Instead of calling for bacon or ham, our vegetarian variation of this rice and black-eyed peas dish features several spices and heaps of veggies, including bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and frozen corn.

The spice—and the price—are right for this Indian-inspired cheap, healthy meal. Serve the turmeric- and ginger-infused grilled chicken on a bed of basmati rice included in the price estimate to round out the meal.

Save leftover sliced meat to tuck inside warm pita bread or a tortilla for a lunch wrap the next day. Meatloaf secures a top spot on the list of easy, cheap, healthy meals when you use lean ground beef and boost the filling factor with inexpensive spuds.

And don't you love how sheet-pan dinners like this one require so little cleanup time? Cooking everything on one foil-lined pan speeds it up. You'd be hard-pressed to find a delivery pizza as affordable as this homemade healthy dinner recipe.

Start with store-bought dough to make the Mediterranean meal a practical choice, even on a weeknight. Look for the dough in the refrigerated section of your supermarket or ask your local pizza shop if you can purchase an extra pound of their secret recipe!

Noodle dishes are known to be easy on the wallet. Not so much. Fortunately, a small handful of heart-healthy nuts can go a long way to add a rich flavor to cheap, healthy meals like this one.

Whole wheat noodles help too. Low in fat 6 grams per portion yet high in protein a strong 28 grams , this five-ingredient slow cooker pork recipe checks all the boxes. Only 10 minutes of prep required. Indeed—it's one of the lowest-cost options in this collection of cheap, healthy meals.

Here's a cheap, healthy vegetarian meal you'll want to make again and again. With 24 grams of protein and a nice portion of hunger-taming broth and noodles, this soup will fill you up for hours. Meat-like portobello mushrooms , tofu , and a poached egg join fresh veggies in this cozy, crowd-pleasing Asian noodle soup.

Breaded with whole wheat panko and baked instead of fried, this eggplant Parmesan is calories less than some classic recipes. Keep your nutrition streak going by grabbing a couple of zucchini at the store to spiralize , toss with the rest of the marinara , and serve under the baked eggplant.

Voilà—a budget dinner recipe for four that tastes up to par with its restaurant competition. A few decades ago, "stretch the meat" was the mantra for cutting costs at dinnertime. It's still a great strategy for making cheap, healthy meals even more affordable.

Here wide egg noodles , mushrooms, and a bit of cheese extend 8 ounces of ground beef to provide five hearty servings. One bite will be all the proof you need that you can absolutely make satisfying suppers without making meat the main event.

Instead of refried beans, this flavorful Mexican entrée —ready in 30 minutes—features a creamy cauliflower puree. If you're hungry and have leftover chicken or shrimp , toss them in too. the serving size can be cut in half for an easy, healthy dinner recipe for two on a budget.

To maximize your cheap, healthy dinner recipes, never let any ingredients go to waste. Instead, use any leftover pesto in these quick and easy pesto recipes. Turn budget-friendly shaved cooked ham into a delicacy by serving it on mashed sweet potatoes and topping it with cranberry sauce.

This healthy dinner recipe on a budget offers a taste of Thanksgiving any time of year. Not into ham or craving more holiday spirit? Try this with sliced smoked turkey instead. Your favorite Tuscan-inspired restaurant may not be the first place you'd head to get inspiration for healthy meals on the cheap.

But much of this Italian region's cuisine is humble and healthy. Tuscan cooks are fond of using cannellini beans. Here the beans partner with other great Mediterranean diet -friendly ingredients for a true-to-Italy dish that won't break the bank or your nutrition goals. When coming up with cheap, healthy meals, consider cooking with whitefish.

The affordable and lean protein is mild enough to please even picky eaters. Enjoy it on these crowd-pleasing tostadas perfectly seasoned with chili powder, garlic, and lime. On the hunt for affordable, healthy meals that work for dinner or brunch?

Get cracking—eggs, that is. Here protein-rich, budget-friendly eggs pair with other pantry staples for a cheap and easy recipe under calories per serving. Save even more money when you substitute dried herbs you have on hand for the fresh herbs.

Start planning your next chili night now. Craving sushi but don't want to go out? We got you. Even better, the recipe is flexible, so you can swap out the veggies or protein for whatever you happen to have on hand.

Recipe: Sushi Bowl. The recipe calls for a mixture of kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans, but of course you can swap in whatever canned beans or grains that are already in your kitchen. Recipe: Vegan 3-Bean Chili.

