Fresh ideas to add some zing to your meal plan

How are you doing with your eating plan lately? Are you buying the foods you enjoy or passing them up due to cost, time or distraction?

If you are a student, the start of the new school year has likely impacted your routine. If you are a parent, you may be desperately trying to keep your family happy, on time and well fed. If you are a single adult, you may be choosing lots of frozen meals rather than making homemade meals for yourself. If you are overworked and underpaid, you may be tired of the deli meat sandwiches you've been having for dinner all week. Or, maybe you just love cooking and have decided to tweet or blog about the recipe you just made.

Whoever you are, whatever you like and however old you are, we all need good nourishment to sustain us. The proper fuel provides us with the ability to think clearly and have the energy and health to do the activities we enjoy most. And, luckily, you don't have to spend a lot of money.

Here are some ways to spice up your eating plan, while staying on a budget and still treating yourself well to good nutrition:

Breakfast:

Oatmeal topped with nuts, cinnamon and sliced banana. Buy a large container of oats instead of individual packets to save money and waste less paper. Plus, most individual packets are high in sugar unless you buy unflavored. Prepare oatmeal with milk instead of water for more protein, calcium and vitamin D.

Alternatively, have yogurt with cut up fruit and dry cereal or lower sugar granola. Again, buy the large container of yogurt to save money and waste less plastic. And choose a high fiber, protein-rich cereal such as Nature's Path Flax Plus or Kashi Heart to Heart to ensure a satisfying meal.

Lunch:

Whole wheat tortilla wrap with hummus, lowfat cheese and roasted vegetables. Serve with cottage cheese and fresh fruit. Buy the fresh vegetables of your choosing and go ahead and wash, cut and roast in the oven (toss with a little olive oil, garlic, sea salt and pepper in a 400 degree oven for 10-20 minutes) when you get home from the store. You can then use the veggies on sandwiches, in pasta, on salads or simply for snacks. Just store in the fridge and grab as needed over several days. As for the other ingredients, a pack of whole wheat tortillas will last a while and can be used for quesadillas, breakfast burritos or baked chips, too; buy cottage cheese in a large container (divide it into Tupperwares for grab-and-go ease).

Salad topped with canned wild salmon, a sprinkle of cheese (such as feta or parmesan), tomatoes, cucumbers or whatever veggies you like. You can buy the veggies pre-cut and pre-washed or look for deals at the farmers market on fresh produce. Have a bag of frozen whole wheat rolls such as Alexia brand on hand to get in your serving of whole grain at the meal.

Dinner:

Grill chicken (make enough for leftovers over the next two days) and serve tacos. Everyone can make his or her own, which saves Mom or Dad from doing all the work! Have toppings like lettuce, homegrown tomatoes, salsa, black beans, shredded cheese and olives. The more veggies the better. Use hard or soft shell tacos or simply serve with rice instead.

A big pot of soup, chili or stew can serve one and freeze well in individual freezer bags or serve a large family one night. A good fall stew might have beef, carrots, onions, celery, apples and egg noodles or rice. Go heavy on the fruits and veggies and light on the red meat and pasta or rice. Serve with a garden salad, too. The key is balance and moderation. One cup volume of pasta or rice per person is appropriate. About ½ to ¾ cup meat is also on target for most people.