Saturday Throwback: How to Tell if a Recipe is Cheap and Healthy Just by Looking at it

Tuesday 1 March 2016


Though it might seem intuitive, determining a recipe’s cost and nutritional value can get pretty complicated, pretty quickly. Ingredient prices can add up before you know it, and a combination of fats, meats, and cheeses will take a toll on your calorie count without even registering on your radar. And sometimes, even the most harmless-looking dishes, like All Recipes’ Greek Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers, and Feta, can run you $2 and 42 grams of fat per serving.

So, how can you tell if a dish is good for you, just by looking at it? How can you avoid the pitfalls of secretly fatty and financially unsound food? How can you err on the side of caution when it comes to cooking?

Look no further, sweet readers. We’ve got you covered. If your recipe source doesn’t give a nutritional breakdown and you’re unsure of the potential cost, these tips will help you decide whether the money/waistline expenditures are worth the trouble. If you have any suggestions, be sure to include them in the comment section.