Poverty and diet

tracydr

Find a place to purchase bulk- we have a place called Sprouts here in AZ with great deals.
Stop shopping Walmart and regular chain groceries
Find a produce "market", we have one here that sells incredibly cheap "seconds"
Grow a few things in pots or yard if you can-try dollar stores for pots and dirt, lettuce, basil, chard and cilantro are all great options, easy and vitamin loaded
Find a food coop for low income-I think most large cities have them
Produce stands if you live in more rural areas can be great, especially for seasonal produce, hit them at the end of the day for good deals
Learn to dehydrate,freeze or can foods when you find super cheap deals
Go vegetarian, except maybe whole chicken or leg quarters
Try Mexican and Asian groceries, more good deals
Watch the weekly sales-I feed my dogs raw meat and never buy anything unless it's marked way,way down
Chicken and pork are cheap, beef expensive. Turkey around the holidays can be found super cheap, bake and use for sandwiches and salads
Pasta, beans, rice,potatoes,sweet potatoes. You can buy pinto beans in 20-50 lb bags at Hispanic groceries.
Learn to bake-flour, yeast/sourdough starter are cheap, baking powder for quick breads, find a place with bulk grains
Try some unusual whole grains-example whole wheat can be purchased in bulk from Mormon pantry supplies, we have lots of them in our area, use wheat/barley as rice for increased whole grains.
Try a new fruit or vegetable, and/or grain every time you grocery shop. Asian groceries are great for unfamiliar,cool stuff.
We eat lots of eggs. We eat no processed foods except an occasional frozen pizza. We also eat stone ground and rolled oats, which I find really cheap in bulk.
If eligible, apply for Food Stamps and Wic.
Many cities have community gardens where you can have a plot to grow veggies. Learn what types of things to grow and when to plant them. Seeds are cheap, just don't buy all the bagged dirt and fancy fertilizers.
Learn how to lacto-ferment your excess produce to make pickles, saurkraut and kimchi. Lacto-fermentation provides lots of extra nutrients and only requires salt, water and a jar. You can pickle just about any veggie and most fruits. Don't let produce go to waste. Pickle it or get it in the freezer or dry it either in the sun or the oven. Asian and European cultures pickle everything!

amwbox

Grew up eating cheap, and its not a problem nutritionally.

First, don't be afraid of carbs. Carbs are perfectly fine, even for weight loss. Don't buy into the carb nonsense.

The expensive stuff, such as fresh produce and meats, should the minority of the meal, rather than main course. (Though you can get a giant tub of greens at Safeway for like 8 bucks....might as well eat lots of that.)

Stick with basic staples that can be purchased in bulk, such as rice, beans, flour, eggs, milk, bread, etc etc, and compliment this with the more expensive stuff. Avoid ready to eat or boxed dinners, as on a calorie/dollar basis, these things are actually more expensive.

Best thing can do though? Get a crock pot and google up some cheap crock pot recipes. You can calculate the calories of everything you put in before hand, weight it, and then divide it up into serving sizes with known caloric contents. You would be shocked at what happens when you put a couple of chicken legs into a crockpot with a bunch of potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions. You wind up with a like a gallon of extremely nutritious and extremely tasty food that is extremely easy to diet with. Just have to measure and weight portions.

Its a myth that cheap food isn't nutritious. It absolutely can be. Something like Easy Mac or Ramen Noodles...not so much.