Trying to eat healthy can be a challenge when you are broke and kind of picky... help?

Party_Cat

The good news is: I am ready to start eating healthier!
The bad new is: I am picky and money is kind of tight. So here I am, MFP friends, asking for your advice.
I have about $20 - $30 to spend this weekend for lunches for Sunday - Friday. (It's not a lot, I know. I have found eating healthy on a budget is really, really hard sometimes.)
I do not like: Bananas (or most tropical fruits for that matter), avocados, citrus-y fruits, beans, asparagus, fish... (I know, I know! I am the worst!)
I do like: Most berries, yogurt, nuts, steamed veggies, other fruits not listed above, chicken, beef, peanut butter... just to name a few.
I only have a 30 minute lunch break, but I do have access to a microwave and a toaster over. I am not opposed to lean cuisines, but I wonder if they are actually good for me? I also need suggestions for healthy/quick snacks. I am trying to do well within my means... but I am not really sure where to start. Help?

clambert1273

you can eat what you normally ate... just less... eat at your goal and it won't matter

Laurend224

You know what's not expensive? Eating less of what you like to eat. There is no need to radically change your diet in order to lose weight. Just eat less. Boom. You are saving money.

clambert1273

Perfect example... today for lunch I am eating leftover pizza from pizza hut

Sued0nim

Count calories not eat healthy

And I think that's a whole lot of money

Make a big pot of vegetable stew with herbs and spices -onion, squash, eggplant, zucchini, pepper, mushrooms, celery, carrots, tins chopped tomatoes ...chop and simmer for an hour with salt and pepper- either spicy with garlic, chilli and cumin or med style with garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme
Boil some rice
Grate some cheese

150g rice, 500g veg stew, 10g cheddar - big hot meal for around 340 calories

And would make you about 7 meals

Or find another big pot recipe

aakaakaak

Pork is almost as cheap as chicken right now. Chicken is always cheap. So is broccoli if you like that.

LookAWalrus

Don't complicate it by overhauling your diet. Just eat less of what you normally do and start subbing in healthier options.

spamarie

I don't agree with the 'just eat less of the foods you like' advice because when I eat less I'm hungry, grumpy and eventually I'll eat a load of rubbish. I've learnt what I can eat more of and still remain within my calorie goal for the day, substituting some higher calorie foods for lower ones. I'm also a super picky eater btw. But do it gradually, it'll be easier to stick to.

Cheap protein = eggs. And you can have them cold or hot, breakfast or with a salad at lunch or an omelette. Loads of options.

Homemade veggie soup/stew. Just cook up whatever vegetables you like, add some stock (I use a veggie oxo cube) and voilà. You can freeze it into portions too, or add a little meat if you prefer.

Tinned fruit in juice (not syrup) makes a nice dessert and it's better than chocolate. It's usually cheaper than fresh fruit too, and available all year round. I'm obsessed with tinned peaches.

If you can find a way of preparing oats that you enjoy, go for that because they are so cheap and really filling. I can't stand porridge, so I make oat banana cakes (which you probably wouldn't like) or oat pancakes (it's just 50g of oats mixed with 2 eggs). Lovely topped with fruit or whatever you fancy.

Good luck!

nuttynanners

Eating frozen food isn't that big of a deal. It often has too much sodium, but if it fills you up enough, I say go for it. Personally, it's not usually enough food for me...more like a snack.

For me, lunch is easier if I just have a bunch of little baggies full of goodies. You can throw it together in like 5 minutes. I like to mix and match a few that add up to 400-600 calories. Here's some ideas:

Crackers/apples and nut butter
Protein/energy bar
Yogurt (with granola, maybe)
English muffin/toast with nut butter
String cheese or Laughing Cow wedges
Berries
Carrots/cucumber/celery and hummus
Wrap w/ tortilla, chicken/turkey, mustard/bbq sauce, greens


Alternatively you could make food the night before and pack it for the following day, if your schedule allows it. If you can fit chicken into your budget, you can make a big batch of chicken for the week and portion it out for different days. You can always freeze cooked chicken, too, and thaw it out again. I like to get boneless skinless chicken thighs because they are cheap, flavorful, and so, so easy to prepare. It's not that big of a sacrifice, and thighs go great in stir fries, which are also amazingly cheap to make. You can roast chicken in the oven or put it in a slow cooker (seriously, if you don't have a slow cooker they are not too expensive and will serve you well) with minimal effort.

Pair chicken with seasoned sauteed veggies and voila, you have a delicious meal. At my local supermarket there are lots of options for bagged veggies in the frozen section that you can literally just dump into a skillet. They are usually like 1 or 2 bucks. I buy fresh when I can but I always have frozen and canned (I get the low sodium varieties) veggies on hand. You can always add one fresh ingredient (baby bok choy is awesome, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, etc) to liven up the dish. Seriously, bok choy is soooo good and adds an extra tasty crunch to a veggie mix. And don't skimp on the spices, because they make all the difference!

