Eating healthy on a very low budget?

brat682

Hello, I live on a very low budget and I need to find meal plans, foods, recipe, etc that are very cheap but also healthy. I'm currently looking at $100 for one person per month. Is this even possible?

kimny72

Beans, lentils, oats, rice, frozen veggies, eggs, store brand whole foods, in season fresh fruits and veggies, root veg like potatoes and carrots, cabbage, raw chicken parts, canned tuna. I supplement that sort of stuff with ramen, pasta, processed food on sale, and store brand cereal or ice cream. Remember, you don't only have to eat certain foods to eat "healthy", just make sure you're getting some nutritious food, and enough protein, fat, and fiber.

I know a couple of "cheap and healthy" recipe blogs are recommended all the time, I'm sure someone will be along with those soon.

Kim_S_G

For breakfast: oatmeal, or scrambled eggs, toast and bacon

For supper I often buy a box of Stampede frozen New York strip steaks from Walmart. A box of 5 costs $10. Not the best steaks in the world but good enough for me - and they are only ~190 calories each.

Spaghetti is cheap.

Salmon patties are pretty cheap. Here is my favorite recipe.

https://allrecipes.com/recipe/58868/oregon-salmon-patties/

You might could get some ideas here. The $10 dinners are for a family of 4 - so 4 suppers for you alone.

https://foodnetwork.com/search/ten-dollar-dinners-

RunnerGirl238

Meal plan, meal plan, meal plan. Meal plan based on sale flyers.

Hard boiled eggs, soups, etc. Cheaper cuts of meats(chicken thighs) supplemented with in season produce, brown rice, etc.

mjrc2

kimny72 wrote: »

Beans, lentils, oats, rice, frozen veggies, eggs, store brand whole foods, in season fresh fruits and veggies, root veg like potatoes and carrots, cabbage, raw chicken parts, canned tuna. I supplement that sort of stuff with ramen, pasta, processed food on sale, and store brand cereal or ice cream. Remember, you don't only have to eat certain foods to eat "healthy", just make sure you're getting some nutritious food, and enough protein, fat, and fiber.

I know a couple of "cheap and healthy" recipe blogs are recommended all the time, I'm sure someone will be along with those soon.

This is great advice. Also consider learning to like cheap veggies that last, like cabbage, onions, carrots. Cabbage is very cheap and versatile and it stays good if you wrap it up tight and buying dried beans will save you a lot of money as well.

hpurtee1hp

I agree with the meal planning!. Plan out each meal and snack so you can arrange your grocery list and look for the beat deals! I know where I'm from a lot of the Kroger grocery stores have 10 for $10 On most of their canned goods. I feel ya about being on a budget. There are 6 people in our household and it can get expensive. We eat a lot of beans and eggs. I make homemade soups and try to keep some frozen also in case I'm in a pinch or running low on money. BROWN beans and cornbread, chili, other soups, they all go along way! Hope this helps a little!

maryadavies4667

My mom was a (retired by kids) dietitian (So okay, she was a stay at home mom after that), so I kinda know something about this, since we had a big family and we never had a lot of money. Always keep a eye on reduced for quick sale, also if you clip coupons (only possible if you're not on food stamps), only get stuff you need.

Keep a eye out for in-season produce too. Oh and if you're near a farmer's market? You might want to look for some deals there. There was once a farmer's market out here that'd sell the ends of lunchmeat as "dog food"; the lunchmeat was perfectly fine to eat by humans. Far as I know they do not do that anymore, but you might want to keep a eye out for that kind of thing. (I don't know if salvage stores are good for anything but dry goods though anymore, they're having shorter and shorter date stuff..)

Also thank you Kim; since when I cook, I have to cook for 4 anyway, I'm always looking for cheap dinners that take ground beef (we get that from our church) that I can do without buying much or asking my brothers to buy much. Now a days I'm also looking for stuff that isn't drowned in cheese either; um, cheddar cheese can get really caloric real fast! Maybe I can get some ideas from that as well.

As for where one of my go tos is: I use Budget Bytes a lot for ideas. I can't always use what she has since we don't have it, but that may also give you some ideas. ^^

jgnatca

Other than tomato sauce, pasta and bread, home prepared is cheaper than premade. As an added bonus you have total control of the ingredients.

https://www.budgetbytes.com

I bulk prepare a big protein on the weekend then divvy up the leftovers and freeze for future meals.

A family pack of hamburger becomes meat balls, meat patties and meat loaf. After that one big prep night I have ready made meals ready to go.

Or a pork loin, a pack of chicken thighs or a roast beef. Pick based on sales that week.

