Simple meal plan on a budget?

lmadams08

Hey everyone, I wanted to know if anyone had suggestions on *simple* and healthy recipes... that are also on the cheap. I don't mind eating better... it's actually pretty easy for me. But, I'm on a very strict budget of about 150-200 for groceries a month. I know it can be pricey to eat better so if anyone can message me with advice on cheap recipes or meal plans that are also healthy (and most of all easy... I'm by no means a good cook lol)... that would be wonderful. Thanks!

2014FitnessJourney

Tortillas, head of lettuce, shredded turkey, and little ranch makes a healthy, low calorie and cheap lunch.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

Go to facebook and check out a group called Plant Based on a Budget. I sub in lean meat to lots of their recipes and the directions are clear and easy to follow.

magtart

http://www.budgetbytes.com/

emmamaybear

Buy meat (chicken!) in bulk and grill/slow cook it for the entire week, then shred.
Oatmeal is dirt cheap & nutritious (for breakfast).
As for vegetables; go to the freezer section! They usually have a lot of variety for half the price.
Also: make everything yourself. Don't buy salads or anything, it's a waste of money. Just make a salad and take it with you.

dclark566

Go to facebook and check out a group called Plant Based on a Budget. I sub in lean meat to lots of their recipes and the directions are clear and easy to follow.

Thanks!!

jimboburgess

Learn to decipher the price tags. Compare price per pound not just price of the whole item. Those chicken breast might seem like a deal a $3 compared to a whole chicken at $6 until you realize that the breast is $3/lb and the whole bird is $0.99/lb.

Also plants are less costly than meat so start building meals around those. Say eggplant, stuffed peppers, good leafy greens,

AnnieMcD73

This site is full of ideas:
http://agirlcalledjack.com/tag/jack-monroe/

retiree2006

One of my latest favorites is lentils cooked in vegetable broth. Then I can add to it...ham, veggies, hamburger, or almost anything. Lots of fiber to fill you up is a bonus...and very inexpensive. You can serve them hot or cold, too!

katoftheyear

My better half and I usually spend about 50 dollars per two weeks of groceries for the both of us -- it's totally doable! (We eat mostly vegetarian but some meat for him gets in there too. Not sure of your dietary prefs.) I think the key for me is a lot of grocery stores have their flyers online, and here they get released on thursdays/fridays, so I just look at the new ones and coordinate my shopping on the weekend. Obviously not everything will be in the flyers, but often they have really great deals and it's good to plan around that kind of thing.

Alsoooo I hate to say it but meat and dairy really sucks up the budget! See how low you can go for these categories -- your dollars will usually go further elsewhere. Similarly, stay away from frozen food section and the pre-cut veggies part of the produce section, since those are usually way more costly. I'd really recommend dried beans and grains, since those last forEVER (A moderately sized bag of dried chickpeas for... I think it was 3.99 lasted me over a month and there's still a bit of cooked ones in the freezer for hummus). It's way cheaper if you do things yourself, like cut and wash veggies/soak and cook beans.

Nooooot sure how relevant it is but www.poorgirleatswell.com used to have great tips and such. I DO recommend, though (she doesn't say this) to do as big a grocery shop as you can manage at once -- we get a lot more in one 50 dollar trip than we do in two 25 dollar ones, if that makes sense, because often bulk-but-worth-it items still tend to cost a bit more.

I don't tend to use coupons too much but depending on where you live you might find more are available to you. For me (Canada) they tend to only be for packaged things that already cost too much, but if you see something you would normally buy it's a great idea.

NOW as for recipes; seconding the lentils! very cheap and great. Also good with caramelized onions and brown rice (here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lentils-and-rice-with-fried-onions-mujadarrah/detail.aspx)

lol sorry for the long thing. I get so intense about grocery budget! tl;dr i think the best advice i have is 1) check the flyers online and make a plan, and 2) make what you can yourself. good luck! feel free to bug me if you want to know more/have questions.

spoonful

You can do a lot with an egg and a handful of vegetables or left-overs.