Archerychickge

cook big filling meals for dinner and take the leftovers for your lunch the next day. Done.

chivalryder

How to survive on only $100/month on food.

I don't suggest eating exactly what this guy eats, but it's still some good food for thought.

Timorous_Beastie

Buy a couple pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, a few bags of frozen vegetables, and a few sauces or marinades you like. Maybe some pasta or rice. Cook at home, put in tupperware to microwave at work.

LovingLifeInCalifornia

rabbitjb wrote: »

Count calories not eat healthy

And I think that's a whole lot of money

Make a big pot of vegetable stew with herbs and spices -onion, squash, eggplant, zucchini, pepper, mushrooms, celery, carrots, tins chopped tomatoes ...chop and simmer for an hour with salt and pepper- either spicy with garlic, chilli and cumin or med style with garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme
Boil some rice
Grate some cheese

150g rice, 500g veg stew, 10g cheddar - big hot meal for around 340 calories

And would make you about 7 meals

Or find another big pot recipe

This...

or figure out what you can make a whole lot of - salad, etc.

I'm pretty picky, too and tend to eat the same salad types every day. It's not that I can't eat other things, but I get just prefer the same thing. once in awhile I'll get bored and change it up, but I tend to be a creature of habit, I suppose.

Can you go to a farmer's market? It's much cheaper to get veggies there.

My husband and i tend to get a few "staples" and make salads with it throughout the week.


Also on hand are several are the fixings for this cereal: http://engine2diet.com/recipe/rips-big-bowl/

It's easy to make and when I'm busy/too lazy to cook, I'll eat this cereal with honey and/or dates.

LAWoman72

You said $20-30 for the weekend, Sunday-Friday...did you mean Friday-Sunday?

I do like: Most berries, yogurt, nuts, steamed veggies, other fruits not listed above, chicken, beef, peanut butter... just to name a few.

You can certainly have a huge plate of steamed veggies and 3 oz. of beef, or peanut butter and yogurt, or chicken and veggies and some berries, or beans and a salad and fruit, for well under $10 per day.

agratzy

Mushrooms!!! I grill/ saute mushrooms like four times a week. They are almost always less than 100 calories for a cup and you can put onions, some cheese, or some dressing you like on them. I eat portobellos like no one's business and they are cheap as hell, as well as nutricious!

HillSlug98239

If you like sweet potatoes, do an online search for sweet potato cakes from the Feed Zone Cookbook. They're portable - they're designed to be carried in a cycling jersey pocket and be eaten during a ride, so they'd work for a lunch that doesn't need to be reheated to be palatable. And they're adaptable: the recipe calls for a cube of swiss cheese; I use shredded whatever I have.
-
Ditto for the rice cakes from that cookbook.

Party_Cat

Thank you so much to everyone that is responding!! I really appreciate the food for thought!

muah3iluvzu06

Frozen chicken breast, potatoes, bags of frozen veggies, eggs, oatmeal and some fruit should do the trick.

Ja_ja_jakeya

I know people are saying eat what you like just eat less, and that's true but you should definitely incorporate more healthy choices into your diet. Yogurt is not expensive, and you can save money buying frozen fruits and veggies. Lean Cuisine is not a horrible choice but be sure to watch the sodium!

happywife63

If you have an Aldi's by you go there. Their Greek yogurts are only .79 cents always. Not all of Aldi's produce is super cheap and sometimes it isn't great, but just pick what is good and what you like that is cheap. For my lunches I add an apple, baby carrots or banana to every meal and they are cheap at Aldi's and fill you up.

LAWoman72

Party_Cat wrote: »

Thank you so much to everyone that is responding!! I really appreciate the food for thought!

Enjoy your weekend!

iamspdd

Scrambled eggs. Quick. Easy. Cheap. and filling!

Ja_ja_jakeya

LAWoman72 wrote: »

You said $20-30 for the weekend, Sunday-Friday...did you mean Friday-Sunday?

I do like: Most berries, yogurt, nuts, steamed veggies, other fruits not listed above, chicken, beef, peanut butter... just to name a few.

You can certainly have a huge plate of steamed veggies and 3 oz. of beef, or peanut butter and yogurt, or chicken and veggies and some berries, or beans and a salad and fruit, for well under $10 per day.

I think OP means she's going shopping this weekend for food that has to last Sunday-Friday.

aelphabawest

I work for a non profit and was a student for a long time, so I'm pretty much always doing the "eat healthy but cheaply" route. I cook usually on Sunday or Monday and make a meal big enough for the week, or most of the week.

