Eating healthy on a very tight budget.....

zodan1976

Hi. I am finding it really hard to eat good foods on my budget. I have three kids and I find I am constantly putting starches on the table. I mean.....its just better on my purse to buy pasta roni (for less than a dollar) then to buy fresh green beans (for around 3 dollars) or ramen noodles? 19 cents a pack is pretty good for the purse too......But its not healthy. Anyone else have a hard time with this?

suremeansyes

You can buy bags of frozen veggies for $1 and frozen veggies are good.

AnabolicKyle

eggs & beans

Unknown

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kevinsmithrn

I don't know how families make it these days... food companies rarely have coupons for real unprocessed food.

aalbert_82

Fresh vegetables can get expensive. Frozen is one option and they're just as nutritious because they are frozen at their peak. This might not help you this year, but if you have room for a garden or even just a few plants on a patio you could grow some tomatoes, peppers, lettuce etc. I find this helps out a lot, in the summer anyways. Buying whatever fresh vegetables are on sale that week and working them into your meal plans rather than choosing the vegetables ahead of time can save money too.

You can get healthy, unprocessed carbs just as cheap as pasta and noodles. Things like dried beans, rice etc are very cheap, they just take a little more planning than cooking out of a box. These things are good to make batches so they're convenient to serve during the week.

womichel768

I feel you girl. I am on a budget too. I have started doing a lot of couponing. but its not that hard. if you have a target in your area. they have online coupons. and then clip the coupons in sunday papers. when you link your debit card to a target card you get and extra 5 percent off and if you bring reusable grocery bags its 5 cents off. i now it doesnt seem like much but definatly adds up. also any local farmers market has way better prices on fresh fruits and veggies. i also stock up on frozen veggies when on sale they are just as good for you as fresh hope that helped

HeidiCooksSupper

Yes, this is a real problem for many folks and it's why we see some families coming into the food bank who are obese. They are getting by on cheap carbs. Also, at the food bank we hand out lots of bread because its what we get a lot of many weeks. The supermarket bakeries, Panera, etc., give us all their day old bread. We'd rather give folks healthier baskets but that requires healthier donations. Luckily, as the summer wears on, the farms will be brings in more produce.

Meanwhile, aim toward dry beans and the cheaper (but very healthy) veggies like cabbage, kale, etc. To make them more potable for the kids, buy some country ham scraps or other strong tasting ham and use it as flavoring. Kids crave salty things and the ham taste will fool them into eating healthy.

When you do see something like chicken on sale, save every bone -- even the ones the kids have chewed on -- and start a bag of chicken bones, backs, necks, etc. in the freezer. When you get enough, make soup. Add beans, brown rice, and veggies like carrots, onions, and cabbage to the soup and you have good, hearty food.

Now, the kids may squabble but they'll get over it and grow up to be better eaters.

I can brainstorm ideas if you want. Just message me.

EmilyTwist1

For cheap veggies, there are a few options. If you can, grow some. Seeds are dirt cheap, gardening gets you outside and active, and it's a great learning experience for kids. Frozen are usually cheaper than fresh, and they last longer. And when you do buy fresh, buy things that are in season.

Carrieendar

I love cheapo meals. I have 4 kids, so we have to be frugal.

Buy your own flour and yeast. 6$ investment in a large yeast container and a couple bags of flour and you can make a ton of pizza dough. Pizza is a cheap, healthy meal. I use 100% whole wheat flour. You can make it cheaper by making your own sauce-- make a huge pot for about 7$ and freeze a lot of it. I worked it out once, and, for like 20$ I can make 16 pizzas (but more expensive if you don't buy the cheese in bulk and if you don't make your own sauce...but still...99 cents for store brand so its not bad)

Pasta-- again, cheap! make variations to the sauce. Oil, garlic and greens. make your own marinara and add veggies. Buy a thing of ground meat and make meatballs homemade, freeze a bunch.

Rice-- bag of brown rice is like 2$ around here, huge bag for maybe 5? frozen veggie stir fry, soups with rice as the starch, any meat with rice as the side. Spice up the rice with garlic and butter/oil/etc, or spices or make ti sticky and and do sweet n sour chicken over it.

I second the frozen veggies. Also look into canned no salt added corn. Canned tomatoes are also cheaper. BEANS!!!

grab some wraps and you have a thousand meal ideas right there. Wraps are cheap and you can stuff them with tons of things. canned corn + canned beans + canned diced tomatoes + homemade taco seasoning (or store bought) + some onion and garlic + cheese to top = awesome, cheap veggies tacos. change it up one night, add meat.

Grab some chicken breasts and pesto...serve over pasta or in wraps or over rice. make your own pesto for cheaper, switch in boneless, skinless thighs for even cheaper recipe (with a bit more fat).

