College budget eating

daross16

So, I ask people, "what is cheap but nutritious that I can eat?" Because the rent is too damn high and I do not get payed enough or often enough to afford the things I want/need. It's also difficult because I'm a picky eater. I don't like:

Beans
Tomatoes
Avacadoes
Eggs
Spinach
Quinoa


And probably other things that are good for me. It's just the flavor or the texture that I absolutely can't stand.

But yeah. Anyone got some super cheat food/recipe ideas?

susannamarie

I ate a lot of chicken leg quarters (can frequently find them on sale) + random vegetables (mostly broccoli because it's usually cheap and tastes good) + rice.

Ke11er

Peanut butter. String Cheese. Tuna. Oatmeal. Potatoes or pasta topped with frozen steamed broccoli and cheese. Yogurt. Are lentils out too, or just beans? Do you have freezer space to make up a big batch of soup and divide into smaller containers? Eggs are cheap and nutritious, since you don't like the texture maybe you could eat them in things like baked pumpkin oatmeal or muffins? You'll save money on groceries if you make it a habit to buy what's on sale and in season.

MissBabyJane

Oatmeal, yogurt, chicken/turkey, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Nuts, you can make your own butters and nut milks...

eldamiano

You make it difficult by declaring you are a picky eater. Telling yourself you are a picky eater is often just an excuse to not eat healthy....

cbhubbybubble

It's tougher to be frugal if you're a picky eater.....

That said, shop the sales and make what you buy go farther.... B

Buy a chicken and roast it yourself instead of buying chicken breasts or,even worse, pre-cooked chicken breast pieces. After you roast it you can cut off the meaty parts you like for salads, sandwiches, or whatever and use the rest to make a big pot of soup that'll feed you for a week. You can also save some of the meat before or after you boil it for making things like chicken pot pie if you don't want it all in your soup.

Buy the veggies you do like as frozen or canned as they're usually cheaper that way.

Eat fruit that's in season.

Buy the cheaper cuts of beef or pork and make stews or other dishes that cooks them slow for a long time to make them more tender.

Bake your own bread, buns, muffins, etc

Grow lettuce in a pot in your house if you really have to be budget conscious.


etc,etc

I spent 5 years in Uni (many years ago) and then had student loans to pay back later, so I haven't forgotten how to make a grocery budget stretch if I have to. My mom grew up poor with 9 siblings, so she taught me well.

I know what you're saying about texture, though....I can't eat liver for the same reason....ick.

daross16

Lol. That is not the case at all.
Some things I can find ways to enjoy.
I found I can eat raw spinach and raw snow peas. But I can't stand them cooked.
My roommate bakes some kale, which I don't like, and I was like, "Huh..I could deal with this."
But there are just some things I just can't force myself to eat and enjoy. You could give it to me in its raw form, baked, boiled, mixed with other foods, etc. and I just still wouldn't be able to eat it.
You really shouldn't make assumption like that

belugamoon85

I'm not a picky eater but I can be extremely frugal. If you figure out the best times of day for supermarkets reducing items, especially meat and fish, AND you have freezer space you are onto a winner.

But its a shame you don't like beans. Do you just mean baked beans or any beans? Borlottii, butter, etc

rotill

If you are a picky eater, but still have experimented as much as you say, then my guess is that you know what you should eat. So rather than making this a long list of posts with "why don't you try..." just to see you reject it, why don't you make a list of things you miss in your food, but would like to find healthy ways to add? Do you miss particular vitamins? Minerals? Do you eat too much quick carbs and need slow carbs? Do you need more protein or fat? And why are those things missing from your diet? Do you have some things you just don't think you can do without, but would like help to find substitutes for?

Because if you tell us your entire diet is jaffa cookies, and you don't want to eat anything else, then I am afraid we will be unable to find a healthy jaffa cookie for you. But give us something to work with, and people here are pretty well informed and inventive.

PennyVonDread

I'm a poor college diner. I eat whatever I can afford regardless of whether or not I like it. Improved function + not feeling hungry + saving money > trying to budget for + eat only foods I "like."

Plus, you get more creative in preperation of foods you're not in favor of, and sometimes end up aquiring taste.

I've been too poor for too much of my life to really see it as anything more than a minor inconvenience. I would try to eat some of the stuff suggested by other users even if you don't necessarily like the food.

Zardeenah

Do you have a freezer? Because if you do I'd recommend to buy frozen veggies, fruit & berries in bulk for cheap. Then there is lentils and canned goods you can get on sale and will keep basically forever.

MoosyGoosy

When I was little, I was so picky that I only drank milk for like a week. No idea why my mum let me do that, I ended up vomiting all night, and I was put off milk for two years :P