Clean Eating on a budget?

subterraneanz

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone who does clean eating could give me some tips on how to get going! I've done plenty of research on clean eating and I absolutely want to give it a go. It seems like the lifestyle change that I've been looking for (I live on fast food, Hamburger Helper, and snacks right now). That being said, I am working on a pretty limited budget so spending a lot of money at Whole Foods is sort of out for me. ):

I'm curious as to what any seasoned clean eaters have done in order to spend less when making their meals? Thanks!

(sorry if i posted this in the wrong place!)

LoraF83

I don't eat clean, because it's a lot of effort that doesn't affect weight loss.

That said, you can save money by doing everything yourself. Set aside a day to prep food for the week. You can cook up a bunch of chicken and veggies and rice and whatever and portion it out for meals.
Shop for bags of rice and beans, buy cartons of whole eggs instead of the containers of egg whites, get your veggies frozen (and stock up when they are on sale), buy whole fruits instead of the precut, prepackaged ones.

You can absolutely save money, but just be prepared to look for sales and do the prep and portioning yourself.

MuddyEquestrian

You certainly don't need to shop at Whole Foods to eat clean on a budget!!! I live about 40 minutes from Whole Foods so I do my shopping at my local grocery store. I try to buy veggies and fruits that are in season so I can buy whatever was grown locally. Since I live in the Northeast that's very limited in the winter so I do what I can in the other months and outside of that I usually buy frozen. If you eat meat or fish just try to buy it as unprocessed as possible. No additives, no cold cuts, bacon etc. I do not buy processed foods as much as I can help it (I live with my SO so on occassion I do buy processed foods as he does not follow my food regime). Add flavor with spices as much as you can and I tend to bulk my meals with Jasmati Organic Rice whenever I can and when im short on my grocery budget that week. I add a protein (feel free to buy frozen, it makes it so you waste much less) and whatever in season veggies you can. Basically if you're going to eat clean you're going to need to steer clear of processed snacks as well. I try to drink tea throughout the day. Personally it helps curb appetite and I snack on dried fruit and whatever veggies I can get my hands on. Good luck!

SLLRunner

I have a hard time with the concept of clean eating because it's simply what my mother used to call a well rounded meal. However, I make my own bread, grind my own peanut butter, steam veggies and fresh fish a lot, eat fruits, simply because this is what I like to do.

It's pretty cheap to make a loaf of bread. For the veggies and fruits, see if you can go to a local farm market or pay attention to deals at the supermarket.

I don't eat a lot of processed foods because I don't like them, but sometimes I do eat Chipotle or authentic Mexican food because I like them.

Type of eating has nothing to do with weight loss, it's about how much you eat.

However, if clean eating is your thing, I hope you will find some of my suggestions helpful.

LauraPa1mer

Check out: reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/ There are lots of great options there.

lx3tx

I don't know if this is what you mean by clean, because it's not organic, but I like dinners to be a meat and veggies. Usually the meat is what I call "poor people" meat. Something like chicken drumsticks, leg quarters, or pork. Delicious, easy, and budget friendly.

melimomTARDIS

you dont have to eat clean to lose weight, and I am not a clean eater myself.

I do however,consider my diet healthy, I feel good eating what I eat, and my meals are not complicated or time intensive.

I eat 3 main meals a day, and two or three small snacks.

I stick to skim or nonfat dairy, lean poultry/frozen fish or vegetarian protien sources.

So here is how I shop-

Dairy- skim/ nonfat/ or light dairy products.

Meat- Once a month a friend with a costco membership picks me up 2 huge bags of individually frozen boneless skinless breasts, and a few pounds of TOFU.

I buy boneless frozen Tilapia fillets at Wal-Mart.

I get canned tuna anywhere I can on sale,

dry beans in 1lb bags.

I buy lean turkey deli lunch meat as well, for husband's work lunch.

2 cartons of eggs per month.

Bread/Grains-

Big ol' container of cheap oats or Cream of wheat

supermarket's own brand wheat bread

Huge bags of White pasta/ Uncle bens white rice

Cheerios or cornflakes for cereal

sometimes bagels.

Fats-
We use canola oil spray to lightly coat pans

liquid canola for popping popcorn

Peanut butter/peanuts for fat

Trans fat free margarine (I use Blue bonnet plus calcium)

Olive oil Mayo (we use Hellman's variety)

Italian salad dressing

Fruits-

I usually go for what is cheap.

