most healthy food options are very expensive, and I'm on a very poor budget. what to do?
klarolinelover16
Posts: 2 Member
I can only afford eggs, whole wheat flower, lettuce, milk, beans, and pasta. This caused a very limited diet, which soon gets boring and unfulfilling. I'm starting to lose patience 
please help.
please help. 2
Replies
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You can make a lot with those items. How about adding in some frozen veggies and even fruits. Spices can go a long way to adding flavor without a lot of cost too. To lose weight you need to eat at a calorie deficit - no fancy expensive foods required.14
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Where do you live? People are often able to identify resources specific to your area.
Farm stands and farmer's markets often have very good produce for cheaper than the supermarkets, but they may be out of season where you are.
Frozen fruits and vegetables are generally cheaper than out-of-season produce and there is less spoilage with frozen produce.
Lots of people have recommended Aldis for great prices.7 -
Ready2Rock206 wrote: »You can make a lot with those items. How about adding in some frozen veggies and even fruits. Spices can go a long way to adding flavor without a lot of cost too. To lose weight you need to eat at a calorie deficit - no fancy expensive foods required.
Speaking of spices, you can buy a few that will cover a range. For example:
1. I often use Italian seasoning for any recipe that calls for dried Oregano, Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, Sage.
2. I have used pumpkin pie spice for any recipe that calls for Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Nutmeg.9 -
Healthy foods don't have to be super expensive. Try looking for in-season produce which is usually cheaper than out of season hot-house forced produce. Things like carrots and celery are almost always less than $1/lb and a little can go a long way to adding flavor and nutrition. If you are concerned about produce spoiling it may make sense to buy frozen. If you want more variety you can also try your bulk goods section - which allows you to buy as little or as much of a product as you need. I frequently use mine to buy rice, oats, lentils, beans, nuts, and spices.
When sticking to a tight budget it can also help to plan out meals (and snacks) for the whole week. Look at what you currently have in your fridge and pantry that needs to be used up, go through the grocery ads to see what is on sale and use that as the basis for planning meals for the week. That way you are only buying exactly what you need, are less likely to waste food left at home, and can add a little variety to your meals as sale items change from week to week.
I have found that sometimes buying a little of a more expensive product (like meat or dairy) and then bulking it out with cheaper products (rice, lentils, in-season produce) can produce very satisfying meals while not breaking the bank.7 -
You don't have to eat only "healthy" foods. Are you vegetarian? If not, buy bulk packages of chicken parts, generic brand greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Or oatmeal. Bagged frozen veggies. Potatoes and whatever other fruits and veggies are cheap and in season where you are. Here in the Mid-Atlantic US I could fill a grocery cart with potatoes, apples and carrots for $10 right now. And if some "convenience" food is on sale you can get that too, just log it and make sure it fits your calorie goal. I eat a can of Chunky soup every once and awhile, they were on sale for 99 cents. I buy store brand ice cream pops super cheap. I'll buy a $5 rotisserie chicken and get a week's worth of lunches out of it. Basically, you don't have to over-restrict - don't make it harder than it needs to be!8
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Can you afford baking powder? If so you can make a bean stew with dumplings. Also you can make a scone or quick bread.
Or you can make tortillas, they actually work pretty well with whole wheat flour.
Can you give us some more details on where you are (which country and which kind of area, e.g. rural, urban, suburban) and what options you have available to you?
I understand a tight budget but am curious what factors are making it quite so tight, e.g. How come you can buy lettuce in particulat but not eg cabbage, beans but not lentils, why only whole wheat flour (white is cheaper where I live) - these things vary a lot from place to place and we can help better if we know some more details.4 -
I would eat within my budget. "Healthy" food is relative. To some people, that means shopping only at farmer's markets. To others, that means buying frozen fruit and veggies.6
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Staples when I was poor...most of them are still staples...
- lentils
- beans
- potatoes
- in season fruit and veg or frozen
- cabbage (it's pretty cheap year around and has more nutritional value than lettuce)
- eggs
- whole chickens or chicken parts
- other on sale meat
- ground beef7 -
I'm honestly curious...what have you been eating so far with those kinds of limitations? That could also give us a good starting point. What do you like to eat?1
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I can't stress enough for looking at the sale ads. I try really hard to buy all or at least the majority of my groceries on sale. Stock up on meats/seafood on sale, and check to see if you save buying a whole chicken vs. Chicken breasts. Save the bones to make broth/soup. Get frozen or seasonal fruits and veggies. If you want fresh veggies, Buy bunches of leafy greens instead of the prepackaged mixes. You can freeze some for smoothies. If you have farmer markets nearby, you can haggle prices (this is best done if you go the last hour and a half. The farmers will want to get rid of their stuff).5
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Staples when I was poor...most of them are still staples...
