Cost of food rant

VeryKatie

I've decided one of the hardest things about eating well isn't the time it takes or missing out on cake and cookies. It's having to choose between healthful food and cheap food. There are so many times at the grocery store where I'm comparing foods and have to take the less-good-for-me option because I can't afford the good stuff.

Nope. I've been able to stay under budget easily while buying healthy food. (I think I'm currently getting $180/mo, and often have money left to carry over.)

Beans, whether dry or canned, are very cheap & nutritious.
Brown rice.
Chicken, turkey, some cuts of beef or pork, some fish.
Fresh veggies & fruits. Even frozen or canned are OK nutrition-wise, and sometimes a better deal.
Eggs can be breakfast, a snack with lunch, or sliced on a salad for dinner.

And oatmeal doesn't take very long.
Add some nuts & chopped fruit (I love apples with cinnamon, and brown sugar or honey) & you have a healthy long-lasting dish that's great for cold weather.
Here are some recipes for slow-cooker oatmeal. Set it up before you go to bed, breakfast serves itself.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/search/index?search=slow+cooker+oatmeal
For hot weather, mix it into yogurt. If you do it the night before, it softens up; might want to add a little milk so it's not too thick.

Other than chocolate Chex (for a treat) I can't remember the last time I had breakfast cereal. Too many calories, not enough nutrition, and no, I wouldn't buy the sugared stuff.
My usual breakfast is a banana, whole wheat bread with peanut butter, and a glass of skim milk with a serving of Carnation instant breakfast.

Here's a cookbook which was put together specifically to show people on food stamps (SNAP) how to eat healthily and good on a very low budget ($4/day, which is about what SNAP allows people).
The photography is amazing... I want to eat most of these things!
https://8e81c55f4ebf03323905b57bf395473796067508.googledrive.com/host/0B2A2SnkA9YgxaHdzbEhGSmJOZDg/good-and-cheap.pdf

I want to hug you.

Julesbait

Bump to remember the link with the recipes!

VeryKatie

And for the record, my budget is $400 a month... I buy a ton of fruits, vegetables, yogurt, cheese, lean meats, even the expensive Special K cereals...

How many people do you feed on that?

lyrical_melody

I personally find that my grocery bill goes down when I am eating healthy because I am not buying pre-boxed meals.

I can make a soup out of 5 different veggies that will cost me less then $5 and will last me several days. I would suggest crock-pot recipes. What about smoothies or yogurt for the kids? If you want to make the oatmeal taste a little better....add apple slices...cinamoon...pure honey....nuts...fruit...anything you can think of. The same goes for the yogurt.

I had to live on a pretty strict grocery amount while I was in grad school and trust me, I was able to eat very healthy and not spend that much. It all depends on what you are purchasing.

My monthly budget is less than $150 and I feed myself and my boyfriend on that. I take lunch to work the entire week and eat dinner at home. For me...its all about making 3-4 different things at the beginning of the week and eating it throughout the week. I also shop at the Price Rite in town which can be pretty cheap. I always stay away from big name grocery stores...its all the same food anyway.

amy8400

My food bill definitely went down once I started changing my lifestyle and losing weight. It really doesn't cost more to eat healthy unless you're buying fancy, branded-and-packaged organic foods. Eat foods in season...grow what you can (I live in an apartment so tomatoes, strawberries, peppers and herbs are the best I can do)...cook from scratch...avoid exotic ingredients or make them a special treat...buy sale items in bulk. My big splurge is protein bars but since I no longer drink a 2 liter of Diet Pepsi every day, I can spend that on protein bars--when they're on sale, of course

Just think of it this way. The more hands that are involved in processing, packaging, advertising and shipping your food...the more it's going to cost. Eliminate the middlemen = You have more control over quality + cost

HestiaMoon1

As a busy mom on a budget myself, all of this advice (coupons, bulk buying) and Leanne Brown's "Good and Cheap" (pdf and website www.leannebrown.com ) are excellent!

I'll add one more thing that I found really helps me: Planning the Week's Meals (all 3 every day and snacks for the kids).
I found templates on line for Daily Menu planning along with ones for Pantry items, Freezer items, Pricing list.
Once a week I take some time and go through it all.
Making sure I have on hand the special stuff for making meals tasty and different --- artichokes, olives, sundried tomatoes, lemons -- as well as the basics themselves.
The pricing list helps me remember where the yogurt was 2 for 1, where they have 16oz jars vs only 8 oz jars of my favorite almond butter, or organic canned tomatoes for a dollar cheaper -- things like that.
I take my foundations of Chicken, Fish, and Meat (I don't eat Pasta, but maybe you do) and rotate them through the week with different vegetables. I have a day that is specifically Left overs, and one that is what my son calls Smorgasbord where we set out meats, cheeses, condiments, and everyone fends for themselves.
And, also, we sometimes have dinner leftovers for breakfast. It's fast and easy and they already know they liked it so there's no arguing over taste.

MaddyT122

Try this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-09-19-cheap-eats-cookbook-696460
It does seem to have lit up as an active link there, and it opened OK in another tab for me.