Raisins, oranges/orange juice, bananas, frozen berries and fresh apples

Vegetables-

Head of lettuce (I chop it up and store in a gallon ziplock)

2lb bag of carrots (for snacking, salads)

Celery (for snacking)

5lb bag of russet potatoes

Frozen =peas/mixed vegetables/broccoli

Big bag of onions.

head of cabbage (if you enjoy the taste. We like ours lightly cooked)

Seasoning- I usually use no-salt seasoning (onion powder, garlic powder, dried herbs, pepper) and salt the food to taste at the table.

Treats- I try to get some dairy or fruit in for a dessert, but I also sometimes have a hershey kiss or butterscotch candy. This morning I had a fresh donut, which is pretty rare for me. I sometimes have a glass of wine, or some fat free sherbet. I basically have a treat every single day.

My diary is open. I am a pre planner, so I sit down at MFP with my coffee and log before breakfast. Check me out if you like.

My family and I are on, or slightly below the poverty line, so every dollar counts. We are all normal weight, no health issues.

I dont buy hamburger helper or other ready box meals because of price and salt content. I do eat plain rice as a side dish quite often.

tbelle_g

Personally I think Clean Eating can be more affordable than non-clean eating. Most fast food places charge $6-$10 for a small meal that is high in fat and artificial junk.

I've been cooking more often and here are some cheap "clean" staples:
beans,
frozen vegetable packages
rice
potatoes
mushrooms
eggs
low fat cheese
ground turkey, frozen fish fillets

This book has been very useful, most of the recipes are inexpensive to make:
Vegetarian Times Fast and Easy
http://amzn.com/0470085525

It's vegetarian but you can easily just add meat to almost any dish.

kingscrown

I don't find it expensive to eat healthy. I don't buy junk and that money goes into buying healthy food. Get in season. Get on sale. Pick and choose what you want super healthy and what you're not too worried about. Check out Tosca Reno for free menus and ideas. That's how I got started. Eventually, I bought her book. It's been a big help even though I don't follow 100%.

snowflake930

I have been on MFP 31 months. I have found that I am saving a lot of money on my food bill. Pay attention to portion sizes, that is key. Shop sale items. Fresh fruit and vegetables. Prep them and package in portion sizes for the week. Grilled or roasted vegetables can be frozen in individual portion sizes. Fresh lean meats and fish. Mostly chicken breast and turkey, but some beef and pork as well. Frozen boneless chicken breasts have a lot of added sodium, so I don't buy them. I grill everything on the weekend (George Foreman in the winter) and what we do not eat I cut up and freeze and use throughout the week. Low fat dairy products. Brown or wild rice, steel cut oatmeal. Again you can make in big batches and freeze individual portion sizes. I avoid processed foods as much as possible, but not totally. Lots of spices and herbs. It does take more time, but is well worth the effort. Just plan for the time. I have a movie on the tv in the kitchen while I am doing prep work.

And, very little eating out. It is expensive (even fast food). I can usually make it better myself, and definitely cheaper.

ljashley1952

I wouldn't say I'm a seasoned clean eater. I'm still feeling my way around. However, I have found that making much of my own food is not as hard as I used to think. I eat a fair amount of fresh vegetables and fruit, I am baking my own bread based on a 'no-knead' recipe in 'The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day'. I shop in the bulk bins at Winco. I have containers of dried black, red, white and pinto beans, as well as dried lentils, split peas, quinoa, barley, steel-cut oats...etc. I soak the beans overnight and cook them so that I get several freezer bags full and I freeze them. That way I always have cooked beans to make chili or taco salad whenever I want. Making your own stuff and shopping in bulk bins is a great money saver. Winco also has a pretty decent organic food section.

Liftng4Lis

Eating healthier doesn't have to be anymore expensive. Incorporate veggies and try to avoid processed foods (high sodium). As a general rule, If you shop the perimeter of the grocery, that's where they keep the fresher choices.

Vina4

I agree that shopping healthier doesn't have to be more expensive. We buy frozen vegetables in the large bags instead of the small bags because the large bags last us longer. (just my husband and I ) We also try to buy meats in the family packs. Once again it lasts several meals.

