Healthy grocery staples

SammaBread

SammaBread
Healthy grocery staples for 1 week on a budget? So far I have fruit, veg, turkey fish or chicken, Cottage cheese.

PRMinx

Healthy is relative - all food can be healthy. But, here's my usual list:

Chicken, ground beef and pork tenderloin or buffalo
Apples
Peanut Butter
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Onions
Greek yogurt plain 0% (I put my own fruit in it or I use it like sour cream)
Eggs
Egg whites
Popcorn for air popping
Butter
Dark chocolate
Dried fruit

williams969

Your list is short (devoid) of grains. I always have oats/porridge, corn tortillas, bread, etc. on hand. Beans/legumes, eggs, and Greek yogurt are good "budget" foods, too for protein variety (and beans have the yummy fiber). Don't forget oils/fats (butter, olive oil, coconut oil, nut butters, whatever of those you need/want/can afford).

TopazCutie

Sorry for hijacking, but can anyone see my post right now?

Showtime1978

Yes Topaz, we can.
My 3 main staples are cans of tuna, sweet potato and vanilla greek yogurt.

zyxst

TopazCutie wrote: »

Sorry for hijacking, but can anyone see my post right now?

I can see it. Did you get banned from the forums for a while or something?

OT: What I consider healthy: ground beef, peanut butter, fruits and veggies for salads, cheese, yogurt, eggs, bread, milk, chocolate. It also depends on if I'm making home made stuff, too.

thingal12

Not on my usual list, I buy these items in bulk:

Extra Virgin Olive oil (I use it in nearly everything I cook)
Short and Long-Grain White Rice

I've recently cut back considerably on Pasta - it takes too many of my calories!

On my Usual Shopping List:

Amy's & Lean Cuisine frozen dinners.. when they're on sale (keeps me from eating fast food when I'm STARVING).
Parsley
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Onions
Garlic
Canned beans (kidney and pinto)
Frozen Corn and Peas
Parmesan / Brie / Fontina / Cheddar Cheeses
Flour Tortillas - in the smallest size
Popcorn kernels - I love homemade popcorn
Zucchini / Eggplant / other Squash in season
Chicken : legs or breast
Shrimp, frozen, uncooked
ground lean Lamb and/or ground beef (85/15)
Lentils, dried, green /yellow/red (I use the last two for soups and the green for making a dish with rice)
Spices : I use nearly every spice there is!
Fruit : Apples / Pineapple / Pomegranate
Yogurt : plain nonfat greek and/or plain nonfat Dannon
Organic nonfat or 1% milk
coffee creamer
Frozen Tater Tots
White Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Lemon
French and/or Ciabatta Bread
Bell Peppers (any color, whatever is cheapest)
Romaine Lettuce
Spinach, baby or large leaves
etc etc

dfargher

On a budget I would say dried beans and brown rice.

Lentils+an onion+a carrot+frozen spinach+broth = a large batch of healthy, filling lentil soup for very little money.

Also, maybe some whole wheat flour and yeast to make a healthy loaf of bread. That and a jar of peanut butter would be some very filling lunches.

Hummus is healthy and filling, and if you make it yourself you can control the amount of oil that's in it.

I like buying bags of pre-washed greens for salads, but they do cost more. Cabbage is a good leafy green on a budget.

TopazCutie

zyxst wrote: »

TopazCutie wrote: »

Sorry for hijacking, but can anyone see my post right now?

I can see it. Did you get banned from the forums for a while or something?

I got a warning, so can't start topics for a week and can't post twice in a row within a certain amount of time

ejcanavan

I have been on a budget pretty much since I became a single mom to 4. You may have to watch the sales ads very carefully, but now with cell phones you can get an app for it and even make a grocery list.
I still hit sales and try to shop smart and get the most bang for my buck, so here goes...

Tuna
Chicken drumsticks (remove the skin before baking)
Shrimp (usually $8.99 a pound and can split to 3 meals after frozen)
Eggs ... lots of them !
Cucumbers
Green Peppers
Sweet potatoes
Bag salad (can get it right now for $.99)
Sour Cream (for some fat content instead of butter)
Coffee (natural diuretic)
Low Carb Yogurt (wait for the 10/$4)
Frozen Veggie packs (usually 10/$10) - Use them for soups and stir fry
Dried beans
Cheese sticks (usually $.33 a piece)

deup

chicken. brocoli, string beans, fish*samon*, yams, rice*brown*, egg whites, mushrooms, cottage cheese, greek yogert, lettus, tomatoes, lowfat 5cal. per tbs dressing, oatmeal, ground flax, fruit *apples oranges, grapefruit*, whey proteins, cucumbers, carrots *snack size*

sfbaumgarten

Eggs, eggs, eggs.