Recipe: Egg Pizza With Scallions. This hearty chickpea masala is the perfect recipe for vegetarians and can be prepared spicy or mild, depending on your taste.

The recipe calls for a splash of heavy cream, but you can use coconut milk to keep it vegan. Recipe: Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala. This easy, kid-friendly dish starts with crescent roll dough on the bottom, then it's loaded with ground beef, cheese, and any of your favorite taco toppings.

Recipe: Taco Pizza. This recipe uses baby kale to stuff the toast cups, but feel free to use spinach or arugula if kale isn't your favorite.

Recipe: Bacon and Egg Toast Cups. Feel free to use any hearty veggies you have on hand in place of the beets and radishes. Brussels sprouts, diced sweet potatoes, and carrots would all work well. Recipe: Baked Eggs With Roasted Vegetables.

This creamy mac 'n' cheese is loaded with all kinds of good stuff, like white cheddar, broccoli, and seared chicken. Leave out the chicken. Broccoli isn't your favorite? Feel free to substitute it with whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Recipe: White Cheddar Mac 'n' Cheese With Chicken and Broccoli. This baby is everything you love about caprese and grilled cheese crammed into one delicious sandwich.

Serve it with salad or soup, and you've got yourself a dinner that's both fancy and budget-friendly. Recipe: Caprese Grilled Cheese. This recipe calls for a lot of basic ingredients you'll already have in the pantry.

It makes six to eight servings too, so you can enjoy leftovers for lunch all week. Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup. Dal is a timeless classic — and this version is an ideal starter if you've never made it before.

You only need a handful of ingredients, and the whole thing only takes 20 minutes. The original recipe calls for red split lentils, but if you want to get more creative, add some French lentils, too.

Recipe: Dal. Black bean patties are one of the most popular alternatives to meat. They're also pretty easy to make. Recipe: Black Bean Burgers. Recipe: Tuna Melt. Pair it with any greens you have handy! Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken. Tangy, spicy kimchi or Korean-style fermented vegetables is another way to add a ton of flavor to a dish for not a lot of money.

Keep a jar stocked in the fridge, then work it into fried rice, noodle bowls, or burgers. Recipe: Minute Kimchi Fried Rice.

Recipe: Rice Bowl With Fried Egg And Avocado. Recipe: Southwest Turkey, Vegetable, and Rice Skillet. This recipe calls for only three ingredients, and you can always add a protein to the mix if you want. Recipe: Creamy Tomato Shells.

Recipe: Chicken Pesto Bowls. Recipe: Zucchini Corn Quesadillas. Recipe: One-Pan Pizza Chicken. Recipe: Super-Fresh Cucumber Tomato Salad. Recipe: One-Pot Caprese Chicken Pasta. Recipe: Vegan Creamy Kale Pasta. Recipe: Greek Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Recipe: One-Pot Bacon Broccoli Mac 'n' Cheese.

Recipe: Spicy Chipotle Buddha Bowl With Cauliflower Rice. Recipe: Chicken and Mandarin Salad With Simple Sesame Dressing.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Coconut Curry. Recipe: Garlic Butter Capellini Pomodoro With Shrimp. Recipe: Vegetarian Sheet Pan Zucchini Parmesan. Recipe: Vegetable Enchilada Casserole. The recipe calls for both whole wheat spaghetti and zucchini noodles, but you can skip the spaghetti if you want to go fully low-carb.

Recipe: Burst Tomato and Zucchini Spaghetti With Avocado Sauce. When I ask them to help pick out recipes usually with them looking at pictures , I find that they are more excited to eat them.

I will also let them pick what they want for their lunch, snacks, and fruit and veggies for the week! I don't supply endless options. I'm not going to overbuy produce that will end up going bad in the fridge without being used.

I'm not going to be a vending machine for pantry snacks. My kids get to pick what they want their non-recipe veggies, fruits, and snacks to be for the week, and we usually pick two options for each category. One budget flop I did make this week was accidentally spending more than intended on the dried cranberries.

Oftentimes, I will add things to my shopping list way in advance so that I don't forget to add them when it comes time to shop. A past version of me decided it would be a good time to stock the pantry with dried cranberries.

I made my sourdough starter using flour and water awhile back. Although I didn't create the actual starter this week, it's one staple now in my house that we always lean on. Last week, I tried to give my 2-year-old a store-bought piece of bread, and she threw an absolute fit telling me she wanted the homemade sourdough.

