It seems like “eating healthier this year” is a pretty typical New Year’s resolution – but it can often be hard to keep. We all have our favorite foods (which don’t always fall into the healthy eating category) and struggle with juggling busy schedules while trying to make time to prepare healthy and tasty meals for our families. Even more challenging is trying to do all of this on a tight budget. Unfortunately, inflation and supply chain issues impacting the grocery store shelves are not making this any easier. So, we’ve compiled a list of tips for healthy eating on a budget.

Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget

  1. Plan your recipes and make a list. Knowing what you plan to cook for the next week can make your grocery store shopping trips more economical. And planning healthy meals ahead of time makes it easier to stick to that healthy eating resolution.
  2. Adapt recipes to use items you already have in your pantry. Be creative!
  3. Use recipes with common ingredients. Using the same ingredients in many of your meals doesn’t mean that they all have to taste the same. You can completely change the flavor of a meal by using different herbs, spices, or sauces.
  4. Make recipes that will stretch over two or more meals. That gives you multiple healthy meals – and saves time!
  5. Substituting canned tuna, dried or canned beans, or eggs for meat in some of your meals can be a money-saving strategy and will keep your healthy eating on track.

Need some inspiration to begin your healthy eating journey? Here are three nutritious and delicious recipes you can make using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

Image of One-Pat Tuna Pasta

One-Pot Pasta with Tuna

This one-pot dish is super easy, healthy, and made with items you often have on your pantry shelf!

Servings: 4
Total Time: 30 minutes

  • 3 1/4 cups water
  • 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest, plus juice of half a lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 (5 ounce) cans unsalted tuna, drained and flaked
  • 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
Image of White Bean Chili

White Bean Chili

This is a great cold-weather recipe – and it makes enough to cover multiple meals. If you don’t have the exact beans, it calls for, substitute whatever kind you have in your pantry.

Servings: 15
Total Time: 40 minutes

  • 3 (15 ounce) cans no salt added navy beans, drained
  • 3 (15 ounce) cans no salt added northern beans, drained
  • 2 white onions, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 (4.5 ounces) cans chopped green chilis
  • 7 cups low sodium chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups fresh kale, ribs removed and chopped
  • Low-fat cheese

Collard Greens with Beans

Loaded with protein from the beans and nutrients from the leafy collard greens, this healthy dish can qualify as a main course or a delicious side item.

Servings: 8
Total Time: 45 minutes

  • 1 large bunch (about 2 pounds) collard greens
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, diced
  • 2 large carrots, shredded
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1, 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, no salt added
  • 1, 15 ounce can low sodium great northern beans
  • 1/2 cup low sodium stock (vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water)
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • Salt & black pepper, to taste