Living on my own - grocery tips?

goldbergrr

I've only recently gotten super into fitness (teambeachbody programs: PiYo, T25 Alpha, Insanity Max 30, TurboFire) and I've been counting calories but now I really want to start working on counting healthier calories!

I'll be starting graduate school this August and it will be the first time I'm living on my own not in a college dorm. This seems to me like the perfect opportunity to start fresh. So for all you experts - what are the must-haves for my kitchen cabinets? What kind of shopping lists should I be making? How can I balance this with a very small budget? And for all you teambeachbody fans - is Shakeology affordable/worth the cost? Thanks so much!

PrizePopple

You want something affordable and then ask about Shakeology which is pretty much a total rip-off and scam... o_O

Negative. Just eat regular food, but do invest in a food scale and PROPERLY weigh and log your food. Weigh all solids, and measuring liquids.

My personal must have items as of late are Cheerios, milk, Greek yogurt, protein powder, fruit, carrots, peanut butter (and PB2 for when I lack the calories for regular peanut butter), chicken, ground turkey, eggs, sliced cheese, and whole wheat bread.

jessef593

Try for minimally processed single ingredient foods. If it grows or walks then eat it. If it didn't, then don't. I've always liked that one for staying on track. Haha

goldbergrr

I will admit that Shakeology is NOT a scam because I have tried it. The idea of it being a $4/day breakfast (essentially) appeals to me and I have a friend who it has worked wonders for but he has much more income than I. I just want to know if people who have tried it in comparison to other options have found anything near equivalent quality for cheaper.

Those foods are good suggestions! What do you put your protein powder into and can it be tasty? What would you recommend in terms of meal variety?

jessef593

Obviously eggs, and dairy products are good. Try for plain unsweetened greek yogurt though. No need for that extra sugar. If it isn't sweet enough, some all natural honey does the trick quite well

PrizePopple

I'm not going to argue the validity of a MLM company. Suffice to say I would give them $1 let alone $120 a month on average (which for the record is 1 week of food for my family of 4).

I use Designer Whey French Vanilla protein powder and either shake it into 8oz of milk or mix it into 340g of Greek yogurt. I found that protein powder fairly quickly and since I liked the flavor I've stuck with it. I'll admit I'm more of a snack as I feel hungry type person, so I only really make a single structured meal a day for my family (dinner). We'll have shredded chicken in the crockpot, chili, grill or bake chicken and have steamed veggies, turkey meatballs, turkey meatloaf. In the next week or so we'll be having egg salad sandwiches, pad thai, baked chicken nuggets, and cheeseburgers.

goldbergrr

PrizePopple wrote: »

I'm not going to argue the validity of a MLM company. Suffice to say I would give them $1 let alone $120 a month on average (which for the record is 1 week of food for my family of 4).

I use Designer Whey French Vanilla protein powder and either shake it into 8oz of milk or mix it into 340g of Greek yogurt. I found that protein powder fairly quickly and since I liked the flavor I've stuck with it. I'll admit I'm more of a snack as I feel hungry type person, so I only really make a single structured meal a day for my family (dinner). We'll have shredded chicken in the crockpot, chili, grill or bake chicken and have steamed veggies, turkey meatballs, turkey meatloaf. In the next week or so we'll be having egg salad sandwiches, pad thai, baked chicken nuggets, and cheeseburgers.

Awesome. Those are really good examples and thank you for sharing which protein powder you use. Super helpful.

panchakshara

Healthy and Cheap Staple Foods

Rolled Oats
Bananas
Canned Beans
Eggs
Frozen Veggies or whatever fresh produce is on sale that week
Bulk Grains like bulgur wheat

depending on your budget and nutritional needs it can also be good to throw in things like
greek yogurt
2% milk (skim is actually bad for you)
frozen berries, apples, citrus fruit
chicken breasts, ground turkey, ground beef, lean sausages etc
canned tuna
cottage cheese
all natural/unsweetened peanut butter and other nut butters
whole grain, spelt, etc bread
more expensive grains like quinoa
prewashed greens/salad mixes

some condiments which are pretty low cal and helpful
mustard
flavored vinegars (red wine, balsalmic, and rice)
soy sauce
sriracha
tabasco
crushed red pepper
smoked paprika
garlic powder
honey
cocoa powder
curry powder

also helpful to pick up fats and oils like
olive
coconut
sesame
mayonnaise
butter

katarina005

Beans rice. Try and get a Costco membership veggies produce are real cheap. When I buy vegs elsewhere its frozen, or greens, banana. Potatoes. Nothing pre-packaged or ready to go items.

slaite1

Pay attention to sales and stock up a bit. This has been a saving grace for me. Eggs on sale? I buy 6 dozen. Cereal on sale? I find a coupon and fill my cabinet. This allows me to afford more expensive items such as fresh produce, Greek yogurt, diet soda and "fun foods" like chips and dessert items.