Amanda_Gx6

I plan weekly by the sales circular. If chicken is on sale I plan chicken, if ground turkey is on sale I plan that. I use the sales and Pinterest for most all of my meal planning

karrielynn80

I'm on the same budget for a family of 3.
we eat a lot of gound turkey (1.69/# here)*
talapia (not sure the price but we get the family pk which covers 1 dinner & lunch the next day) + canned roasted tomatoes
cabbage & turkey sausage (we also eat lots of turkey sausage)
*speghetti w/ whole grain noodles
*turkey burgers
*meatloaf
tuna (lunches)
turkey ham & beans
we eat a lot of canned beans & vegetables < veggies are out of preference of my husband (blah)
fresh fruit
fresh veggies
store brand "protein bars"

we eat loins several times a month, or center cut pork chops.
asparagus
sweet potatoes
bagged chicken (mix it w/ frozen veggies & stir fry sauce or eat w/ rice or chop it up for fajitas)
oh & i keep PB&J (real J) on hand for sweet tooth

sportyredhead01

My plan is always changing depending on sales.
Basically whatever is on sale is what we eat like this week, carrots & pork chops were cheap so we're eating carrots and pork chops, twice. :P

Also if you can find out when your store does markdowns on meat you can get so much more for your money.
Just check that the dates are not like a week old or anything. And really those dates are just suggested.

And I quit buying chopped salad in the bags. I can get 5 whole heads of romaine for $4.99 and the bag is like $3.49 for a few leaves.

I do a lot of canned tuna, cabbage and soups. Soups can be super filling. Oh and instead of just buying chicken breast, I buy a whole chicken and cut it up myself. (You can learn how on youtube in like 2 minutes. ) Same price for WAY more meat.

Oh and spices, if your grocery store has an International foods aisle get them there. Much cheaper just check for MSG.

kennie2

These are my top 5 tips
1. Rice in Bulk
2. Dried Beans
3. Bananas (cheapest fruit)
4. Look out for reduced items, you can freeze most of them or make a meal with it and freeze that
5. Use your leftovers! Make soups/stews/casseroles with random leftover veg in the fridge and different beans

hauhaut901

Hey everyone, I wanted to know if anyone had suggestions on *simple* and healthy recipes... that are also on the cheap. I don't mind eating better... it's actually pretty easy for me. But, I'm on a very strict budget of about 150-200 for groceries a month. I know it can be pricey to eat better so if anyone can message me with advice on cheap recipes or meal plans that are also healthy (and most of all easy... I'm by no means a good cook lol)... that would be wonderful. Thanks!

go youtube bodybuilder meal 50$ or something like that , a pro bodybuilder shows how he can eat for 50$ a week....i'm sure while adjusting the rations accordingly for u , it'll be more than enough

dawnmcneil10

In the meat department look for the meat with $1 off coupons, the grocery stores usually pick a mark down day which is often times Tues or Wed and work around the bargains you find there.

Get bagged rice and beans and cook them, they aren't difficult, the instructions are on the package and they save you big at the register and are much lower in sodium which is an extra benefit.

I'm big on fresh veggies but if that's not an option hit the frozen veggies you usually get more bang for your buck than you do with canned and definitely more flavor.

If you buy bottled water, stop buying the small bottles, get a reusable cup or bottle and buy a larger bottle or jug and refill it where you might have filtered water stations available. If you're a soda drinker cut back at least 1 soda a day and again don't buy the convenient single serve sizes.

