Cheap but healthy

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Chibinesekwe
Chibinesekwe Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am on a very very tight budget. We don’t have a low cost supermarket. We have a Walmart and dollar tree though. What can I buy for groceries that will last two weeks and be healthy for weight loss? (I won’t eat Tuna).

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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Healthy does not mean expensive, but you have to widen your horizon. If you have managed your food budget until now, with your current disposable income, you'll be fine. No foods are healthy for weight loss. To lose weight, you have to eat less. (With less, I mean fewer calories - fewer calories than your body burns, over time.) Less food costs less money. Eating out and takeout is expensive. Learn how to cook and eat most of your meals at home.

    You can eat anything you want. Fresh foods are most perishable. Other foods last forever. You have to buy as much as you need to be healthy, and that will be a selection of foods from all the food groups. Look for good deals, and learn prices so that you don't get fooled. But also accept that you will make mistakes, and not just in the beginning.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    Rice, beans, lentils, frozen vegetables and meats, canned goods, etc. all have a very long shelf/freezer life and are inexpensive to buy in bulk.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Somebody doesn't understand what woo means, or is deliberately abusing it :D
  • alydanbeads
    alydanbeads Posts: 120 Member
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    It's hard not knowing what your budget is or your likes/dislikes (other than tuna), but some of my favorites from Walmart are frozen tilapia and shrimp, and ground turkey for meat. We use canned and frozen veggies which are pretty inexpensive, but I do try to get fresh when I can. I also love oatmeal for breakfast which is super cheap. And as stated above, rice and beans are inexpensive as well. :)
  • robertaboone100
    robertaboone100 Posts: 14 Member
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    Some cheap but healthy foods:
    • Brown rice, even though it’s a carb, is healthy for you, cheap and can actually help you lose weight.
    • Kidney beans, garbanzo beans, black beans. Beans not only have protein but they have lots of fiber.
    • Sweet potatoes have many great health benefits. They contain about 377% of our daily recommended intake of vitamin A, 15% of vitamin B6 and very high in potassium and fiber.
    • Apples and other low-cost fruits.
    • Broccoli, cauliflower and other low-cost veggies.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    Check out https://www.budgetbytes.com for recipe ideas!
  • Rosemary7391
    Rosemary7391 Posts: 232 Member
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    To lose weight - the same stuff you used to buy, but less of it. Instantly cheaper than before!

    To be healthier - that depends on what you're currently eating. Make 1 small change at a time to see if you like it and avoid waste if you don't. Dried and frozen fruits and veggies are often cheaper and last longer.
  • kemoon0915
    kemoon0915 Posts: 113 Member
    edited January 2018
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    My usual grocery list runs me about $65 every two weeks for one person at Walmart Market. Some of my standards are:
    Meat - a whole roaster chicken for around $5, boneless pork chops, ground Turkey, frozen chicken breast, and frozen fish (tilapia, salmon)
    Gains - store brand brown rice, and Near East couscous
    Dairy - lots of eggs and great value brand version of egg beaters, skim milk, Great Value brand 4 for a dollar nonfat yogurt, cheddar cheese, Great Value brand fat-free Greek yogurt which I use in place of mayonnaise in things like egg salad and chicken salad
    Pantry items/snacks - Quaker rice cakes, peanut butter (but a jar lasts me a very long time since I only use a tablespoon at a time), Great Value fruit and grain bars (knock off nutri grain), popcorn kernels for air popper, Nature's Own light bread (80 cal for 2 slices!)
    Produce - bagged lettuce blend, celery, cucumbers, apples, bananas, whatever is in season is least expensive
    Frozen - several different varieties of the store brand vegetables

    Hope this helps!
  • kam26001
    kam26001 Posts: 2,799 Member
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    Get a big 5 lb bag of whole carrots. Fiber, carotenoids, filling, sweet... carrots are one versatile veggie.
  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
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    Around here the Great Value frozen veggies (broccoli florets, cauliflower, brussells sprouts, green beans, peas and a few blends) are a dollar a bag, and they're packaged in microwave safe steamable bags. A bunch of these and whatever deals you can find on meat/fish/eggs can be the base components of all your healthy meals.

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