Eating out vs. buying groceries

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NoFilter1977
NoFilter1977 Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone know of places you can eat out at that are cheaper than trying to afford all of this healthy food that goes to waste? I try to buy fresh veggies and such, but they end up going bad before I can finish them a lot of the time. I'm just not a salad everyday kinda guy. I have a small fridge, so eating out is a choice I perhaps have to consider. Don't judge me :P
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  • NoFilter1977
    NoFilter1977 Posts: 10 Member
    edited April 2017
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    janjunie wrote: »
    Can't help with the eating out issue, but when you buy fresh fruits and veggies why not just buy less? My 2 yr old is the only one that really eats bananas in our house. He eats half a banana a day pretty much, so when I went to the grocery store I bought 2 bananas that will last a few days. Nothing goes to waste.

    To be honest, sometimes I buy a lot and have all this stuff I'm preparing to eat for the week. I get bored pretty quick and don't end up eating it all. Sometimes a head of lettuce is too much. When I stick to my plan it works, but using all the veggies gets expensive even if there is no waste. I will end up spending sometimes upward of $150 a week for 2 people. Stuff just adds up. It doesn't help that we have different tastes and end up eating different items.

    edit: the $150/week is for all groceries. :wink:
  • srk369
    srk369 Posts: 256 Member
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    I like frozen fruit and veg. My husband will prep by putting frozen strawberries in a bowl and adding greek yogurt. He can use a bag of strawberries and a large container of greek yogurt and prep 4 bowls of yogurt at a time and by the time he eats them the strawberries have thawed and flavored the yogurt.

    I have several bags of frozen veg in my freezer and I portion out onions/green peppers/spinach/cauliflower/broccoli...you get the idea. I love egg scrambles and stir frys for quick lunch/dinners. I use what I need and place the bags back in the freezer. No waste and quick meals that are cheaper than eating out. Plus, I know the calories going into my meals vs eating out and it being an estimate at best.
  • NoFilter1977
    NoFilter1977 Posts: 10 Member
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    Heather4448 wrote: »
    A lot of the larger grocery store chains have salad bars. You could just grab one on the way home.

    I have gotten those package salads from Walmart before. I think they are $4 or so. I wish they were bigger, but it probably is a cheaper option than buying stuff to make salads. Plus they are portioned out. Thanks for the idea.. well, you said "salad bar" but you made me think of this. Only salad bar near me is crazy expensive. Making a salad there would be in the $15 range.
  • crazyycatlady1
    crazyycatlady1 Posts: 292 Member
    edited April 2017
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    NoFilter1977 wrote: »
    janjunie wrote: »
    Can't help with the eating out issue, but when you buy fresh fruits and veggies why not just buy less? My 2 yr old is the only one that really eats bananas in our house. He eats half a banana a day pretty much, so when I went to the grocery store I bought 2 bananas that will last a few days. Nothing goes to waste.

    To be honest, sometimes I buy a lot and have all this stuff I'm preparing to eat for the week. I get bored pretty quick and don't end up eating it all. Sometimes a head of lettuce is too much. When I stick to my plan it works, but using all the veggies gets expensive even if there is no waste. I will end up spending sometimes upward of $150 a week for 2 people. Stuff just adds up. It doesn't help that we have different tastes and end up eating different items.

    edit: the $150/week is for all groceries. :wink:

    I didn't used to eat a lot of veggies (and no fruit whatsoever), and I had no problem losing the extra weight and also improving all my health markers in the process. Now that I've been doing this for a few years my eating habits have gradually changed and I now eat over 800g of veggies and fruit a day (and I fit that all in on a $100 a week grocery budget for a family of 5, but that's for another thread lol). But, if I had tried eating all those veggies and fruit when I was first starting out I would have been overwhelmed, would have gotten frustrated with all the things I was not eating/throwing out, and most likely I would have quit. Start with where you're at and don't force yourself to eat anything you don't actually want to eat. You may find that over time you feel inclined to make changes, but there's no rush :)
  • crooked_left_hook
    crooked_left_hook Posts: 364 Member
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    Enter all your meals and snacks for the entire week in MFP and and only buy what you need. I do a big shopping trip on Sunday and a small produce re-stock and weekend food trip on Friday. I prep breakfasts on Sunday, cook lunch/dinner once on Monday and again on Wednesday...so twice for the week. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I cook fresh dinners each night. Planning and shopping take me about 2 hours total (to complete both) for the week, food prep about 1 hour each time. This also greatly helped me food prep for the week, stick to my calorie goals, and not waste food.

  • NoFilter1977
    NoFilter1977 Posts: 10 Member
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    crazyycatlady1 wrote: »
    NoFilter1977 wrote: »
    janjunie wrote: »
    Can't help with the eating out issue, but when you buy fresh fruits and veggies why not just buy less? My 2 yr old is the only one that really eats bananas in our house. He eats half a banana a day pretty much, so when I went to the grocery store I bought 2 bananas that will last a few days. Nothing goes to waste.

