In need of some food guidance.

Cristlefir

Good afternoon everyone!

So I'm restarting my fitness/weight loss journey for about the 20th time, and this time I'm going in "guns blazing" (so to speak). I've spent a lot of time reading the forums on MFP the past few days picking up tidbits on weight loss and exercise and "the best way to do this and that." One of the most glaring (and obvious) things I've noticed about myself by reading all of your posts and replies is that I eat WAY too many carbs!

I'm looking for some tips here. I need to cut down the grain intake. Foods high in carbs are the easiest thing in the world to cook and eat and buy, because it's cheap. I love pasta and rice and bagels. And a little bit of that stuff is fine, but I need to get more invested in eating fruits and veggies and meats.

I know a lot of you are going to say, "So just stop eating pasta. Replace it with [veggie] or [meat]," but I think it's harder than that. What grains are good for me to eat? What should I steer clear of? (White bread!) Plus, eating fresh veggies and proteins are expensive and I'm a very broke 24 year old. Any advice on keeping myself healthily-fed without breaking my wallet? Are there any good books on foods and diets that work? (People talk a lot about the Paleo diet, which may be a bit too intense for me to start with?)

I want to gradually "get off the grains," or at least reduce my grain intake, but I feel like they've been a substantial part of my diet for so long that I won't be able to just "quit." Anyway, I'm looking for any kind of information on making this happen and anyone's experience that they're willing to share! Thanks in advance!