Hello! I have just been browsing the low fat recipes and have come to 2 conclusions. #1 I can't afford to make but a couple of recipes listed because of the number of and price of ingredients listed. ALSO #2 My son is sort of a picky eater, he really doesn't like vegetables, and he's not a big meat eater. He has his certain favorites that I try to incorporate vegetables, but he usually ends up picking out what he likes and leaving the rest on his plate.

So, does anyone have any suggestions or recipes for the budget concious and picky eater?

Thanks

I am making one meal for everyone and then something similar but healthier for me. Instead of mac and cheese side dish I will make myself mixed veggies. I will eat a smaller portion of the lesser healthy stuff and more of the good stuff. No reason spending money on something the kids won't eat. Sometimes, they wonder why I get the good stuff! If they see you eatting healthier, habits will rub off them. It won't happen over night but it will happen. Check the slae ads and clip your coupons and make things from scratch...it is cheaper that way and healthier too. Good luck, it isn't impossible just trickier.

I agree with cruising the sale ads...especially for produce and meat. I bought apples and bananas last week because that was the fruit on sale...it gives me variety each week, and saves $.
Bags of frozen veggies are usually pretty cheap, and bags of boneless chicken breasts are cheapest at Aldi's if you have one in your area. Other cheap healthy foods are instant oatmeal-the generic tastes the same as the Quaker, store brand healthy cereals-like the raisin bran and mini-wheats types, bananas, skim or 1% milk instead of whole or 2%, raisins...eating healthy does not have to be expensive. Spaghetti and tomato sauce is inexpensive, served with a salad or side of veggies. Orange juice is cheaper in the frozen concentrated cans than in the cartons or gallons...
I also buy ground turkey or ground round instead of ground beef-less calories and fat, but usually more expensive-so I buy a lot of it when it goes on sale and keep it in the freezer.
One of my cheap easy recipes:
Tropical fruit salad-add chunks of cut up banana to a can of pineapple chunks (in juice not syrup)-put into bowls and serve-makes a nice breakfast or dessert item.
I also clip coupons and use ad matches-my store honors other competitiors prices-most Korgers, Wal-Marts, and Scott's stores do...just bring in the cut out ad of the item you want to buy and give it to them before you check out.
Aphil

One of my family's favorites is: Boneless chicken breast with a can of Healthy Request Cream of Chicken, FF sour cream, and dry onion soup mix. Place the chicken in a crock pot, mix the other 3 ingredients and spread over the chicken. Cook it on low for 7-8 hours. I serve this with No-Yolks noodles and any vegetable. My family didn't even know they were eating low fat. Also, frozen baked french fries are a bargain and low fat. Just my two cents worth...good luck!

Well .. I got a little hardline about it in my family. I figure if the kids didn't eat, they weren't very hungry, were they. Now I'm not a total food ****. We have hotdogs (healthy choice, only 70 calories!) and hamburgers (lean hamburger, no fries - they can have chips if they want), steaks, grilled chicken, stirfry, all sorts of things. I think once a month or something I'll relent and get the kids some sort of fast food. And flower is right - pretty soon the kids will start to get the idea. The fact is, feeding your kids McDonalds isn't helping them one freaking iota. And if I'm taking good care of me, I want to take good care of my family, too. Whether they like it or not, darnit! So there...

I have a better idea for you! Get a George Foreman grill! It sounds like that bean diet needs to be tossed down the food disposal unit, if you ask me. Start feeding your kids AND yourself good healthy lean protein and veggies! Lean Cuisines are terribly high in sodium. And not enough calories for growing kids. There is a happy medium, you don't have to go to one extreme or the other. You sound like a very intelligent woman, but stubborn as heck!

There is a quote out of a science fiction book I love. "Argue for your limitations, and they are yours."

I agree with RavenToy. McDonalds is bad for the children, whether they are overweight or not. There isn't any fiber, fruit or veggies in there (french fries and pickles don't count) and they need these things to grow and be healthy. Even though they are kids, their arteries begin the clogging process sometime. It's a lifelong process, and so are eating habits. You're children will thank you later if they learn good eating habits now.