Frozen veggies are often cheaper and there is no waste.

Learn to make a few basic sauces. You now can mix and match your meats and starchy sides.

Oatmeal is about the cheapest breakfast out there.

Slow cooker meals like chili, beans, soups and stews just get better with age.

nutmegoreo

I do my meal planning a bit backwards. I look for the sales and pick up the stuff that's inexpensive, and then go to myfridgefood.com and look up recipes with those foods. It can save considerable amounts. Another site I've used recently which was posted here is this one:

https://www.budgetbytes.com/

Kimny has listed some great options. I also look for stuff that is close to expiring, stores will mark those things down 30% (meats in particular) and then bring them home to freeze (if not previously frozen). I also usually keep some diced and stewed tomatoes on hand to make pasta sauces.

ETA: Large batch cooking can also be a great thing. Make large quantities of stuff, and then freeze it in single serving sizes. That way you have great grab and go meals that you already know the calories for. I enter in the recipes as I'm making them, so it's all in there when I'm finished. A full day of cooking could cover you for most of the month with 5-6 recipes. For beans and lentils, if you get the dried ones they are less expensive, and rehydration takes some time, but it's not too bad. Especially if you have a slow cooker.

lynn_glenmont

Kim_S_G wrote: »

For breakfast: oatmeal, or scrambled eggs, toast and bacon

For supper I often buy a box of Stampede frozen New York strip steaks from Walmart. A box of 5 costs $10. Not the best steaks in the world but good enough for me - and they are only ~190 calories each.

Spaghetti is cheap.

Salmon patties are pretty cheap. Here is my favorite recipe.

https://allrecipes.com/recipe/58868/oregon-salmon-patties/

You might could get some ideas here. The $10 dinners are for a family of 4 - so 4 suppers for you alone.

https://foodnetwork.com/search/ten-dollar-dinners-

Not to nit-pick, but I don't think the $2 steak recommendation is good advice for this particular OP. Spending more than half of a daily food budget of $3.33 on one component of one meal (and getting likely only 10% to 17% of daily needed calories, assuming a goal of somewhere between 1200 and 2000 kcal) is not a good plan, at least not on a regular basis.

ETA: But most of the other advice is good. I assume the salmon patties are from canned. OP, if you consider that, check the amount you'll need for the recipe (and make sure the recipe uses the full can -- you can't afford waste on your budget) and calculate how much they'll cost you per serving, and decide whether that's a price you can afford. Based on what canned salmon costs in my neck of the woods, I'm thinking we're talking about at least a dollar's worth of salmon per patty, which again is a lot to put into one component of one meal on your budget.

Kimny gave you a good list of ingredients to use as the backbone of your limited budget diet. And remember, you generally will have tho pay more for convenience.

Cutemesoon

I found a website that gives you a list of healthy & cheap foods.
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/

ponycyndi

I know nothing about your dietary needs, or what prices are in your area, this is just an example of some meals I enjoy and what they cost.

Coffee $.19 $6/lb makes 2 gallons cold brew
Protein powder .50/ svg

Bananas .55/lb maybe 4 in a lb .14 ea
Peanut butter 1.59/15oz jar, 13svgs = .12ea

Lettuce .25 1 head at .99 makes 4 servings
Tuna .65 can
Avocados half .18 (i only buy when on sale)
Tomatoes .99/lb average, about .22 per 100 grams
Oil for dressing and cooking 1.89/48oz, .08

Chicken $2/lb = .50 per 4oz svg
Frozen veggies $2.39/2lb, .30 per 4oz svg (you could possibly get fresh veggies for less, but I like the convenience and don't have to worry about spoiling)

=$3.13, which leaves a little from your budget to get some seasonings.

FickleFruitBat

Look into your local foodbanks and basic food assistance through DSHS to supplement your food options. Many organizations are available to support ending hunger for individuals with limited income.

brat682

Thank you for the wonderful suggestions. Budget Bytes seems like a great place to start. If there are any other ideas, please let me know. thanks!

Also, a heads up. My cholesterol levels are fine, I'm not diabetic and I don't have high blood pressure. I do have pcos and acid reflux, besides being overweight.

kommodevaran

It's going to be difficult. Have you managed to get by on $100 before?

I would use recipes and food you already know you like, and add new things slowly, because it's very, very important that you don't throw anything out. To avoid that, you also have to plan your meals. That means that cookiecutter meal plans and other people's favorite recipes are out. Your food diary is a great tool to get balanced meals.

