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1. Have a clear understanding of the food pyramid. You can search the  internet for an illustration, so you can determine and classify food  that's best to stock up on. The food pyramid is ordered to balance out  what the body needs for consumption. It also helps if you research about  carbohydrates, fats, oils and common nutrients in food. The more you  get to know about all these, the better you'll understand why certain  foods are necessary and some should be avoided. We want to create cheap  but healthy meals that are not the usual pre-packed microwavable dinners  with very little nutritional content. Another importance of knowing all  about nutrients is for us to know bad fats and good fats, what are  healthy carbs, and what sugar and sodium does to our own and our  children's bodies.
2. Get to know all about the staples in your old diet and try to see if  you can make it healthier. For example, if your children start the day  with a bowl of cereal, try to look into getting cereals with lesser  sugar content, avoiding those with too much food coloring, and those  with marshmallow treats inside. With so much healthier options for  cereal, you're bound to find something healthy. There are whole-wheat  cereal, bran, or multi-grain cereal with lots of carbohydrates to keep  you energized all through the day, packed with magnesium, iron and the  like, as well as have some healthy treats like fruits and nuts. Oatmeal  is also a popular breakfast meal; unfortunately, most people choose the  quick-cook or instant oatmeal. Because the instant oatmeal kind has  undergone lots of processing, it may have lesser nutrient value in it.  Opt to get large flakes for your oatmeal like rolled oats, steel-cut  oats and etc. Though there are sometimes that children would prefer  their fruit loops, you can still cajole them into trying the healthy  cereal. Add some frozen fruits for a fruity burst of flavor, or add just  half a teaspoon of natural honey to give it a zing of sweetness. Cheap  and easy!
3. Lunch and dinner are extremely flexible, because you can have  anything you want; whether you want a dish that's heavy or light. For  healthy meals, get acquainted with that beautiful, pristine little grain  called 'rice' that is sold for almost nothing. The good carbs that rice  offer is healthy and filling, especially the brown rice kind. The best  thing about rice is its versatility. You can have rice together with  both meat and vegetable viands, or cook it in a wok to make fried rice  and even day-old rice can be made into a warm bowl of congee.
A plate of mixed vegetables is also a lunch time favorite because it's  easy to make and vegetables are fairly cheap by the pound. To add  variety, use spices to enhance the flavor and add parmesan cheese or  slices of hardboiled egg.
Stock up on delicious meats and load up you protein requirement for the  day. Meat is not expensive, but it's definitely not cheap either. Price  for meat can differ depending on the animal source and the cuts. The  cheapest would be chicken meat, and there are so many recipes for frugal  chicken meals. Fish would be your best bet especially if you're cutting  down on fat and cholesterol. Stock up on beef, especially lean beef as  it has massive amounts of protein. Limit your pork intake, because of  the high fat content. Protein from meat is something you need, though  it's going to cost you a lot. Alternative protein sources include  cheese, milk, protein-rich vegetables especially beans.
4. Never run out of fruits, and buy those vegetables that you can eat  raw! This is one thing that we need to embed in all our diet and meal  plans. There are lots of fruit out there, so find two to three kinds of  fruits and buy a bagful of them to last for a week or so. Head off to  the frozen section and find a pack of frozen fruits as well. You can see  chopped fruit packs like pears, watermelon, cantaloupes, persimmon, or  why not try dried fruits like raisins, dried mangoes, or even mixed  fruit variety in containers. All these are great addition to your diet!  You can include fruits in your meals, to curb your desire for expensive  and fattening deserts. You can get your daily vitamins and important  minerals from eating a fruit or two each day. It will help energize you  and keep you feeling full for longer. Vegetables like carrots and celery  are great to keep you from binging on junk food when you feel like  having a snack. If you have enough veggies lying around, you can make a  quick salad to chow down during in-between meals.
5. There are certainly more ways to create dishes from simple  ingredients. Even if you do have repetitive grocery items in your  refrigerator or pantry, you can mix them all up together with a little  creativity and inspiration. The trick here is the variety of sauce and  spice that keep things interesting.
Making a meal plan keeps things in perspective by helping your meet your  dietary requirements for the day; avoid erratic eating and sudden  desire to binge. It will also keep your grocery list in check, so that  you can avoid both buying stuff you don't need and not buying enough for  the whole week.