These recipes look awesome! Thanks!

tigerblue

I've decided one of the hardest things about eating well isn't the time it takes or missing out on cake and cookies. It's having to choose between healthful food and cheap food. There are so many times at the grocery store where I'm comparing foods and have to take the less-good-for-me option because I can't afford the good stuff.

Nope. I've been able to stay under budget easily while buying healthy food. (I think I'm currently getting $180/mo, and often have money left to carry over.)

Beans, whether dry or canned, are very cheap & nutritious.
Brown rice.
Chicken, turkey, some cuts of beef or pork, some fish.
Fresh veggies & fruits. Even frozen or canned are OK nutrition-wise, and sometimes a better deal.
Eggs can be breakfast, a snack with lunch, or sliced on a salad for dinner.

And oatmeal doesn't take very long.
Add some nuts & chopped fruit (I love apples with cinnamon, and brown sugar or honey) & you have a healthy long-lasting dish that's great for cold weather.
Here are some recipes for slow-cooker oatmeal. Set it up before you go to bed, breakfast serves itself.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/search/index?search=slow+cooker+oatmeal
For hot weather, mix it into yogurt. If you do it the night before, it softens up; might want to add a little milk so it's not too thick.

Other than chocolate Chex (for a treat) I can't remember the last time I had breakfast cereal. Too many calories, not enough nutrition, and no, I wouldn't buy the sugared stuff.
My usual breakfast is a banana, whole wheat bread with peanut butter, and a glass of skim milk with a serving of Carnation instant breakfast.

Here's a cookbook which was put together specifically to show people on food stamps (SNAP) how to eat healthily and good on a very low budget ($4/day, which is about what SNAP allows people).
The photography is amazing... I want to eat most of these things!
https://8e81c55f4ebf03323905b57bf395473796067508.googledrive.com/host/0B2A2SnkA9YgxaHdzbEhGSmJOZDg/good-and-cheap.pdf

This is awesome! With two teenage boy swimmers to feed I am always looking for ways to cut the grocery bill!

Thanks!

Maerwhyn

Sounds like an awesome store, but I've never even heard of it, so I doubt it's here in Utah. We just barely got a couple of Trader Joe's in the last few years, and they're still nearly a half hour drive away. My lifesaver is Winco, which is a warehouse style grocery store in Utah and Idaho. They're relatively new, and I love their bulk-bin section. I love being able to buy just half a cup of something rather than a whole bag that then goes stale and gets wasted.

HealthyBodySickMind

I love her $25 shopping carts:


http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/

Prilla04

You won't find any 'tips' here - just agreement. Yes!!!! You are CORRECT! Food is too expensive. These fools are smoking the crack pipe when they are pricing this stuff! :smokin: Five bucks for a box of cereal? Ten bucks for balsamic vinegar? SERIOUSLY??? Grrr! :explode:

HealthyBodySickMind

Also, and I'll admit it's been a long time since I've gone, but soooo much food is thrown out if you live in the U.S. Aldi's is a great place to get free produce, from the dumpster after they close. Stores throw out stuff when it's just past the expiration and it's still pretty safe to use. Cans get thrown out when they are badly dented, but the contents are still good. In the winter, the meat that's just past expiration goes from the refrigerated display out to the dumpster, where it's quickly frozen (where I live anyway). I've made many a meal from stuff grocery stores have thrown away. Dumpster diving isn't for everyone, but done judiciously it's a relatively safe way to get free food.

SueInAz

I come upon this right after thinking maybe I should increase my grocery budget, which is difficult because as a single mom there isn't a lot of wiggle room in my budget. I was actually going to post asking for feedback on what people's grocery budget is. I made a list of some cheap dinners like sandwiches or eggs and biscuits. We don't have a Trader Joe's or even a health food store at all in my town. I buy a lot of stuff from Publix when it is BOGO. Especially cereal because I can get it for under $2 a box. Check out some of the coupon blogs. moneysavingmom.com, southernsavers.com, and crazycouponlady.com. Honestly 90% of my budget and healthy eating gets blown by buying fast food since we are always on the go. I'm committed to going the next 5 weeks without any eating out just to see how much better my food budget is at the end of the month.

If you haven't already, invest in a crockpot. In combination with meal planning, it's been a huge time and money saver for me. There's only three of us at home but I work full time and am going to school part time. There are so many days where I just don't want to cook after a 10 hour day especially when I know I have homework or a paper due. Planning my meals out for the week, and using the crockpot as much as possible, has been huge. I'll make a double batch of chili or whatever and it's ready when I get home. We'll eat it for dinner and then each of us can take leftovers for lunch the next couple of days. I can prep the food in the crockpot and throw the ceramic insert in the fridge until the next morning. I put it in the heating unit and turn it on before I leave. I come home to a house that smells great, make a salad or a side dish, if needed, and set the table.

pistachiopeas

There is a really great new cookbook - completely free and in PDF form - called "Good and Cheap." The author, Leanne Brown, did a Kickstarter to get it going and she is distributing free printed copies to communities in needs. It is excellent. Great, wholesome recipes and she puts the cost of each meal next to the recipe. I supported the Kickstarter because we need more projects like this. NO ONE in the U.S. should have to eat poorly because of lack of funds.

Here's the link:
http://www.leannebrown.com/s/good-and-cheap.pdf