Eating healthy on a STRICT budget....

kendallsauntie

Hi! I've been on MFP since November (this is my new account after a hacking incident) and I've been struggling for a while now. It's not the exercise part that I'm struggling with so much as it's the eating healthy on a strict budget part. So I've decided to put it to MFPland to see if you all can help me out. So here are some details....

~ I have a wicked sweet tooth and I fail miserably when it comes to passing up the candy at the checklanes at work (I work overnight at a Target store).

~ My food budget for now is $40 every 2 weeks.

~ I'm lukewarm on most veggies. I do really like peas, corn (especially sweet corn on the cob), potatos and salads.

~ I LOVE fruit, though I have a tendency to not venture to far from fruits that I know I like.

~ I have no food allergies.

~ Though I am trying to eat cleaner I still consume a lot of processed food too.

Any suggestions/advice are greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Jamie

PrivateVenue

If you have a Costco membership, you can get quinoa for an excellent price. It tastes great and you can use it like oatmeal or like rice.

jane_bee

Eggs are cheap, calorie-dense, and healthy. Also, canned tuna and cottage cheese--but not together! Bananas are always inexpensive and I always try to buy seasonal veggies as they are cheaper. Good luck!

ellie78

Do you currently count that candy towards your $40? I'm going to guess not since that's probably a couple dollars a day which over the course of two weeks, assuming you work 5 days a week, would already completely use up your $20/week food budget. I would advise adding up how much you actually spend on that candy and deciding if its worth that over actually being able to eat real food. You could probably double your grocery budget if you cut that out.

That being said, you can generally save money by buying what's in season for fruits and veggies instead of just sticking to what is familiar. Add things like brown rice and oatmeal, things you can buy cheaply in bulk that are also easy to prepare.

Mom22sue

If you have an Aldi store in your area, try shopping their weekly specials--I've had excellent luck with all of their produce. They have a Light & Fit turkey burger --12 for $5 that I have found surprisingly tasty.
Since you like the starchy, sweeter vegetables, try sweet potato (really cheap), sweet onions sauteed in a little butter, or sugar snap peas.

Celebi03

Hmm..

I eat whole grain pastas. Two packages cost like 5-7$ total. 12 servings each. Chicken breast, thin slices are cheap. Oatmeal, 8 servings? Eggs.. Bread. Frozen fruits (not that cheap but thought I'd throw it in there) and milk. I survive on this. lol also, I get all this at WalMart

JankaLee

Eggs, tuna, cottage cheese, quinoa (previously mentioned)...are all awesome things.

Just stick to staples. You can buy bulk chicken really cheap, and you can do A LOT with 1 whole chicken. Rice goes a long way, dried beans that you rehydrate. The basic veggies can be pretty cheap (lettuce, cukes, tomats). Costco/Sam's are good ideas because you buy a giant bag of mixed frozen veggies that can be thrown into anything.

Are you living by yourself? It's just me and my husband here and I freeze a lot of leftovers. This way I always have spaghetti sauces, soups, pulled pork, etc always on hand for days I don't feel like cooking. Clean eating is also great because you save money by making your own things. For example, if you buy a whole chicken you can easily make your own stock for later by simply throwing in the neck, heart, and liver in a pot of water with an onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and any spices you like. And that just saved you from buying a $2.50 thing of stock.

TrailRunner61

Can you have a garden? Perhaps even plant a pepper or 2, some tomatoes or beans in a flower pot? Growing your own is the cheapest and healthiest way.

Aldis? They have very cheap veggies.

Buy in bulk when foods are locally in season, chop them up, put them on a cookie sheet and freeze them. After they are frozen, toss them in a Ziploc bag. I also do that with any veggies/food that I don't think I'll use before they go bad.

Food co-op? I don't know where you live, but here you can get locally grown veggies, a mixed box of goodies, for like 20.00. It varies with the crops that are in season, but so worth it! Again, you can freeze what you won't use.

Sam's club and Costco have bigger packages of some foods that you can divide and freeze into smaller portions.

Brown rice, eggs (perhaps from a local farmer - even better), peanut butter, plain Greek yogurt are pretty filling and not too expensive. You can even buy peanuts on sale and make your own peanut butter with a food processor.