Shopping and cooking for one person can easily blow a budget. The advice about using your crock pot is great. Your freezer is your friend when you cook for one! I also keep an eye on deals at local restaurants. I can turn a $10 Chinese takeout into 4 meals pretty easy.

Kalikel

Buy meat when it's on sale and freeze. New yen the meat gets close to expiration, they put it on sale. That's when I buy! Frozen fruits and veggies. Make your own bread - it's cheaper, healthier, tastes soo much better and smells good when you bake it.

Use coupons. Watch the store for sales - I got $12 worth of stuff for free today, not counting my coupons. Bought laundry detergent at regular price, got free liquid softener, dryer sheets, bleach and dish soap.

Learn to cook the cheaper cuts of meat. M&s one of the BEST meat dishes are made with the cheaper stuff - you just have to make it right.

When organizing your kitchen, put things near where you will be when you want them. It's a big help.

Mapalicious

So I always like to keep the list of things below constantly stocked in my kitchen. I will buy meats/fish/proteins, and whatever veggies and fruits are fresh and in season, and then decide what to make depending on what is on sale! With this list of condiments and cooking goods, you can pretty much make anything! A few kitchen items (that are beside the obvious) I find I can't live without: 1) my immersion blender, 2) my slow-cooker (crock pot), 3) meat thermometer, 4) cheese grater, 5) tupperware tupperware tupperware (so I can cook in large quantities and freeze).

Here is what is always in my kitchen!

FLAVOR STAPLES:
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Toasted sesame seed oil
Apple cider vinegar
Rice wine vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Soy sauce
Curry powder
Turmeric
Cumin
Coriander seeds (ground)
Paprika (smokey)
Garlic powder
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ground ginger
Vanilla extract
Dried oregano
Dried marjoram
Dried thyme
Dried rosemary
Dried dill
Meat rubs
Salt
Black pepper
Honey


FOOD FOR YOUR PANTRY:
Canned tomatoes (diced, whole, sauce, etc)
Pasta sauce
Light canned coconut milk
Thai Kitchen red curry paste
Black beans (canned or dry)
Non-fat refried beans
Garbanzo beans (canned or dry)
Sweet corn (canned or dry)
Peas (canned or dry or frozen)
Kidney beans (canned or dry)
Sauerkraut
Red lentils
Yellow lentils
Split peas
Bulgur wheat
Pasta (whole wheat is good)
Rice noodles
Udon noodles
Tuna fish
Canned salmon
Brown rice/wild rice blend
Quinoa
Corn meal (for polenta, etc)
Peanuts
Cashews
Raisins/currants
Corn starch
Flour (unbleached)
Sugar (cane or brown)
LOTS of things I have canned myself (home-made ketchup, pickled things, low-sugar preserves)
Soy protein isolate (goes in my smoothie every morning!)


FOR THE FRIDGE:
Dijon mustard and/or yellow mustard
Sriracha
Chicken & veggie boullion
Miso paste (good for soup, but also for fish glazes!)
Chopped garlic
Pickles/pickled things (great snacks)
Ketchup
BBQ sauce
Tamarind sauce
Lite mayo
Greek yogurt
2% milk
Eggs
Relish
Salsa


FREEZER/FRIDGE (proteins/etc)
Chicken (i like thighs, and they're cheaper)
Chicken sausages
Bratwurst
Lean pork tenderloin
Bacon (yes...you heard right)
Lentils (ask me about my red lentil soup if you want)
Ground buffalo/elk/venison/extra-lean beef
Halibut, trout, salmon, mahi-mahi, cod, or tilapia
Frozen dumplings (trader joe's)
Tamales (from my favorite tamale lady)
Corn tortillas


Some of my favorite things to make are:
Thai coconut curry w/ chicken and veggies over rice noodles
Chicken with warm turkish spices over rice
Curried butternut squash soup
Cauliflower carrot soup
Miso udon noodle soup with pork and veggies
Veggie ragu with sausage
Tinga de pollo (slow-cooked chicken with chipotle)
Pork slow-cooked with sauerkraut and apple served over mashed potato
Cashew/parmesan crusted fish
Steamed: carrots, or broccoli, or green beans, or sweet potato
Seared: asparagus, or green beans

oh...the list goes on!

fishcat123

I live alone too, and personally I find cooking for one without either eating more than I should or wasting food hard (I'm also a smallish, not terribly active woman, so I don't need a lot). I eat a lot of soups, salads, frozen vegetables, and minimally processed frozen foods, mostly from Trader Joes'.

acmanna

Don't go to the store hungry especially since you are just one person. Always go through sales ads and have a grocery list.

