As anyone can tell you from their childhood (and as I did when growing up), the very definition of junk food doesn’t sit well with me. The concept and practice of consuming highly processed foods for little more than a few calories, in large amounts, and on a daily basis is one that I’m certainly not going to get behind. That being said, there aren’t any quick, easy or healthy meals that fit this bill. When you get down to it, a lot of “junk” food is just refined sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, etc. which means any diet doesn’t really matter anyway because when you go about making your own meals and eating them, they are actually pretty darn delicious. But if you want something fast, easy and healthy, then here we go…
Quick & Chewy Fast Food Meals
Fast food restaurants don’t have much to offer besides cheap, simple dinners, so what do many people do when they are on a budget? Eating at home often means choosing some of our favorites, such as burgers and buns, fried chicken and fries, and hot dogs and drinks. These things take time and effort to make, but they can be made quickly and easily if you know how though. Here are some of my favorite choices:
– Hot Dog Buns: 2 dollars / bun = $6.49. Or 1 penny / bun = $5.75. If you didn’t pay attention to the pricing, these would be overpriced by a long shot. A burger or another type of meat, preferably beef or pork, will set you back just under six bucks. There are also other options such as wraps or salads that pack in the same amount of meat into a smaller portion that won’t cost you all that much either. You might even find yourself craving a bag of chips or onion rings! Just remember to leave room on the side — usually between four and nine dollars — so that you can order whatever else is left.
– Meat Lovers: Beef Cuts: Two dollars / slice, 4 dollars / 3-inch piece, 6 dollars / two 5 inch pieces.. If you aren’t a fan of beef, you can go with something similar — such as chicken or sausage. Even better, look around at the various cut portions of meats. Most cuts come with three different cooking methods, ranging from deep fat frying, pan frying, grilling, roasting, salting, scrambling, and breading. Some of these combinations allow you to get those awesome flavors without paying much extra money. I promise you, the flavor you see, tastes amazing when you cook the meat as opposed to purchasing it pre-cooked. For example, let’s say that you like lamb chops. This combo allows you to serve your choice of either ham or bacon, plus some sauerkraut or potato salad that will still taste great (if you choose!). Now, if you want to try other types of meat, there are plenty of suggestions available online and in book stores. One interesting note is that most stores even offer free samples of these types of meat. So if you enjoy anything steak, you might as well give them a chance, plus you can save even more money that way by buying the whole bag of cuts that come with the sample that you need! On this case, just use common sense, just like you would with a hamburger. It’s just quicker.
– Fried Chicken : Five dollars / chicken = $5.50. Of course, you could also grill or poach, depending on your preference. Remember too that even the simplest sandwich can add significantly.
– Pizza Margherita: Four dollars / pizza = $4.84. Another option is Italian pizza, which is commonly advertised as coming with a hefty price tag, but it isn’t. We’ll talk about that later. All of these prices can easily change based on inflation and other variable factors outside of personal preference, but you can expect to see an overall decrease in costs when compared to other restaurants. How convenient they can be, especially compared to traditional grocery shopping! What could be worse than that? My guess: no chips, sodas, candy, cookies, gum or candy for dessert.
– Diner Buffet Meals : Three dollars / meal = $3.79/meal. Not only does this mean a huge savings when compared with eating out at a restaurant, it can also help reduce the stress that comes with eating out. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to make new friends.
– Hamburger Sandwich : Half a dollar / burger = $3.50. This one will help keep you busy until lunchtime, or until dinner if you decide to eat in. It really has nothing to do with calories at all! Although you would be hard pressed to find someone who isn’t satisfied with this particular combination of ingredients.
– Potato Salad Sandwich: Six cents / serving = $6.50. Potatoes, onions, tomatoes; that’s just the start. They could also be used to fill sandwiches, burritos, biscuits or quesadillas. Your choice of cheese; however, you could stick with cheddar or black olives, although they don’t seem to be nearly as popular with me, except for the fact of needing a separate ingredient for every topping. Also, remember to put the cream cheese in the middle to eliminate the need for dipping the bread. Finally, just keep in mind that potatoes can come with lots of carbohydrates in addition to being full of nutrients too. Just make sure to check the nutrition label, and then proceed according to the directions on the package or menu from the company. In terms of quality versus quantity of vegetables, I personally prefer the latter. Yes, that includes the dressing, however, it was always nice to get both.
– Burger Meal: One dollar / meal = $1.60. Again, this doesn’t include fries, cheese, condiments, or toppings, which can vary wildly from place to place and at times at retail stores on the shelves. However, you might be able to get away with a decent burger if you limit your order to your liking. Don’t worry though, the actual meat remains the same, which means that the rest of that portion can stay exactly where it needs to. To avoid having a bad day, never stop exercising! Just kidding, you’re actually doing good for yourself.
– Cheese BLT: Five dollars / sandwich = $4.15. Again, this comes down to your preferences, especially given that you can get some cheese options for a reasonable price. Depending on the variety of cheese used, the texture of the cheese will determine how healthy it tastes, but again, just make sure to read the nutritional information on the packaging and instructions.
– Creamy Pot Pie: Eight dollars / pie = $8.30. Sometimes called French Bread, this is a comfort food, but with a distinct twist, meaning it’s far healthier than typical pies, and has fewer carbohydrates. This is one of my absolute favorites, especially if you enjoy chocolate chip cookies or apple crumble. Note that you will still be paying for this combination. If you don’t like sweet potatoes, then you may want to opt for apples. You could skip all of the ingredients and use almond flour instead – which helps in keeping bread flat and prevents crumbs from building up. It’s delicious, I can’t lie. Though, you’ll likely notice that the starch levels will increase as time goes by, causing indigestion. Stick with plain white rice, since there’s no milk or eggs involved. No worries if you don’t like butter in your coffee. Simply add a spoonful whenever you’re feeling fancy. Oh, and this pie is definitely worth giving a second thought. Afterall, desserts can do wonders for weight loss, especially if you replace sugary ones with nutritious alternatives like bananas, oats, dates and almonds.
– Macaroni & Cheese Spread: Seven bucks / cup – two slices, $7.59. A light and filling spread from the supermarket aisle. Use it along with crackers with your usual spreads to enhance your macaroni and cheese spread. Don’t worry, though, you won’t be able to miss it at all. By the way, it’s totally fine in a microwave for 30 seconds or so. Trust me.
– Bacon Wrapped Eggs: Four dollars / egg, 4 dollars / quarter, 2 dollars / bite. Honestly, you should buy more! Do it once, or you’ll get through an entire stack of bacon. It’s a perfect combination that tastes fantastic! However, be careful, since it contains cholesterol which is why the brand named it after bacon and not a plant-based product (which means it doesn’t contain all the calories).
– Popcorn: Four dollars / ounce. Only eight dollars for the biggest sack possible. Really, this is one of my favorite snacks. I love popcorn because it’s low in calories, high in fiber, rich in protein and super tasty. But the added sugars in the form of corn syrup and artificial sweeteners make it quite expensive, which is understandable if you’ve ever been guilty of eating too many snack cakes in the past while watching TV. Still, you can always consider substituting for store bought corn kernels.
– Frosted Green Beans: Nine dollars per small batch = $9.99. These may be less tasty than regular green beans, but hey a seven buck! If you think you’d prefer the crunchier varieties, these are even cheaper. Either way, it’s better than nothing.
– Steak Soup: Twelve bucks / soup
