Wilson - I Quit Sugar Healthy Family Meals

Growing up, the highlight of every day was the family meal we always ate together. Mum cooked and us kids hovered and helped (mostly because we were always starving and thought this would speed things up). Its how all six of us kids learned to cook - and to truly dine. Each night Dad went around the table and asked what wed done that day; today, he rings us all and compiles our news in a collective email. And I always try to dine at a table with people. Always.

Mum didnt cook fancy nor expensive food. It was all about economy of flavour, time and dollars. Shed use budget cuts of meat, make everything in the one big old cast-iron pot, bulk things out with starchy veggies and ensure we had three serves of greens with every meal.

These principles, in many ways, guide this book. Today, we need cheap meals. But I think the priority is now no-brainer meals that we can get to the table with ease, even if we dont really know how to cook.

There are a bunch of fundamentals that have enabled us to bring you 40 recipes for under $5 per serve (some are even $2 per serve).

To keep things fun, weve tossed in a bunch of very kid-palatable recipes, too. My favourite is the .

Honestly, cooking shouldnt be fancy and expensive. It should have maximum flavour and flow. Im guessing many of you also have principles you learned from Mum or elsewhere that saves time, money and ups the taste ante, yes? Or ways to bring one of our dishes down in price even further! Id love for you to share with us at I Quit Sugar or feel free to post on our Facebook , Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #IQSfamily.

Happy culinary flowing and much wellness to your family,

Recipes

Weve compiled a list of all the essentials you need to keep your meals cheap, quick and healthy.

If theres one thing you need to take away from this cookbook its the beauty of leftovers. Use the guide below to ensure you get the most bang for your buck with each delicious meal.

How to freeze cooked leftovers safely:

Eating healthfully doesnt mean food always needs to be bought or made fresh and organic. In fact, sometimes youll get more flavour and more bang for your buck when you cheat a little. Heres a list of our best cooking cheats that we just had to share.

1. Store-bought curry paste. This stuff is super cheap and packed with flavour. Make sure you check the label and opt for low-sugar varieties. Freeze any leftover paste in ice cube trays to avoid waste.
2. Herbs in a tube. Fresh herbs can be expensive, especially if you dont use them up quickly. Nowadays you can buy them pureed and pre-packed in a tube. While we love fresh, you cant deny the value of the packaged stuff.
3. Minced garlic and ginger in a jar. If you cant be bothered peeling and crushing garlic or ginger you can use the tinned varieties. While you might lose some flavour, the time saved chopping and cleaning utensils could appeal to some.
4. Imperfect picks. Were thrilled to see some of our local supermarkets and grocers promoting the sale of imperfect fruits and vegetables. Theyre still just as tasty and nutritious but theyre sold at a discounted rate because they dont meet industry standards.
5. Store-bought mayo. Lets be real, homemade mayonnaise is great but not everyone has time to whip up a batch. The store-bought stuff is just as good. Make sure you opt for full fat, whole-egg mayonnaise with no artificial flavours or sweeteners.
6. Frozen vegetables. Snap-frozen veggies have been proven to be just as nutritious and in some cases more nutritious than their fresh counterparts. Buy up on them when your favourite veggies arent in season.
   
7. Foods past their use-by date. Were not saying eat off food, but often foods past their best before date are still perfectly fine. Just make sure you freeze or eat them straight away.
8. Unfashionable cuts of meat (stewing meats, mince, offal, hock, etc). Dont turn your nose up to these meats just yet. Theyre often packed with nutrition and cost next to nothing. Joint meats like pork shoulder and lamb leg taste divine when cooked low and slow. Youll see how to do this later in the book.