JayRuby84

I always have kale, avocados, spinach, protein powder, peanut butter, milk, cheese, yogurt and other ish on hand. Love this thread. Many good foods!!!! :-D:-D:-D

ketorach

Eggs!

ketorach

ejcanavan wrote: »

I have been on a budget pretty much since I became a single mom to 4. You may have to watch the sales ads very carefully, but now with cell phones you can get an app for it and even make a grocery list.
I still hit sales and try to shop smart and get the most bang for my buck, so here goes...

Tuna
Chicken drumsticks (remove the skin before baking)
Shrimp (usually $8.99 a pound and can split to 3 meals after frozen)
Eggs ... lots of them !
Cucumbers
Green Peppers
Sweet potatoes
Bag salad (can get it right now for $.99)
Sour Cream (for some fat content instead of butter)
Coffee (natural diuretic)
Low Carb Yogurt (wait for the 10/$4)
Frozen Veggie packs (usually 10/$10) - Use them for soups and stir fry
Dried beans
Cheese sticks (usually $.33 a piece)

Wow. Wherever you live, I want to move there.

SpikeTailTurtle

When I am on a super budget my grocery list becomes:
oatmeal
eggs
cans of tuna
potatoes
corn
avacado
celery
onions
kale
beets

lynn1982

My "super tight budget" grocery list is usually:
oatmeal
eggs
dried lentils
rice
apples
bananas
cucumbers
frozen broccoli (assuming it's cheaper than fresh)
frozen cauliflower (assuming it's cheaper than fresh)

savvyfantastic

I go to the local markets at the end of their selling period and buy whatever is in season for cheap.

Recently I've been using a lot of

- potatoes (get an unnecessarily bad reputation, and really good at making you feel full)
- Eggplant (so tasty and full of fibre)
- Chicken
- Eggs in bulk
- Frozen spinach (so cheap! and useful!).
-

Liftng4Lis

Greek Yogurt
Meat
Frozen veggies
rice
beans

FatFreeFrolicking

All foods are healthy when eaten in moderation.

Some of my staples are:
Chicken
Salmon
Boars Head turkey breast
Ground turkey
Green beans
Asparagus
Broccoli
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Lettuce
Onion
Garlic
Bananas
Apples
Pomegranates
Fiber One bars
Zone bars
Pretzels
Eggs
Almond milk
Almonds
Pistachios
Cashews
Walnuts
Pecans

samantha1242

Some of my staples:

oatmeal
natural chunky peanut butter
bananas
bell peppers (though expensive if not in season)
eggs
chicken breasts
frozen fruit
frozen brussel sprouts
lettuce
mushrooms
ground beef or turkey (whichever is on sale)

Kalikel

Fresh and frozen fruits and veggies
Lean, white meats
Eggs
Low or no-fat dairy
Whole grain breads
Water
Seasonings - fresh or in shakers. Because some of that food needs some help!

...and for me, personally, Nature Valley Crunchy granola bars, Apple Crisp flavor.

Lounmoun

SammaBread wrote: »

SammaBread
Healthy grocery staples for 1 week on a budget? So far I have fruit, veg, turkey fish or chicken, Cottage cheese.

I would make an actual meal plan first if you are really on a low budget. I would try to have 3-4 meatless meals and would make a big pot of soup one day that you could use leftovers for additional meals. I would buy larger pieces of meat like a whole chicken to cook. I would not pay extra to have someone else skin, debone, cut or shred your food. To stretch a smaller amount of meat out, cut it up and put it in something like soup, stew, stir fry or a casserole instead of having a large chunk on your plate. Reduce waste. Look at store- brand or generic items- they aren't very different and can cost quite a bit less.
Dry beans or lentils are cheap, filling and do not go bad.
Canned beans are also low cost. Buy some canned chickpeas and make hummus- easy and cheap.
Whole wheat bread, tortillas or pita bread- sandwiches are not unhealthy.
Peanut butter
Rice or pasta
I buy canned tomatoes but other vegetables I buy fresh or frozen. I do buy canned fruit, frozen fruit and fresh fruit.
eggs, butter, milk, cheese
I would get a large container of yogurt instead of single serving size cups.
A large container of plain oatmeal is pretty cheap and filling.
Cereal is okay.
Popcorn is a cheap snack. If you get a bag of kernals and pop it on the stove or an air popper you can control things like oils and salt.
Do you have things like oil, spices, vinegar, condiments, sugar, or flour?