Healthy on a budget - so?
kommodevaran
Posts: 17,890 Member
(The last thread I started went great, let's have some more fun 
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I've seen so many of these posts.
Are peoples's income suddenly lowered at the same time the need for "healthy eating" arose?
Eating less food should cost less. Doing the work yourself should save you money. Look at what you really get for your money, not just what it looks like you are getting.
Is it a subconscious feeling that you shouldn't have to pay the same for disgusting, healthy food, as for delicious, yummy, bad food?
My advice is: learn to shop and to cook and don't be adraid of natural ingredients - you can have the best of both worlds
)I've seen so many of these posts.
Are peoples's income suddenly lowered at the same time the need for "healthy eating" arose?
Eating less food should cost less. Doing the work yourself should save you money. Look at what you really get for your money, not just what it looks like you are getting.
Is it a subconscious feeling that you shouldn't have to pay the same for disgusting, healthy food, as for delicious, yummy, bad food?
My advice is: learn to shop and to cook and don't be adraid of natural ingredients - you can have the best of both worlds
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i think people sometimes don't realize how far healthy food goes. a big bag of chips ya is a dollar. but some people can eat that in one sitting. a big bag of carrots is probably 3 dollars....but i dare someone to eat that in one sitting! someone on here had compared a bag of oranges for 6 to a container of sherbet or 2.50. well are u really going to eat that bag of oranges in one day? i know my dad can eat a container of ice cream in one or two! plus people honestly dont realize just because it has the name raspberry sherbet....there is actually no health benefit to that sherbet if u are replacing oranges with it!0
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Love this! I personally haven't seen much change in my grocery bill since buying primarily healthy foods, but I sure as hell have seen them other places (the scale, my measurements, etc). I think it's mostly the thought of having to cook all that food (and if you're anything like me, you forget you bought this or that and wind up throwing it away when it goes bad) really though, you do get so much more bang for your buck. Eat cheap, and you'll feel cheap...
I can understand if someone's counting the differences between Meijer, and say a "health-food" store, like Horrock's. Our Horrock's is pretty comparable to the big-store prices, but their produce especially looks and tastes better, and lasts nearly twice as long. So I'm willing to pay a little more for that. But yeah, if all you're eating is shite food, you're going to likely eat a lot of it. Because it provides little to no nutritional value, so you're hungry faster...0 -
I don't think anyone should choke down food they hate for the supposed "health benefits". Eat what you like, only less. Should save some cash that way.0
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Fresh vegetables can be expensive especially if they are out of season. I try to buy what's in season, but frozen when necessary, hit up farm markets and farm stands when they're open and grow a vegetable garden in the summer. I realize that last one's not possible for everyone, but it's great if you can. Eating healthy can also save you money on medical bills in the long run because people who eat healthy are less likely to develop high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and other illnesses as well (genetics aside).0
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It can be a challenge. For me it's not the carrots versus the chips. It's the box of macaroni and cheese versus a homemade veggie filled pasta dish. Especially since there's one of me to cook for, it can get espensive to try new healthy meals especially when recipes call for fresh produce or lots of seasonings I haven't bought yet. I know seasonings last a long time, but that initial hit to the pocketbook can hurt.
I'm not complaining, I'm just pointing my understanding of what people mean when they talk about health eating being more expensive. I'm making it work by buying giant bags of frozen fruit and veggies (spaced out) that last forever (seriously, still haven't run out of pineapple that I bought last summer), cutting out a lot of snack food, and cooking crockpot meals that use a lot of canned foods (tomatoes, beans, etc.) in bulk for use as left overs.0 -
erinelizabeth882 wrote: »It can be a challenge. For me it's not the carrots versus the chips. It's the box of macaroni and cheese versus a homemade veggie filled pasta dish. Especially since there's one of me to cook for, it can get espensive to try new healthy meals especially when recipes call for fresh produce or lots of seasonings I haven't bought yet. I know seasonings last a long time, but that initial hit to the pocketbook can hurt.
I'm not complaining, I'm just pointing my understanding of what people mean when they talk about health eating being more expensive. I'm making it work by buying giant bags of frozen fruit and veggies (spaced out) that last forever (seriously, still haven't run out of pineapple that I bought last summer), cutting out a lot of snack food, and cooking crockpot meals that use a lot of canned foods (tomatoes, beans, etc.) in bulk for use as left overs.
Your points are central in the debate. What you are describing, is not the cost of healthy vs unhealthy, but
1) Fancy food vs plain food, and I would assume that fancy food is most expensive. (Most ingredients can be substituted. Or make something simpler...! Still healthy! The price of fruit and vegetables, maybe even some meat, I think - vary with season.)
2) Cooking for one, you have to be extra careful about perishable foods. (I cook for just me, and I almost never have to throw away out anything. I rarely buy lettuce, fresh spinach, etc, instead I eat a lot of raw broccoli, carrots, cucumber, etc, and I cook just the right amount, for 1 or 2 dinners, or maybe planned leftovers).