At the end of the day, it's shocking how much money I save each week by taking minutes every few days that's the pace in our house to make a loaf or two!

Many Instant Pots have a specific 'yogurt' function — but mine does not, so I use these instructions. This process is extremely simple, but it does take patience.

I also roasted a few chicken thighs and put the remaining thighs in the freezer for later in the week. After lots of ideas of what I could tell them they were called, I ended up going with "they're purple and special, eat them.

I ended up yielding about 2. Since most of us made burrito bowls Monday night instead of actual burritos, we had a lot of tortillas left, making it a perfect swap for my son. The granola has such a subtle sweetness, which I love, and it only takes about 5 minutes to prepare. The rest of the time it takes to prepare is very hands-off with just baking and cooling.

A quick side note: I've also added oat butter into the yogurt bowl before and that is so creamy and a delicious addition. I was prepared to have a lot of rice to utilize for the week, so while I made some to pair with the Greek chicken, I made sure to make double what I normally would.

I still thought this was a delicious, cold breakfast — but I definitely enjoyed it more while it was warm! I didn't have all the required ingredients for the exact recipe so I improvised with the leftover blood oranges, yogurt, and orange juice.

The blood oranges turned the whole thing purple, which worked well because that just happens to be my daughter's favorite color. I love prepping breakfast sandwiches, and making the eggs on a sheet pan is the ultimate trick!

The eggs come out flat, which is perfect for stacking on a sandwich, and it allows you to easily assemble a large amount of sandwiches in a short amount of time. I used the biscuits as the bread component and wrapped them for the freezer for later in the week.

My 4-year-old loved this meal. We had to tell her a few times to use her silverware because she kept digging in with her hands. When I make this again, I'd add a bit more liquid! This could be an alteration needed due to higher elevation, but thought I'd mention it.

We are hoping for a prosperous garden this year so that we can rely more on our homegrown herbs and veggies! I wasn't really sure how the noodles would play out, but I figured the lemon flavors would be a natural fit with the rest of the recipe.

I thawed the chicken thighs I put in the freezer earlier in the week and got to slicin'. Since I was also using the leftover pasta, I wasn't sure we had the full 8 oz the recipe called for.

I knew adding in extra veggies would be a good way to bulk everything up! I was really thankful I used the lemon noodles for this dish, because the bright flavors still shined through!

Make this nostalgic meal from scratch and it'll bring back a ton of happy childhood memories. If you want to make it your own, you can always swap the ground beef for ground turkey as a substitute. Get the Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe. Ree loves a supermarket swap—like using store-bought French bread on pizza night!

It's quick, easy, and perfect for any topping that your family members prefer. Get Ree's French Bread Pizzas recipe. These beef enchiladas keep things simple with canned enchilada sauce, but don't worry, there's still plenty of spice and melty cheese! Get the Beef Enchiladas recipe.

Prices for chicken thighs can vary, but on average they're less expensive than chicken breasts. Learn how to cook the thighs to perfection using an air fryer for crispy skin and juicy meat.

Get the Air Fryer Chicken Thighs recipe. SHOP AIR FRYERS. Say hello to your new favorite family dinner! It's cheesy, comforting, and fit for a crowd. Plus, even picky eaters can get on board with the ground beef and noodle dish.

Get the Cheeseburger Casserole recipe. Jam-packed with veggies and a satisfying, savory sauce, these noodles are everything you love and more! Serve with a drizzle of hot sauce, like Sriracha, if you want an added kick.

Get the Lo Mein recipe. Buy a store-bought rotisserie chicken at the supermarket and you'll be supplied with endless dinner ideas, like this hearty burrito filed with rice, beans, chicken, and cheese. Get Ree's Ancho Chicken Burritos recipe.

When you're in a pinch, you can't go wrong with that can of tuna that's hidden in the back of the pantry! Use it to make this fun pasta salad inspired by tuna noodle casserole. Get the Tuna Pasta Salad recipe. Ree says that you can call this a "clean out the fridge soup" because it's so versatile.

Swap out your choice of veggies depending on what you have on hand. Get Ree's Hamburger Soup recipe. SHOP STOCK POTS. Eating on a budget doesn't need to be boring and this casserole recipe proves it!