Do you have a local food bank? $40.00 every 2 weeks really isn't much for food. I'm sure they would be happy to help you.

katy_trail

at less than $3 a day, focus on foods that have protein, fiber and keep you feeling satisfied.
tuna, eggs, whatever vieggies you can get for $1 or less a pound and compare to the frozen veggies,
often it's cheaper to go that route or more cost efffective bc you're not throwing away parts you can't use.
lentils, and any other legumes you like. I'd make a crock pot of those continuously. rice.
although meat is more expensive, it's also drasitcally more filling and has more protein so try to stock up
when chicken and other lean meats or fish is on sale. the prices will depend a lot of where you live,
so it's hard to be specific. try to get veggies that last a long time. like: cabbage, melon, onions, garlic, citrus.
to name a few.

if you can, start making a compost pile and saving seeds from your produce. long term growing your won food will be your most cost effective and tasty option. you can do this even if you only have an apt window to grow in. or a balcony with a few pots, assuming either of those areas has enough light.

RobynLB83

Grocery list for 20$ per week.
Veggies: 2-3 kinds whatever is on special that week
Fruit:2-3 kinds whatever is on special that week; bananas
Potatoes
Bag of brown rice (or bulk if they have it)
Canister of plain cheap oats (or bulk if they have it)
2-3 cans of beans
Milk
Eggs
1-2 luxury items: package of chicken, jar of peanut butter, block of cheese

This was what I lived on for about 5 years. $20 per week. Doable.

ThinUpGirl

If you only have a budget of 20$ a week, don't buy junk food and processed food! That is a waste of money. Buy whatever fruit and vegetables are on sale, whole wheat bread and eggs.

metacognition

Here are a few cheap foods that I strongly recommend for a healthy food budget.

I've picked them based on a few criteria: high calorie, high nutrition, high fiber, and LOW LOW cost per serving.

1. oatmeal - easy to microwave, sweeten with a little sugar or Splenda. < .25 / portion

Costco has a sale in my area where 100 1/2 cup servings come in a big box for 7.99

2. potatoes - leave the skin on. Have seen 10 lb bags for < $4.00

High carb source that counts as a vegetable. Bake, mash, or microwave until soft (pierce first)

3. Sweet corn. 12 / $3 where I live. You can boil them all at once for several minutes or cook each ear in the microwave for two minutes with each side open and slightly wet. The silks come right off !

4. Cheap fruit =

bananas, average .25 cents each. Costco sells 3 lb bags for 1.40

cantaloupe - pick the ones with a brownish discoloration where it touched the soil and a slight yellowing and sweetness on either end - those are the ripe, sweet ones. You can get it cut from the store for around $2.50 per melon, which is just over .50 cents a serving.

unsweetened applesauce - individual servings are around 30 cents each, and 6-packs run about $2 on sale. Or make your own.

Frozen veggies = average of .25 cents a serving, easy to microwave. Add one to each main meal.

Lentils - around .99 cents per pound, cooks overnight in the crock pot.
I make refried beans out of marked down pinto beans and buy one get one free salsa. I blend them when done and it comes to less than 10 cents a serving. Very high calorie for the cost.

5. 100% Whole wheat bread - decent fiber levels and usually on sale for less than two dollars. Or make your own with the bread machine (it will be a little thicker because of the whole wheat)

6. Whole grain pasta. Make a batch in advance and bag them in 1 cup portions

Your biggest problem will be protein, especially if you weight lift.
I would suggest eggs and cottage cheese. Go ahead and eat the yolk, it's not the worst thing in the world.

vksoileau64

doesnt corn and potatoes have a lot of carbs. I would stick to the fruits and veg in season like they said and chicken and turkey burgers.. also you can make your own 100 calorie snacks by buying a large box or bag and dividing it into small 100 cal pacs..thats what I do Good luck to you

sunshineanstars

Bump

kendallsauntie

Thank you for all the suggestions so far! I forgot to mention that we have actually put in a small garden this year and have potatoes, beans, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, peas and peppers coming up so far.

I don't have a Costco membership but I do have an Aldi's near me and I have my Target team member discount as well.

spirit05

At least for snacking I get celery and peanut butter, individual servings for a dollar each at Walmart, same with apples and peanut butter. Frigo cheese sticks are $4.98 for a big bag at Walmart and they have individual packs of pink salmon for .98 cents each, I mix the salmon with a hard boiled egg and a tablespoon of Helman's mayo for a filling lunch.
I know you work at Target, but for a lot of the inexpensive foods Walmart is the way to go.

Topsking2010

I use to eat lots of candy but I have a desire to change.


Take it one day at a time.

