You only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table. It has to be quick and easy—and healthy, of course. Don’t let your busy schedule get in the way of good nutrition. Make a satisfying supper in record time—and stay within your budget—when you think F.A.S.T.

Frozen: Frozen meals have come a long way since the old-fashioned TV dinner. Today, you‘ll find healthy frozen meals low in sodium, free of preservatives and full of taste. Before you buy, read the Nutrition Facts on the package, paying attention to serving size, total calories, sodium content and sugar and fat sources. (Tip: multiply servings per container by total calories to determine how much of the meal satisfies your daily caloric needs.)

Ahead of time: Prepare your meals ahead of time and cut costs, calories and stress. When you prepare your own food, you control the ingredients, and the portion sizes. Set aside time on Sunday to plan next week’s menu. With list in hand, purchase only the foods you need for those meals and snacks. Save time by knocking out some of the prep-work in one session: Cut up raw vegetables for stir-fry, or divide trail mix and other bulk snacks into bags. This way, when you’re packing lunch, you can just grab and go!

Semi-homemade: Cook with a mix of fresh and prepared foods to save time. Homemade tomato sauce is delicious, but is it necessary? Spare time (and labor) without sacrificing quality by incorporating all-natural and organic prepared foods into your meals. Here are a few semi-homemade cooking ideas:

-          Use jarred organic tomato sauce for pasta or pizza.

-          Canned vegetable purees, such as organic pumpkin, are great with pasta dishes or baked into desserts (no carving, dicing or slicing required!).

-          Instant rice is an instant crowd-pleaser. Use it to stuff peppers, bulk up soup or just as a side.

-          Toss organic dried fruit pieces into tossed salads or stews, or use in baking recipes.

-           Use pre-cooked chicken breasts, canned salmon or canned tuna to save time preparing and cooking meat.

Take-out: Some nights, even a microwave meal is too much of a hassle. Surrendering to takeout is OK on occasion. To help ensure you’re choosing the healthiest options, gather up your restaurant menus beforehand and circle the best entrees. Keep these tips in mind:

-          Red sauces and soups are better than creamy versions.

-          Skip the cheese, or substitute avocado for cheese when possible.

-          Request dressing on the side.

-          Avoid fried foods. Go for steamed or grilled entrees and side dishes.

-          Request un-buttered bread—whole wheat, if they have it.

-          Try dividing meals in half before you eat, saving a portion for tomorrow’s lunch or dinner. This will help prevent overeating.

When you’re constantly on the go, it’s natural to reach for the nearest food in sight—candy, fast food or processed vending machine snacks. But these foods don’t provide the fuel your body really needs. Think F.A.S.T. to eat healthy when you’re in a hurry—and nothing will be able to stop you!

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com. Vitacost.com has been selling discount vitamins since 1994. Since then it’s grown into one of the biggest online marketplaces for healthy living essentials-with vitamins and supplements being just one of their many helpful categories! Get the best price on vitamins such as vitamin D and Vitamin B12, nutritional supplements, health foods and diet products. Vitacost.com’s customers mean the world to them, and it’s their goal to provide you with the best nutritional supplements, natural foods and sports nutrition to help with your health and wellness. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog, and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

Make this day special with choices tailored to your mom.

Art Lover Mom reads the arts section first, collects catalogs, and thought your first grade drawings were influenced by Kandinsky. Take her to your local art museum and have a bite at the cafe.

American History Buff Mom knows the name of every U.S. President, fact checked your homework, and easily quotes what happened on this day fifty years ago.   Head out to the a historical site in your city and have a picnic nearby.

Environmental Mom recycles everything, knows global warming is not a hot flash, and uses both sides of the printer paper.  Spend the day helping out at a beach clean up or food bank.

Design Mom knows what is the new black this year,  how to use Photoshop to make your holiday pictures more interesting, and only sees art films.  Take an architectural tour of your city.

Sports Mom was always at little league and knows all the baseball stats. Take her out to the ball game for some peanuts and cracker jacks.

Yoga Mom stays flexible, eats vegetarian, and believes that meditation will solve all your problems. Here in Los Angeles take her to BryanKest’s Power Yoga Santa Monica Studio for a donation only class and then to Real Food Daily for lunch.  Sit on the beach afterwards and chant OM.

Let me know if you have interesting ways to celebrate Mother’s Day.