The packet of ranch seasoning mix gives it a punch of flavor, plus you can't go wrong with anything topped with bacon! Get the Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole recipe. You can skip the brandy and use a little more cider to save some cost. Get the recipe for One-Pot Butternut Squash Soup. Some chicken cutlets and pantry staples — and plenty of Parmesan, of course — can quickly turn into this family favorite.

Get the recipe for Chicken Parmesan. The underrated tuna melt, that staple of diners and lunch plates everywhere, deserves to be making a big time comeback.

You probably have most of the ingredients in your fridge right now. What are you waiting for? Get the recipe for Tuna Melt. If you're looking for a way to use ground beef in a spicy, simple dinner that'll make the whole family happy, then you've just found your recipe for tonight!

Get the recipe for Tamale Pie. This ground beef enchilada dinner is especially a winner. A little taco seasoning, some corn tortillas, a can of enchilada sauce, cover it with cheese and boom! You've got a powerhouse meal for four or for two, with leftovers ready to go. Get the recipe for Beef Enchiladas.

Want to make your whole family feel taken care of? Treat them to a baked pasta dish. It's easy, it's cheap, and it's super filling. Get the recipe for Classic Stuffed Shells. Who's in the mood for a minute dinner?

Besides gnocchi and frozen spinach, all you need for this meal is some cream, some cheese, and a few pantry spices. Get the recipe for Gnocchi with Creamed Spinach.

Tuna salad has been the centerpiece of a number of cheap and easy snack dinners in our household. Add some crackers, some cheese, a little fresh fruit, and you've got a meal! Get the recipe for Tuna Salad. Broken noodles simmer in a tomato broth with sausage and spinach, capped off with a big dollop of blended cheese.

Get the recipe for Lasagna Soup. An easy way to save on dinner costs? Why we chose Dinnerly: Low prices combined with a decent variety of nutritious recipes each week ensured Dinnerly would have a spot on our list. Now Blue Apron isn't just known for gourmet meals that are fun to cook -- but also huge savings.

Savings also include free shipping on that first order, as well as additional savings across your next four deliveries.

Blue Apron offers an impressive selection of meals to choose from, with more than 70 recipes to browse each week. This includes low-calorie or less , diabetes-friendly thanks to a collaboration with the American Diabetes Association , WW-approved formerly Weight Watchers , and vegetarian choices.

You can also find recipes that fit into the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Blue Apron also comes with some noteworthy add-ons and features. Another perk that may sit outside your food budget is Blue Apron's unique wine pairing service.

We looked at these and other perks during an extensive Blue Apron review. Thankfully, you can still save big by sticking to the no-frills weekly plan. And hey, if you want to splurge on some of Blue Apron's premium services once in a while, who are we to stop you?

You deserve it! Blue Apron also makes it easy to pause services or skip a week. This kind of flexibility is key when it comes to long-term savings on your food budget. Why we highlighted Blue Apron: Blue Apron is a popular meal kit known for fun and unique recipes with affordable prices that really sealed the deal for this delivery service in our books.

If you want prepackaged meals that cut out prep entirely, Fresh N Lean would make for the perfect addition to your weekly routine. This meal delivery service hooks subscribers up with ready-made meals that are fresh, never frozen, and made from quality ingredients.

With over menu items to choose from each week, Fresh N Lean wins points for variety. This includes a number of low carb, vegan, and gluten-free meals to consider on a weekly basis. While not USDA-certified, this company does aim to ship organic ingredients whenever possible.

In the event that an ingredient doesn't meet the brand's quality standards, it may be replaced with conventional ingredients. Why we chose Fresh N Lean: Fresh N Lean is a great meal delivery service to turn to for budget-friendly, fully prepared meals -- especially if you order enough meals to earn free shipping each week.

Do you like healthy fruit smoothies for breakfast? What about harvest grain bowls or soups for lunch? If you started salivating at the mention of even one of those options, then Daily Harvest is the meal delivery service for you.

With a menu packed full of whole fruits and vegetables, Daily Harvest is great for finding the perfect meal for breakfast or lunch. There are more than 20 unique, flavorful, and nutritionally-packed smoothies to choose from including the dragon fruit and lychee smoothie, pineapple and Matcha, and our personal favorite : the strawberry and peach smoothie.

Don't worry, there are plenty of dinner options to consider here as well. Daily Harvest's menu includes hearty soups, forager bowls, flatbreads, and pasta recipes -- so there's truly something for everyone here.