RodaRose

black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, lentils,
egg dishes omelets, egg salad, sandwiches
pancakes for dinner -- my favorite when I was a kid
canned salmon, chunk light tuna
peanut butter
potatoes
bananas
cabbage
frozen fruits and veggies

liftingandlipstick

I live alone, and I still have trouble eating well on my budget! Some of the things I rely on:

Rice (I find one serving of rice fills me up more than one serving of pasta)
Eggs: I buy three or four dozen when they go on sale for a buck- eggs last longer than most people think. And I eat them pretty quickly
Frozen veg: broc/cauliflower/carrots, stir fry mixes, sometimes peas. 1-2 bucks, last several meals
Canned veg: higher in sodium, but still a decent choice, and way cheaper than fresh. Usually green beans and corn, simply because I prefer the canned variety.
Canned beans! My faves are black and kidney. Admittedly, dry would be cheaper, but I've never used them, so I can't recommend them.

Finally, look into food banks in your area- there is no shame in taking a little extra help! There are two in my town: one that's church-run and mostly dry and canned good. The other is run by Second Harvest/Feeding America, and I've gotten tons of frozen meats, fresh produce, dairy etc. at that one.

Carrieendar

I also cut costs by:

-having only water and milk in the house. Juice is expensive and full of sugar anyway

-limit at-home snacks to apples (can get a big bag of galas for 3.50 or whatever), mandarin oranges, carrot sticks or celery. maybe grab a bottle of dip. It might seem more expensive to always have apples or bananas around, but I bet if you add up the price of the boxed snacks the kids race through (at least mine do), you'll find it's cheaper to limit to fruit or veggie snacks.

-A large box of Simply yogurt tubes can be pretty cheap-- if you freeze the tubes, it makes for a "popsicle" without the all the sugar and added price, plus it has more substance to it so you can actually use it as a snack and not have the kids hungry 5 min later.

-large containers of greek yogurt are less expensive than individual containers.

-we don't do "bored eating" in our house. I always make sure to ask myself, "are they bored hungry? or really hungry?"

justlosingtheweight

My Mum told me you can eat anything you want as long as its in moderation. Try lowering the amount of pasta and increase the amount of veg. Frozen veg is cheaper and lasts longer than fresh also if you eat meat then frozen chicken breast is good as it is cheaper than fresh, high in protein and low in calories just make sure its skinless.

amwbox

There is nothing at all wrong with carbs. They are NOT unhealthy. That is just some bonkers idea that made it into our brains because someone wanted to make money selling low carb diets and products.

However, why pay more for pasta roni when you could be making real pasta for less? Buy rice, Pasta, Potatoes. Flour, beans, etc etc. Its all perfectly healthy. You don't have to use the boxed stuff loaded with chemicals, dyes, preservatives, salt, hydrogenated fat, HFCS, etc etc. The real deal is actually cheaper on a per calorie basis...but it requires a bit more effort.

janatarnhem

Lots of great advice given here, can't add to it really, but frozen veg, fruit and canned are staples in this house as have to budget to make ends meet here too!
We live in a quiet suburb and whilst grow some of our own, there are plenty of growers who sell their excess wares! Currently rhubarb for 50p a large portion, so crumbles and cakes to be baked! So, I suppose I am saying, try to buy the in season stuff.....usually cheaper!

As a by the by, In the Uk, the government is implementing a sugar reduced diet for our kids. My son's school is doing a health campaign and my son has said he doesn't think we ought to have pop and squash anymore...he is drinking cooled water and loving it!. That is saving me a packet and has given me a kick as a parent.....why did I allow these sugar loaded drinks in the house anyway?

AwesomeSquirrel

A great way to cut costs is to cut down on meat consumption. Buying frozen is also excellent. Try to grow some herbs on your windowsill. Basic ingredients for me are:

Canned:
Chickpeas
Cannellini beans
Chopped tomatoes
Sweetcorn

Dried:
Red lentils
Green lentils
Flour
Oats
Chorizo sausage (a little goes a very long way)
Pasta
Pearl barley
Rice

Frozen:
Broad beans
Green peas
Smoked haddock
Spinach
Mixed berries (for me these are cheaper than buying eg. blueberries and raspberries separate)

Fresh:
Mushrooms
Sweet potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Carrots
Butternut squash
Eggs
Milk
Butter
Apples

brittaney0625

It can be really hard. I really do understand. Frozen veggies are cheap. Bananas, kiwi, cantaloupe are cheap. Pasta, whole grain can be found for the same price in my area.

