Eating on a budget

autumnkuske

Hi everyone, I was wondering if you guys could help me out. The biggest problem that I've been having loosing weight is that I have been having a very hard time affording the food that I should be eating. Does anyone have any tips to budget and eat healthy at the same time? Or other options besides fresh fruits and vegetables they have found that are healthy and cheap?

I have $35 to spend a month on food and it honestly really doesn't go that far when I start buying things that I should be eating. Should I just keep eating the food I have but in smaller portions? I am worried that if I do that I will always be hungry.

If anyone has any ideas or even just support on what someone in my situation could do to actually succeed with my weight loss goal I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you all.

daydreams_of_pretty

Bananas. Carrots. Inexpensive frozen fish like swai or cod. Broccoli crowns. Eggs. Generic oatmeal (the big tubs). Tuna. Brown rice. Fresh lettuce (not the pre-cut). Canned veggies (low sodium).

MissieMay_515513

I make large batches of food and freeze them. I get these small plastic takeaway containers they only cost £1.00 for 6.

I then make things like - chicken and lentil stew. It can be made with chicken thighs which tend to be cheaper and you can add orange lentils which are really cheap but high in protein and fibre. I then bulk it out with vegetables like carrots - leek - swede. I can make 6-8 portions and when you have a busy day you can still eat healthy and it freezes well.

I have made chicken pasta - I bulk it out with vegetables and again I probably make 4-6 portions I freeze these.

I also buy frozen vegetables and fruit. I keep these for days when all the fresh stuff is gone and perhaps I don't have time or money to buy more.

Good Luck!!

rainrain83

a few different bags of frozen vegies. big tins of tuna.
oatmeal, milk, eggs, wholemeal couscous, brown rice,
frozen fish
thats probably all you could get that
would stay fresh for a month

daydreams_of_pretty

I totally forgot about frozen veggies! I obviously need sleep, lol. You could get some frozen fruit as well. You could mix the frozen fruit (or some generic dried fruit) into the oatmeal. If you buy milk, you can mix equal parts oatmeal and milk in a jar and leave it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, chop a banana and mix it in. It's yummy for breakfast!

RodaRose

Beans, lentils, eggs -- those are cheap.
Frozen and canned veggies and fruits are healthy and cheap -- the texture is different, that is all.
Eat the food you have at home. There is probably nothing wrong with it.

wannakimmy

I have to ask OP, what are you buying with the $35 a month currently?

"Healthy" food is no more expensive than "junk" food.

Patttience

You cannot possibly survive on $35 a month. Earn more money. you need more money to stay alive so go and find it.

But when you have solved that problem look at buying some dried beans and lentils . there foods are very very good for you.

Here is a cheap lentil soup.
Red lentils
water salt

soak the lentils overnight so you don't have to cook them long.
Put 2 cups of water to one cup of soaked lentils in a saucepan and cook iwht the lid on until they are completely soft and mushy.
Add salt until it tastes good.

This food is high in slow energy releasing carbs. High in fibre which is very very good for you.

Look for other lenti and chickpea recipes.
the greeks and italians have some lovely chickpea soups
look for lablabi recipes it sounds great.

choose vegetables in season. skip the fruit unless its cheap.
make your own home made yoghurt. a good recipe is found on mireille guiliano's website.
eat 1 cup of milk per day and 1 cup of yoghurt. + 40grams of yellow cheese.

I agree oats are cheap but you don't have to soak them overnight. cook with water and a pinch of salt and its called porridge.
Serve with half a cup of milk .

I eat this now without sugar and i love it. I used to eat it with sugar but since i quit sugar, i am happy without it.

couscous has no fibre don't choose that.
skip bread and pasta and rice for except for a treat. Instead eat beans and lentils and chickpeas. These are much more nutritious and more filling.

Do not skip your calcium foods like milk. I think you probably need to be taking a multivitamin if you are trying to live on such a low budget. You must get some extra income this is crazy.

myrtille87

Wow, that's really low...

