These are my biggest challenges when it comes to eating right. I'm a single mom of two active boys who are both in school. Getting them to school, daycare, sports, birthday parties, etc., keeps me very busy so I often don't have enough time to make meals that are both healthy and band-friendly. Additionally, I've taken a paycut recently, so the food budget is pretty small. Does anyone have ideas for quick, healthy meals that are also economical? Or am I shooting for the moon here? I'm getting a little burned out on cheese and lunch meat.

I have a suggestion that may help. On foodnetwork.com there is a section from one of the shows on feeding four people for $10.00. I have never tried it but it looks pretty good. The recipies should be on the website. They also have a lot of other healthy meal recipies that are budget friendly too. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the suggestion!! I'm gonna go check that out right now.

This isn't a recipe suggestion, but it's been useful to me. I always try to fix a healthy dinner for my husband and I, and since it is just the two of us there is usually extra left over. Any leftovers there are go into the freezer in 3/4 to one cup portions. This has made it really easy for me to just grab something (usually for lunch or for when my husband has a fast food craving for dinner) and heat it up, knowing it's healthy and just the right amount.

I work, study and have three children.

I tend to cook in large batches in the slow cooker, its expensive to go out and buy the ingredients, but once you portion it out into several family meals, its way better economy than stuff like cheese and lunch meat.

We focus more on fresh vegies and we also eat a lot of things like lentils and chick peas (I have batches of lentil dahl in the freezer at the moment) and Soups like minestrone. I also do a great zucchini and leek Soup that costs hardly anything.

The thing with healthy cooking is the time, more than the cost. Healthy food is only expensive when you buy in small amounts, single meals, expensive cuts of meat etc. As to the time, well I'm short on it too, but I manage most of the time to do it, and I manage to run daily too, its just a matter of having to do it.

I devote a good part of a weekend day once every couple of weeks and that means i only have to cook a fresh meal a couple of nights a week.

How long does it really take to chop up some vegies - carrots, celery, cucumber and zucchini, and throw a tub of hummus on the bench for you all to lunch on? Or to whip up a quick salad?

Its a mindset and time isnt really a hindrance once you get into it. But I know what you mean, this failing to shop, failing to cook and falling to junk food at the last minute because there was nothing in the house was my WORST habit and probably the main reason I became overweight. It was realising that I was doing it to my family as well as myself that motivated me the most to change.

I love wraps! Quick, easy and low cost. If I have leftover chicken, or cook 1 chicken breast I can get 4 or more wraps out of it once it's sliced. My granddaughter loves peanut butter on a wrap with sliced bananas. My favorite is sliced chicken with sauteed fresh spinach and red pepper, or chicken with thinly sliced apples, water chestnuts and FF ranch dressing. You can make lots of combinations. I can feed my husband,myself for less than $5.00 depending what I have in the cabinet/fridge and the kids think it's fun food. I buy bonless chicken breasts when they are on sale and freeze them individually, this way I can take out only the amount I need. There are some fun ground beef/turkey combinations too!

You have several good suggestions.

I would add planning. I try to do my major shopping one time a week - and stick to my list! It is very helpful because the food is in the fridge/cupboard and I don't have to think about what I am going to make. I may have to swing by the store for fresh produce or milk, but that is it.

I am also a fan of the crock pot - through it in first thing in the morning and it is done when you get home from work at the end of the day.