Healthy eating on a budget

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Melmo1988
Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm having trouble staying in my weekly budget of 75 for myself and 5 year old. It seems impossible to buy enough for 3 meals and snacks and to eat enough fruit and get enough calcium.
Tips?
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Replies

  • allie_oop_07
    allie_oop_07 Posts: 16 Member
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    One really good site to check out is leannebrown.com. She has a cookbook specifically for people living on SNAP who want to eat healthy. Another idea would be prepping and freezing a bunch of crockpot meals. Those can be done cheaply and there are tons of links on Pinterest.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I eat a lot of beans and rice when I'm really low on funds- it's easy and can be dressed up in quiet a variety of ways. Buy veggies frozen or only when in season and on sale. I have mental prices unless it's for an event- I won't pay over- like asparagus- it's 3.99$ it goes on sale for 1.99- so I won't buy.

    bulk carrots are pretty cheap to- I eat them with peanut butter- makes me a little longer lasting.

    those are my big things. and eggs. I eat a lot of eggs.
  • helenrosec1
    helenrosec1 Posts: 82 Member
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    I buy a lot of frozen veg and meat as it keeps for longer and is usually cheaper. I try buy fruit that lasts longer too like apples and bananas or dried fruit rather than grapes or berries that are usually eaten quickly.
  • catbhn21
    catbhn21 Posts: 24 Member
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    Ditto on beans. I make a bean and/or grain salad for lunch a lot--I'm too busy to bother with dried beans but they're definitely cheaper. Then I add canned, sale, frozen or dry vegetables. My go-to combos are: black beans and tomatoes, chickpeas with bulgur or couscous, curry sweet potatoes or orange squash with farro or wheat berries, little french green or black lentils and bacon (not too much bacon obviously). But that doesn't help with fruit or calcium...

    I'm bad at fruit personally--I prefer veggies. But I'm in love with milkshakes at the moment. I use frozen yogurt, protein powder, nonfat milk and frozen fruit. Calcium and fruit! Switch the protein powder for some pb and you have a kid friendly easy, cheap breakfast or after school snack.

    Get yogurt in the big tub and DIY granola to go with it. A few reusable containers is going to end up way cheaper than buying single serve yogurt all the time. Add fruit. Again, frozen fruit (defrosted) may be more cost effective here.

    My favorite snack as a kid (that I still eat occasionally) was peanut butter balls. You mix pb with dry milk until it's not sticky. You can add honey or roll in graham cracker crumbs.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    Soup is also a really easy way to stretch your budget. Just make some and freeze portions for easy lunches.
  • bkate24
    bkate24 Posts: 73 Member
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    I don't really feel like eating fruit is necessarily better than eating vegetables nutrition-wise. I'm not a nutritionist but fruit does have more sugar, after all, and I think that a lot of veggies have the same vitamin/mineral benefits as fruits. (Google "foods highest in vitamin C," etc.) I second what people have said about frozen fruit and also I'd say choose what fruit you really want specifically based on what nutrition you want out of it. Obviously you might just also buy it for the taste, though.

    I love this recipe for a frugal dinner http://www.5dollardinners.com/lentil-and-brown-rice-casserole/ and I think the site overall is good too.

    For calcium, you may already know this but many foods that aren't dairy (and therefore are cheaper) have calcium. Collard greens and kale actually have a good amount of calcium! I'm not sure if this link works but: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20845429,00.html (Non-dairy foods high in calcium). : )
  • ForeverSunshine09
    ForeverSunshine09 Posts: 966 Member
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    catbhn21 wrote: »
    Ditto on beans. I make a bean and/or grain salad for lunch a lot--I'm too busy to bother with dried beans but they're definitely cheaper. Then I add canned, sale, frozen or dry vegetables. My go-to combos are: black beans and tomatoes, chickpeas with bulgur or couscous, curry sweet potatoes or orange squash with farro or wheat berries, little french green or black lentils and bacon (not too much bacon obviously). But that doesn't help with fruit or calcium...

    I'm bad at fruit personally--I prefer veggies. But I'm in love with milkshakes at the moment. I use frozen yogurt, protein powder, nonfat milk and frozen fruit. Calcium and fruit! Switch the protein powder for some pb and you have a kid friendly easy, cheap breakfast or after school snack.

    Get yogurt in the big tub and DIY granola to go with it. A few reusable containers is going to end up way cheaper than buying single serve yogurt all the time. Add fruit. Again, frozen fruit (defrosted) may be more cost effective here.

    My favorite snack as a kid (that I still eat occasionally) was peanut butter balls. You mix pb with dry milk until it's not sticky. You can add honey or roll in graham cracker crumbs.