- lentils
- beans
- potatoes
- in season fruit and veg or frozen
- cabbage (it's pretty cheap year around and has more nutritional value than lettuce)
- eggs
- whole chickens or chicken parts
- other on sale meat
- ground beef
Cabbage, I forgot about cabbage! It's 49 cents right now for a head of cabbage - I can usually get 3-4 servings out of it!3 -
I can't stress enough for looking at the sale ads. I try really hard to buy all or at least the majority of my groceries on sale. Stock up on meats/seafood on sale, and check to see if you save buying a whole chicken vs. Chicken breasts. Save the bones to make broth/soup. Get frozen or seasonal fruits and veggies. If you want fresh veggies, Buy bunches of leafy greens instead of the prepackaged mixes. You can freeze some for smoothies. If you have farmer markets nearby, you can haggle prices (this is best done if you go the last hour and a half. The farmers will want to get rid of their stuff).
Yep. Store apps can be really helpful for this. Check your app store for grocery store apps or "retale" and/or "flipp" and link whatever savings programs you participate in to the apps. I do this for Ralph's and it works well for me. My other staple store is Trader Joe's.1 -
Quaker oatmeal has 30 servings of 1/2 cup (150 Cal) = 4500 Cals for just ~$3.5. Can't possible get cheaper than that! It helps prevent myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident too! Plus it fills stomach.4
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Go to your supermarket after 7-8pm, most of them are selling food due to go out of date for practically nothing. I often get good bits of meat this way which I cook as soon as I get home, make into casseroles or curries that I can freeze. Or just freeze till u want to cook it.
Also vegetables that are out of date can keep for easily another week if kept in fridge. I do this often.4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Staples when I was poor...most of them are still staples...
- lentils
- beans
- potatoes
- in season fruit and veg or frozen
- cabbage (it's pretty cheap year around and has more nutritional value than lettuce)
- eggs
- whole chickens or chicken parts
- other on sale meat
- ground beef
One point about the on sale meat: the grocery store near my house typically has mark downs on organic chicken on Thursdays because that is the sell by date, so that's usually when I get it. Definitely find this kind of information out if you can from a local grocery store. Depending on what kind of meat you eat (if any), that's a great way to get better cuts of meat cheaper, and if you have a freezer, you can stock up!1 -
Also with the holidays you'll often find sales of a lot of holiday foods like turkey or ham or potatoes (i.e. 39 cents instead of 1.29/lb). A whole turkey or chicken will make a lot of nutritious meals, plus soup after.
Not eating junk food will save you a lot of money: instead of chips buy fruit, instead of ice cream, buy milk or cheese. Frozen veggies have as much nutrition as fresh, sometimes more since they are processed immediately after being picked.3 -
I second the Greek yogurt, super cheap and can be used a gazillion ways both sweet and savory.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Staples when I was poor...most of them are still staples...
- lentils
- beans
- potatoes
- in season fruit and veg or frozen
- cabbage (it's pretty cheap year around and has more nutritional value than lettuce)
- eggs
- whole chickens or chicken parts
- other on sale meat
- ground beef
And cabbage is so much more versatile than lettuce. You can eat it raw (salad, cole slaw, shredded to top tacos...),, in a stir fry, in soup, in a casserole (I'm drawing a blank on the name of the eastern European ground meat and cabbage dish), steamed, roasted/baked, boiled with potatoes and whatever cheap cut of meat you can get (I like vinegar on this), sauerkraut, kimchi ...1 -
What everyone else said. Not all of us live like kings, but we find it worth it to be creative.
Have you considered food stamps? There is no shame in utilizing assistance if you need it. I'm in my early 20s and am on food stamps and it helps a lot. Also, they have free classes in my area about doubling your SNAP dollars, and there's also a farmer's market voucher program. See if things like this exist in your area--unless you live in a very rural place, they probably do. I live in a large town.2 -
Healthy eating is eating foods with nutrients that meet your body's needs. It does not have to be super limited or expensive.
Meal planning is important if you have a tight budget.
Soup is a good dollar stretcher. A bean or lentil based soup is filling and inexpensive.