Make sure to buy spices because you don't want bland food and don't be afraid to try new recipes. Find a few flower pots at garage sales and grow some herbs.

Having a food scale is very important, that way you don't cook too much.

I personally don't think shakeology is worth the money, there are better products to for less money. I don't live in the US anymore so I can't help you with a name.

faithyang

Living alone?

FROZEN VEGETABLES.
FROZEN FRUIT. And some seasonal fresh fruit for healthy snacks on the go, and makes a nice display.
INDIVIDUALLY PORTIONED & WRAPPED MEAT.

Everything else is plenary around the above to season, cook, and store for your meals.

CateWright1

I have a SUPER limited budget for my family of 3, but I always make sure we eat well and healthy. Here is what we (the adults) usually eat:

Breakfast:
Ezekiel bread with avocado and crushed red pepper flakes
Protein shake (whey powder and almond milk, with frozen fruit, spinach, questionable bananas, etc)
**We tried expensive dieting protein powders, but have found that low-sugar, high-protein, cheaper options from the grocery store work just as well for 1/3 of the cost or less

Lunch:
Whole Grain and Flax wrap with hummus, turkey, veggies and olives, low fat popcorn, veggies
PB&J with veggies

Dinner:
Salmon roasted with cherry tomatoes, rice, green beans
Chicken thighs, veggie and pasta salad (no mayo, just lemon and olive oil), fruit
Horseradish meatloaf, mashed cauliflower, asparagus

Snacks:
Homemade kale chips
Lowfat popcorn
Mini marshmallows with fresh fruit (I know this sounds crazy, but I am a sugar person and this keeps me from eating an entire pie or something)

I typically spend about 80-90/ week on groceries, but do not coupon.

peaceout_aly

goldbergrr wrote: »

I've only recently gotten super into fitness (teambeachbody programs: PiYo, T25 Alpha, Insanity Max 30, TurboFire) and I've been counting calories but now I really want to start working on counting healthier calories!

I'll be starting graduate school this August and it will be the first time I'm living on my own not in a college dorm. This seems to me like the perfect opportunity to start fresh. So for all you experts - what are the must-haves for my kitchen cabinets? What kind of shopping lists should I be making? How can I balance this with a very small budget? And for all you teambeachbody fans - is Shakeology affordable/worth the cost? Thanks so much!

I do all the grocery shopping for my partner and I. Produce is going to be your most costly item, but also the most "worth it." For veggies that you plan to steam or bake, make sure you grab them from the freezer section. These are cheaper and can be stored until you want to use them. I also get some fruits from this section as well, just unthaw a little before you're ready to eat. You can get the large packs of chicken breast/tenderloins and bag them individually in marinades or with veggies, then freeze. Cheap and easy especially when you're on your own.

alfiedn

Beans are really cheap. You can buy in the bulk section or in other dried areas of the store. Cook them when you get home and then freeze them in your freezer.

In grad school I lived on eggs and rice. One really cheap and delicious meal (although admittedly high in sodium):
A clove or two of minced garlic and about 1/4-1/2 an onion sautéed in olive oil. When the onion is translucent, add already cooked rice and fry with soy sauce. Set aside. Add a bit more olive oil and fry an egg over easy. Put the egg on top and crack the yolk into the rice. Stir and enjoy!

claypilk

Real food is perishable, so in order to be healthy you will need to expect on making atleast 2-3 trips to the store weekly. You shouldn't really need to travel down the aisles unless you need something specific (beans, olive oil, bread, spices, condiments). All of your necessities will be along the outer walls of the store. Make a budget, buy in bulk if need be, and cook enough to where you have meals leftover for the next couple days. Spend your money smart at the store, don't blow it at restaurants and food joints. Beef and bean stew is a favorite of mine, feeds me dinner for four days, costs about 12 bucks and 30 minutes to prepare. Goodluck!

2wise4u

PrizePopple wrote: »

I'm not going to argue the validity of a MLM company. Suffice to say I would give them $1 let alone $120 a month on average (which for the record is 1 week of food for my family of 4).

Does it really cost that much?? Holy cow!!

mbaker566

claypilk wrote: »

Real food is perishable, so in order to be healthy you will need to expect on making atleast 2-3 trips to the store weekly. You shouldn't really need to travel down the aisles unless you need something specific (beans, olive oil, bread, spices, condiments). All of your necessities will be along the outer walls of the store. Make a budget, buy in bulk if need be, and cook enough to where you have meals leftover for the next couple days. Spend your money smart at the store, don't blow it at restaurants and food joints. Beef and bean stew is a favorite of mine, feeds me dinner for four days, costs about 12 bucks and 30 minutes to prepare. Goodluck!

no, I go to the store 1 every two weeks other than milk. that's once a week.

shop the outside of the store. don't go hungry. plan your food ahead of time and make a list.