And you wonder: Is it possible to create affordable, balanced meals that are almost as easy as going through a drive-through but that also pack a nutritious punch? Yes, with a little planning. Here are tips for creating balanced meals for about $4 per person.

The basics of a balanced dinner plate
The goal when shopping for nutritious and affordable meals is to select foods that are low-cost but packed with nutrition. We need to select macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats that leave us not just feeling full, but also nutritionally satisfied. "I look at the quality of those nutrients, and the nutrient density -the micronutrients that you can get from a particular food," says Shaya Mercer, a certified holistic health counselor and owner of Eatwell Counseling. "You could look at a plate and say it's got protein, fats and carbs, but it could be from a huge steak and potatoes."

Mercer counsels her clients to steer clear of empty calories from simple carbohydrates and instead opt for a diet consisting of small amounts of high-quality protein, whole grains and lots and lots of leafy greens and other vegetables that cover the spectrum of the rainbow. Look for grass-fed meat, pasture-raised poultry, wild-caught fish, and real fats from butter, avocados, nuts and seeds. Half of your vegetables throughout the day should be raw, the other half cooked. Her ideal plate of food, for every meal, would consist of 2/3 vegetables and 1/3 protein (about 4 to 6 ounces of animal protein or a handful of combined whole grains and legumes).

Mercer suggests eating grains at a separate time during the day, if you eat animal protein. "Most people digest animal proteins better when they are not eating a starch with it," she says. (However, we've included a starch or grain option below with each meal, in case you still want it.) Here's a look at three low-cost menus inspired by Mercer's guidelines.

Menu 1: $4.05 per person, featuring omega-3s from seafood
The main components of our first meal are salmon on a bed of arugula, wilted Swiss chard and sprouted brown rice. While salmon seems implausible as a budget food, it's increasingly possible to find affordable wild-caught salmon in the frozen-foods section. One large grocery chain recently offered 1.25 pounds of such salmon for $7. That's five servings at $1.40 per serving, a relatively inexpensive source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

Grill, poach or sauté the salmon, dressing it in fresh lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Mercer suggests serving the salmon over a bed of arugula, because arugula is a darker leafy green and therefore more nutrient-dense. She points out that as a bitter vegetable, it aids in digestion, too. Toss the arugula in a light vinaigrette of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, raw apple cider vinegar, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Mercer says to wilt your Swiss chard in order to neutralize the effects of its naturally occurring oxalic acid, which can pull calcium out of your system. Spinach and beet greens also contain oxalic acid. Add half a cup of nutrient-rich sprouted brown rice if you'd like to fill out each plate.

Cost breakdown:
Salmon: $7 for 1.25 pounds, or $1.40 per serving
Arugula: $5 for 5 ounces, or $1 per serving
Swiss chard: $3 for four servings, or $.75 per serving
Sprouted brown rice: $3.39 for 1 pound, or $.33 per serving
Seasonings: Approximately $.57 per person
Total: $4.05 per person, or $16.20 for four people

Menu 2: $3.50 per person, featuring lean protein from ground turkey
The main ingredients in our second meal include ground turkey for turkey burgers, a romaine lettuce salad, and sweet potato fries. Mercer suggests buying ground turkey thigh (pasture-raised), available for $4 per pound, which is cheaper and contains more flavorful and satisfying amounts of fat when compared to turkey breast. When you buy ground turkey meat, you also aren't paying for the bones or skin.

Mercer grills turkey burgers mixed with chopped onion, fresh herbs, garlic and spices (which can be as simple as sea salt and fresh ground pepper). She says romaine lettuce is more nutrient-dense than some of the lighter-colored lettuces, and she tosses in several chopped vegetables, such as peppers and carrots, and then dresses it all in a simple vinaigrette of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Add mustard and chopped garlic to the mix for more flavor. Make sweet potato fries by slicing raw sweet potatoes into thin strips, bathing them in oil, salt and pepper, and roasting them in your oven at 450 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until desired level of crispness is achieved.

Cost breakdown:
Ground turkey: $4 per pound, or $1 per person
Romaine salad: $4 for four servings, or $1 per person
Sweet potato fries: $2 per pound, or $.50 per person
Seasonings: Approximately $1 per person
Total: $3.50 per person, or $14 for four people

Menu 3: Just under $4 per person, featuring protein- and fiber-rich adzuki beans and quinoa
Our third meal is structured around adzuki beans (sometimes sold as "aduki beans"), quinoa and kale. You can prepare the beans yourself, but prepared canned beans are an easy, fast and inexpensive alternative. Look for canned adzuki beans that have no added salt and have been cooked with the seaweed kombu, which adds vitamins and minerals while also making the fiber more digestible, says Mercer. Combine the beans with the quinoa and add parsley, a few chopped cranraisins, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, and chopped red pepper and green onion. Parboil the kale for 5 to 7 minutes and then toss in olive oil and lightly season with sea salt and pepper.

Cost breakdown:
Adzuki beans: $1.79 for four servings, or $.45 per person
Quinoa: $3.39 a pound, or $.42 per person
Kale: $3 for four servings, or $.75 per person
Seasonings: Approximately $2 per person
Total: $3.62 per person, or $14.48 for four