How To Turn a $50 Grocery Haul into 20 Healthy Meals

If you feel like your grocery bill continues to increase lately, you’re definitely not alone. This series was inspired by my frustration with the rising pricing and my desire to continue to eat healthy meals while still operating within a tight budget.

If you love to eat veggie and protein packed meals but want to cut back that grocery bill, try getting the groceries from the list below, and following along with my recipes!

You can find all of the videos for the series on my Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. Be sure to follow me there for more videos like this! You can also check out my feature on Good Morning America, BuzzFeed, & Yahoo!. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrrojdEPuhk/

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Grocery List:

• 1 lb carrots
• 1 head of celery
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 lemons
• 1 lb chopped kale
• 1 broccoli head
• 1 garlic head
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 10oz raw cashews
• 12oz brown rice pasta (or other pasta of choice)
• 1 package white rice
• 1 package nutritional yeast
• 15oz can full-fat coconut milk
• 15oz can of chickpeas
• 32oz chicken or veggie broth
• 2lbs boneless chicken thighs
• 14oz pack of firm tofu

Household Spices/Sauces:

• olive or avocado oil
• apple cider vinegar
• salt
• black pepper
• italian seasoning
• garlic powder
• smoked paprika
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos
• maple syrup or honey

All 5 of the healthy meals are below – each one serves 3-4 people!

Lemony Chicken Thighs & Rice Bake

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs
• 1 + 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup of white rice
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 of 15oz can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 cups chopped kale
• up to 1 + 1/2 cups water, as needed
• 1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley

preheat oven to 375 degrees and drizzle the olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop.

pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then season all over with the salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and italian seasoning. transfer the chicken to the pan when the olive oil is heated.

cook the chicken to crisp each side, about 5-7 minutes on each side depending on thickness, then set aside on a plate. in the same pan, add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes, then add the minced garlic.

when the onion and garlic are translucent, pour in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes, stirring frequently. add in the lemon juice, chicken broth, and coconut milk and mix to combine.

add in all of the chopped kale and let it wilt down. add up to 1 + 1/2 cups of water as needed to wilt down the kale and make sure all of the rice is covered in liquid. transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked and the chicken has an internal temp of 165 degrees.

serve immediately or store the chicken and rice in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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Creamy Cashew Sauce Pasta & Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1 + 1/4 cups raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
• 12oz brown rice pasta (or pasta of choice)
• 2 small garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 + 1/2 — 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 1 cup chicken or veggie broth (veggie for fully plant based)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 heaping cup broccoli florets (about 1/3 of a head of broccoli)
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

in a large glass container, add all of the cashews and completely cover them with hot water. set aside.

while the cashews soak, boil a pot of water and cook the pasta for ~8 minutes, or until done. during the last 3 minutes, add the chopped broccoli to the pot. drain and set aside.

add the soaked cashews to a food processor or blender along with the garlic, black pepper, salt, italian seasoning, chicken broth, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. blend on high speed until completely smooth. if the sauce is too thick, add some water. if too running, add a few extra cashews.

pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and broccoli and mix to cover everything with sauce. when you’re ready to serve, top with the chopped parsley.

enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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Lemon & Dill Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs
• 1 tsp + 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp + 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 3/4 yellow onion, chopped
• 4-6 celery ribs, chopped
• 3-4 large carrots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water (plus more depending on preference)
• juice + zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 15oz can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

start by heating the oil in a large pot over medium heat and seasoning the chicken thighs all over with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp italian seasoning, & 2 tsp paprika.

when the oil is heated, add in the chicken. fully cook the chicken by letting sit in the oil for about 7-9 minutes on each side, then remove from the pot, cut into small pieces, and set aside.

in the same pot, add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. add in the celery & carrots and sauté until the onion is translucent. add in the garlic and remaining salt, black pepper, & italian seasoning.

mix well and once the spices are incorporated and aromatic, add in the broth, water, lemon juice + zest, & rice. cover the pot and bring to a boil.

once boiling, let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, covered. after the 20 minutes the rice should be fully cooked. you may need to add more water at this point depending on how liquidy you want the soup.

add in the coconut milk, dill, & parsley, and add back the chicken. mix to incorporate and let simmer on low until ready to serve.

enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it.

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Sheet Pan Tofu & Veggies

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 4-6 celery ribs, chopped
• 3-4 large carrots, chopped
• ~2 cups broccoli florets (about 2/3 of a head of broccoli)
• 14oz pack of firm tofu, pressed for 30 min for best results
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2/3 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup coconut aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

preheat your oven to 400 and press the tofu for 30 minutes by wrapping it in a paper towel and putting a heavy weight pan or other object on top (if you don’t have a tofu press).

cut the tofu into even cubes and add it to a large sheet pan with the olive oil, chopped celery, carrots, and broccoli. sprinkle on the salt, pepper, and garlic powder, mix to cover everything and bake for 20 minutes.

while it bakes, make the sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a jar or bowl.

remove the pan from the oven after the 20 minutes, and drizzle it with the sauce. add the raw cashews to the pan as well, then put back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

once you remove from the oven, serve immediately with the chopped parsley on top (and add some rice if you’d like to go with it), or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

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Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas & Cashews

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 15oz can of rinsed chickpeas
• 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ~5 heaping cups of chopped kale
• 3-4 large carrots, finely chopped

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• juice of 1 lemon

preheat your oven to 400 and add the rinsed chickpeas and 2 tbsp of oil to a large sheet pan. season with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, & 1 tsp paprika. use clean hands to cover all of the chickpeas in with the spices, then bake for 15 minutes.

in a bowl mix the cashews with 1 tbsp of oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, and the maple syrup.

after the chickpeas cook for 15 minutes, use a spatula to give it a stir, and add in the cashews, evenly dispersing. bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the chickpeas are crisp.

add the kale to a large bowl and massage 1 tbsp of oil into it. let sit for at least 15 minutes, then add in all of the dressing ingredients and mix. when the chickpea and cashew mixture is done, pour it in along with the carrots.

serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

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As always, I really enjoyed putting this series together! If you have any feedback, my DMs are open!