Eating healthy on a tight budget = difficult

rmduck81

I am having issues sticking to a healthy eating plan due to my current budget, does anyone have any healthy options that wont break my bank?? Looking more for lunch and dinner ideas.
I've been logging my eating and I'm under my calorie intake, but my weight only seems to be going up slowly. The scale is actually making me feel guilty and bad, I really want to lose the weight not pack more on
I know I should be eating a lot more veggies but they are just too expensive to buy every other day, HELP!!

frankie_xox

Have you tried frozen and canned veggies? May not be as ideal as fresh, but cheaper and still nutritious.

BoxerBrawler

beans, legumes, sold in bulk. As the person above me mentioned canned and frozen veggies. Many times they are like 2 for five bucks. Start visiting local markets and/or farm stands if you have them around. When you go to the store always check out the "sale" rack in all departments... Do you research and go to multiple stores to get the sale items if that's what it takes.

jandsstevenson887

It doesn't have to be expensive to eat more healthy. Look at other more inexpensive grocery stores. I shop a lot at Aldi. My family eats a lot of pinto beans with rice with a little sausage. We incorporate a lot of frozen veggies so they don't go bad and spoil before we can eat them. We eat a lot of zucchini because it is filling and usually cheap. Some healthy options:
taco soups (use frozen veggies, beans)
minestrone
grilled chicken salads
simple pasta dishes with frozen vegetables

Ninkyou

Steamable vegetables run From $1-1.50 a bag. That's not expensive. It's super cheap and they taste great.

chunky_pinup

Frozen veggies can actually be more nutritious than fresh depending on the region you live in, because they can lose nutrients if they are picked before ripened to be fresh upon traveling to your region. Where I live, in the winter, fresh veggies are very expensive and they are TERRIBLE quality because they have to come from all over the world. I can stock up on bags of veggies for $0.99 a piece. If you eat meat, buy the cuts that are on sale. Buy in bulk. I buy our grains and legumes in the bulk section and save a load that way. We spend $70/week for three of us, and we always have money left over. Plan out all of your meals ahead of time and only purchase what you need to prepare them.

cwolfman13

rmduck81 wrote: »

I am having issues sticking to a healthy eating plan due to my current budget, does anyone have any healthy options that wont break my bank?? Looking more for lunch and dinner ideas.
I've been logging my eating and I'm under my calorie intake, but my weight only seems to be going up slowly. The scale is actually making me feel guilty and bad, I really want to lose the weight not pack more on
I know I should be eating a lot more veggies but they are just too expensive to buy every other day, HELP!!

Stuff I ate when I was broke...and still, most of these are dietary staples.

Dried Legumes
Rice
Lentils
Potatoes
Cabbage
Broccoli
Other frozen veggies on sale
Apples (Gala are usually pretty cheap)
Whole chickens or chicken parts
Other meats on sale
Eggs

debmom2boyz

Pinterest has tons of healthy meals on a budget.
Do you have local farms that you could do a co-op at? You work and get paid in veggies?

itsmemaringle

Are you in the uk? I filled to bursting my 25l backpack for under £9 in lidl ...all fresh fruit and veg (including some avocados) shop around... Look for deals Aldi do 5 discounted fruit/ veg items per week ... Also I go frozen for soft fruits as last longer and get more for my money. Good luck.

Sugar_Slayer

If you are in the US, you could also check out Bountiful Basket for fresh fruits and vegetables. It's like a food coop - you contribute on Monday and then pick Friday or Saturday depending on your location. You don't know what you are going to get, but it's $15 + shipping and usually comes to be about half the price if you bought the same thing in the store.

Francl27

Check bugetbytes.com

bogwoppt1

rmduck81 wrote: »

I've been logging my eating and I'm under my calorie intake, but my weight only seems to be going up slowly. The scale is actually making me feel guilty and bad, I really want to lose the weight not pack more on
I know I should be eating a lot more veggies but they are just too expensive to buy every other day, HELP!!

Are you weighing the food you eat? Because the only way you can be gaining weight is because you are eating more calories than your body needs. Eyeballing or guesstimating food portions is really hopeless, you need to weigh. Not with measuring cups or spoons or by reading the packaging.

As a way to save money, buy in bulk, do not buy prepackaged food.

I buy the following in bulk

oatmeal
frozen berries
chick peas (make my own hummus)
greek yogourt (biggest size)
lentils and beans to add to chilis and soups
frozen veg


Maybe if your describe what you are eating people can help with money saving alternatives.

endlessfall16

How much are you budgeted to eat per day? And how many calories?

I probably can eat 1500 calories from 4-6 dollars. Since I went on calorie counting everything I eat seems "healthy" in the sense that I don't pack on more lbs and I feel quite energetic.

DrifterBear

Spending more money on food won't help you lose weight. You seem to have two unrelated concerns. First with eating health, which I assume you mean as fresh (organic) veggies. Second with losing weight. Those are not related. Spending more on food won't help you lose weight.

grubb1019

Shop at Aldis. Their produce is sometimes half the price of Krogers.

cate320

Frozen vegetables and frozen meat are always consistently cheaper than their fresh counterparts. Just as tasty, and even easier to prepare too.