It's the total of your diet that is healthy (or unhealthy), and many cheap food items can together build up a healthy diet. I see the list has already been provided. Don't let yourself get fooled by trick pricing and health claims. Simple foods are versatile, you just need some rudimentary cooking skills.

yirara

Yes, it's possible assuming you have access to cheap produce and can cook a bit. Find out what's really cheap. Here in the UK seasonal fresh veggies are very cheap. You can get a big bag of carrots for £0.2, cheap onions, and other veggies. if this is the cheapest: get seasonal veggies (or frozen ones), bulk up your meals with cheap things such as pasta, rice, beans, etc. Use small amounts of meat or fish. Also look at cheap options for breakfast and lunch: bread? Oats? Eggs? Again, be creative and look at what fits your budget.

Also keep in mind that cooking extensively uses up a lot of electricity. Thus find quick recipes. Also look at your spending outside of food: don't use too much electrical appliances and switch everything off that you don't need. Only drive when you really need to, short showers instead of a long bath. Downgrade internet, phone and other contracts and look at cashback options for new contracts. Cancel subscriptions and find free things to do that you enjoy. Working out can be done for free easily.

Signed: the girl who lives on £1200/month, pays half of it for rent and still saves money

gearhead426hemi

Realistically you would be very hard pressed to eat a well balanced diet on $100 per person a month. The key factor being a well balanced diet. Depending on where you live I would recommend planting a small garden and trying to grow what you can. I have a small farm and we feed our family of 4 which includes two teenagers during peak growing season for about $250 per month. Having a garden is a win win because it gets you outside and active and you know where your food is coming from. I am a HUGE advocate for growing and raising as much as you can. There is nothing better than being self reliant. You would be amazed about how much food you can grow in a small area. This is one harvest from our garden which is 6 feet by 20 feet. We typically get 5-6 harvests with this as a average haul. This was all grown with about $20.00 worth of seeds. We have started harvesting our own seeds from the best plants and growing our own and the yields have increased dramatically over the past couple years. Feel free to message me if you want growing tips for where you live. I would be happy to walk you through testing your soil and getting the best bang for your buck where you live.

ACanadian22

I also think that where you live plays a factor in what is cheaper. Seafood and veggies such as potatoes are very low compared to other areas here.
People can eat lobster cheaper than any other meat here by going to the warfe and buying right from the fishermen and heading to farmers and they will sell you veggies next to cost or at the end of the season, give stuff away. When people do their gardens and have extra, they give stuff too.

Millicent3015

Hello, I'm new here but I saw your post and $25/week is doable; I've done it and still use the tricks I learned. I would recommend making meals from leftovers, if you don't do that already. You can add leftover meat or veg to basic sauces and serve with pasta, rice, chickpeas, kidney beans etc.

I use a basic tomato sauce:
Chop an onion
Fry with garlic paste (cheaper than fresh)
add 1 tbsp tomato paste
Add a tin of tomatoes & salt to taste
Simmer for 20 minutes.

For pasta sauce add Italian herbs.
For chilli add chilli and kidney beans.
For curry sauce add ginger paste, chilli & curry powder.
For satay style sauce add 1-2 tablespoons peanut butter.
Fry all the ingredients together, adding the tomato paste and sauce last. This lets the flavours develop.

Always have tinned tomatoes, garlic, ginger and tomato pastes, packets of curry powder, chilli powder/flakes, and fresh or frozen onions in your kitchen, as these simple ingredients can form the base to many a good meal.

Dried beans, lentils, oats (for homemade granola, muesli, oatmeal and flapjacks) and rice are a must (pep up rice by adding sauteed onion and a teaspoon of creamed coconut when pairing with a spicy sauce) Popping corn is good for healthier snacks, and experiment with making vegetable crisps.

If you're feeling adventurous, you could also get wholemeal flour if you want to try making your own bread, flatbreads, pizza, low sugar cookies and low salt crackers. You can buy pectin for making low/no sugar jams and marmalades if you have frozen or fresh fruit you don't know what to do with, or you can stew fruit with a dash of stevia or sweetener to make a yogurt fruit compote sprinkled with toasted oats.

Consider switching to cheaper long life (UHT) milk as it keeps unopened on the shelf for months, and a couple days longer than fresh (which goes off fairly quickly) when opened. If you want to really go frugal, buy powdered milk and make up the quantity you'll be using for the next day. Let it keep overnight in the fridge as then it might taste a bit more like fresh.

If you have a fair bit of freezer space, you can freeze just about anything; meat, fish, soft fruit, stewed fruit, baked goods, soups, stews, curries, cream, butter, even milk.

I hope you find some of these tips useful. The trick to eating well on a budget is finding little ways to economise and being inventive in the kitchen. Good luck and good eating!