I hope this helps, oh and check the clearance racks I always find some great items there.

justinproulx1

Breakfast - Eggs
Oats

Lunch : Chicken Breast or Ground Turkey
Rice

Dinner : Tilapia, Chx Breats or Ground Turkey
Potatoes or Lentils

Buy all in Bulk and of course hit a farmers market for cheap fresh veggies or fruits

Doesnt get much cheaper, you'll probably end up saving money eating like this.

justinproulx1

Hey everyone, I wanted to know if anyone had suggestions on *simple* and healthy recipes... that are also on the cheap. I don't mind eating better... it's actually pretty easy for me. But, I'm on a very strict budget of about 150-200 for groceries a month. I know it can be pricey to eat better so if anyone can message me with advice on cheap recipes or meal plans that are also healthy (and most of all easy... I'm by no means a good cook lol)... that would be wonderful. Thanks!

go youtube bodybuilder meal 50$ or something like that , a pro bodybuilder shows how he can eat for 50$ a week....i'm sure while adjusting the rations accordingly for u , it'll be more than enough

that video helped me put on 40 lbs last year baby good advice...its real simple but real effective (oh dont get scared cause I said I put on weight lol I was bulking you can obviously eat the same food with smaller amounts to fit your macros)

fuhrmeister

I love making soup this time of year. My family is on a budget so we eat meatless at least one dinner a week to save money.

Soup suggestions:

Rachel Ray: Salsa Stoup and Black Bean Stoup
Alton Brown: Lentil Soup

I also cook whole chickens a lot. I mix olive oil lemon juice and chopped rosemary and put it under the chicken skin and pour some over top. I put squeezed lemons inside the chicken and bake accourd to weight instructions on package. Put water the bottom of your pan so dripping don't cause smoke. Serve with favorite veggie.

I will pick the extra chicken and make soup as well. I sauté carrots, onions and celery till soft. Add chicken stock and picked chicken. Season. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 min. Then serve. You can add noodles or squash if you like.

Also taco salad with either ground beef or ground turkey is always cheap and healthy as long as you weight the meat and doesn't load it up with too much cheese.


Good Luck!


I can't wait to see teh other ideas.

Erinelda

I don't have a lot of money either. The cheapest, most filling breakfast I have found is:
1/3 cup whole grain oats (steel cut or slow cook)
1 egg
1 banana
A touch of dairy like milk or plain yogurt to make creamy (optional)
salt, cinnamon or whatever seasoning.
Make the oats with the salt if you are using it. Mash the banana, add dairy (if you want), beat the egg in with the banana and a little water if you have a big appetite, mix into the oatmeal and warm through to cook the egg. It is SO filling a nutrient dense.

I buy big cheap produce like cabbages that will last me a week. I buy bags of apples and oranges, they are pretty cheap and last forever. Brown rice is cheap, liver is cheap, eggs.. are cheap :P. A lot of whole grain cereal type stuff is dirt cheap and full of nutrients, like cream of wheat, barley and quinoa and things like the rice, barely and quinoa really stretch a meal. Don't fear potatoes, they are cheap and not bad for you. Bananas are almost free, as are things like celery. Keep an eye out at the store.

I said the word cheap like 80 times xD

fuhrmeister

I didn't say it abouve but we also mkae almost all of or chicken and vegetable stock. It's cheeper and has less sodium. I tend to buy beef stock as I don't use it as much but we make it when you can.


to make chicken stock cut medium onion, 2 carrot and 2 celery stocks into chunk. You can save and use the tips of your celery or carrots too. Put in pot with chicken bones from a previous meal. Add peppercorms and a little salt. Fill pot with water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and simmer for 1 - 2 hours.

For veggie stock do the same thing with a bit more veggies and no bones.

Obnoxa

Tofu is amazing and dirt cheap. Can take the place of just about any type of meat in a meal and take on whatever flavor you are putting it/pairing it with.
I feed 3 people on less than $200 per month and using tofu, eggs and beans in place of meats (from beer battered tofu and chips to bean or tvp sloppy joe's) has made a huge dent on my shopping bill; and that's when I was buying the cheap side of meat (ground, reformed cutlets, luncheon, sausage) not the good, quality cuts. So my advice is take meat out of the equation a few times a week at least and that will really help your overall grocery cost.