PandaFit450

For that sweet tooth try sugar free jelly crystals and seasonal/reduced fruits - make up as per packed instructions using 50 ml less water. Divide fruit & jelly into 4 plastic containers - 4 sweet treats for very little cost!!

:drinker:

Alta2000

Here are a few cheap foods that I strongly recommend for a healthy food budget.

I've picked them based on a few criteria: high calorie, high nutrition, high fiber, and LOW LOW cost per serving.

1. oatmeal - easy to microwave, sweeten with a little sugar or Splenda. < .25 / portion

Costco has a sale in my area where 100 1/2 cup servings come in a big box for 7.99

2. potatoes - leave the skin on. Have seen 10 lb bags for < $4.00

High carb source that counts as a vegetable. Bake, mash, or microwave until soft (pierce first)

3. Sweet corn. 12 / $3 where I live. You can boil them all at once for several minutes or cook each ear in the microwave for two minutes with each side open and slightly wet. The silks come right off !

4. Cheap fruit =

bananas, average .25 cents each. Costco sells 3 lb bags for 1.40

cantaloupe - pick the ones with a brownish discoloration where it touched the soil and a slight yellowing and sweetness on either end - those are the ripe, sweet ones. You can get it cut from the store for around $2.50 per melon, which is just over .50 cents a serving.

unsweetened applesauce - individual servings are around 30 cents each, and 6-packs run about $2 on sale. Or make your own.

Frozen veggies = average of .25 cents a serving, easy to microwave. Add one to each main meal.

Lentils - around .99 cents per pound, cooks overnight in the crock pot.
I make refried beans out of marked down pinto beans and buy one get one free salsa. I blend them when done and it comes to less than 10 cents a serving. Very high calorie for the cost.

5. 100% Whole wheat bread - decent fiber levels and usually on sale for less than two dollars. Or make your own with the bread machine (it will be a little thicker because of the whole wheat)

6. Whole grain pasta. Make a batch in advance and bag them in 1 cup portions

Your biggest problem will be protein, especially if you weight lift.
I would suggest eggs and cottage cheese. Go ahead and eat the yolk, it's not the worst thing in the world.

The above. Plus looking at your food diary, cut the Pepsi and the reeses pb cups. If you eat that at work then bring PB sandwich beforehand, instead of eating super k nutri bars, or 4 slices of plain bread. Eat tuna (and get the one in oil) with bread. Boil a dozen eggs, leave in shell, and take with you to work to eat for snack. Eat green salad and just put plain olive oil and vinegar, instead of salad dressing. You can add different vegetables on top of your salad so you can experiment to find the ones you like.

H1L5

Jack Monroe blog (UK) Living below the bread line feeding herself and her son on less than £1 a day see recipes here http://agirlcalledjack.com/category/below-the-line-budget-recipes/
Might help you.

niftyafterfifty

Dried beans are inexpensive, easy to cook, and very healthful.

DorothyR87

I use coupons combined with sales to cut down on food costs. Sure there are tons of coupons out there for crappy food but if you take the time to look you can find some great ones. I have been able to get pouched tuna for free, eggs for free, whole wheat pasta for free, pasta sauce for free, frozen vegetables for free, 100% whole wheat bread for $0.39, etc.

bluelena

There is a ton of very good advice here.

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but when that craving hits, it HITS. I buy (usually at Target) the bags of either Ghiradelli squares or the Dove small squares. They're individually wrapped, and when the sweet craving hits, I'll have a Ghiradelli square or a couple of the Dove squares. It's just enough to satisfy the craving, it's cheaper, and SO many fewer calories than eating a whole candy bar. Might be worth a try.

__Di__

Hi! I've been on MFP since November (this is my new account after a hacking incident) and I've been struggling for a while now. It's not the exercise part that I'm struggling with so much as it's the eating healthy on a strict budget part. So I've decided to put it to MFPland to see if you all can help me out. So here are some details....

~ I have a wicked sweet tooth and I fail miserably when it comes to passing up the candy at the checklanes at work (I work overnight at a Target store).

~ My food budget for now is $40 every 2 weeks.

~ I'm lukewarm on most veggies. I do really like peas, corn (especially sweet corn on the cob), potatos and salads.

~ I LOVE fruit, though I have a tendency to not venture to far from fruits that I know I like.

~ I have no food allergies.

~ Though I am trying to eat cleaner I still consume a lot of processed food too.

