Healthy Dinner Recipes: Save money, Eat healthy

Eating healthy on a tight budget is easy with these expert money-saving tips for grocery shopping and low-cost meals. The number-one piece of advice: Plan your dinners in advance. It’s easy with these healthy, budget-friendly dinner recipes.

Farfalle with Watercress, Cherry Tomatoes, and Feta

Price per serving: $3.56*

All recipes make four servings.

Ingredients:
8 ounces farfalle pasta
1 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cups watercress leaves (from 2 small bunches)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Place the cheese in a large bowl; top with the watercress. Before draining the pasta, take 1/4 cup of the cooking water from the pot and pour it over the watercress. (Watercress will wilt slightly, and cheese will get soft.) Place the tomatoes in a colander. Drain the pasta over the tomatoes for a super-quick blanch. Toss with the watercress and cheese; sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Souffle Omelet with Zucchini, Artichoke, and Cheddar

Price per serving: $2.63

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 cup chopped tomato
12 large egg whites
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/3 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, artichoke, and tomato. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Set aside. Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they form soft peaks. Add the whole eggs, salt, and pepper; stir. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add the egg mixture. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Using a spatula, slide omelet onto a plate. Return it to the pan with the cooked side facing up; cook 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Place vegetable mixture and cheese on half the egg and fold it over to enclose the filling. Press down lightly with the spatula until omelet holds its shape and the cheese melts.

Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak

Price per serving: $1.81

Ingredients:
Nonstick spray
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
1 flank steak (about 1 pound)

Preheat the broiler and coat a broiler pan with nonstick spray. Combine all ingredients except the steak in a small bowl; rub mixture over steak. Broil 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until cooked. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting diagonally across the grain into thin strips. Serve with a green salad.