The organic versus non-organic decision is still a cart-stopper in the grocery store. Which fruits are healthier when grown organically? Which vegetables? What about that box of crackers? Trying to pick the cream of the crop becomes a chore within a chore when you don’t know the ”why” and “what” factors. All you need is a quick, Organic Shopping 101 course to narrow the selection and get you to the check-out line in record time.

First, determine why you are shopping organic so your selection doesn’t feel so fruitless. If you need to justify (to yourself or your budget-conscious significant other) why you’re spending a little more on certain items, then consider these reasons:

Organic means farmers use no antibiotics and no growth hormones, grow produce within sanitary and spacious facilities and use the fewest conventional pesticides
No GMOs– organic foods are not genetically modified in any way
A smaller carbon footprint–organic farms use the most sustainable methods to promote biodiversity and a healthy eco-system
Cleaner water, soil and air–pesticides from conventional farming can intoxicate the water supply, wildlife and the atmosphere

If these reasons don’t inspire you to go organic for every single purchase, consider that it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing situation. Just keep in mind that certain conventional fruits and veggies are produced with a high number of pesticides– these, you should buy organic.

Fruit:

Apples
Any berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Cherries
Grapes (imported variety)

Veggies:

Leafy greens (spinach, kale, lettuce)
Bell peppers
Carrots
Celery

Meat, eggs and dairy: The organic options ensure animals are provided healthy living conditions, organic feed and adequate treatment for injuries or illness. When buying organic in the refrigerated aisles, select “all of the above.”

Crackers, cookies, cereals, coffee and anything else in a box or bag: This is an open-ended question, which means you can pick and choose which of these are better organic based on your preferences of taste, brand, price and/or variety. The same rules apply, though: organic cereals must contain all organic ingredients. If your mixed berry granola claims it’s organic, then it was made with organic berries. (Hint: buy only as much as you need. Packaged goods usually find a place in the pantry for many months, but organic versions have a shorter shelf-life due to their lack of artificial preservatives.)

Your final exam: Make your shopping list and match the items on it with the groceries above. If you study the organic foods and brands you prefer, then you won’t second-guess yourself!

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com who has been selling discount vitamins since 1994. They have grown into one of the biggest online marketplaces for healthy living essentials-with vitamins and supplements being just one of their many helpful categories! They sell everything from Coq10 to Raspberry Ketones. Vitacost.com’s customers mean the world to them, and it’s their goal to provide you with the best nutritional supplements, health foods and sports nutrition to help with your health and wellness. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog, and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

Subway is running a promotion that will help you make friends at the office, car pool, or play group.  For the month of April, when you buy any 6-inch sub before 9AM, you can get a second sandwich of equal or lesser value for free.  So share with others or get yourself a breakfast sandwich and order a sub to eat later at lunch time.

One day fast food was all greasy fries and burgers then Subway came along with fresh baked bread including whole grain, an assortment of veggies, and accurate calorie counts. When the Frugal Diva is out and about, on vacation, or in the mall, she seeks out  Subway to make sure she has a fresh meal, stays on budget, and keeps to a sensible eating program. My favorite, the Veggie Delite, is one of the featured $5 footlongs for this month.

If you want to save, you have to be able to store. Nothing helps you like Lock & Lock, (BPA free) the most fabulous containers for taking lunch, re-purposing left overs, and making sure that sipping water all day does not include buying disposable water bottles!

Where you can really cut out extra spending is on the little every day purchases. Latte a day, muffin a day, bottles of water, and snacks quickly become $20 to $30 dollars a week which becomes between $1000 and $1500 per year. That would make a nice little wardrobe or short vacation.  In many cases you are adding unwanted calories, preservatives, and fats.  One grande vanilla frappe has about 310 calories and usually costs over $3. Instead how about a one time purchase of the eco mug on sale for $14.11?  Fill it up at home with coffee or tea, a dash of vanilla, some low fat or soy milk, and a shot of honey. You control the sweetness, the flavoring, and the calories.

Pick up a muffin mix at the store or if you are adventurous, start from scratch at the  Eating Well site. Toss the extras in the freezer and take one out on your way to work, they will be just right by the time you get there. If you are enamored of yogurt parfaits, pick up a storage container and make your own interesting variations with granola and fresh fruit.

Sometimes the key to saving money is a little organization, a small initial investment for containers, and good time management.  Once you get in the habit of storing  leftovers, you will be able to throw together a brown bag lunch in minutes. A bit of chicken, some broccoli, extra greens that weren’t used, plus some black olives, capers, and your salad dressing in separate container – lunch becomes healthy, thrifty, and most importantly delicious.