I have gotten away from most process foods as well when I cook. Though I am looking at starting to pick up some canned veggies at times that I will drain and rinse when I use it. There are plenty of no salt varieties out there. And, like everyone else has said check your sale ads and keep an eye out for deals as you go through the store.,

Also, depending on the places you shop you may find meat or other things that are deeply discount because they are manager specials (usually because they are getting close to when they cant sell them anymore. Yes, I know sounds gross but I will buy meat like that when I can. Then what I don't use right away I freeze and it is all good.

Those are just a few tips that I use.

3laine75

I don't really eat clean - mix of fresh and junk - but I think it's actually cheaper to cook from scratch than buy convenience foods and eating out, it is here anyway.

lemurcat12

I don't care for the term "clean eating," which I don't think means much, but I do try to eat healthy, focusing on balanced nutritious meals. (Like SLL Runner said, I think it's basically what my mom promoted.)

You don't need to go to WF or buy special stuff. If I was just starting out, I'd focus on buying vegetables and fruit and making sure I knew how to cook in a way that I could reliably do on a regular basis. At least, back when I used to fall back on takeout it was usually because I didn't have something in mind that I could make quickly with my ingredients at home and getting that figured out made it much easier. Also, with respect to vegetables and expense, cooking regularly means I have no problem with veggies going bad before I eat them, and vegetables aren't all that expensive, IME--wasting them is.

I'd also shop sales and specials, realize there are lots of healthy lower cost cuts of meat (I'm in favor of the dark meat for chicken and all bone-in options, far tastier also), and (although I don't do this as much as I should) incorporate beans.

giggitygoo

LoraF83 wrote: »

I don't eat clean, because it's a lot of effort that doesn't affect weight loss.

That said, you can save money by doing everything yourself. Set aside a day to prep food for the week. You can cook up a bunch of chicken and veggies and rice and whatever and portion it out for meals.
Shop for bags of rice and beans, buy cartons of whole eggs instead of the containers of egg whites, get your veggies frozen (and stock up when they are on sale), buy whole fruits instead of the precut, prepackaged ones.

You can absolutely save money, but just be prepared to look for sales and do the prep and portioning yourself.

This is exactly what I do. I don't spend a lot of money (of course subjective here) but mostly eat whole foods and cook everything myself.

There is no real finite definition of "clean eating" but to me it just means eating food, and not food like products.

Amanda4change

I eat "clean" only because I am a food snob and don't like processed foods. Occasionally I will buy something processed but for the most part everything in our house is made from scratch. I buy staples (such as flour, sugar, yeast, etc in bulk using sales and coupons as much as possible) I can make a batch of pasta for our family of 6 for about .30 cents a pound vs the packaged pasta at 1.29 a pound. Bread costs me about $1 for 2 loaves, versus $3-$4 at the store. I work from home so I have plenty of time to do it. When I started doing this years ago I made changes slowly. I stopped buying things like hamburger helper, and instead made it from store bought pasta, tomato paste etc. Now I make it from homemade pasta, homemade tomato sauce etc. I buy most of our fruits and veggies from local farmers in bulk and then can or freeze them myself, when I can't get them fresh (and at a reasonable price) I will buy frozen (you don't need to pay more for the "name brand" veggies and fruits, the store brands are usually packaged by the same brand name companies.

amusedmonkey

In addition to what some others suggested, try this website for cheap meal ideas: http://wumbo.eatthismuch.com/
You can set your budget and your calorie and macro goals. You could even tweak the choices based on your meal preferences and things you don't eat/like, block certain ingredients from appearing.. etc. You do not need to get a paid subscribtion, just keep regenerating your day.

Holly_Roman_Empire

Wtf is clean eating...

Forget that. Just eat smaller versions of what you eat now. Slowly incorporate nutrient-dense foods into your diet like meats, fruits, and vegetables. Leave room in your day for a treat now and then.

Once you get the hang of staying within your allotted calories, start focusing on meeting your macronutrient goals. This mainly means protein, but fat and carbs need to be in line as well.

cwolfman13

I guess it would be dependent on what your definition of "clean" is. My definition is a diet primarily consisting of whole foods...whole foods are pretty cheap. I don't bother with GMO free, Gluten Free, Organic, etc...I think most of that *kitten* is just gimmick.