You can save money & still have quality. If you’ve been using cost as an excuse to eat junk, you can kiss that excuse goodbye! With a little organization & creativity, you can have the proverbial champagne when cooking on a beer budget. To start, here’s a quick review of basic tips of healthy eating:

* Limit your intake of junk food and alcohol
* Drink lots of water (at least 8 cups a day)
* Limit salty and sugary foods
* Avoid eating many foods that are high in saturated fats
* Make “variety” the watchword of your eating

Next, set aside regular blocks of time for planning meals, making your grocery list, & shopping—tasks that are most often shortchanged in food prep. Include healthy snack ideas, as well as main menu items. Think about the time of day, day of week, & even week in the month that you shop. Generally, the grocery is the least busy early in the morning, in the middle of the week, & on any day but the first day or two of the month (when many people receive pension or paychecks).
Stock your fridge & cupboards with items that are quick & easy to cook (yet kind to your wallet):
* Beans & lentils, whether canned or dried, make nutritious, hearty soups, & can be a main course with the addition of fresh vegetables or rice.
* Brown Rice is a great addition to leftover meat & veggies. Although brown rice is slightly more expensive than white, the nutritional payoff is well worth it. Another inexpensive, easy-to-fix grain, millet, is best when bought fresh. Simply rinse & toast before using it in recipes.
* Pasta, likewise, is quick & easy to prepare, & can be paired with veggies, meat, or a fresh salad. Have fun adding your own embellishments (mushrooms, spices, & herbs.) Choose whole-wheat pasta whenever available.
* Soups can’t be beat for nutrition & convenience, especially since you can use canned or packet soups as your base, then add your own veggies & leftover meat. Again, try to experiment, adding your own herbs & spices.
* Fresh vegetables & fruit should be bought at least once or twice each week, preferably in season, to ensure optimal taste & nutrition. You can also rely on canned/frozen varieties as handy additions to last-minute meals. Veggies make great stir-fries & vegetable patties, while fruit is good for a quick nutritious snack.
* Meat and fish can be kept on hand also for last-minute meals— try the newer tuna and salmon pouches, & shop for inexpensive cuts of meat that work well in stews & casseroles.
* Condiments add flavor & interest to your dishes. Keep a selection of dried herbs, spices, curry powder, marinades, vinegars, tomato & soy sauces, along with stock cubes, in your cupboard. Experiment with the new, such as Japanese miso, an aged salty condiment made from soybeans & various other ingredients (found in the natural foods section, usually refrigerated).

Finally, a few more hints that can help you save a little green:

* When cooking a big meal, make extra to freeze, or use later in the week for lunches or quick suppers. Double recipes, then freeze half.
* Save your vegetable trimmings to make your own vegetable stock. Not only do you save money, but vegetable stock also makes a nutritious base for casseroles, soups, & Crockpot cooking.
* Buying in bulk is almost always cheaper; you can freeze perishable items (such as meat, milk, & even bread) in smaller portions to use as needed. It’s always a good idea to buy non-perishable items in bulk (canned foods, dried beans & grains, etc.).
* Use less expensive cuts of meat for casseroles that you slow cook; add extra vegetables & beans to make the meal go further.
* Capitalize on one-pot dishes, which generally save prep time, money, & dishwashing, & often make great leftovers.
* Look high & low (literally) to find the less expensive generic or store brands on grocery shelves, often very similar to higher-priced brand names though packaged under different labels. Stores deliberately place the highest-priced brand-name items at eye level, but if you compare the cost per unit, you’ll be able to figure out the most cost-effective purchase. You can even try your own taste tests— blind, of course— to see where you can save money without sacrificing flavor.
* Take advantage of specials on staples—broth, soups, pasta, rice, canned veggies, even bread & meat. Many of these items have a long shelf life or can be frozen for short periods of time.
* Limit your dining out, especially when it comes to fast food, since you’ll find yourself spending unnecessarily on items that are high in fat, salt, & calories, which short-change you in the nutrition department.

There’s no magic formula to cooking on a budget. Like anything else worthwhile in life, it takes a little planning, creativity, & work. But if you think of the rewards—better health & more money—you’ll find it’s worth the effort. No doubt you’ll still have days when you fall back on that quick-fix packaged food or the local burger drive-thru. But if you look at cooking as an adventure, you’ll also have days when you find yourself pleased at what you’ve accomplished—as you serve dinner to rave reviews from family and friends! Info from www.sparkpeople.com