These small changes make life better for you and help the environment.  A Frugal Diva twofer!

Everyone keeps saying that organic is expensive. Linda Watson, the author of Wildly Affordable Organic, has a very persuasive argument against this theory.  Her recipes emphasize local organic produce and organic vegetarian protein sources. They can be literally beefed up if you are not on a plant based diet. Add cheese or eggs if that is still part or your diet. These recipes are great starting points for learning how to devise an organic menu at reasonable prices.

The Frugal Diva always says, “Be thrifty, not cheap.” That means you want the most for your money and still enjoy the pleasures of eating a wholesome meal. Linda wants the world to know that this does not take a ton of time or effort. Cook up some beans in your slow cooker for a week of meals, enjoy going to the farmers market for produce, and drink lots of water as the best low cost beverage. These tips can help you save your money, your waistline, and your health.

With springtime just around the corner, we know a lot of people have health on their minds.  So beginning March 1 Lindsay Olives will be launching 30 Tips for 30 Days to a Healthier You. They will be sharing one healthy tip each day for the entire month of March on their Facebook page to inspire people to become their best selves.  Lindsay will be giving away a $500 gift card to one Facebook fan if they like them between March 1-31.  To be entered into the giveaway, you just need to post a health tip and tell them The Frugal Diva sent you.

The Frugal Diva loves the huge punch of flavor that comes in the little olive.  Black, green, big, little, not pitted and pitted, they add a spark to pastas, salads, and spreads.  This is a fantastic recipe for a hearty protein packed party dip. Instead of tortilla chips, I  use whole wheat pita bread cut into wedges. Left overs make great sandwich fillers.

CARLOS ‘N’ CHARLIE’S TUNA DIP Adapted  from the Los Angeles Times

1 (12 1/2-ounce) can tuna, drained

1 1/2 to 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded or a small can of chilis

4 to 6 Lindsay Pitted Large Black Olives

1 (1-inch) piece green onion (green part only)

1 (1-inch) piece of celery

1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Salt, pepper

3 to 4 leaves cilantro, chopped

Blend tuna, jalapenos, black olives, green onion and celery in food processor or blender. Chop and blend in mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste.  You can make it smooth or chunky depending on your taste. Sprinkle with cilantro. Makes 2 cups.

Let’s support this great California company that has been around since 1916!

Yelpers in Los Angeles get ready for a week (February 27th to March 4th) of anytime half priced designated drinks (and make sure to have a designated driver) at these participating restaurants.

Now the Frugal Diva is not much of an imbiber however she found one thing really shocking about this offer-the full price of drinks at the Four Seasons Windows lounge.

Let’s do the math.

Drink 1: Yelp Me if You Can ($18.95/$9.46)

Drink 2: Yelp Royale ($18.95/$9.46)

Drink 3: Yelpsody ($18.95/$9.46)

When does having drinks with friends cost as much a down payment on a car? Most of the restaurants and bars on the list are more reasonable with wines and beers starting at $3 to $5 and cocktails from $4 to $7.

Coupons rule and you need some rules to make them work.

1. Do not use a coupon if the item is something you don’t want or need. If you hate strawberry pop tarts don’t buy ten boxes, if you never bake don’t buy two for one bags of flour, and if you are dieting don’t stock up on chocolate chip cookies.

2. Do use coupons with store discounts for the best price possible.

3. Be careful with perishables. You might be making ten apple pies, eating broccoli every day for a week, or watching cheese turn moldy.

4. Do stock up on non perishables. This is a great way to make sure you have chicken broth, grains, and pasta for the next six months.

5. Loyalty programs bring you coupons and opportunities to save. Pick one and stick with it.

What makes The Frugal Diva happy is finding a site with all the information needed for a topic.  Max Goldberg has taken the time and effort to make organic living just a little bit easier for all the rest of us.

With just two lists Max lets you know the fruits and vegetables that are the Dirty Dozen and should be avoided unless organic and the Clean Fifteen that have the lowest pesticide residue.  Now you can make an informed choice about what are organic must haves and which are acceptable even if not organic. Since organic can be more expensive this is a great way to move toward better eating without breaking your grocery budget.

Now speaking of budgets, here is a Frugal Diva find.  Living Maxwell has devoted a page to links for some of the organic food company coupons .   Savings on Stonyfield, Santa Cruz Organic, and many others are just a click away.

So don’t wait any longer to live better.  Or dare I say it, Maximize your potential. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.