Times are tough and Americans want to feed their families for less.  Citing lack of time and cooking skills, many families turn to expensive take-out and convenient grocery items such as microwave and ready-made meals, spending way more money than they’d like on foods that aren’t the best, nutritionally speaking, for themselves and their children.

Famed chefs Cat Cora, Tyler Florence, and Curtis Stone have some helpful ideas.  Oprah Winfrey followed the trio as they taught families the essentials of cooking budget-friendly meals that were both healthy and delicious.

Cat Cora lists her top 10 pantry essentials (extra-virgin olive oil, lemons, garlic, brown rice, black beans, tomato paste, eggs, frozen veggies, and broth–chicken, beef, or veggie) and shares a week’s worth of breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes that will feed a family of 4 for $150 or less.  With a few basic cooking lessons, Cora has a self-proclaimed “microwave mom”  whipping up quick breakfasts like Lemon-Pecan Pancakes and Egg Whites, Turkey Bacon and Low-Fat Cheddar Tortilla Wraps (on a school day no  less) and tasty dinners such as Quick Jerk-Rubbed Pork Chops with Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Visit the website to view all  21 recipes and download the convenient shopping lists as well.

Curtis Stone helps a family that spends an outrageous $400 per week on fat-laden take out and delivery fare.  Stone shows the family how to prepare fresher, lower-fat versions of their favorites, such as Chipotle Shrimp Tacos and Cheese Steak Sandwiches, reducing the cost of a night’s meal by as much as $30.

Tyler also cooked up some kid-friendly favorites while cutting the fat.  Check out his version of  The Ultimate Sloppy Joes.

In this case “eating smarter” isn’t only about eating healthfully, it’s about saving money as you do so.