This is stuff I buy regularly on a tight budget:
Potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, dry beans, dry lentils, pasta, rice, oatmeal, canned tomato, tuna, chicken thighs or whole chicken, ground turkey, eggs, powdered milk, peanut butter, frozen vegetables, garlic, cheese, yogurt, bread, eggs, flour, spinach, broccoli, cabbage
http://www.budgetbytes.com
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/15522/everyday-cooking/budget-cooking/?internalSource=hub nav&referringId=1642&referringContentType=recipe hub&linkName=hub nav daughter&clickId=hub nav 2
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/budget-recipes
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Where I live a few of the 99cent only stores has fresh produce. I go there to get 3-4 big zucchinis for $1 & similar fruits, veggies. We make smoothies in our nutribullit so I get frozen topical fruit for $10 but i use 1/2 cup a day & lasts us quite a while. I also volunteer at the food bank at my church & get food there twice a month.2
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Another great resource - and an interesting, though sometimes confronting read:
https://cookingonabootstrap.com/category/recipes-food/ (used to be A girl called Jack)
They have lots of great recipes, usually with lots of variations to allow for what fits into your diet, pantry, budget etc.1 -
"Health food" is expensive, but you don't need that. It's a myth, or lack of knowledge, that healthy food is expensive. And "healthy food" isn't even a useful term. Eating healthily is about getting in all the nutrition you need, but not too much of anything. Follow the advice already given in this thread, they are gold.
Spend your food money wisely. Look at what you get for your money. Some options can seem more expensive, but they will last longer. If you don't have enough money for food, you need to find/get more, but if you didn't have any worries about funds before, you shouldn't have to worry now.3 -
I can't stress enough for looking at the sale ads. I try really hard to buy all or at least the majority of my groceries on sale. Stock up on meats/seafood on sale, and check to see if you save buying a whole chicken vs. Chicken breasts. Save the bones to make broth/soup. Get frozen or seasonal fruits and veggies...
^I agree. We save up to 30% off of our food bill by shopping sale ads. We buy featured sale items and use manufacturer coupons as well as store coupons.
Years ago when the kids were little we used to be a part of a food coop each month.
I buy frozen bagged vegetables and have saved a lot that way. Just measure out portion and drop into about an inch or two of boiling water. Turn down heat and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes and it's done! Fresh vegetables go bad in the fridge because they wilt. Frozen are picked at peak and retain most of their nutrients.
I buy large packages of meat and cook in bulk. Then I will use the leftovers to make other things and measure and freeze portions for later-- for example chili, chicken, etc.
If I get turkey on sale I'll roast it and serve warm for the first meal. Then I slice pieces to make sandwiches for the next day. I'll also save some in ziploc bags and freeze. Precooked and frozen, it keeps for a very long time. I will simmer the bones to release the final bits of meat and make a broth. Then I'll make a soup with carrots, celery, onions, frozen vegetables, spices/seasoning and/or onion soup mix.
Plus we get gas points for shopping and buying at our local Stop and Shop grocery store which saves us about 50 cents a gallon on average for gasoline. OP, saving money in other areas of your life will allow you to spend a bit more on food allowance.2 -
We have alot of the same staples as you, rice beans, potatoes, canned tomatoes, salad, frozen veg, etc. We plan or meals in advance and spice up our week by picking a couple of different cuisines. We'll make curry with potatoes & frozen veg, mac n cheese with frozen veg, stir fry, thai noodles, beans and rice, potato burritos, etc. When we plan out before we shop we make sure whatever we buy we can use the same ingredients all week a couple different ways and alternate the leftoversl. We found stores that sell spices in bulk by the scoop so instead of buying a whole bottle we can just eyeball out however much we need and it's pocket change for just a tablespoon instead of $399 for a bottle.
Our bill each week is seldom more than $25 (but we don't eat meat so that keeps the bill down). We also check the short dated clearance sections of our local grocery stores. If yours doesn't have a specific section you can always try to ask and cut a deal, it never hurts. It takes some planning and a willing to read some recipe books. But we've never been totally tired/bored of dinner!
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"Healthy" foods aren't a thing. Focus on what you can eat to hit your calorie and macronutrient goals.2
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Thank you everyone who made the effort to reply, it was of great help
and I'll make sure to follow all of your advices, and focus on making it work with what I have. 6 -
I wish you the very best. Sometimes the very poor end up spending more on food because when the pantry is bare they have to stock up. Which means buying the staples at premium price.
How you slowly break out of this cycle is to buy on sale one item, and put away the savings for the next sale. At the next sale buy in bulk. Pocket the savings for the next trip. Repeat.
Pretty soon you are getting all your food at a lower dollar.
If I have a bag of flour I can make dozens of foods, which prevents boredom. Biscuits, bread, noodles, pastry, dumplings, cake, tortillas, pancakes, muffins.
Eggs are also supremely versatile.4 -
If you can team up someone you can buy food in bulk, which can save a lot of money.0
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One of my best friends has 12 kids. She's a SAHM and they run a tight budget. They eat what we would call a whole food diet. Mostly nothing processed. They can't afford processed foods. I was asking her how she fed everyone so well on a tight budget and she told me she only buys what's on sale and then plans her menus around what she bought. I was always the opposite. I would make my menu and then buy what I needed. Not sure why I never thought to do it the other way around but I thought that was very clever and thrifty. So you might try doing the same thing. Buy what's on sale (and use coupons, etc. when you can) that you like and then when you get home, plan your menus around that.0
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