A Way to Eat Well, Cheap, and Healthy For a Week

I don't know why I don't do this more often.  Actually, I do:  laziness.  But here goes:

One day, make a big meal:

Roast Chicken
Broccoli (head)
Roast Potatoes (get a good amount)

Cost:  $12-15

This takes time, but is relatively easy.  Just stuff the chicken with a lemon, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic.  (there are many other ways as well, but it is overall pretty simple).  Put the chicken on top of the cut up potatoes and cook on 350 for 1-1.5 hours.

Cook the broccoli separate however you prefer (I steam).

When done, this meal is large and can serve 3-4.  In my case, it served 2 and we had tons of leftovers.

The chicken will be delicious.  I forget how tasty roast chicken is -- very juicy when you cook the whole bird.  The potatoes are delicious too as all the chicken juice and oil and salt and pepper falls into them and seasons them.  Broccoli is broccoli and good for you.

I ate this meal for 3 servings:  2 the first night, and then another full dinner of leftovers the next night.

And there are still major leftovers.  Here is what you do with them:

1.  Shred all the leftover chicken you can get from carving the roast
2.  Keep the carcass
3.  Remember you still have Broccoli and Potatoes

Chicken Soup / Jook

I make Jook, a Chinese porridge, but it is basically a form of chicken rice soup.

Take the carcass and put in a pot.  Fill with 3-4 stalks of celery and 1 cut up onion. (you can add other stuff, the chinese do, but this is a basic broth)  Fill with water.  Boil.  Then simmer for 2-3 hours.  After that, strain all the veggies and chicken and you have a broth.  You can remove the remaining chicken from the carcass easily and set aside.  Put in a cup of rice and again boil.  Cook the rice in the broth and then add back in the shredded chicken from the carcass.  You can also add pork bits or anything else for flavor, including salt and or pepper.  You could use noodles instead of rice.  Either way, this will make you a huge tub of soup.  (extra cost: $4-8)

This will be about 10 servings of soup that can be eaten anytime.

Chicken Pasta

With the shredded chicken (not from the carcass), you can make a simple pasta.  Just grab a green pepper and/or jalapeno pepper.  Dice garlic and toss in jalapeno and green pepper all in olive oil.  Add some lemon.  Toss in the cooked chicken after it has all sauteed a bit.  Boil pasta.  Drain.  Add the rest and parm cheese.  Simple and tasty.  (extra cost:  $3-4)

You also have leftover broccoli and potatoes.  Make breakfast with them.  Dice garlic and cook broccoli with garlic and oil.  Crack two eggs and mix in with garlic and broccoli for a scramble.  Throw some cheese (whatever flavor you have).  Heat up potatoes.   There is your breakfast.  (extra cost:  $1-2)

Bottom line, here is what you get for about $25-30:

3 full roast chicken, broccoli, and potatoes dinner meals (full dinner)
2 full chicken pasta primavera meals (lunch or light dinner)
10 servings of soup (5 breakfast/lunch/dinner small meals)
1-2 full breakfast meals

I'd say it works about to be about 10 meals for $30 to be conservative with the cost.  Of course, you'll have to assume certain costs, like salt and pepper and oil, and other things.  But $3 a pop is pretty damn cheap for the quality and level at what you get.  Plus, basically everything is healthy.

It does take time, but not a ton of labor.  So it is good if you are around the house a lot.