Suggestions

ChangeIsGood29

Hi, everyone. I've been on here a few times and am really trying to get a good solid start going this time (I've been logging for a month again). I'm a single mom and don't have much money so I'm looking for suggestions on staples to buy that will be useful in recipes going forward. Is there something you make sure you always have at home or use a lot? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

usmcmp

Rice and pasta are good fillers with meals. They're cheap and as long as you control portion sizes they'll fit in your calories. I asked my local grocery stores what day/time they discount their meats and just portion it immediately after buying then freeze it. I tend to buy frozen vegetables when they are on sale.

jjpptt2

A lot of it will depend on your own preferences, but for me...

lean ground beef - flexible, very calorie/macro friendly.
chicken breast tenderloins - same as the ground beef.
egg noodles - kids love them, and can go with a lot of things

Don't forget about spices... even just a basic all-spice/seasoning salt... for adding flavor.

kommodevaran

You should buy what you like, what's available where you live, what you can afford. If you want to save money on food, aim for the food to be eaten up. You can force yourself, but not a kid, to eat strange food. What ingredients to buy, depends on the recipes you're going to use. You don't need that many recipes. Plan your meals - the foods you need to buy, is your grocery list. I suspect you want to lose weight? Then you have to eat less. That's simple, but not that easy - try to not make it harder than it has to be. Eating strange food is making it harder. You can eat anything and lose weight.

You can look for good deals, but you need to know what a good deal is - learn how prices fluctuate. Learn how to find value for money, and to avoid being scammed. Decide what you're willing to pay extra for.

I buy a lot of different stuff, but I aim to have something from each category on hand at any time, so that I can make acceptable meals, and I keep track of what I have in my fridge, freezer and pantry.

bvff35

I always keep bags of frozen veggies in the freezer, especially mixed veggies. Stock up at Aldi's or buy on sale. Big tubs of plain oatmeal and just add my own flavorings such as cinnamon, vanilla, frozen fruit chunks, or my kids add either honey or brown sugar. I try to keep eggs, cottage cheese, and greek yogurt in the house. I buy any meats on sale, portion them out and freeze them for later use. I also try to keep some bags of pre-made salad mix in the fridge if i can find them cheap enough for my liking. They are nice for making quick and easy salads. Canned or dry beans and lentils are cheap and easy too. I always look to see whats on sale and try to stock up.