Victoria Seaver, M. Victoria Seaver is a registered dietitian and Associate Editorial Director for EatingWell. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics and food science and her masters degree and dietetic internship at the University of Vermont.

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The minute recipe features favorites from the Mediterranean diet, including chicken , feta cheese, olives , and tomatoes, for a meal bursting with flavor that still feels light. We'll never say no to pasta dinners , but sometimes, we're more in the mood for potatoes. On those nights, we turn to gnocchi, a traditional potato-based Italian dumpling.

This healthy dinner brings together sweet corn , arugula, and a plethora of seasonings to make one delicious dinner that you'd never guess is budget-friendly. The veggies amp up the nutrients, too. It's a great choice when you're looking for low-sodium recipes too.

Turn a classic pork chop into a tangy, tropical meal. Orange marmalade creates a simple yet mouthwatering glaze and becomes a refreshing topping when mixed with yogurt. Grilled pineapple slices on the side lend their bold sweetness to this new grill-season favorite.

When you need a cheap, easy, healthy meal, it's time for a stir-fry. The pre-chopped packaged frozen vegetables save time in the kitchen and keep you below your grocery budget without sacrificing nutrition.

Lighten the meal more by opting for low-cal bottled plum sauce and low-sodium soy sauce. No matter how wiped out you are at the end of a busy day, you can still cook an egg. Here we scramble only the whites for a cheap, healthy breakfast-for-dinner option that's salad-y but packed with protein to help you feel satisfied.

Mac and cheese probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of nutritious dinner ideas. You probably associate it more with an indulgent childhood lunch. But when you use whole-grain pasta, broccoli, carrots , and reduced-fat cheese, it transforms into a healthy dinner recipe on a budget.

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By Food, wine, and travel writer Wini Moranville is the author of "Everyday French Cooking: Modern French Cuisine Made Simple. Wini Moranville. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process.

and Karla Walsh began her career at FITNESS magazine in Karla Walsh. Fact checked by Marcus Reeves is an experienced writer, publisher, and fact-checker. Fact checked by Marcus Reeves. Learn about BHG's Fact Checking Process. Trending Videos. for Speedy Meals. View Recipe. The 7 Best Small Slow Cookers for Entertaining, Meal Prep, and More, According to Testing.

Tip Look for the dough in the refrigerated section of your supermarket or ask your local pizza shop if you can purchase an extra pound of their secret recipe! The 9 Best Nonstick Pans of One Pot Pasta Recipes Make a Delicious Dinner with Minimal Cleanup.

The Best Indoor Grills to Buy When It's Just Too Hot to Grill Outdoors. These Cuban Recipes Amp Up the Flavor at Your Dinner Table.

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One-Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta Chicken Alfredo Penne Avocado Quinoa Power Salad

Quick and inexpensive dining choices - Zucchini Noodles with Kale Pesto One-Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta Chicken Alfredo Penne Avocado Quinoa Power Salad

In the s and 60s, people thought iceberg lettuce was suave and sophisticated so the lettuce wedge became a popular salad in restaurants. Even though it's made a comeback now, it's basically a head of lettuce that is mostly water, drizzled in ranch dressing. For the best salad value, choose one that you couldn't create at home, with ingredients like fresh lobster or sirloin to justify the cost.

Relaxing with a glass of wine is a reason many patrons enjoy dining out, and restaurateurs enjoy you enjoying that. And why not?

The markup on wine is usually around percent, and it's not uncommon for it to be higher. How do restaurants justify that markup? Well, a food critic for the San Francisco Chronicle said that a markup of at least 2. Also, the profit margin on wine by the glass is sometimes higher than by the bottle because the restaurant may be left with opened bottles that they have to use quickly or throw away.

For some, paying that high price to have a glass of wine is part of the package, but if you want to avoid this budget buster, see if you can bring your own wine. Many restaurants allow this and simply charge a corkage fee.

Many people order seafood in restaurants because it's perceived as a higher value, healthier choice than other proteins. We think that seafood is better quality, more exclusive and therefore worth the expense.

