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Cut food costs and calories with healthy recipes and money-saving tips

Fatten your wallet while trimming your waistline with these expert money saving tips and calorie cutting recipes.
/ Source: TODAY

Joy Bauer and Jean Chatzky are teaming up to help you keep your diet and budget healthy with simple money saving tips and delicious calorie-cutting recipes.

Ready to cut calories and save cash? Jean Chatzky and I tackled some of the most popular prepared foods and put them on a diet for your wallet and waistline. Think Penne ala Vodka with Caesar salad, Salmon with roasted vegetables and Chicken Parmesan with pasta. Grab an apron and start cooking!

Salmon with Roasted Vegetables

Joy Bauer and Jean Chatzky's Salmon with Roasted Vegetables
Nathan Congleton / TODAY

Fish and vegetables are always an excellent nutrient-packed choice. However, when prepared outside the home, this entree is often cooked in excessive amounts of oil and butter, which bumps up the calories. Be your own home chef and whip this scrumptious and satisfying Grilled Salmon with Roasted Veggies in your kitchen. My version is simple to prepare and delivers a delicious dish that will save you hundreds of calories and cut the cost by about 50% off the menu price.

Chicken Parmesan with Pasta

Joy Bauer and Jean Chatzky's Chicken Parmesan with Pasta
Nathan Congleton / TODAY

Classic Chicken Parm is deep-fried and smothered in cheese. Pair it with a side of pasta and you could be gobbling down up to 1300 calories! Introducing my delicious and nutritious spin (drum-roll please) ... Cheesy Chicken Parm Meatballs served on a mound of zucchini noodles. My rendition allows you to enjoy this Italian favorite without any regret. It's a guaranteed dinner winner that clocks in at only 300 calories! Not to mention, by making it at home, you'll leave the meal with a 55% savings.

Penne alla Vodka with Caesar Salad

Joy Bauer and Jean Chatzky's Penne alla Vodka with Caesar Salad
Nathan Congleton / TODAY

Loaded with calorific heavy cream and thick dressing, an order of Penne alla Vodka and a Caesar salad will cost you about 1200 calories — that's almost a day's worth of calories for some people. If you love decadent, cheesy, and incredibly creamy pasta, my slimmed down Penne alla Vodka recipe will definitely win a place at your dinner table. Pair it with light and flavorful Caesar Dressing and you'll save a whopping 740 calories and leave with 68% more cash in your wallet. Dig in and think about the money you just saved!

For healthy tips, follow Joy on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and check out her cookbook From Junk Food to Joy Food.

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