Eggs are also a good one. If you eat carbs, rice and pasta are always cheap and great to bulk up a meal.

Other than that, shop sales as much as possible.

AnnPT77

Around here, some of the less popular veggies are significantly less expensive - thinks like root veggies (carrots, beets, turnips, etc.), winter squash, etc. If you're open to trying new things, take a good look around at the grocery store, and try something new that's inexpensive. Search online to see how to cook it, see if you like it.

+1 to the idea of frozen veg, too.

rmduck81

Thanks everyone, those are some good ideas. Really appreciate the help everyone!

Cortneyrenee04

I saved tons of money by eating healthier foods. You can totally do it

robininfl

I don't know what your budget is, but have had very tight times, our budget foods are Beans And Rice!

For protein:
Beans beans beans, lentils and peas
Eggs
Chicken if you can get it in bulk at Sam's or somewhere

For fruit/veg
Check the non-organic in the city farmer's markets, some great deals
Things that are on sale
Big bag of frozen fruit
Frozen Veg
Canned tomatoes


For oils, we don't compromise...Butter, Coconut Oil, Olive OIl, but buy in bulk and they last a long time. Also onions, we use them in everything so kind of have to buy them even if not cheap. But they aren't too expensive.

For carbs:
Rice in a big bag
Frozen corn
Pasta
Tortillas
Bread when it's buy one get one, or we do make bread, but it's not a lot cheaper to make than buy.


And a big part of eating healthy is just not eating too much, so that part is cheap.

kandell

I like to stock up on meats when they're on sale, then throw them in the freezer until I need them. Canned and frozen veggies are great, as well as rice and pasta. Canned chicken and tuna are also good options. Buy the generic brands whenever possible, and pay attention to sales :]

Afura

Ninkyou wrote: »

Steamable vegetables run From $1-1.50 a bag. That's not expensive. It's super cheap and they taste great.

Seriously, my store's (Publix) name brand steam fresh bags taste better to me than the more expensive versions. I don't worry about them going bad, and they're easy to prepare.
Take some time on Wednesday's to go through the ads (most stores ad week starts then) and find out which store is going to have the best deals for you or at least what your favorite store has on sale, and keep an eye on the cost per ounce (some stores list it with the price) to start getting an idea of what is the best cost for you. Make a list, stick to your list, those add on purchases is where my bill goes from $30 to $70 (darn you hot chocolate mix, you temptress).

If you're just trying to lose weight, remember it's more about getting under calorie goal more than necessarily hitting all your macros.

natalie3505

Do you have an aldi near you? Or a winco? Those are great places to buy produce cheap as well.

Jeffrey300050

Try buying you protein very early in the mornings at your favorite store when it's marked down. Be sure to use right away OR it's fine to freeze and use anytime. Just get it in the freezer quickly.

vivmom2014

Another vote for shopping at Aldi. I sound like a broken record with it, but I can't give them enough positive recommendation.

ketorach

Eggs (not organic)
Chicken thighs or pork shoulder for pulled chicken or pork
Oats (bought in bulk)
Rice (in bulk)
Frozen veggies
Canned tuna
Bananas
Canned or dried beans
Ground beef (when bought in bulk, it can be as low as $2.67/lb at my local Wegmans)

When I was a broke grad student, I ate white rice with chicken, garlic, olive oil and chick peas all the time. I also ate a lot of chili.

Also, eating less costs less than eating more. Just reducing your portion sizes will be cheaper and stem your weight gain.

DisneyDude85

natalie3505 wrote: »

Do you have an aldi near you? Or a winco? Those are great places to buy produce cheap as well.

+1 on WinCo! I'm there at least 3 times a week. The bulk section there is amazing. Usually much cheaper than the packaged stuff. May require a little more overhead on the first visit (purchasing containers and canisters for bulk items), but after that, you can save a lot of money. I have canisters of white/brown rice, lentils, quinoa, oats (steel-cut and quick cook), and whole wheat corkscrew pasta. Their produce is reasonably priced, as well as meat.

phyllis731

I totally recommend frozen vegetables.

ValerieMartini2Olives

Batch cook. I'm doing it right now and so far I have made: 4 chicken/potato/mushroom/onion packs, 3 chicken/green pepper/mushroom/cheese polenta pizzas, and 2 chicken alfredo stuffed peppers. Going to make a bunch more stuff tomorrow.

newheavensearth

When money allows, buy in bulk and freeze what you don't use. I buy extra fruit when it's on sale and chop and freeze extra for smoothies. I also freeze bread and bagels for later. Take advantage of the 10 for $10 sales when it comes to canned and boxed good like beans and pasta, too. Pre-plan your family's menus, buy only what you need, and don't forget the coupons!

Odiaa

Apples are cheap and only 80 calories for a medium apple.