3) Buying everything at once will be expensive, but when you have the stock, it will last for a long while. (A 4 pounds bag of rice will last me for 9 months...!)
What I'm trying to say is that eating healthy takes flexibility, experience, planning and thinking ahead. That's not exactly today's buzzwords...! But for me it means peace of mind and a healthier body. I prefer that to the (perceived) convenience of premade foods. And I find I can eat a lot better and more varied when I do the cooking, not just cheaper.0 -
Healthy food means different things to different people. The eggs at the farmers market I went to yesterday were $5. per dozen. I'm sure they were very good eggs and the lady told me about their living conditions and the pedigree of the rooster but I'm still going buy the eggs at Kroger for about $1.99 even though it's a shame the way those chickens are treated and I hate the overuse of antibiotics.
Same with organic produce. If money was no object I'd buy nothing but organic. But $'s are an object so I buy organic when the price is the same. Sometimes when it's a little more but I can't pay two, three or four times as much for it.
Speaking of antibiotics in chicken. There is a Mediterranean market I go to sometimes. The owner, all his employees and most of his customers are Muslim. I pay a little more for chicken there than I would at Kroger because his chicken isn't injected with water to increase the weight and I I can't swear to it, but I think that they aren't given antibiotics. I mentioned they are Muslim for a couple of reasons. One is there are Islamic dietary laws that they must comply with to retain their customers. Kinda like kosher but it's called halal. I'm not Muslim and sure no expert on halal but because this guy has been in business in the same place for a very long time and has a loyal following, I have a level of trust. I don't cook lamb or mutton but mean to start and he will be who I buy it from.
The other thing is this is definitely an ethnic market and locally owned Markets, specializing in and catering to immigrant tastes and cuisines, are a great way to save money while expanding your culinary horizons and increasing the quality of your groceries. I shop at the Mediterranean Grocery (honestly I'd call it more middle eastern), as well as two good Mexican and one Chinese Market. There is a pretty good chance you're in a good ethnic market if you are the only one speaking English. Hopefully you're not the only one who can speak it though.
I like this topic and will follow the discussion. If there aren't too many complaints about this one I'll post more.
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Actually there were three vendors selling eggs and they were all $5/doz. One of them also had duck eggs for $4. Was tempted to buy the duck eggs. Sorry I didn't.That's some special rooster...
:drinker:
The Chinese market I mentioned regularly sell quail eggs. Haven't tried them yet. Hope to someday.
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I've had quail eggs. A delicacy Light blue inside of shells. 0
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Healthy food means different things to different people. The eggs at the farmers market I went to yesterday were $5. per dozen. I'm sure they were very good eggs and the lady told me about their living conditions and the pedigree of the rooster but I'm still going buy the eggs at Kroger for about $1.99 even though it's a shame the way those chickens are treated and I hate the overuse of antibiotics.
Same with organic produce. If money was no object I'd buy nothing but organic. But $'s are an object so I buy organic when the price is the same. Sometimes when it's a little more but I can't pay two, three or four times as much for it.
Speaking of antibiotics in chicken. There is a Mediterranean market I go to sometimes. The owner, all his employees and most of his customers are Muslim. I pay a little more for chicken there than I would at Kroger because his chicken isn't injected with water to increase the weight and I I can't swear to it, but I think that they aren't given antibiotics. I mentioned they are Muslim for a couple of reasons. One is there are Islamic dietary laws that they must comply with to retain their customers. Kinda like kosher but it's called halal. I'm not Muslim and sure no expert on halal but because this guy has been in business in the same place for a very long time and has a loyal following, I have a level of trust. I don't cook lamb or mutton but mean to start and he will be who I buy it from.
The other thing is this is definitely an ethnic market and locally owned Markets, specializing in and catering to immigrant tastes and cuisines, are a great way to save money while expanding your culinary horizons and increasing the quality of your groceries. I shop at the Mediterranean Grocery (honestly I'd call it more middle eastern), as well as two good Mexican and one Chinese Market. There is a pretty good chance you're in a good ethnic market if you are the only one speaking English. Hopefully you're not the only one who can speak it though.
I like this topic and will follow the discussion. If there aren't too many complaints about this one I'll post more.
This is awesome. I wish we had ethnic grocery stores here. But we don't.
I love international food, so I I've shopping at Whole Foods and it is very, very expensive.
Some things are expensive, but they are not a "must" when it comes to eating better: Organic Produce, fresh fish, a well stocked pantry, a collection of herbs and spices to have on hand. All of these things make it easier for me to stay on track. So it is worth it for me to buy them.
But, for example, if we only had one income, I wouldn't be able to afford it.