Sometimes this is true, but sometimes, seafood is just another menu budget buster. We'd not only expect that, we'd pay it. Then, you have the issue of quality. Maryland crab cakes are delicious, but "Maryland-style" crab cakes mean those crustaceans hale from another, less exclusive locale though you'll pay a Chesapeake Bay price.

Another example where you might not get what you're paying for is a seafood medley or fruits de mer fruits of the sea dish.

Your shellfish -- shrimp, lobsters, mussels, oysters and clams -- are your high dollar items, but you'll probably also have other swimmers mixed in to give the dish quantity and help the restaurant manage raw food costs.

So, what do you do if you want to enjoy some good quality seafood? Ask where it's from. If you want shellfish, order the lobster, mussels or clams and leave the other fruits de mer out at sea.

Whether it's the Blue Plate Special or the Chef's Special, almost all restaurants have that limited-time- only dish. But is this a truly unique dish from a creative chef, a pricing scam or something the kitchen need to get rid of before it expires?

The answer could be all three. A daily special is often a way for the chef to get creative, and spice up the menu for the restaurant's regular diners. But, it can also be a way to establish a pricing structure and manage diners' perceptions. Specials can also be ways to get rid of surplus.

If the salmon is not moving quickly enough, it may end up as a "Salmon Surprise" that week. Additionally, if that particular restaurant does catering or hosts special events, they may have leftovers they need to use.

Specials also give restaurants pricing flexibility. Specials are a temporary item on the menu, if they're listed at all, so the chef can change prices based on changing costs or low sales. To avoid busting your budget on a daily special, ask some questions about the preparation to help determine how special things really are.

Once upon a time, desserts were a way for restaurants to make easy money. But, with the popularity of the pastry chef today, every fine dining restaurant in town features signature desserts, complex tarts and labor-intensive delicacies.

So, if you want a little value for your dollar, order the dessert and watch the restaurant work for it. Breakfast is a favorite pastime, especially on the weekends.

But, unless you order the omelet stuffed with crab and lobster, you're probably spending too much. How do most people begin their breakfast?

With a cup of joe. The mark-up is about percent and a profitable item for a restaurant, regardless of refills. And, we're not even discussing the skinny, soy-milk, and whipped cream specialty coffees.

Orange juice isn't much different. Imagine a 64 ounce 1. You don't have to be a math genius to know this is a triple digit markup. On to the food: The majority of breakfast items like pancakes and egg dishes are highly profitable and cheap to make.

Syrup, especially if it's a fancy specialty, may be the costliest part of your meal. Omelets are no different. Bacon, ham, turkey, peppers, tomatoes -- regardless of the type or style are still very inexpensive ingredients and unless specified, fairly generic and purchased in bulk.

In other words, don't expect gourmet mushrooms or organic tomatoes in that omelet. With appetizers and side dishes, restaurant-goers have a hard time determining a good value.

Subsequently, these items are more profitable for the establishment. The entrée is your main focus and that's what sets the standard. Jody Pennette, the founder of CB5 Restaurant Group, told Forbes in October that the prices on appetizers and side dishes had increased disproportionately to the raw food costs of these items.

This gives restaurants a nice cash cow. Another trick of the trade -- use mysterious ingredients that your average person doesn't eat or use. If you don't cook with lavender, use truffles or Beluga caviar in your recipes, you won't know what they should cost.

The presence of that exotic element in your appetizer or side dish justifies the higher price, regardless of the quantity or quality used in the recipe. So, skip the appetizer or extra side dish, and not only for cost reasons.

Ordering them leaves you less likely to finish your entrée. That's leaving money on the table. Another thing leaving money on the table? Most people enjoy pasta , and what's not to love?

It's filling, it's tasty, it works with seafood, meat or primavera and it's one of the more affordable items on the restaurant menu. But appearances can be deceiving. Earlier we mentioned that food costs average between 30 and 42 percent of menu prices, average being the operative word.

