Take a quick walk through the health food section of a supermarket and you might come to the conclusion that the healthier the food, the more expensive it is to prepare. But while some healthy ingredients can be pretty pricey, there are plenty of nutritious dishes that can still be prepared on a budget. Once you stock up on a few core ingredients, you’ll find that cooking healthy meals can actually be extremely cost-effective!

Here are three recipes that are good for your body and your wallet: all of them are less than $3/serving, so you can get the whole day of healthy meals under $10!

Prices will vary depending on where you live and shop, but this provides you with a rough estimate of how much these recipes will cost to prepare, based on prices of value brands from Walmart. You can also check out your local farmer’s market to get great deals on in-season produce!

Make meal planning easier with these recipes (and many more). Start your 10-day free trial on PlateJoy!

 

BREAKFAST: ORANGE AND GINGER YOGURT BOWLS

TIME: 10 MINUTES | MAKES: ONE SERVING

1 cup greek yogurt ($1.14)
½ orange ($0.50)
½ tsp cardamom ($0.23)
1 tbsp sunflower seeds, shelled ($0.05)
¼ tsp ground ginger ($0.10)
1 tsp honey ($0.04)

Total cost per serving: $2.06

  1. In a bowl, stir together greek yogurt, 2 tbsp orange juice, and the cardamom.
  2. In a separate small bowl or cup, stir together sunflower seeds, ground ginger and honey. Drizzle seed mixture over the yogurt.

 

LUNCH: MEDITERRANEAN TUNA QUINOA SALAD BOWLS

TIME: 10 MINUTES | MAKES: TWO SERVINGS

1 ¼ cups cherry tomatoes ($2.00)
½ cucumber ($0.35)
1 ½ tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
1 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.10)
1 ¼ tsp dijon mustard ($0.03)
1 ¼ cups pre-cooked quinoa ($0.59)
1 ¼ cups canned chickpeas ($.50)
7 oz canned tuna (or chicken) ($1.07)
2 ½ tbsp feta ($0.43)

Total cost per serving: $2.61

  1. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Dice cucumber.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar and mustard. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  3. Add pre-cooked quinoa, drained chickpeas, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and tuna. Toss well to combine. Sprinkle with feta.

 

DINNER: PESTO, SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE BAKE

TIME: 50 MINUTES | MAKES: EIGHT SERVINGS

4 roma tomatoes ($1.60)
2 cups artichoke hearts ($1.98)
3 lbs chicken breast ($9.54)
1 ½ cups pesto ($4.40)
6 cups spinach ($1.20)
2 cups shredded italian cheese blend ($2.22)

Total cost per serving: $2.62

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 2 baking dish(es).
  2. Dice roma tomato. Drain and quarter artichoke hearts.
  3. Place chicken breast in a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread pesto on top of each. Layer spinach, artichoke hearts and roma tomato on top. Sprinkle with cheese to cover.
  4. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until chicken registers 165 degrees at the center.

– Article by Emily Polson via Platejoy