I guess I'm like a child in that if my food (or working out, for that matter) is not exciting for me, then I revert to my old habits: gluttony & sloth.
**hangs head in shame** but it's the truth.
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I looked inside the carton and these were blue on the outside.kommodevaran wrote: »I've had quail eggs. A delicacy Light blue inside of shells.
Hey kommodervaran, after my first post here I looked at your profile. You're from Oslo, OS? I've heard of Oslo Norway. Is it the same place?
I've never seen a Norwegian or Scandinavian ethnic market. Maybe they have them in Minnesota or maybe there aren't enough non-assimilated immigrants to support such stores.
I met a young Norwegian on a Memphis bus a few years ago but she was a tourist.
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The other thing is this is definitely an ethnic market and locally owned Markets, specializing in and catering to immigrant tastes and cuisines, are a great way to save money while expanding your culinary horizons and increasing the quality of your groceries. I shop at the Mediterranean Grocery (honestly I'd call it more middle eastern), as well as two good Mexican and one Chinese Market. There is a pretty good chance you're in a good ethnic market if you are the only one speaking English. Hopefully you're not the only one who can speak it though.
I like this topic and will follow the discussion. If there aren't too many complaints about this one I'll post more.
YES to ethnic markets! Of course, not all areas will have these. But if you do, and haven't ever visited (Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern/halal, etc.), I urge you to check it out. So many good things (and things you never knew existed) are available, usually at considerable cost savings (10 lb bag of beans for $5? Yes, please!). Or even if not a cost savings, get to know the owners, you may be amazed at the level of integrity and pride in which they have for their store and the products they sell.
ETA: Oh yes. Do not be scared if you don't HEAR any local language spoken. There is always someone there who DOES speak it--just not when speaking to their family, coworker, etc. I've never been in a market in which I could not conduct business in English. And the local Mexi-Mart appreciates my (failed) attempts at Spanish, LOL.0 -
I guess it is up to ones relative perception of healthy. I live in a market inundated by drug money and it is trendy for the weed growers to shop at the natural and health food stores. At these stores they pay around 5$ a lb. for chicken breasts and hamburger up to 21$ a pound for porterhouse. I can shop at a major grocery store for far less. Mainly eating"healthy " for me has meant avoiding fast food and that actually has helped me save quite a bit as three McMeals a day is expensive.0
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I've lived in Northern Ca., So. Ca., Nevada, Utah, Texas, South Fl., Central Fl. and Tennessee and I've never seen a place with no ethnic markets. Sure there are neighborhoods and maybe even towns without them but I've never been where there weren't any in the area. I've only lived in the south and west and maybe it's different in the Midwest or elsewhere but, just for the heck of it, if you think there aren't ethnic markets in your area, ask your gardener where his wife shops.
If it isn't an ethnic market it might be a grocery store that caters to folks on a lower income. Some of those stores are awful! But some are good places to know your way around. The ones that respect their customers usually have produce, meats and other items that aren't stocked by regular super markets or are stocked but treated like something exotic and priced outrageously.
For example maybe you happened on a TV show where some celebrity chef was making osso buco and you wanted to try it. So you go down to Kroger and ask for veal shanks like the guy on the TV said. If you're persistent enough when the guy stocking the meat case tells you they don't have them, he'll go get his boss. And if you're lucky enough that the guy who does the ordering is working at that time, he'll tell you they have to special order them and if you're just plain real lucky he might give you a price of $20 to $30 per pound.
If go to a place like Montessi's Supermarket, or SuperLo Foods and ask he'll probably tell you that he doesn't stock veal shanks because they're too expensive but he can special order them but he does have regular beef shanks about $5 bucks a pound. And you take 'em home and cook 'em just like the guy on TV except maybe just a little longer 'cause that's what the butcher suggested and they are wonderful.
Also, in the unlikely circumstance that there really are no ethnic markets in the area the store that respectfully caters to food stamp customers will also most likely stock the products that new immigrants want.
Things might be very different at stores like Whole Foods. I don't know because I don't shop there.
Come to think of it. If you shop at Whole Foods you'd probably just pay $30 per pound for the veal shanks they have all the time.0 -
I shop at Costco, and look for deals and sales. Today, 8 pack of organic Kirkland black bean soup, on sale, $6.97. That is less than a $1.00 a meal for lunch. I bought 2 packs.
A rotisserie chicken lasts me a week of dinners. I also use the bones for broth.
Mushrooms, $3.97 for 24 ounces! Blackberries were the splurge item for the day, $5.00, that will last me a week of breakfasts with yogurt.
So, $50 bought me food for about two weeks today. That includes a chicken, six cans of wild salmon, 36 eggs, red peppers, lettuce, and feta cheese.0 -
Eating healthy on a budget can be done with discipline and planning. I'm doing a challenge (thank my husband). Eating healthy for 5 days (M-F) on $12-$17 only. I have the foods posted on IG, receipts and pics on FB/IG. Logging in my diary this week, but you can't see the pics of the foods on MFP. If anyone wants to follow.
