i need cheap healthy meal ideas
 

hi,
im overweight and want to do something about it finally.
anyway,
just a little info about me
currently im 20 year old, comp sci student, 5'9" and 287lbs.

most people ive talked to and even blogs ive read tell me to start with small changes.
ive done a few so far.
its been a little over 6 months since i last had fast food.
2 months since my last soda and for the last few weeks ive been trying to ween myself off iced tea/juice and other caffeinated sugar beverages.
so far with these im not seeing significant change in my weight
so my current change is:
a healthy diet

i eat very unhealthily
pizza,instant noodles and kraft dinner among others are staple foods in my diet, im not a biggest fan of vegetables
realistically im also lazy and busy
i have class all week and work staurdays but i get sundays off.

so i want to come up with a meal plan that is cheap and easy to prepare and preferably tastes good.
ive hear planning your meals in advance helps avoid overeating and costs less to shop for so...
i want to be able to prep a weeks worth of food on sunday and freeze or refrigerate it. so with my busy schedule i can actually follow through with healthy eating


at this point im not sure where to begin any recommendations on meals?

thanks

They aren't the best thing in the world due to sodium, but frozen dinners are an option. Some brands like Michalina's make a light version that are only a dollar per. You should just try to eat a fruit or veggie with it to get all your nutrients in prolly.

I also eat a lot of sandwiches when the budget is thin, luchmeat is fairly cheap and so is bread. Subway is a favorite and the 5 dollar footlongs can be 2 meals for some. :)

usually i stear clear of premade frozen meals because of cost but if they ever go on sale its a possible option
anyone have ideas on meals that i could make myself? and preferably freezable so i can have more for future meals

I just posted a few favorites in another thread...or check out any of the recipes threads here, or the other budget meal ideas threads in this forum.

You can't go wrong with soup and big salads. You could also make a casserole type dish and freeze that. Do you eat meat? Dairy? Are you living in a dorm and working off of a hotplate, or do you have an oven you can use? Are you able to stock your fridge with fruits and veggies? I bulk cook on Sundays for the week's lunches, so I can give you some input, but I don't even know where to start since you've just asked for "healthy".

Last weekend I made curried lentils with cauliflower for the week's lunches, and had that with a salad. This Sunday DH has requested cheese-less zucchini lasagna, which will last us a week easily. A couple of weeks ago I made masala black eyed peas and had the leftovers on top of a salad. You can bake brown rice for a week, it freezes well, and stir-fry only takes a few minutes if the rice is ready. Homemade stir-fry sauce also freezes well. If you like beans, I know of a fabulous bean and rice cold dish that also makes a great topping for a southwestern salad. DH also rolls that up in whole wheat tortillas for lunches. You can cook oats once a week for breakfasts, or if you eat dairy you can portion out some greek yogurt with berries for an entire week. VegTimes had a great southwestern tamale pie in the Jan magazine that freezes well, DH and I enjoyed it.

When I was single and broke, I'd make big things, like lasagna, stick leftovers in the freezer and eat portions for a week. Goes the same with casseroles, that can be made for not very much if you find the right recipes. One of our go-to cheap meals is pinto beans or blackeyed peas and rice. Cook the beans/peas in a crock pot all day long, throw into some rice at the end of the day and eat. Better the second day even...it'll last a few days if you make enough.