You might find some recipes and shopping tips on here to help you: http://agirlcalledjack.com/category/recipes-food/page/7/

The woman who wrote the blog had £10 per week to feed herself and her son, so learnt to budget and cook cheap and healthy meals. Her early recipes use lots of cheap veg and tinned beans etc. The goal was obviously not weight loss, just survival, but they're generally pretty healthy.

Generally, you need to fit the following things into your diet:
-Carbohydrates - for energy. Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread. All reasonably cheap especially if you buy a large pack. People who are trying to lose weight often limit these but on your budget, keeping your body fueled is going to be the priority so I wouldn't worry too much (so long as they're not the only thing you're eating).
-Protein. Most meat is not going to be an option on your budget, so focus on pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils) and maybe some tinned fish (tuna, sardines). Look out for meat that's reduced to clear (on its expiry date) as it may be much cheaper (I've bought things for 1/4 of the price) and freeze it.
-A range of vitamins and other nutrients - try to eat a few different types of veg. Buy things that keep well (like carrots) so you don't end up throwing things away. Also use frozen veg. Buy cheap tinned tomatoes to make sauces so your food has a bit more flavour. I wouldn't worry too much about fruit because it's not very filling and you don't want to waste money on things that will leave you hungry. Maybe a banana a day as they're cheap and filling.

AglaeaC

Do you have something in a pantry or freezer? Or do you need to start from scratch?

777Gemma888

Hi everyone, I was wondering if you guys could help me out. The biggest problem that I've been having loosing weight is that I have been having a very hard time affording the food that I should be eating. Does anyone have any tips to budget and eat healthy at the same time? Or other options besides fresh fruits and vegetables they have found that are healthy and cheap?

I have $35 to spend a month on food and it honestly really doesn't go that far when I start buying things that I should be eating. Should I just keep eating the food I have but in smaller portions? I am worried that if I do that I will always be hungry.

If anyone has any ideas or even just support on what someone in my situation could do to actually succeed with my weight loss goal I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you all.

My Brazilian friend always made the simplest beans and rice dish. All she did was cook the beans, after soaking them overnight. In a separate skillet she'd saute onions, garlic and Italian seasoning. Once the beans were ready, she'd add the onion saute ~ turned off the stove top and closed the pot. Rice was cooked. Ready to serve after 15 mins. She shared with me that this was a staple for her family before she'd married and migrated to the US. For special occasions, some pork or bacon is added to the onion saute and worked into the dish. Served with a tomato & cilantro salsa and sour cream.

My suggestions for you:


* Beans
* Lentils
* Rice [Please be sure to check the Asian + Latin American aisles before buying rice from the rice aisle ~ oftentimes it is cheaper]
* Italian Seasoning + spices [Again > Look in the Latin American aisle > They sell the same spices in 60c to 80c sachets]
* Onions
* Frozen Veggies ~ Use coupons and you'll likely save more
* Eggs
* Oats
* Pasta
* Canned tomatoes ~ Again, use coupons
* Cilantro
* Bacon ~ It's almost always on sale
* Flour - Very affordable and if you can make piadinas or tortillas > Burritos, tacos etc
* Buy plain yoghurt around $2 and low fat milk $2.90 ~ Make your own yoghurt at home. Tonnes of recipes online
* Vegetable oil ~ Latin American aisle is the most affordable


Go online and print out coupons. <~ $35 is enough to feed you healthily, if you teach yourself to NOT be a picky eater. Look up vegan recipes for lentil/rice/bean burger patties and balls etc. Plant proteins will need to be your base protein source, interspersed with meat protein when you catch sales.

Good luck!

ETA: remove code

**Do you have any friends or family who are members at COSTCO?

Kalikel

$35 won't take you far, no matter what you eat.

I haven't found healthy food to be more expensive than processed. Have you looked at the cost of frozen dinners, cold cereal and boxed casseroles?

This "People don't eat healthy food because it's too expensive" stuff...I don't buy it. McDonald's isn't cheaper and neither is the processed food in the store.

