Low budget, low calorie, high nutrient: help!

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roxywho42
roxywho42 Posts: 165 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Help! I know how to do low calorie and high nutrient. My problem is that when I lost weight and got healthy before I was able to spend basically what I wanted on groceries and now I really can't. My second problem is that I have very little freezer space, so all the buy in bulk and prep ahead stuff doesn't really work for me. My son is autistic and has food issues, so if I want him to eat then I have to have the foods he will eat and most of them live in the freezer. I need help with how to do very low budget but still get healthy.

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  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    That's a rough one ! Without the extra freezer space, I don't have many recipes to offer you. Hopefully some other members will be able to help you out.
    Here's my go to dinner that's cheap and fast.
    I get a 5lb bag of rice pretty cheap so always keep that in the house.
    Make up a big batch of rice, add in whatever veggies you may have. You can use canned, frozen or whatever you have on hand. I also add in a can of black beans but you can use kidney beans, or whatever beans you like. You can even add in ground chicken, ground beef or turkey if you have some.
    With this rice dish you can season it many ways depending on what meat you used. I don't add in any meat and use adobo or sazon..
    I can make a huge batch of rice and beans for just a few dollars and it can be lunch or dinner for the entire week. Since you don't have lots of freezer space, maybe only freeze a couple portions and put the rest in the fridge . it keeps well in the fridge for a few days for me but I don't put meat in it.
    If you play around with simple cheaper basic foods like rice and canned veggies , you can make up recipes that suite your budget and taste.
  • MissMichelle1992
    MissMichelle1992 Posts: 18 Member
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    If you like tina there are some fantastic tuna cakes that are low calorie high nutrient. And great on the budget! Also, if you buy certian veg. (romaine, cellery, carrot greens) once you can grow them again. Get a catalog from your local grocery and check out their deals. A lot of the time they have specials. And I know it sounds cheezey, but ising coupons on things (even if not on you actual groceries) can free up some cash for other food items.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    I think coupons are a really good idea. Although I don't ever get any for produce , they really do help cut the grocery bill some!
    For example , last week I went through the sakes flyer for shoprite. I downloaded coupons they had linked on their website to my store savings card. Then I clipped paper coupons that came in the mail and newspaper. They had right guard deodorant on sale for 2.69. I had a coupon for 2$ off right guard deodorant. I got that deodorant for 69cents . they had Aussie shampoo on sale for 2$. I had a coupon for 3$ off two . so I got two shampoos for 1$ after using the store sale paired with the coupon.
    Doing this can free up a little money to put towards the healthy foods that you'd like to buy. I saved 38$ last week, that could buy a decent amount of healthy foods. Its time consuming but it is a way to free up a little extra cash
  • Jeff_Sawtelle
    Jeff_Sawtelle Posts: 67 Member
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    So get a bigger freezer. They have these things called deep freezes. They're awesome! You do need help though. The budget thing can be a prob.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Rice and lentils or beans. Eggs, tuna, peanuts, canned fruit and veggies. Tortillas, bread, Oatmeal,
    http://www.thesimpledollar.com/20-favorite-dirt-cheap-meals/
  • ForeverSunshine09
    ForeverSunshine09 Posts: 966 Member
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    Jeff_Sawtelle wrote: »
    So get a bigger freezer. They have these things called deep freezes. They're awesome! You do need help though. The budget thing can be a prob.

    If she is struggling to buy groceries on a budget I doubt she has the extra money to buy a deep freeze. Only reason we have one is I asked for one for Christmas yrs ago from my parents.
  • Jeff_Sawtelle
    Jeff_Sawtelle Posts: 67 Member
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    ForeverSunshine09 wrote: »
    Jeff_Sawtelle wrote: »
    So get a bigger freezer. They have these things called deep freezes. They're awesome! You do need help though. The budget thing can be a prob.

    If she is struggling to buy groceries on a budget I doubt she has the extra money to buy a deep freeze. Only reason we have one is I asked for one for Christmas yrs ago from my parents.

    I can relate.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Do you have enough storage space outside your freezer? The "buy in bulk" could still apply. A lot of canned and dried foods are nutritious and don't need a freezer. Dry beans and pulses come to mind. They are pretty cheap. Potatoes are also relatively cheap, don't need a freezer and full of nutrients. Does your local grocery shop offer discounts on meat and fish that are about to expire? You can buy these when there is a deal and cook them on the same day, and get your protein from beans when there isn't a good deal.

    As for recipes, http://www.budgetbytes.com/ is a good one.
    I tried this recipe the other day and it was delicious:
    http://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/02/chana-aloo-masala-chickpea-and-potato-masala/
  • kimbailey1982
    kimbailey1982 Posts: 17 Member
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    I watch the sales ads and also do the main bulk of my shopping at Aldi's. It is way cheaper for me to make a 45 minute drive and go to Aldi's than it is for me to buy my groceries at the local grocery stores or Wal-Mart.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I'd make chicken or pork loin salads for lunches. You can make in advance and pack in the fridge for up to a week.

    Shopping List
    *Big bag/box of greens that keep well like (baby) kale, cabbage, spinach, cole/broccoli slaw. I'd avoid iceberg lettuce.
    *Chicken breast or tenderloins. Pork loin is often very cheap if chicken breast is too pricey and comparable nutritionally to chicken breast. I use them interchangeably for a lot of things.
    *Add ins like red onion, grape tomatoes, or bell pepper. For a southwestern flair and some carbs, you could add in black beans or corn.
    *Reduced calorie dressing (pack this in a side container and pour over or keep for dipping when ready to eat)

    For around $15 bucks you have healthy, cheap, and prepped lunches.

    For snacks, you can buy bananas, clementines, protein bars, baby carrots, apples, Greek yogurt.

    For dinner, you can make a large pot of veggie chili and eat that for a few days a week. Whole wheat pasta tossed with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and salt with a bit of parmesan is also very good. Baked potatoes are cheap, healthy and filling. Enchiladas are super cheap to make if you cut back on the cheese, use corn tortillas, and stretch the meat with black beans and/or rice.

    I don't know where you are at, but if you have a Winco around, they have an excellent and cheap dry good bulk section. It is incredible and I have no idea why every grocery store does not have this. I just don't want to buy organic, non-gmo, gluten free, blahblahblah in expensive bulk. I want to be able to buy cheap, conventional food in bulk too. *rolls eyes*

    It isn't expensive to eat healthy. At all. It is way, way more expensive to buy a bunch of overprocessed convenience junk.

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