If you can't find a way to make what you feel is healthier options work on your budget.. just eat what you can afford.. and count your calories and portion control until you can work things into your budget.

lore11a

Great Ideas, bump for later reference.

zodan1976

WOW...... a lot of great advice here....thank you guys so much. Makes me feel a little better knowing that others have this issue and have found ways out of it.....I will defiantly be looking into a farmers market. I have one tomato plant that I bought at the beginning of this season (to see if I could keep it alive....LOL) its still alive and I have one tiny tomato growing right now so next year I'm planning on a few more. I have tried couponing before and I have found that most of the coupons that are out there are good but you can get the store brand for cheaper than what your saving on buying name brand with a coupon. The reason I feel that starches are bad for you is because starches turn to sugar and that kind of sugar is bad for me. (I am insulin resistant) Again thank yall for all the feed back and keep it coming because I am defiantly reading what everyone has to say......:)

MrsATrotta

I wouldn't say I'm on a tight budget but I do look for savings wherever I can find them. You're right it is hard to eat healthy on a tight budget, some things that I work with..
-eggs
-frozen vegetables
-I usually find chicken on sale at my local price chopper but look around and see what kind of deals you can get.

I know that's not much and I know it's not easy bc believe me I've been down to my last cent and ate the ramen noodles but just DO THE BEST YOU CAN. If everyone in your house is not drinking water a majority of the time then you can start there... I used to buy so much soda it was ridiculous, I only drink water and coffee now.

MrsATrotta

Also, portion control... The smaller (or more normal) the portion size is the more your saving.

MrsATrotta

I know I've already posted several times but as I read other responses I really hope you do consider a food bank if you have one in your area my dad used to go there, you can score a good amount of canned beans and veggies to start you on the right path

losingles

Bump for ideas

lisalsd1

Organic dried beans at my local health food store are $1.99/lb from the "bulk" section. That's cheaper than most meat. Organic tofu at BJs is also about $1.99/lb. Both options are reasonably priced sources of protein.

Frozen veggies are cheaper than fresh usually...and keep longer.

Peanut butter is a cheap go-to for my kids. Instead of prepackaged snacks, my kids eat A LOT of bananas. I also don't buy snack-sized prepackaged things for my kids lunches. I buy a large container of yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. and I use reusable containers for these snacks.

sengalissa

The pdf is free.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/490865454/good-and-cheap

Komodo26

Do you have a everything 99cent store where you like...they have some great fresh.....really fresh sometimes for a buck....ansparagus, green beans, eggplant, sugar snap peas, green beans and more...also fruit as well

Also for a quick snack I cut up cucumber and Apple's and sprinkle some takin on it, my two kids and I love it so when I find them on sale I stock up

HeidiCooksSupper

I know I've already posted several times but as I read other responses I really hope you do consider a food bank if you have one in your area my dad used to go there, you can score a good amount of canned beans and veggies to start you on the right path

And remember to give to your local food bank! The one I volunteer at serves 20 counties, over 300 local food pantries, several local senior citizen pantries, and hundreds of weekend backpacks for kids who are food insecure at home.

Only 14% of the food this food pantry receives is government supplied and 86% is from donors (individuals, grocery stores, farms, etc.) We give away everything we get but that doesn't mean every basket is well balanced. We are limited by what we receive.

So GIVE to your local food bank! You never know if you may need it. Many of the folks we serve are hard working people who have suffered an illness, become disabled, or had a family tragedy that drove them to hunger. Many are employed in retail and restaurant situations where they sell food but are not paid a living wage that enables them to buy it. It could happen to any of us!! So GIVE!!

DCarter1701

Frozen veggies are just as healthy for you, even if you're not a fan of the texture. Also, there are cheaper veggies than green beans. Cabbage is super cheap (49 cents a head where I live) and I can make that into salads with brown rice and other veggies, add beans if you like, very healthy and cheap.

If you have an ALDI nearby, they are a good source of cheaper groceries and some have recently added organic products and gluten free products. Their produce can be hit or miss, but you can save on staples and then spend a little more for produce.

parkscs

See if you have any good ethnic grocers in the area - we have a large Chinese grocer here (and several down in the RTP area) that is stocked with lots of fresh vegetables for very low prices. Asian greens are very tasty and easy to prepare. A pack of Tofu there is $1, versus $4 at my usual grocer. It's also great for fish as well, which is still swimming up until the point you buy it.

Eggs are a great choice. Also, bags of beans in bulk are extremely cost effective and you can do a lot with beans, rice and a bit of meat for flavoring (and some spicy pickled relish really helps). I'd personally stay away from just throwing pasta and sauce on the table - it's easy and pretty tasty, but it's not very satiating whatsoever and makes it extremely easy to overeat. Legumes, rice, chicken, and lots of vegetables (fresh, frozen and sometimes canned) are the way to go.

techgal128

You might want to consider buying a crockpot. You can make a ton of food for cheap with it. I throw in dried brown rice and black beans and let it cook for awhile. Then, top it with some sour cream. For a veggie, you can put green bell pepper in it. With all the ingredients, it adds up to about 5 dollars total. You can get at least 5-6 meals out of it too!

Now, THE DOLLAR STORE. I live by the dollar store. You can get things like soymilk, beans, rice (all dried), sugar free applesauce, nuts, even pasta. People seem to think that all there is is junk but that isn't true. I'd check out Dollar Tree if you have one in your area.