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It’s true that eating well is perhaps the best investment you’ll make—in life and health. That said, there’s no reason to believe that going Primal means breaking the bank. Looking for delicious Primal recipes that make it possible to eat well within your means?Who among us isn’t? These budget-friendly Primal recipes put a satisfying meal on the table without the enormous grocery bill.

Buy Meat on Sale

Printing out recipes and meal planning is a great idea, but if you stick strictly to your shopping list at the meat counter, you’ll usually pay more.  Instead, try building your meals around meat that’s on sale.

An easy way to meal plan and take advantage of sales is to buy sale meat and freeze it. The next week, when you’re making a grocery list, check your freezer first and plan meals around the meat you’ve already bought.

Ground meat is often on sale, so stock up the freezer and keep these recipes handy:

Larb

Sweet Potato Chili

Pasta Sauce

Salisbury Steak

Unstuffed Cabbage

Swedish Meatballs

Picadillo

Buy Larger, Less Expensive Cuts of Meat

Pork shoulder and chuck roast are good examples of less-expensive cuts of meat that can feed a large family or provide several meals for a smaller one.  If you’re single, then freeze individual portions of the cooked meat for easy lunches and dinners.

Instant Pot Pork Curry

Coconut Ginger Pork

Crispy Carnitas

Pot Roast

Learn to Love Liver

Liver is nutrient dense, filling, and inexpensive. This healthy and inexpensive protein doesn’t have to be a main course, it can also be served as an appetizer or side dish.

Grilled Chicken Livers

Liver Stir Fry

Chicken Liver Pate

Meatless Mondays

Work more veggies into your diet, and save a little money while you’re at it, by skipping meat once a week. For protein, throw a couple fried eggs on a salad or make a frittata as the main course.

Cacio Pepe

Slow Baked Frittata

Squash Frittata

Chilaquiles

Shakshuka

Soup

A big pot of soup is both nourishing and a great way to use up random odds and ends in the refrigerator. Chicken stock simmered with chopped vegetables from the back of the fridge (or a bag of frozen veggies) plus bits of leftover meat makes a surprisingly good meal. Or, start from scratch with any of these delicious soup recipes.

Cabbage Soup

Wonton Soup

Broccoli Spinach Soup

The post Primal Recipes On a Budget appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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My kids love to help me cook. They’re 3 and 5, so they’re medium-helpful, but they love to be involved, and I love to teach them about food and cooking (and math and science, too, as it’s all part of the same thing) while we work together.

Those are the good moments. In between, it’s a total mess — they’e not listening to directions, and they’re fighting over who gets to do what and eating all the food before you have a chance to even cook it. Is it just us?

But based on our many cooking experiences (and discussing it with my parent friends), there are things you can do to make cooking a pleasant and frequent part of your routine. Here’s what we could all do to make it easier to cook with kids.

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Attention, ladies: If you hate doing the dishes, we have some news that might make you hate it even more. New research from the Council of Contemporary Families looked at how the division of labor of specific household tasks impact relationship quality. Obviously, sharing chores is important for reducing relationship discord. (Less resentment!) It’s just that, when it comes to happiness, some chores are more crucial than others.

For men, the most important chore was the household shopping. The guys who split that task with their partner reported greater sexual and relationship satisfaction compared to men who did most or very little of the shopping. For women, the chore that impacted their relationship satisfaction the most was, you guessed it, dish duty.

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The last time I went to Trader Joe’s, the cashier only said “Oooh, great choice!” about two or three of the dozen-ish items I’d selected, remaining unnervingly quiet as he dragged everything else across the scanner. I stared at the pattern on his shirt until the flowers all blurred together, wondering what I’d done wrong. Why didn’t he seem impressed by all of my choices?

As I carried my shopping bags through the parking lot, avoiding drivers who were blind to everything but cauliflower rice and gluten-free chicken nuggets, it hit me: He’d only complimented the cheeses.

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Trader Joe’s has a secret. It’s not a dark secret, of course. I mean, we’re talking about Trader Joe’s, after all.

When anonymous employees took to Reddit to spill the dark secrets about their places of employment, the big reveal about Trader Joe’s was that everyone really was actually that nice and liked working there.

It turns out that Trader Joe’s biggest secret is completely adorable: In most stores the employees are playing a low-key game of hide-and-seek with all the kids who come in.

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This creamy risotto, spiked with salty Parmesan and topped with sweet, juicy roasted shrimp, has a lot going for it. There’s the slight edge of fancy, as risotto is something many of us eat at restaurants but not at home. And yet it’s so comforting — a simple homestyle dish, really. It’s also not difficult.

One of the nicest things about risotto is even if you turn one out that’s not quite technically perfect in the classical sense — rice a little too soft, sauce not creamy enough, the dish a bit dry — it’s still a really good meal.

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There is a mom out there who came up with an ingenious idea for storing all her baby’s bottles. The idea is so smart that her Facebook post about it (meant just for her friends) quickly became a viral sensation.

I mean, of course it did — because storing all that baby gear in an already-full kitchen is tricky. And bottles are especially hard because they’re lightweight and tip over at the drop of a hat, causing a total domino effect.

Ready to have your mind blown? Keep reading to see this mom’s brilliant solution.

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One of the tricks to making a salad you’d totally eat for dinner is to riff on something you already consider hearty and filling. That’s the thinking behind this chicken and rice noodle salad, inspired by Vietnamese bún xào.

This version starts with lemongrass- and ginger-marinated chicken that’s tossed with a tangle of rice noodles, a mess of crunchy vegetables and herbs, and an umami-rich dressing. Whip it up at the end of the day, or prep it during your weekend meal prep and enjoy it hot or cold for dinner.

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With all the springtime gatherings coming up — Mother’s Day, graduations, bridal showers — knowing how to make a killer cheese board will go a long way. No matter the crowd, a cheese board provides a little something for everyone. But having all that variety can mean one thing: making a big dent in your wallet.

That’s where Aldi comes in. With the cult store’s unbeatable prices, you can put together a beautiful, impressive cheese board without breaking the bank.

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You’ll almost never find our kitchens without a can or two of black beans stocked in the pantry. This versatile ingredient can be used in so many different ways. From soups and chilis to enchiladas and salads, the possibilities are seemingly endless. We chose our 15 favorite black bean recipes to get you started with something new.

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