What are the best cookbooks for healthy eating on a budget?
Cookbooks are a fantastic way to get inspiration and guidance for eating healthy and doing it on a budget. Many of us try to eat healthy but end up giving up for one reason or another. Cookbooks make it easier to access recipes, without having to do a full internet search, where you’ll inevitably get distracted and end up finding anything but recipes.
Eating healthy on a budget is easier with the help of cookbooks. You can find quick and healthy meals on a budget or even meals that require just a few ingredients on a budget. Here are some of our favorites:
- The $7 a Meal Slow Cooker Cookbook
- Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4 a Day
- Budget Bytes
- Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less
- Family Feasts for $75 a Week
- Tin Can Cook
- Eat Well for Less Everyday
- 5 Ingredient Meals
You don’t have to sacrifice your bank account to eat healthy on a budget, nor do you have to survive on junk food to save your wallet. All you need is a little inspiration and guidance to make eating healthy easy, and affordable. Keep reading for eight of the best cookbooks for healthy eating on a budget.
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The $7 a Meal Slow Cooker Cookbook
Slow cookers are a big game-changer, cooking the food all day creates food textures that are unmatched. Meat falls right apart at the touch of a fork, and vegetables will present a sweeter taste with a nice soft texture.
This cookbook takes the beauty of a slow cooker and gives readers excellent recipes for only $7 per meal. Imagine having the entire family fed and satisfied and fed for only $7, with minimal effort.
Find it here on Amazon.
Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4 a Day
This cookbook sets out to do the impossible, feed a person on just $4 per day. Usually, $4 per day means unhealthy meals that are high in sodium like a cup of noodles or mac and cheese.
With the help of this cookbook, you can save money on a regular basis and not have to eat bottom shelf meals. Some of our favorite $4 meals include:
- Vegetable Jambalaya
- Broiled tilapia
- Pulled pork
The secret behind this cookbook is the shopping list and sourcing ingredients. This cookbook goes beyond simply giving recipes. It also teaches you smart shopping techniques that are going to take a certain level of effort.
Find it here on Amazon.
Budget Bytes
Here, you will find over a hundred delicious and nutritious recipes that will not break the bank. The best thing about this one is that it is not just for lunch or dinner. In this book, you will find recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts, and even beverages.
This cookbook was written by a recent college grad, so she clearly knows something about eating healthy on a budget. Did we mention that she was a nutritional science student?
“Budget Bytes” claims to help you eat healthy and cut your grocery bill in half, and according to the reviews, it delivers on all accounts. You’ll also find other interesting tips on how to pinch your pennies while eating healthy, such as freezing certain foods and utilizing leftovers.
Find it here on Amazon.
Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less
A major issue in many two-income households is that there is just not enough time in the day to do everything that you would like to do for your family. For some families, there’s enough time to cook the meal or eat together, but not both.
This cookbook makes family mealtimes possible, with over 200 healthy meals that are ready in 30 minutes or less.
This is a wonderful solution for people who get out of work in the late afternoon and have to throw together a meal the second they get home. Oftentimes, this forces families to eat unhealthy and overpriced dinners. If you are looking to spend less time cooking for whatever reason it may be, then this book is the perfect fit for you.
Find it here on Amazon.
Family Feasts For $75 a Week
Never underestimate the power of a mom that has to feed a hungry family on a budget. In this cookbook, a mom on a mission shares some of her tips and tricks to saving money on food while eating delicious and healthy meals.
The author prides herself on spending around $75 a week on the recipes she shares in her cookbook, but she has plenty of reviews to back up her claims as well. In fact, some have even used her ideas as inspiration to save even more money on grocery bills.
Arguably the best thing about this book is the variety. This makes it so that you are not eating the same meals over and over again. Mundane meals aren’t a thing for anyone that cooks with the help of this cookbook.
Find it here on Amazon.
Tin Can Cook
This cookbook packs some serious inspiration behind the meals. The writer uses her financial struggles as a means to help others make the most of what they have in the “kitchen” no matter where that might be. When collecting unemployment checks and trying to feed her son, she had the idea to create a cookbook that specializes in saving money for families who need it.
“Tin Can Cook” also outlines the science behind the safety of canned food and lists the best ingredients to use to maximize flavor without spending a small fortune. She also takes advantage of cutting coupons and using every last penny to turn dried and canned ingredients into flavorful meals for the family on a very, very small budget.
Find it here on Amazon.
Eat Well for Less Everyday
This cookbook was created by the team that hosts BBC’s “Eat Well for Less” series. These two gentlemen set out on a mission to help you provide healthy meals for your family without having to worry too much about overspending.
The reviews for this book praise the budget-friendly meals, but also the amount of time it takes to prepare each one. Dishes from this book are also focused on changing eating habits overall, instead of just the occasional healthy meal.
Find it here on Amazon.
5 Ingredient Meals
5 ingredient meals are the perfect answer to eating healthy on a budget. Here, you’ll shop for just a few ingredients and then use them to maximize their flavor in new and inventive ways. Merging fresh and packaged ingredients can also help you cut down on the cooking time while you’re preparing your healthy meals on a budget.
The author of this cookbook also has major street cred in the cooking industry, after winning “The Next Food Network Star.”
The recipes in this book are also fantastic for inspiring other meals and flavors by adding just one or two more ingredients and customizing flavors to make each meal your own. This makes homemade cooking ideal for families that have allergy concerns, as well as trying to eat healthy on a budget.
Find it here on Amazon.
Final Thoughts
Having a few cookbooks on hand allows you to focus on each meal’s actual preparation and enjoyment instead of agonizing over each ingredient’s cost. Healthy meals don’t have to be expensive, and any of these cookbooks is a prime example of just that.
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