Except maybe Ramen.

SLLRunner

Hi everyone, I was wondering if you guys could help me out. The biggest problem that I've been having loosing weight is that I have been having a very hard time affording the food that I should be eating. Does anyone have any tips to budget and eat healthy at the same time? Or other options besides fresh fruits and vegetables they have found that are healthy and cheap?

I have $35 to spend a month on food and it honestly really doesn't go that far when I start buying things that I should be eating. Should I just keep eating the food I have but in smaller portions? I am worried that if I do that I will always be hungry.

If anyone has any ideas or even just support on what someone in my situation could do to actually succeed with my weight loss goal I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you all.

Yes, I advise that you buy the foods you have been within your budget, just eat less of them. Weigh your food if possible.

Liftng4Lis

Wow, that's not very much of a budget. I would buy what you were buying, only eat smaller portions.

shabaity

I could see maybe $35 a week but a month thats crazy. That being said you can get things whole sale for reasonable prices and you can get things stockpiled that way.

daniellempayne58

Also, seeing as no one has mentioned it....look and see if there are any food banks in your area. Also, see if there are any gleaning volunteer opportunities. Usually if you volunteer your time picking food, you can take home a bunch of the harvest and use that to offset your costs. They frequently will teach you how to forage in the woods.

softblondechick

Soup. You can buy a lot of onions, cabbage, carrots, celery and garlic, add a chicken and a few potatoes. Eggs, oatmeal, tofu. It can be done.

It is just easier to buy bread, peanut butter and ramen.

Really, which diet is healthier?

autumnkuske

It's not really that easy to just earn more money. I already work 55 hours a week. I can't really just get another job. But after I pay all my bills that's what I have to buy groceries with a month.

I have never had lentils but it sounds like a lot of people have been suggesting them. So I will see if my store carries them and try that soup recipe of yours. Thanks for the input and the recipe!

autumnkuske

I have to ask OP, what are you buying with the $35 a month currently?

"Healthy" food is no more expensive than "junk" food.

At my grocery store, bread is 50 cents a loaf, a 12 pack of ramen noodles is 2.50 and a box of macaroni and cheese is 50 cents. When I have peanut butter that means a peanut butter jelly sandwich for breakfast, ramen noodles for lunch and half a box of macaroni and cheese for dinner. Then the next day I have the rest of the mac and cheese, and usually the same other things. Occasionally hot dogs go on sale and they go good with mac and cheese and also in the bread. I can usually get free eggs from one of my cousins with chickens as well. It's really does come out a lot cheaper than buying 'healthy' food. I can feed myself for around a dollar a day.

autumnkuske

I make large batches of food and freeze them. I get these small plastic takeaway containers they only cost £1.00 for 6.

I then make things like - chicken and lentil stew. It can be made with chicken thighs which tend to be cheaper and you can add orange lentils which are really cheap but high in protein and fibre. I then bulk it out with vegetables like carrots - leek - swede. I can make 6-8 portions and when you have a busy day you can still eat healthy and it freezes well.

I have made chicken pasta - I bulk it out with vegetables and again I probably make 4-6 portions I freeze these.

I also buy frozen vegetables and fruit. I keep these for days when all the fresh stuff is gone and perhaps I don't have time or money to buy more.

Good Luck!!

I was wondering how pasta would freeze. Do the noodles get bad when you reheat it again? Thank you for the reply I had not really thought about freezing whole meals. When I get some extra money for supplies I will try to stock up and make a bunch of things and then freeze them.

autumnkuske

Also, seeing as no one has mentioned it....look and see if there are any food banks in your area. Also, see if there are any gleaning volunteer opportunities. Usually if you volunteer your time picking food, you can take home a bunch of the harvest and use that to offset your costs. They frequently will teach you how to forage in the woods.

Thank you for the suggestion, however we do not have any food banks in our area. I will have to look into if we have any orchards or anything around though. I live in an extremely small area, and have never heard of any but I may just have to dig a little harder to find them. Thanks