How to eat better foods that you really cant afford? (here is a before during and current picture)

ancurtis

It is easy and just as cheap if not cheaper to eat healthy. Today alone at my local grocery (Kroger) I hit the meat jackpot! They had pounds of organic/grass fed ground beef marked from 7.99 a pound to 3.79 a pound. I bought as much as my budget could afford and put in the freezer. I also scored chicken breast and pork chops at a similar markdown. When things are on sale, buy as much as you can for the sale price. My freezer is now stocked with meat for a while. Buy bulk dry beans/lentils and rice and cook at home. Oats are cheap, healthy and filling. Also eggs can be a good value and are healthy. If you do not have access to fresh fruits and veggies, buy frozen. Canned/no salt added if you have NO OTHER choice. Bagged fruits can be a good value as well. Sweet potatoes can be .69 to .99 a pound and are healthy. I often amaze myself at how well I can eat/feed my family and how healthy we can keep it. The $70.00 I spent today will make my family (2 adults/1 teenage BOY) 28 meals EACH and some snacks. Good luck in your quest.

ames105

Eating well can be done on a budget, it just takes a little more time, planning and effort. Stay away from boxed foods and prepare from scratch so you can control the fat and carbs (its not that much harder to make mac & cheese from scratch and you can use whole wheat noodles, control the butter, use skim milk, etc). You can still enjoy your favorites but in moderation. Watch sales, buy produce in season, eat less meat and find your protein with beans, eggs, etc. Buy produce in its whole form, rather than precut, prepacked items (such as whole carrots vs baby carrots). Frozen veggies are great too - I've found store brand on sale - ten bags for $10. You can buy in bulk, such as from a farmer's market, and chop and freeze the food yourself so its quick to grab and go. An hour of work on a weekend preparing a few items ahead of time is well worth it when you are tired on a weekday. You can do it. Good luck!

MarciBkonTrk

Not sure exactly what your situation is but if you can do it this is a different idea that may net even better results. If you can, try growing a garden. Now that warm weather is approaching I am planning on growing as many fruits and vegetables as I can. Start with seeds as they are very inexpensive given the yield they produce. You can even do container gardens as most vegetables and some fruits will grow just as well in a container as in the ground. I plant veggies and fruits all over my yard not just in a "vegetable garden." This year I am growing sunflowers, several types of tomatoes and peppers, okra, cucumbers, strawberries, blueberries, all kinds of herbs, pumpkins (actually the pumpkin plants itself - we throw our jack-o-lantern directly into the flower beds and they grow beautifully), squash, several lettuces, and a figs. My goal is to turn my entire yard into a suburban farm and next year plan to start raising chickens. Plus gardening is extremely good exercise. Now I know you said you don't eat fish but another thing that we do that provides us with a healthy meal and good exercise is that we catch our own fish and other seafood when we can. When we clean the fish, we keep the heads and innards as they can be frozen and used later as bait especially for crabbing. We love to go clamming and will gather a big bucket of clams then come home and cook a batch of clam chowder freezing some for later. I've gotten to where I would really prefer to get my exercise this way. And try not to be discouraged by a plateau. The working out will definitely help. When the scale hasn't moved a while I try measuring myself and usually find that I'm losing inches. This helps keep my motivation up. Keep up the good work. This is a journey to an overall healthy lifestyle so adjustments have to be made from time to time.

tracie_minus100

I'm in Canada, and have been to the states many times...prices are not as low up here! A 4L jug of milk (which I believe is the same size as a gallon) is about $4 where I live. A carton of eggs is $2-$5, depending on brand. Farmer's markets (at least where I live) are awesome, though definitely not cheaper. So it's more expensive, but not too bad. I can still feed my family of 4 on $400-$500 per month, which is mostly comprised of "healthy" type foods. (Produce, chicken breast, fish, etc). Just watch for sales, clip coupons, and shop at multiple stores if needed.