Even the cheapest foods can be healthy. Not everyone can afford food that is expensive but it does not mean that only expensive food is healthy. Pakistan has an abundance of self-produced foods that are widely available and they cost very less. Even the most impoverished ones can afford these cheap and healthy foods.
This is good because people can have the option to buy whatever they like by easily affording them. The inexpensive yet healthy foods will cost a person less than 500 rupees, which can be eaten for a number of days. Here are some easily available inexpensive foods that are not only cheap but healthy as well.
Vegetables
Vegetables are the best source to maintain health. Although some of the vegetables are expensive, many are quite cheap that everyone can afford. For instance; potatoes, cabbage, spinach, eggplant, ladyfinger, pumpkin, etc. are easily available from every street corner. Everybody can easily afford them and they are very beneficial for health.
Although fresh vegetables are extensively available but frozen can also be preferred if the plan is to store them for months. If the budget is too tight that food can be consumed only once a day then prefer vegetables. Eat them in breakfast so that the whole day can be passed easily and try to save some to eat at night. Eat raw vegetables like carrot and turnip because they will help in strengthening the muscles and body.
Eggs
Eggs, on the other hand, are another healthy natural product. Eggs are the best source to consume protein and it is the cheapest natural product that is easily available in shops. Consume one in a day at least. If it is mixed with some vegetables, then it would be highly healthy and will make you full for the whole day.
Fruits
Many different fruits are easily available in shops with low prices. Ignore expensive fruits like kiwi or pomegranate, as they are expensive in Pakistan. Try some other fruits like mango, watermelon, and peach in summers or oranges and bananas in winter. Fruits have always been the best source to maintain health. Even a sick person is recommended to eat fruits. Every person whether healthy or sick must eat fruit. Everyone can easily afford fruits. At the moment, the fruits are also gone expensive, but there are some seasonal fruits which can be economical to maintain the health balance.
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Lentils
They’re also a great source of iron and many minerals that are sometimes lacking in vegetarian diets and which constitute a balanced diet. Though different types of lentils may vary slightly in their nutrient contents, yet all are healthy and easily available. A kilo of lentil can be bought for around 300 rupees and it can be made into different dishes for days. There are some variations in the prices and if you buy them from wholesale then you will be able to get them cheap.
Dairy Products
Dairy products are probably part of your life in some way or another. That’s because the food category includes everything from milk to cheese to butter to yogurt, which are essential building blocks to all different kinds of recipes.
Try yogurt, which is 140 rupees per kilo. Yogurt is the new trendy dairy product in town which is very healthy and it can be eaten with nearly any kind of food.
Vegan Meal Plans on a Budget
Vegan ingredients don’t necessarily have to be expensive; many more specialized ones may be purchased in large quantities online. For instance, check online for more affordable options for tahini, which is used to make tofu, almond or cashew butters, and hummus or baba ganoush. High protein snacks can be made with nut butters, and they also add a lot of flavor to tray-baked brownies.
Tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, dried red or green lentils, and couscous are other inexpensive ingredients that are helpful to have on hand.
There are additional rich desserts created with sugar-based halva, frozen or canned fruit, agave syrup, or sweeteners.
Vegetarian Meal Plans on a Budget
Utilize things from the back of the closet to make wholesome meals.By combining peanut butter and soy sauce to create satay sauce and canned tomatoes, vegetables, and dried herbs to create pasta sauce or even lasagne, you can add tons of flavor to your food without buying ready-made sauces.
Replace expensive, lower-fat cheeses like quark, paneer, or cottage cheese with high-fat cheeses. Use them to make hearty saag paneer (spinach and cheese) dishes, vegetable cottage pies, or filo pastry tarts.
Frozen peas and dried herbs can be combined to make a flavorful pea soup that is economical and long-lasting, and frozen sweet corn can be used to make fritters. Vegetables in cans and frozen form also work well with veggie burgers. When using fresh vegetables, retain them as the focal point of your dish, such as in stuffed peppers or grilled aubergines, and stuff them with less expensive rice or couscous as well as frozen, dry, and canned vegetables.
Cheap Healthy Meals For Two People
It can be enticing to spend more money on meal deals or to share if one of you wants an expensive or fatty takeout while you’re cooking for two. An excellent substitute is to prepare in advance, buy a healthy food in bulk, get inventive, and prepare it in various ways.
Switching out some fresh goods for inexpensive, long-lasting, canned, dry, and frozen alternatives is another approach to avoid paying a lot for small portions. For instance, buy a large bag of frozen fruit instead of a little, pricey punnet of berries, and take out what you need each time from the freezer.
A lot of these recipes can be prepared in bulk and frozen or eaten later as well.