Any suggestions/advice are greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Jamie

I felt for you when you said you have a wicked sweet-tooth - I am the same, in fact, it is so bad that I can't just eat one square of chocolate, it has to be the whole damn bar and a big bar at that! The other thing I found is that if I started eating sweets and chocolates, it would make me crave them even more, but if I could just refrain from eating them, the cravings started to get less and less until in the end I didn't think of it anymore (took around four days to stop the cravings).

I therefore, log everything and that stops me even wanting the sweet stuff as I just do not have enough calories left for those sort of items. It is not a hardship for me now either, because it was eating so much sweet stuff that made me put on the weight in the first place.

jwdieter

At $20/week, candy is not affordable nutrition. For every dime, there's a better option.

kw85296

If you have to have a sweet treat that is sort of on the line of candy, but healthy. Try Diamond's Honey Roasted Almonds. A can is often on sale 2 for $5. 7 almonds are only 40 calories. You could make up bags of 7, 14, 21, etc. whatever you feel you would need to keep you satisfied and munch on them one at a time to help with your sweets craving and still be healthy. A can would probably last you all week and be a lot less expensive than the candy and much healthier.

FedoraNinja

Dried beans are inexpensive, easy to cook, and very healthful.

This!

If you can find a pressure cooker used at a thrift store, you can cook presoaked beans in about the time it will take you to cook rice. Together, rice and beans make a "whole" protein and a wonderful evening meal.

Beans are the more nutritious part of the meal, so go heavy on the beans, light on the rice.

Here's a super handy chart of cooking times:
http://fastcooking.ca/pressure_cookers/cooking_times_pressure_cooker.php

Lose_It_Leo

My staples are:

Brown rice
Arborio rice
Quinoa
Dried beans (need rehydrating)
Oats
Potatoes (white and/or sweet)
Frozen veggies
Fresh seasonal veg when can afford to: I buy bananas every week + 1 other fruit box for the week if within budget
Nut butter (Wholeearth or Meridian = planet and body friendly: no nasty palm oil or added sugar) [quite expensive for what it is but if you only have 1 tbsp each day it should last at least 1-2 weeks]

TIPs:
Cut your meat intake (if you're a meat-eater) as prices are high, but when you do, I suggest sourcing your meat locally, so go to the butchers and your local fisherman? If you live no where near these places, then obviously just do what you can.
Fish from local fisherman (I live by sea so this is possible - do what you can)
Meat from local butchers

healthieramanda

I'm pretty much on the same budget and manage quite easily on $20 a week.

I mainly shop at Aldi.

My weekly shop usually includes:

Quick oats

rice

frozen veggies

Whole wheat pasta

block of cheese

loaf of bread - I freeze this and it lasts a week or two.

apples

minced beef

chicken breast

tmccarter11

Your freezer is your friend. I freeze almost anything either as a leftover or as extra of something that i bought on sale. Meat can be super cheap on sale and if you freeze indiviual servings, there are more meals in the future and you dont have to worry about it going bad. Good luck

kslade81

If an outside garden isn't an option, try planting a few staples inside in pots. We live in Alaska, but being from the south, I'm used to having a garden. Right now I'm growing tomatoes, spinach, basil, zucchini, cucumber and bell peppers in 5 gal buckets in a sunny window.

Check your local food bank or Aldi. You would be surprised at some of the foods you will find. I work for a wellness coalition in my community and one of our recent programs we offered was Healthy Cooking on a Dime. Fish is a very common food here, and we found out that nuts were very common at the food bank. So one of our themes was dealing with what's available. We demoed how to cook an oven fried nut crusted fish. Very yummy and good for you! Beans, Beans, Beans was another theme, as we have a large Filipino population. Sweet potato and bean enchiladas were a hit! The class got to make their own to take home and freeze for later use. Our snack that night that we provided to them was a homemade roasted red pepper hummus. I hate hummus I buy in the store. But this was great! Most of the recipes I used I got from sites like allrecipes. I would send them to the dietitian that was teaching the classes and she would alter the recipes to make them healthier. Then I would try it out at home, playing with the seasonings.

Choosemyplate.gov also has some great resources. There are sections on eating healthy on a budget. The key is to not limit the foods you try. You'd be amazed at some of the great tasting foods out there. Kale chips...my latest craze. Just play with the seasonings you like, toss with a little EVOO, throw in the oven for a bit, and wham! A crispy, healthy snack when you want. They keep pretty well in a ziploc bag.