For example, I'll make a turkey chili - the canned beans and canned tomatoes and stuff are things that I tend to stock up on when they're on sale, along with the frozen vegetables, so I'll only really be buying the ground turkey, lean, for about $5. Once cooked, I literally have about ten meals worth of chili. And I can't eat that much chili without wanting to be violent, so I'll freeze half of it for another week when I don't feel like cooking and have recovered from chili, and eat five meals worth for lunch that week.

Other good cheap recipes are lentil loaf (cooked lentils, sweet potato, onion, and then kitchen sink worth of spices and such - most of the time I'm only buying the sweet potato), soups, and Indian food. Indian food can have a bit of a start up cost - you have to get the spices, which will be cheaper at an Indian grocery store. But once you have that, dal is like "buy tomato, buy red onion, use half a bag of split peas." Which works out to like, three dollars. For 4-5 meals.

tomatoey

Leftovers, or sandwiches + salads. Ham and low-fat cheese sammies with mustard hit the spot for me.

I know you don't like beans, what about lentils? If you put 1/4-1/3 a can in your salad, it will keep you fuller longer. One can lasts three days for me this way. Cabbage is very filling too, I sometimes do a salad of cabbage + carrots + apple.

af_wife2004

I always have homemade soups and pinto & black beans on hand in the freezer. I prefer to cook a large crockpot full so I can control what goes in there. They are filling, cheap, and not to costly on calories. I try to pick produce that is on sale that week and eat a lot of frozen veggies. Walmart will usually price match grocery stores in your area so it make be more time/cost effective to shop the ads at one store.

JustinAnimal

Party_Cat wrote: »

The good news is: I am ready to start eating healthier!
The bad new is: I am picky and money is kind of tight. So here I am, MFP friends, asking for your advice.
I have about $20 - $30 to spend this weekend for lunches for Sunday - Friday. (It's not a lot, I know. I have found eating healthy on a budget is really, really hard sometimes.)
I do not like: Bananas (or most tropical fruits for that matter), avocados, citrus-y fruits, beans, asparagus, fish... (I know, I know! I am the worst!)
I do like: Most berries, yogurt, nuts, steamed veggies, other fruits not listed above, chicken, beef, peanut butter... just to name a few.
I only have a 30 minute lunch break, but I do have access to a microwave and a toaster over. I am not opposed to lean cuisines, but I wonder if they are actually good for me? I also need suggestions for healthy/quick snacks. I am trying to do well within my means... but I am not really sure where to start. Help?

If you're broke, it'd be hard to overeat!

Eggs, rice, beans, lentils and frozen fruits / veggies are now your friends. Also, if you can afford lowfat cottage cheese or yogurt, 99% lean ground turkey, chicken breast or lean cuts of pork, go for that, too. I would aim for high protein, low cost.

simplydelish2

I spend less than $50 a week for groceries - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I eat really well. Lots of fresh or frozen fruits and veggies, tons of chicken, pb&j, and yogurt.

Healthy doesn't have to be expensive.

Lounmoun

Party_Cat wrote: »

The good news is: I am ready to start eating healthier!
The bad new is: I am picky and money is kind of tight. So here I am, MFP friends, asking for your advice.
I have about $20 - $30 to spend this weekend for lunches for Sunday - Friday. (It's not a lot, I know. I have found eating healthy on a budget is really, really hard sometimes.)
I do not like: Bananas (or most tropical fruits for that matter), avocados, citrus-y fruits, beans, asparagus, fish... (I know, I know! I am the worst!)
I do like: Most berries, yogurt, nuts, steamed veggies, other fruits not listed above, chicken, beef, peanut butter... just to name a few.
I only have a 30 minute lunch break, but I do have access to a microwave and a toaster over. I am not opposed to lean cuisines, but I wonder if they are actually good for me? I also need suggestions for healthy/quick snacks. I am trying to do well within my means... but I am not really sure where to start. Help?

You don't have to buy lean cuisine dinners unless you like them.
I think you'd get more for your money if you buy ingredients rather than a pre-made frozen meal though.
Buy a loaf of bread. Have sandwiches. A sandwich is quick to make, not expensive or unhealthy.
Buy a bag of potatoes. Have a baked potato with some cheese and vegetables.
Buy eggs. Hardboiled eggs for snacks.
Make a big pot of soup. Take it for your lunches. Bean or lentil soup would be cheap choices but other soups are probably pretty cheap to make too.
Eat nuts, a granola bar, carrots, an apple, popcorn or cheese for a snack. Whatever fits your calories that day.

JustinAnimal

And frozen tilapia. Cheap and protein-tastic.

Cheri0830

My opinion for what it is worth, try to eat balanced meals, protein, starch, veggies,fruit, milkl, eat the good fats such as olive oil, or butter is better than margarine. I do agree eating less, but your meals need to be satisfying, thats why personally I feel balanced is best. For example if normally ate 3 cups of pasta and you cut it down to 1 and 1/2, your not going to be satisfied, but if you incorporated some proteins, veggies, fruits and milk in with that you would be more satisfied.