Eating healthy on a very tight budget

simplydelish2

Frozen veggies are really inexpensive - and healthy. Same with frozen fruit. I spend about $100 per month on groceries...and it's all fresh fruits and veggies, frozen veggies, and lean meats (and I eat a lot of protein). Sometimes I'll have yogurt or some granola bars but for the most part - no processed foods.

krazyforyou

if you have the room grow your own, eggplants, carrots, string beans, tomatoes, herbs can be grown in planters, Make it a community proget where several families come together and work the garden to share. doesnt solve the problem of meat so buy whats on sale in a much bulk as you can. I can from a single parent mom who always found a way.

corgicake

Get familiar with the cycle of loss leaders at the local set of grocery stores. Around here, we've got three of them (though I swear they sit at the same dinner table cuz the SAME DARN THINGS are on sale at each of them and they take turns being the cheapest game in town). I figure having to at least feign competition keeps the prices a tad lower lol. College kid staples take well to being veggied up. Exhibit A: ramen noodles. Also, learn to love your plastic wrap. Chicken thighs come in big bags and can be individually wrapped and shoved in a freezer. Also, don't be afraid to show up when the bargain basement cuts go on sale and ask them to thin slice it - the thinner it is, the easier it is to tenderize the crap out of it and yes, that can be frozen too.

My only really specific piece of advice would be to get sale-priced bags of frozen veggies and stack 'em like cordwood in the remainder of your freezer as they are the laziest way to do veggies ever (plus they keep nutrition better than stuff that's been sitting out post-pick for a week or more).

doriharvey

What one calls "healthy" another may call disgusting. Homemade breads take some time to learn how to do correctly, but fortunately flour is cheap for the learning. I make up a pizza crust when I have time, place it in the frig for when I want it. i can make that crust as thin or thick as I want when it comes time to bake. I can use whole grain flour/ organic/ gluten free/ potato/eggs/ just about any crust I want to satisfy any dietary need. The sauce can be purchased canned or a fast sauce made from tomato sauce/ paste/ and seasonings - just mix and by the time the crust is done the sauce has melded and is ready to use.
Mozzarella cheese goes on sale in cycles and can be stored in the freezer for when you need it, leftover pizza slices can also be stored there. You can put whatever toppings you like - I happen to like a variety of pizza flavors and tastes from thai chicken, reuben, taco, asian, ... makes a fun date night to decide what kind of pizza will be made that week. I serve it with a salad usually or some kind of veggie sticks.

I found split chicken breasts on sale this week for .99 lb and I stock up on these then, also on skinless/boneless when it gets to $1.68/lb. With a food processor AND in small portions you can grind your own chicken breast for "sausage" and burgers. I cook up chicken in the crock pot and save the cook stuff in portions to add to what I am cooking for a fast easy meal. Chicken strips are super easy to make on your own and freeze for when you need.

I do like to use legumes for making veggie burgers, but when you are dealing with other tastes and comfort foods, this may not go over well. In my case we keep easy to heat cooked meat in freezer and veggie burger stuff to make me and the man happy for speedy meals.

I do garden in earthboxes outside my house, but unfortunately i have found this does not save me money (It used to when I had more time and canned alot), but not anymore. It is more of a joy/ satisfaction thing for me now. I find grocery sale loss leaders to be my sure bet on saving money on fruits and veggies in season.

Good luck to you.

ellew70

If you can, learn to butcher up a whole chicken. Whole chickens are usually pretty cheap per pound (cheaper than parts) and are often on sale. One chicken will give you two breasts, two tenderloins, two legs, two thighs, 4 wings, and the carcass for stock (then save clean vege scraps to add to them). If you bought three of them (usually for under $5.00 a chicken), think about how many meals that is.

Ohnoes

im on a pretty tight budget right now. just went shopping for the week, i spent 100 for two adults and two growing boys, and we live in an area with a very high cost of everything, lol. i might go again for more veg and milk before the week is through, but this is mostly it. i bought:

20 worth of fruits and vegetables (we do grow most of our veg, so it was mostly fruit. in winter i would double this)
40 worth of meat (cheaper cuts, look for sales)- whole chickens, a lean pork loin on sale, ground turkey, beef stew meat
oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread, ww tortillas
potatoes (i didnt cound those as veg, lol)
pasta and canned tomatoes ( i eat half pasta half romaine lettuce with sauce)
large tub of plain yogurt, milk, tofu, eggs and cottage cheese
a big bag of beans to make refried beans
olive oil
a box of popsicles and a tub of cookies and cream ice cream (it was the boy's turn to pick desert)

our menu this week is:

M chicken on salad with rice
T pasta with sauce and salad
W whole chicken, roasted potato, veggies
TH pork adobo with rice, veggies
F meatloaf with potatoes, veggies
S beef fajitas, refried beans, salad

we have oatmeal or yogurt with fruit for breakfast, sometimes eggs and toast
lunch is leftovers, PBJ, or salad
snacks are apples etc.
desert is ice cream or popsicles in the summer. i bake in the winter.

HTH. i find that if i make a menu ahead of time i spend less money. sometimes when i get it together enough i bake our bread, which cuts the costs quite a bit. i shop at the discount supermarket, everything costs less. also, coupons. also, buying in bulk!