Deliveries are put together one item at a time, so you have the freedom to build your own meal plan each week. Pick anywhere from nine to 24 items each week. Why we highlighted Daily Harvest: Despite smoothie prices that are higher than you expect, Daily Harvest is still a top contender for healthy meals and treats on a budget, especially if you're interested in the variety of breakfast and lunch options here.

Admit it: It's a bit of a flex to have a delicious, homemade meal ready and waiting multiple nights throughout the week. It takes time and a bit of planning to pull this off, especially if you're cooking for a busy family. And that's not even factoring in high prices that come with eating out.

If you live in New York City, for example, your food budget would likely benefit from a change to meal kit delivery. But wait -- we already know your next question: "With so many meal kits out there, how do I pick the best one? Choosing the right meal kit for you comes down to a few things.

In addition to hunting down the lowest prices per serving, you should always keep an eye out for added discounts. First-time customers can typically find some level of savings right from the plan selection page. Instead of signing up for the first appealing price you see, shop around a bit to make sure there aren't other better deals waiting for you elsewhere.

Take into account factors such as portion sizes, number of meals per week, and any additional fees for shipping or customization.

That note about shipping fees is worth mentioning again. It's not always easy to see how much a meal kit service charges for shipping until you get into the plan selection process. In order to make the best selections possible, it's important to pull out all the stops when reviewing meal kit delivery services.

We considered a number of factors when choosing the best meal kits for affordability and the biggest ones were:. Tom Horton is a resident health expert for CBS Essentials, with deep experience in topics ranging from chronic conditions to health-care devices to diet options.

He lives in upstate New York, and draws his power from local bookstores, long hikes on a sunny day, and his cat Sammy. If you've been thinking about giving your three- to year old their own tablet, Amazon's kid-friendly options are on sale. We found the easiest and cheapest ways to catch out-of-market NBA games and games not televised nationally.

Getting the right amount of sleep each night is important. Here's how much sleep you should be getting each night.

Celebrate the Chiefs' epic Super Bowl win with the official championship merch Patrick Mahomes wore on the field. The San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in an epic Super Bowl rematch. Here's how to watch todays game. The Super Bowl is in the history books. Here's how to watch the epic Kansas City Chiefs game on demand.

Usher is the Super Bowl halftime show star. Here's how to watch every moment of the Apple Music show. We've got the playbook for how and where to watch Super Bowl All your streaming and app options to watch live.

The Super Bowl is the NFL game of the year and watching has never been easier even if you don't have cable. The Biden administration has sought to use an app-based appointment system to discourage migrants from crossing the southern border illegally. Court documents identified the shooter who opened fire at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston before being killed by security officers.

The Biden campaign says it's "incorporating a sophisticated security protocol" around use of TikTok. A meeting hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris with battleground state governors included discussions about how to campaign more aggressively on abortion rights and immigration.

Some Gen Z workers are posting video of themselves being laid off in search of "likes," feedback and revenge. Long-term care insurance can be valuable for many seniors, assuming they first know these important dos and don'ts.

Here are the Super Bowl ads ranked best and worst by the experts, including spots featuring Ben Affleck and Arnold Schwarzenegger. New England was on full display during a star-studded Super Bowl commercial by Dunkin'. Visa, Mastercard and Amex will provide a merchant code for firearms retailers to comply with a new California law, CBS News has learned.

The Biden campaign has repeatedly leaned into the "Dark Brandon meme, appearing to mock right-wing conspiracy theories with the superhero depiction that arose out of an anti-Biden slogan. Trump's lawyers are presenting classified information they say could be necessary at Trump's trial on his handling of classified documents.

Air quality is worsening across much of the U. Product recalls spurred by listeria outbreak expands to foods sold by Amazon, Costco, Trader Joe's and other major retailers. Super Bowl party food can go foul faster than you think. Here are some expert tips on what to do to stay safe, whether you're hosting or just chowing down.

No time for fitness? Micro-workouts could help. We asked an exercise expert about the benefits and tips to get started. Medical students at Jefferson's Sidney Kimmel Medical College are members of Black Men in White Coats, a first in Pennsylvania. The ship's captain "reports his vessel was attacked by two missiles and reports minor damage," the United Kingdom Trade Operations center, which oversees Mideast waters, said.

Puerto Global, which posted video of the crash's aftermath, reported that the victim was taking pictures with his wife when the aircraft came down. A woman's body was first found along a road.