The greatest challenge I saw so far was that it took more time than most people are willing to invest because you have to cook and get creative so you're not eating the same thing everyday. Which I'm use to with meal prepping but my husband challenged me to do this without eating the same thing everyday and without adding anymore than the 9 ingredients I purchased for $16.97.
Where there's a will there's a way!
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I can eat a bag of oranges in one day they are my favoritejenncornelsen wrote: »i think people sometimes don't realize how far healthy food goes. a big bag of chips ya is a dollar. but some people can eat that in one sitting. a big bag of carrots is probably 3 dollars....but i dare someone to eat that in one sitting! someone on here had compared a bag of oranges for 6 to a container of sherbet or 2.50. well are u really going to eat that bag of oranges in one day? i know my dad can eat a container of ice cream in one or two! plus people honestly dont realize just because it has the name raspberry sherbet....there is actually no health benefit to that sherbet if u are replacing oranges with it!
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http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10037702/affording-your-new-lifestyle-tips-and-tricks-for-the-grocery-store/p1
I did a thread on this a while back. I've found that couponing for staple items (like my snacks, sauces, pasta, ect) saves me money to afford the produce and meat I like to have on hand in my fridge. I spend a very reasonable amount at the store each month; I have access to "cheaper" grocery stores, and am not shopping in a more metropolitan area, though.
I can understand if someone is shopping for a family, it may be more difficult. But it's really easy to find balance with what you want to buy (ice cream, chips, ect...I don't view those as "bad"), and fresh produce/meat without breaking the bank. It just takes a lot of practice, learning sale cycles, and buying bulk when you can.0 -
I love Aldi.for produce!! It is so inexpensive and they even have organic. Once I got over the rented cart thing - I love that place!0
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melimomTARDIS wrote: »I don't think anyone should choke down food they hate for the supposed "health benefits". Eat what you like, only less. Should save some cash that way.
Pretty much this. If I don't like something, I'm not going to eat it, let alone pay money for it.
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insideoutgirl wrote: »I love Aldi.for produce!! It is so inexpensive and they even have organic. Once I got over the rented cart thing - I love that place!
Yes! We are lucky to have a great Aldi locally. I have been in some though, where the produce was gross. I do just about all my shopping at Aldi, except for a few specialty things they don't carry.
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buy whats in season, cook all your own meals, look out for deals (I shop in Lidl a LOT!) ...simple
I cook for 3 adults in my house and our weekly food bill is around £70, not bad at all
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I buy whatever fresh veggies are on sale that week and work around that. Our food bill has gone up a bit since I am eating a ton more fresh things, but its worth it. Once a month we go to BJs and stock up on big packs of chicken, steaks, and chicken sausage - that way we always have stuff in the freezer to pull out for dinner. We spend about $60-80 a week on food for 2 of us. That includes things that I am stocking up for when on sale - like beans, eggs, rice, etc... Also I have been buying more expensive cat food because I realized that they were basically eating junk food and its only fair that I treat their bodies well too.0
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Really, I think that most people just have a very narrow view of "healthy"...on top of that, the art of cooking has largely been lost so it would seem that a majority of people think "healthy" also means boring and bland food.
It's actually all kind of sad really...0 -
It now costs me roughly £6.00 for a full 5 days work lunches. Before I used to spend £4 a day on lunch!! I used to buy sausage or bacon sandwiches in the morning costing around £2 a day at work, now I buy a box of cornflakes for 31p which lasts me a whole week!!
Its defo paying for me to eat more healthy! But its not just that, it makes it cheaper when the volume of food is less!
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kommodevaran wrote: »My advice is: learn to shop and to cook and don't be adraid of natural ingredients - you can have the best of both worlds
What's an unnatural ingredient? Just wondering?0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Really, I think that most people just have a very narrow view of "healthy"...on top of that, the art of cooking has largely been lost so it would seem that a majority of people think "healthy" also means boring and bland food.
It's actually all kind of sad really...
Well said0 -
isulo_kura wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »My advice is: learn to shop and to cook and don't be adraid of natural ingredients - you can have the best of both worlds
What's an unnatural ingredient? Just wondering?
Bricks?0 -
It's worth it to invest in stockpiling if you can. Non-perishables, of course. Spend an extra $5-$20 and buy a ton of stuff when it goes on sale. Yes you might feel self conscious when you buy 20 cans of beans and clear out the shelf, BUT it really does lower your weekly grocery bill because you aren't having to buy that can of beans every week now. Plus you have the peace of mind knowing that if an emergency of any kind happens (financial, natural, etc) you have food in your house. Mostly the problem I get into when buying anything fresh is that I am only one person and I simply cannot eat most of it in a timely manner.0
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