Meeting macros on tight budget

Mikej77

I am far from going hungry, and today is my last day smoking, but wife and I are trying to cut costs but still eat right. I know I could change some things up but could definitely use some suggestions. My diary is open and I humble myself before you all. Will take any and all advice supported by SS or Sarah.

_benjammin

Keep am eye on any/all grocery store weekly sales, double coupon specials, and coupon.com.
I'm not a big"couponer" but I know there are a number of websites to print coupons for. Just make sure whatever you can get om sale is really cheaper than the generic version. Specifics I would look for:
Canned tuna, chicken, salmon
Marked down fresh meats
Bulk brown rice
Dry beans
Bulk frozen veggies

SideSteel

Whey protein is very cost effective when you look at grams of protein per cost.

So for example if you take a 5lb tub of whey, you get around 75 servings and a good quality whey (like Trutein) will run about $60. You can probably find whey even cheaper but at some point you may risk quality depending on what brand you go with.

If you eat meat, you can sometimes find chicken quite cheap and just freeze it for use later if you load up on it.

Tuna is reasonably cheap usually.


For carbohydrates, while we would still recommend a reasonably high intake of vegetables and fruit for both satiety and micronutrient purposes, things like rice and oats are probably more economical. You can purchase rice in huge bags and it's pretty inexpensive if I recall correctly, if you purchase a big-*kitten* bag of it.

davert123

^^^ I do this. I am a fish eater and veggie and I couldn't afford to eat my protein as just fish so I use Whey protein along with something called diet fuel. I don't use it to cut calories, I just use it to boost protein once (or twice) a day. It is cheaper than buying meat and I can have it any time I like without having to worry about cooking.

I like the idea of shopping around as well,I go shopping late (fits into my day) and the store is sometimes selling stuff off to clear the shelves. Some crap there but there is sometimes some good stuff as well.

MstngSammy

You can also try Farmer's Markets......Lot's of veggies (and sometimes eggs and meat) for CHEAP!!!! Bonus...the money stays in the community instead of going to Big Box Corps.


And hey....you're quitting smoking. Look at what you can buy with THAT savings

wheird

What I do is I pay attention to my grocery store circulars and look at the protein they have on sale. If something is a great sale, like chicken breasts for $1.99/lb, then I buy 10-20lbs, separate it, then freeze it. Same with pork loin, ground beef, fish, etc.

I have found that canned meats, while certainly convenient, simply aren't as economical as fresh meats. Do something like boil a bunch of your on sale chicken, let it cool, shred it with a fork, then prepackage it into plastic bags and you have fairly convenient, cheap meat for lunches.

Also bulk beans and rice while they are on sale, veggies that are on sale, etc.

cmeiron

My partner and I are both students so we know about budgets. I looked at your diary for a few days back: stop buying pre-made meals and takeout. Make big batches of food and freeze meal-sized portions as leftovers (less cooking, more nutritious eating). Make soups and casseroles using inexpensive stuff like lentils, carrots, potatoes, dried beans, pasta, rice. Buy this stuff in bulk. Use coupons, and shop for sales. Plan your meals for the week and buy only the groceries you need so there's no waste. See if there is a local "green food bag" or "green box" program - weekly or bi-weekly boxes/bags of fresh fruits/veg sold at a discounted price (we use two such programs). Buy meat in the "reduced" bin the day before new stock is added - it's usually 20-50% off. Throw it in the freezer if you can't use it the same day. Depending on where you live, consider traveling to buy cheaper meat (we live in Canada and will travel to the US (we're close by) to buy chicken where it's a fraction of the cost). Buy the generic brands of everything instead of name brands. Look for reduced bread and produce that's near expiry (again, it can be frozen, but I often find perfectly good produce that lasts for days this way). Eat tuna, eggs, and cheese (not the good cheese :grumble: , the cheap cheese. Lots of protein). Eat oatmeal. Consider baking your own bread, pizza doughs and treats like muffins, squares, etc. Throw some whey protein powder (again, ditch the name brands and buy cheap plain stuff) into baked goods for a protein boost. OH AND YOGURT. Learn how to make you own yogurt on the stove or in a crock pot. It's ridiculously cheap and protein-rich. I make several litres of the stuff every month for a couple of bucks. Awesome.