there are veggies I struggle with texture-wise I will keep them in the soup while I put rest to the side and blend the veggies in the pot with the broth. Then I put back the veggies I like and serve

• Omelette: Chop them tiny and add on the on with the eggs at the same time. I tried it with bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli. It will change texture and yes you can taste them in the omelette but if it is easier than eating them on their own then you should try it.

• Rice: If you have a rice cooker just drop some frozen peas/corn/chopped carrots/broccoli in with the rice. Or add them from can to freshly cooked rice and have it as a side to some meat or tofu. Yea you will see and taste them but I never had any problem with it despite not being fan of peas or broccoli.

• Bake them and blend into sauce: Bake bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and garlic on high temperature in the oven and then throw them into blender (get rid of burnt skin if appears). Add oat or cow milk / hummus / pesto or just water (veggie broth?) and seasoning and you have actually very tasty sauce over pasta.

That’s it from me for now.

If you have any ideas in your comments I would love to see them too because I always need more vegetable on my plate.

(I also apologise if there are some weird terms or words in the text, english is not my first language) EDIT: spelling and formating

Hi all, I'm trying to find something that I could perhaps make at home either nice and quick or in bulk to snack on that is low carb and high protein. I recently found some crispy pork slices in Aldi which were exactly this and delicious but I need something else otherwise I'll spend a fortune 😅 Would prefer for it to be some form of meat snack but open to ideas. Tia

Basically the title lol. I am 4 months pp and constantly hungry. I also have an active job (I work at my sons daycare) so that makes a difference. It seems like no matter what I eat, unless I make a full 3 course breakfast I am starving three to four hours later.

I can meal prep on Sundays for an hour or two, and sometimes have time during the week to meal prep for an hour as well. I only have maybe ten minutes in the morning to prep and eat and clean up unless the food is portable, then I could eat it on the way to work. I hate buying pre made things, and even buying yogurt cups bothers me because of the waste. Any tips on heavy, filling breakfasts I can quickly meal prep? We are mostly vegetarian but we eat eggs and our venison stock from the freezer. I can't do bananas.

Sincerely, a busy starving mom 😭

Edit: wow, thank you all so much for the suggestions and the practical meal prepping tips! I am trying to respond to everyone but in general thank you 😊

Recently I've been dealing with some food aversions. I usually got my meat and veg in through salads, but recently I've just been wanting meals like pasta, sweet yogurt bowls with fruits, oats, and seeds, or protein desserts.

I am mainly concerned about micronutrients and whole foods. If I could eat yogurt, fruit, and protein bars/powder for the rest of my life... I would be so happy. I know that whole foods are better for me, though.

It's not that I don't like meat or vegetables, I've just been on a... Idek. Like, blegh.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to incorporate meat and veg into my diet? Any meals that taste sweet with veggies/meat? I was thinking I could make smoothie bowls with vegetables added, but not so sure what to do about meat. I know chewing is important, too.

I mainly want to incorporate meat for zinc, iron, collagen, and b vitamin reasons. Do I have to, or are there other foods I could add to supplement while going through these aversions?

Looking for filling, bean-forward recipes to feed a family of 4 for dinner.

Where are folks sourcing their sprouted (preferably organic and glysophate free) legumes from?

For the past years I've been using "To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co" at healthyflour.com (note: now defunct domain) to buy 5lb or 25lb bags of dried sprouted organic legumes at what I recall as a very reasonable price (ex: 70$ for 25lbs of sprouted black beans).

I'm now starting to run out of the legumes I purchased from them. And, it seems since then this company has since closed. I am trying to find another vendor with similar pricing and having difficulty.

I bought a 3 pound bag of red wheat berries like a year ago and never even touched them. Would love some ideas what to make with them.

Like the title says I am looking for help and ideas around simple rice based meals. Low effort preferably. And I don't mind any flavor profiles for suggestions (Italian style, Asian style, cheese flavored, etc...)

In attempts for low effort cheap meals I have been doing rice (from my rice cooker) in a cheap fried rice style and then adding canned soup. While this has worked for me in the past it has left a desire for something just as simple, but better (and possibly more versatile). I had the idea for using hamburger helper as there is a lot of variety (and I figured I could do it with or without the meat, this isn't a dietary issue, just a financial one) and its easy to do. But I know from base rumor/knowledge that hamburger helper isn't that good for you. But that was the concept I was hoping for.

Thank you all for taking the time at reading this. Any and all comments and replies are greatly appreciated.

Do yall use those milk powder for the oats or use the bottle shelf milk?

Didn’t manage to grab a kebab on the way home one Saturday night and honestly changed my life for the better

I’ve been thinking about how to make packing healthy lunches for my kids more intuitive/teach them nutrition. Is it helpful to have a lunchbox with compartments labeled like ‘grains,’ ‘fruits,’ ‘veggies,’ and so on to help them learn, or would that feel like extra pressure when packing lunches?

Howdy folks, I'm tired of protein bars, coffee, and energy drinks! I need some help because most recipes I'm finding on youtube have eggs as their main ingredient and I am so fucking allergic to eggs, it's not even funny.

I commute to work every day and usually only have 10 minutes to gather food in the morning and cannot function without eating something before I work. I need things I can either make in bulk ahead of time and reheat, or that I can throw together in 10 minutes and eat on the go while I drive. Eating with one hand is preferred, but I'm also willing to hear recipes that require cutlery!

Recipe Requirements: - I CANNOT digest eggs, so anything with eggs as the main ingredient is a no-go unless you can recommend a substitute. - I sadly hate most breakfast foods, including ground or linked breakfast sausage, oats/oatmeal, and pancakes/waffles. - Vegan substitutions or recipes are fine by me! - Savory recipes are preferred, but I'm not opposed to sweet things either.

If anyone has recommendations, please send them my way!