By SANDRA GUY
Students who want to stay fit through the holidays, but are living on a tight budget, have no fear that you can stay on plan.
Keep in mind these general ideas:
- Add inexpensive greens like cabbage, frozen spinach, or chopped kale to your meals.
- Forget the noodles. Instead, buy carrots or zucchini.
- Swap out rice for “riced” cauliflower.
- Limit or eliminate foods based on white flour.
Here’s one recipe for Tuna and White Bean Salad as an example that uses healthy fish as a nice boost.
Ingredients:
One 15 oz. can white beans ($0.86)
One 5 oz. can chunk light tuna in water ($0.89)
Two whole green onions ($0.19)
One Tbsp lemon juice ($0.06)
One Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
Salt and pepper to taste ($0.05)
Instructions:
- Pour the can of beans into a colander and rinse with cool water. Allow the excess water to drain off.
- Drain the can of tuna. Combine the drained beans and tuna in a bowl.
- Thinly slice the green onions and add to the bowl as well.
- Add the olive oil and lemon juice to the bowl, along with a light sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Taste the mixture and add salt, pepper, or lemon juice to your liking.
Take this time, especially if you’re still spending lots of time at home, to realize your creativity in ways you may have never had time for. Might you be a chef-in-waiting? Even if you just like to experiment with tastes and seasonings, that’s a great start.
Take a deep breath. Being creative in the kitchen can be enormously relaxing and satisfying. Block out, just for now, the stresses of the day and use easily accessible ingredients, or make a list of easily affordable ingredients to pick up at your neighborhood store. No big, exhausting shopping trip required.
Then, after you’ve whipped up your creation, take more deep breathes as you enjoy your warm meal on a cold winter evening. Appreciate your skills and the little things that we take for granted: Hot water, a stove, a microwave, healthy food, and the ability to taste, smell and slowly chew fulfilling goodness.