Pasta, for example, brings that number down which is why restaurant owners love you to choose the penne over the beef. Pasta costs around 18 percent of menu price, so restaurants can make a killing. Even served with shrimp, veal or fancy mushrooms, there is still a nice profit margin factored into most pasta dishes.

So, if pasta is a restaurant rip-off, what should you order? According to Clark Wolfe, a restaurant consultant from New York in a Forbes article, "Choose labor-intensive, time-consuming complex dishes that call for hard-to-find ingredients.

Wolfe added, "If you can whip it up yourself in 20 minutes with stuff from your kitchen cupboard -- do that. In other words, go hard or go home. And we think that especially applies to the next item on our list. If you're familiar with comic strips, you know Popeye, the spinach-eating sailorman.

One of Popeye's friends, Wimpy, was a bit of a mooch with an insatiable appetite for hamburgers. Today's restaurant patrons are no different. However, the new gourmet burgers are enough to make anyone, including Wimpy, reconsider his options.

But, today's restaurants have found ways to spice up the standard hamburger, and in doing so, command a higher price tag. Chefs add unique burger toppings like foie gras, special mushrooms or truffles; stuff patties with lobster or gruyere cheese or make them with Kobe beef, ostrich, or salmon.

Spices and spreads like pesto, curry or wasabi are other ways to jazz up this standard fare. In the minds of customers, this also elevates the burger from the sandwich category into fine dining. But, with these sophisticated ingredients, you get a very small portion relative to the price.

How many truffles fit on a burger? How much wasabi do you need on the bun? Do a few lobster pieces justify the cost?

To avoid this budget buster, stick to your good, old-fashioned burger. You may not feel as classy, but you'll get a better bang for your buck and still love the taste. But we're so obsessed with this cheap, healthy meal, we eat it all year. Instead of calling for bacon or ham, our vegetarian variation of this rice and black-eyed peas dish features several spices and heaps of veggies, including bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and frozen corn.

The spice—and the price—are right for this Indian-inspired cheap, healthy meal. Serve the turmeric- and ginger-infused grilled chicken on a bed of basmati rice included in the price estimate to round out the meal. Save leftover sliced meat to tuck inside warm pita bread or a tortilla for a lunch wrap the next day.

Meatloaf secures a top spot on the list of easy, cheap, healthy meals when you use lean ground beef and boost the filling factor with inexpensive spuds. And don't you love how sheet-pan dinners like this one require so little cleanup time? Cooking everything on one foil-lined pan speeds it up.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a delivery pizza as affordable as this homemade healthy dinner recipe. Start with store-bought dough to make the Mediterranean meal a practical choice, even on a weeknight. Look for the dough in the refrigerated section of your supermarket or ask your local pizza shop if you can purchase an extra pound of their secret recipe!

Noodle dishes are known to be easy on the wallet. Not so much. Fortunately, a small handful of heart-healthy nuts can go a long way to add a rich flavor to cheap, healthy meals like this one. Whole wheat noodles help too. Low in fat 6 grams per portion yet high in protein a strong 28 grams , this five-ingredient slow cooker pork recipe checks all the boxes.

Only 10 minutes of prep required. Indeed—it's one of the lowest-cost options in this collection of cheap, healthy meals.

Here's a cheap, healthy vegetarian meal you'll want to make again and again. With 24 grams of protein and a nice portion of hunger-taming broth and noodles, this soup will fill you up for hours. Meat-like portobello mushrooms , tofu , and a poached egg join fresh veggies in this cozy, crowd-pleasing Asian noodle soup.

Breaded with whole wheat panko and baked instead of fried, this eggplant Parmesan is calories less than some classic recipes.

Keep your nutrition streak going by grabbing a couple of zucchini at the store to spiralize , toss with the rest of the marinara , and serve under the baked eggplant. Voilà—a budget dinner recipe for four that tastes up to par with its restaurant competition.

A few decades ago, "stretch the meat" was the mantra for cutting costs at dinnertime. It's still a great strategy for making cheap, healthy meals even more affordable. Here wide egg noodles , mushrooms, and a bit of cheese extend 8 ounces of ground beef to provide five hearty servings.

