Lets talk about: Eating healthy on a low income!

orangeskiesinlove

Hi guys and gals

The economy is :brokenheart: and a high percentage of us are toeing the bread line. The price of food is sky rocketing and so is the obesity epidemic. What I want to know, is do you believe are they truly related or that people are just using it as an excuse? Opinions, thoughts, personal experience?

Personally, from my own experience, I find it extremely difficult. After myself AND my partner both lost our jobs within 2 months of each other, we are finding it increasingly hard to eat well and stay healthy. Our food budget for the month has been reduced from around £300 to a measly £80. With so little it's hard to have a good diet, nothing can be wasted, that means cheap freezer food would be financially the best option for us.

To lay it all out - 3 days on a bad diet.

Breakfast-
Milk £1.20 - And Cheap sugar filled cereal 80p
Lunch-
White bread 50p And Ramen £2
Dinner-
Bag of 32 chicken nuggets - £2
Chips 82p -
Snacks -
2 Packs of 3 chocolate bars £2

=£9.32 for the 3 days

3 days on a slightly better diet -

Breakfast-
Eggs on whole meal toast with avocado
Lunch -
Whole meal pitta with lettuce and tuna filling
Dinner-
Chicken Korma on brown rice
Snacks -
Oranges

The shopping list -
Brown Rice 1Kg - £1.75
Pataks Mild Korma Sauce 450G - £1.75
3 packs Baby Button Mushrooms 200G -£3.00
3 packs Chicken Mini Fillets 350G -£12.00
6 Wholemeal Pitta Bread - £3.60
Princes Tuna Chunks In Brine 4X160g - £4.00
Avocados 4 Pack -£1.75
Eggs Large Box Of 12 - £2.78

= £31.92

Now I know this has been a long post. But I really want to start a discussion on this issue.
My partner and I we do have a method to eating healthy, but It's very bland and boring. We don't have the funds to eat a good varied diet.

So, let me hear your opinions, or tips and tricks.

HOW DO YOU ALL COPE (or not cope?!)

Sinisterly

Try the green stuff, it's delicious. Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!

Edit: Some people in Africa would probably disagree.

srr728

beans, eggs, veggies you wash and cut yourself, a good fiber cereal and milk, oatmeal, popcorn for snack popped in a brown paper bag,

frozen chicken that you can make into 3-4 meals or a whole chicken

eat breast for one meal, eat wings and legs for a meal, make chicken & _____ and then boil carcass and make a broth for soup

look for coupons and SALES.

see if your area has a discount / almost expired grocery store, or a co-op where you can get bulk veggies.

make veggie soup or chicken soup that can last all week.

spaghetti or lentils with some meat and a sauce





Meal plan!

orangeskiesinlove

beans, eggs, veggies you wash and cut yourself, a good fiber cereal and milk, oatmeal, popcorn for snack popped in a brown paper bag,

frozen chicken that you can make into 3-4 meals or a whole chicken

eat breast for one meal, eat wings and legs for a meal, make chicken & _____ and then boil carcass and make a broth for soup

look for coupons and SALES.

see if your area has a discount / almost expired grocery store, or a co-op where you can get bulk veggies.

make veggie soup or chicken soup that can last all week.

spaghetti or lentils with some meat and a sauce





Meal plan!

This is how we do it too!

Freeze everything, make bulk meals.
1000G frozen chicken breasts £4
Veggies from ASDA or Lidl (I find lidl doesn't stay fresh long so that veg goes in the freezer meals ASDA is for salads/fruit)

and if it cant be bought at the discount store is not being bought! Aha, it works out well, but by the last 4 days before pay day we seem to run out still!

Slinky_BraveHeartBunsOfSteel

Farmfoods have a deal where you can buy 3x 1kg bags of frozen chicken breasts for £10.
If you go to the shops at certain times of the day, they usually sell food that expires in a day or two for a fraction of the cost.

sussexbythesea

beans, eggs, veggies you wash and cut yourself, a good fiber cereal and milk, oatmeal, popcorn for snack popped in a brown paper bag,

frozen chicken that you can make into 3-4 meals or a whole chicken

eat breast for one meal, eat wings and legs for a meal, make chicken & _____ and then boil carcass and make a broth for soup

look for coupons and SALES.

see if your area has a discount / almost expired grocery store, or a co-op where you can get bulk veggies.

make veggie soup or chicken soup that can last all week.

spaghetti or lentils with some meat and a sauce


Yes sound advice also buy loose veggies not those expensive prepacked things like mushrooms. Its amazing what you can do with a couple of cans of economy chopped tomatoes a few veggies and a can of chickpeas.

Also consider getting KG porridge oat for about a pound a bag makes a great breakfast with milk and economy frozen berries stirred in. I shop Sainsburys basics and never buy chicken prepared breasts.

Meal plan!

This is how we do it too!

Freeze everything, make bulk meals.
1000G frozen chicken breasts £4
Veggies from ASDA or Lidl (I find lidl doesn't stay fresh long so that veg goes in the freezer meals ASDA is for salads/fruit)

and if it cant be bought at the discount store is not being bought! Aha, it works out well, but by the last 4 days before pay day we seem to run out still!

Very sorry my suggestions got caught up in previous persons quote mynbtablet isn misbehaving