I was on TV showing off my absolute favorite cost-efficient salads that kids and adults BOTH will eat (and love)! Watch the segment to learn more about them and check out the recipes, average prices and PFC breakdown below:

1) Tuna salad in cucumber boats:

• One can of tuna, drained ($.68)
• One cucumber, ($.50) Cut in half the short way, then cut the two halves the long way and scoop out the seeds with a spoon — so they look like canoes!
• 1/3 c. mayo ($.59)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• You can add some chopped onion or anything that you have, like dill or lemon juice to taste!)

Makes 1 serving. Approximate total cost per serving: $1.77

P: tuna
F: mayo
C: cucumber and any other veggies

2) Canned chicken over greens with a simple dressing:

Dressing ingredients:

• 1/4c. oil (preferably olive oil) ($.56)
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar (about $.15)
• 1 Tsp. mustard (if you have some, but not necessary) ($.10)
• A few dashes of any spices that you have on hand (oregano, parsley, basil, dill, garlic powder, etc.)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Put several handfuls of greens on your plate and top with the canned chicken that has been DRAINED. Pour dressing over chicken and greens. Add 1/4 cup of any nuts that you have, either on top of the salad, or eat them on the side!

Makes 2 servings. Approximate total cost per serving: $1.61

P: chicken
F: oil and nuts if you include them
C: greens

3) Hard boiled eggs, bean dip and veggies for dipping:

• One can of beans, with the liquid drained ($.68)
• 1/4 cup of onion (if you have it, otherwise 1/4 tsp. onion powder will work, or if you don’t have either, you can omit them altogether!) ($.25)
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (depending on how much you like garlic and if its available) (.20)
• A few Tbsp of oil (preferably olive) ($.30)
• Any spices you might have, like cumin or chili powder (but not necessary)
• Salt & Pepper
• 2-3 hard boiled eggs ($1.50/doz, —$.25 for 2 eggs,)
• About 1- 1 1/4 c. veggies prepped for dipping

Add all of the above ingredients except the hard boiled eggs and veggies to a blender and blend until they reach your desired “bean dip consistency.” Eat 1/2 cup serving of the dip with any veggies you have on hand: celery, carrot sticks, cucumber, broccoli—anything! If you have cheese you can melt it on top of the dip for some added goodness!

To hard boil the eggs, bring a pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the eggs to the water, and cover the pot. Get a large bowl of cold water with ice ready in the sink. Let them boil for 12 minutes, then take the pot off of the stove. Put the eggs into the ice water, and let them sit for about 10 minutes. Peel and enjoy with your veggies and dip! And, since you’ll have some left over dip with this recipe, you might as well boil 4 or 6 eggs at once so you can have them on hand when you need another protein to balance your carbs and fat!

Makes 3 servings of the bean dip. Approximate total cost per serving (including veggies and eggs): $1.56

P: Eggs
F: Olive oil
C: Beans and veggies

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