One bite will be all the proof you need that you can absolutely make satisfying suppers without making meat the main event. Instead of refried beans, this flavorful Mexican entrée —ready in 30 minutes—features a creamy cauliflower puree.

If you're hungry and have leftover chicken or shrimp , toss them in too. the serving size can be cut in half for an easy, healthy dinner recipe for two on a budget.

To maximize your cheap, healthy dinner recipes, never let any ingredients go to waste. Instead, use any leftover pesto in these quick and easy pesto recipes. Turn budget-friendly shaved cooked ham into a delicacy by serving it on mashed sweet potatoes and topping it with cranberry sauce.

This healthy dinner recipe on a budget offers a taste of Thanksgiving any time of year. Not into ham or craving more holiday spirit? Try this with sliced smoked turkey instead.

Your favorite Tuscan-inspired restaurant may not be the first place you'd head to get inspiration for healthy meals on the cheap. But much of this Italian region's cuisine is humble and healthy.

Tuscan cooks are fond of using cannellini beans. Here the beans partner with other great Mediterranean diet -friendly ingredients for a true-to-Italy dish that won't break the bank or your nutrition goals. When coming up with cheap, healthy meals, consider cooking with whitefish.

The affordable and lean protein is mild enough to please even picky eaters. Enjoy it on these crowd-pleasing tostadas perfectly seasoned with chili powder, garlic, and lime. On the hunt for affordable, healthy meals that work for dinner or brunch? Get cracking—eggs, that is.

Here protein-rich, budget-friendly eggs pair with other pantry staples for a cheap and easy recipe under calories per serving. Save even more money when you substitute dried herbs you have on hand for the fresh herbs. Start planning your next chili night now.

This low-cost slow cooker chili recipe can be prepped in 25 minutes. Stir everything together in the slow cooker early in the day and come home to a healthy dinner loaded with veggies and 14 grams of protein.

Sticking to healthy meals on a budget often means driving past your favorite eatery and straight home. But with nutritious restaurant remakes like this, you can don't have to miss out on take-out flavor while saving money, sodium, and calories. Not only does this well-balanced pasta recipe clock in at under calories per serving, but it also takes only 20 minutes to prepare.

Comforting chili flavors, pasta, and cheese make this meal a family favorite. Oh yes, and it all comes together in one pan. Grilling vegetables brings out their natural sweetness; in this recipe, they're spiced and seasoned to give the fajitas extra flavor. Bonus: If you grill no matter the season , this dish belongs in your regular rotation of budget-friendly healthy dinner recipes because you can find these veggies any time of year.

Burger night just earned itself a healthy vegetarian upgrade. Here we blend fiber- and protein-rich chickpeas with warm spices, sear them to crisp perfection, then serve with crunchy, good-for-you veggies. Whole wheat noodles, no-salt-added canned tomatoes, and shrimp make this delicious meal surprisingly low-cal and nutritious.

Use frozen shrimp instead of fresh to cut the cost of the seafood. Just don't skip the pinch of crushed red pepper flakes—they give this healthy meal on a budget just enough kick. How many cheap, healthy meals can you make without chopping anything?

This is one of the rare few. It's a no-knife-needed, "dump and done" slow cooker recipe for when you have no more than 10 minutes of hands-on prep time to spare.

This slow cooker dump dinner might be the easiest of all: It requires no chopping or measuring. How easy is that? Six ingredients, 10 minutes of prep time, and great flavor combine to make this a cheap, healthy dinner idea for any night of the week. Since they're often loaded with affordable rice, canned veggies, and ground meat, stuffed peppers are one of the best dinner ideas to keep your wallet stuffed too.

Thanks to Cuban elements like briny olives, earthy almonds, and sweet raisins, this recipe is wildly flavorful. We know that combo might sound different from what you'd usually pair with beef and brown rice, but we bet you and your dinner companions will be blown away.

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