    I thought dried beans were also too much of a pain until I did them. Basically soak overnight and cook in a Crock pot for 6-8 hrs to desired tendeness. I made my own refried beans and froze in indiviual servings. One bag made enough for 12 servings. So it saved a good chunk of money. Beans, Rice, most fresh veggies and fruits are reasonable if you catch them on sale. Like right now at my grocery store I can get little gala apples 2 for $1, grapes 99 cents a lb, bags of mini carrots are $1.50, Bananas are .89 a lb, We get a carton of 24 eggs instead of 12 and in return save 80 cents because we eat a lot of eggs, I watch for meat deals and live close to 2 meat markets if you have one near by they can be a great deal. Right they have chicken leg quarters for .40 a lb for a 40 lb case, boneless skinless chicken breast 1.68 a lb. You really just have to watch the deals. If you live by an aldi's they have great deals on produce.

  • Kexessa
    Kexessa Posts: 346 Member
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    For calcium I take a quality supplement. It comes in big bottles and I only need to get it once every other month. I'm not a huge fan of dairy products and I don't like milk. I do like yogurt and cottage cheese but I'm always short on calcium because of it.

    When I have my blood work done my calcium levels are fine and my doctor doesn't seem concerned that I don't eat much dairy. If you're having problems with calcium you could check into supplements. And if you have questions ask your doctor.
  • missg6984
    missg6984 Posts: 12 Member
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    We feed a family of four on about that budget. We eat chicken, fish, veggies, fruit, rice, beans, milk and yogurt for the children. If you cut out processed food, cook and prepfor all meals and eating you can get ahead on the budget
  • skadoosh33
    skadoosh33 Posts: 353 Member
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    Well I am not able to stay within that $75 budget but I'm sure you can do it for you and a child. I have a family of 6, but I eat for 3. So I could feed 8 for $150/wk for healthy steak/fish/chicken/turkey and produce. Get some sweet potatoes, rice and beans for carbs. They are really cheap and healthy. You get your protein and fats from the meat. And then just throw some veggies in for filler and nutrients.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    You do not need special snacks. Portion some of your meal to have for a snack later in the day.
    Fresh fruits are usually expensive. Skip them because they are not necessary.
    Buy veggies canned or frozen. Fruit can be bought canned or frozen as well.
    Relatively inexpensive foods include eggs, peanuts, beans, lentils, frozen greens (have calcium), peanut butter, rolled oats, white rice, tuna, pasta, carrots, onions.
  • tsclairepa
    tsclairepa Posts: 15 Member
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    If you are near an Acme they are having buck a bag produce sale and also not sure where you are but I buy some of my produce at produce junction which is very reasonable for their produce
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    What are your calcium and fruit goals? What do you buy? And where?
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    What are your calcium and fruit goals? What do you buy? And where?
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    What are your calcium and fruit goals? What do you buy? And where?


    I notice most days I am way under on my calcium, and I don't usually drink milk at all, although I do like it but it's expensive.
    I'm aiming for at least 1 fruit a day, I get a serving of veggies at lunch and supper so that's 2 servings of veg per day and 1 fruit. Just doesn't seem like enough. I try to buy fruit and make sure it's mostly for my daughter though to make sure she stays healthy and she likes fruit for snacks.
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
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    I shop at walmart
  • Kexessa
    Kexessa Posts: 346 Member
    edited August 2015
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    You could get a container of calcium fortified orange juice. 8oz. would be a serving so that would last you all week, a container of Minute Maid calcium fortified is 59oz.

    8oz. provides 35% of the daily calcium requirement based on a 2000 calorie a day diet. And the juice would also count as a serving of fruit.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    What are your calcium and fruit goals? What do you buy? And where?

    what's a fruit goal?
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    What are your calcium and fruit goals? What do you buy? And where?

    what's a fruit goal?

    My own, slightly foreign sounding perhaps, shorthand for "how many pieces/servings of fruit are you trying to eat each day". I knew someone wouldn't understand it. But luckily, the OP did :p
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    What are your calcium and fruit goals? What do you buy? And where?
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    What are your calcium and fruit goals? What do you buy? And where?


    I notice most days I am way under on my calcium, and I don't usually drink milk at all, although I do like it but it's expensive.
    I'm aiming for at least 1 fruit a day, I get a serving of veggies at lunch and supper so that's 2 servings of veg per day and 1 fruit. Just doesn't seem like enough. I try to buy fruit and make sure it's mostly for my daughter though to make sure she stays healthy and she likes fruit for snacks.

    That's sad. One should at least be able to have two pieces of fruit every day. And you have a child. I guess you have checked prices? Apples, bananas, oranges, tend to be the cheapest all year round, and then there are seasonal variations, depending on location. I am not rich myself, but I drink all the milk I want, and can eat cheese or yoghurt every day. Have you applied for benefits? I'm not familiar with the US, but I know you have SNAP and WIC.

    Is the $75 your food budget? I wonder what you buy. not to be snoopy, but I can feed myself here in Norway for around $56 per week, I could quite possibly have fed a small child for that too, and I eat like a queen, meeting all my nutrition goals and everything is tasty. Most healthy foods are cheap, but I splurge sometimes. Have you checked out the resources at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/budget

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    I get fruits and vegetables from farm stands and farmer's outlets this time of year. Here, they are cheaper and better quality.

    (My experience with farmer's markets billed as organic is that they tend to be pricy.)

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