    To be honest, sometimes I buy a lot and have all this stuff I'm preparing to eat for the week. I get bored pretty quick and don't end up eating it all. Sometimes a head of lettuce is too much. When I stick to my plan it works, but using all the veggies gets expensive even if there is no waste. I will end up spending sometimes upward of $150 a week for 2 people. Stuff just adds up. It doesn't help that we have different tastes and end up eating different items.

    edit: the $150/week is for all groceries. :wink:

    I didn't use to eat a lot of veggies (and no fruit whatsoever), and I had no problem losing the extra weight and also improving all my health markers in the process. Now that I've been doing this for a few years my eating habits have gradually changed and I now eat over 800g of veggies and fruit a day (and I fit that all in on a $100 a week grocery budget for a family of 5, but that's for another thread lol). But, if I had tried eating all those veggies and fruit when I was first starting out I would have been overwhelmed, would have gotten frustrated with all the things I was not eating/throwing out, and most likely I would have quit. Start with where you're at and don't force yourself to eat anything you don't actually want to eat. You may find that over time you feel inclined to make changes, but there's no rush :)

    You need to teach me this $100 grocery budget for a family of 5! I really love vegetables, but I'm hoping the thread takes a turn away from the vegetable discussion. I'm trying to research this, but need some ideas outside my train of thought. I need to save money and don't wanna live of the value menu at McDonalds. :D
  • Heather4448
    Heather4448 Posts: 908 Member
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    crazyycatlady1 wrote: »
    Now that I've been doing this for a few years my eating habits have gradually changed and I now eat over 800g of veggies and fruit a day (and I fit that all in on a $100 a week grocery budget for a family of 5, but that's for another thread lol). :)

    Alright, @crazyycatlady1. I need that thread. Gimmie.
  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,568 Member
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    Eggs. Love 'em, they're cheap, good with veggies, and if you're feeling gung ho you can use just the whites. My favorite breakfast is 4-5 oz frozen spinach, 6 egg whites, and 1/2 oz shredded cheese, doused with seasoned salt as it cooks and chipotle sauce just before digging in. YUM.

    Find veggies you enjoy snacking on. For me it's celery. My husband prefers broccoli and carrots.
  • NoFilter1977
    NoFilter1977 Posts: 10 Member
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    munkel1 wrote: »
    How close do you live to a grocery store? I like to buy daily or plan my meals for 3 days and only buy what I needs for that. I've figured out how to eat at home for only about $50 a week from doing this. Just takes a little planning.

    I live ~5 miles (8 km) from the store. I guess I could start asking for better ideas for eating at home? I spent $50 just for our breakfast items for the week. :(
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,009 Member
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    try2again wrote: »
    NoFilter1977 wrote: »
    Does anyone know of places you can eat out at that are cheaper than trying to afford all of this healthy food that goes to waste? I try to buy fresh veggies and such, but they end up going bad before I can finish them a lot of the time. I'm just not a salad everyday kinda guy. I have a small fridge, so eating out is a choice I perhaps have to consider. Don't judge me :P

    Sounds like there's a few different issues here. First, maybe don't buy things you are unlikely to eat. Become acquainted with what keeps well & what doesn't. Apples & cabbage keep forever; avocados & bananas max out in a couple of days. Buy what's on sale, not things that are out of season or otherwise expensive. Sounds like you may not have a freezer, but for others, frozen is a great option. Try to plan ahead, not just buy what you think you *might* eat (that always ends up costing me money).

    Oh, I forgot cabbage! It does keep forever. You can extend avocado life by tossing them in the fridge when they get ripe, if you overbuy. Bananas can go in the freezer once they get more ripe than you like and used in smoothies or baked goods. I suspect they would work in pancakes from the freezer as well, but I've never tried them.

    Hmmm, I didn't take "small fridge" to mean no freezer, but if that's the case, disregard all my freezer recommendations, OP :smile:
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
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    I go to the store probably 2-3 times a week because I only buy food for the next 2 or 3 days. And it's so much less expensive than eating out!!

    I also am best friends with my butcher. I only buy (I'm single btw no kids) 1 or 2 pieces of meat at a time and never buy the frozen stuff since I just can't eat chicken 4 times a week and those packages have too many pieces for me. And I'll also buy veggies that don't go bad quickly like brussel sprouts and asaparagus/spinach, carrots. Works for me!
  • crazyycatlady1
    crazyycatlady1 Posts: 292 Member
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    Heather4448 wrote: »
    crazyycatlady1 wrote: »
    Now that I've been doing this for a few years my eating habits have gradually changed and I now eat over 800g of veggies and fruit a day (and I fit that all in on a $100 a week grocery budget for a family of 5, but that's for another thread lol). :)

    Alright, @crazyycatlady1. I need that thread. Gimmie.

    :) Prices really do vary based on location, but I've learned how to do things fairly cheap. There's been other threads about grocery shopping so I don't know if it would be repetitive to start a new one?

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