Limited budget and Healthy eating????

wildon883r

Shop the perimeter and avoid the center isles of stores that include boxed and processed food. Processed food is not cheaper then healthy food. I rarely if ever eat bread. Frozen veggies are perfectly fresh and healthy. Most people can't grasp the concept that the portion size of a TV dinner which to some seems like nothing is the perfect sized portion for EVERYBODY. Once you've achieved the weight you desire and accepted whats a normal sized portion you will save dollars. Most chicken breasts are 6-9 ounces so one is enough to feed 3 people. One leg quarter is more then enough protein for 2 people. Buy on sale always and put in the freezer. Eating healthy really is NO more expensive then eating unhealthy.

mauryr

I eat "surimi" often for my protein, often. It's the "artificial crab" stuff, made from fish. I like it, and it happens to be inexpensive, when it's on sale - particularly the larger size packs. It works out to about 60 cents per half cup serving, which has 70 calories, 6 grams protein and 0 fat - but it is highly processed - and lots of sodium.

rebysue

I struggled with this at first as well. But after seeing the MANY weight related issues that our extended family members have gone through, my husband and I decided that the health "savings" were much greater than the pocketbook cost of the food. For us, the "cost" wasn't as much as we had assumed anyway. When you're replacing the junk food with the healthy food, there really isn't a huge cost increase. If you try to buy the healthier foods WITH the junk foods, then yes, the grocery bill will go way up.

Another thing we found that as we got into eating healthier was cheaper ways to make it work. At first, it seems daunting, but just keep up with it and you'll find ways to cut your budget while still eating healthier. We have found food co-ops to be WONDERFUL for getting cheap, fresh, healthy foods. Check around and see if there are any in your area. Watch for sales. We usually get chicken breasts from our local grocery store for slightly more than the legs (when we watch sales) but when you take into consideration that we're not paying for the bones or skin, we figure we actually come out ahead!

Good luck! It's hard at first but stick to it and it will eventually pay off!

otr12

I have a family of 4 and my food budget is $400 a month. It's not easy. Here are some things I do:

Stock up on what's on sale. Last week boneless skinless chicken breasts were $1.88 a pound. I bought about 50 pounds of it. Developing a good stock is hard to start with a limited budget. You can't always drop 25% of your budget on just chicken for example. But do what you can when you can. After a few months the stocks start to grow and it gets easier.

When figuring meat cost by weight consider the parts you don't eat. Yes, leg quarters are cheaper by the pound, but you aren't eating that bone. 70% ground beef gets super cheap sometimes, but you aren't eating all that fat that comes out during cooking. When you make a burger with 94% ground beef it doesn't shrink.

I never spend more than $2 a pound on any meat. How? I hit up the grocery stores in the morning and snag the marked down meats. It's either eaten that day or it goes in the freezer. Marked down meat scares some people but I've never had a problem with it. I don't do marked down fish though.

Check out the bulk bins. Oatmeal is cheap and filling. It's even cheaper in bulk. I also get pancake mix and dried fruit there. The kids like picking what flavor of pancakes they will get. I make them with Pam on a nonstick skillet. I get soup base there too. Soup makes you feel like you're eating a lot more than you really are. And spices,... man spices are expensive in a little bottle, and pennies from the bunk bins.

I've never seen a Goodwill that didn't have a bread machine for sale. Used bread machine + bulk bin ingredients and you can make your own healthy bread. Throw in all those happy little nuts and twigs that are good for you. I spend a day doing it and I have a months worth of healthy bread. Just toss it in the freezer.

Gotta love the freezer! If you run out of room you can usually find a stand alone freezer in the local classifieds. Even after the electricity cost in pays for its self in food savings.

LosingTheWeight2014

I know how you feel, but like another member said, it's Calories in vs Calories Out...I usually buy a whole roasted chicken from the supermarket for $5.99, which makes 2 decent meals for 2 people. I have a leg and thigh one day and a breast and wing the next. It's all about portions.

annacataldo

i dont buy the expensive breads. i eat the 99cent loafs (its lowest in cal anyway), as long as u get wheat vs white.

i shop on $200 a month for me and my mom (she probably spends $50 of her money on stuff she specifically wants, so $250). I eat alot of baked potatoes and rice. fat free milk instead of whole milk is same price but lower fat & calories. lots of stuff like that r same price but just different, so price wont be different.

With meat i cut out as much fat as possible. I have ground beef sometimes but limit my amount. If Im gunna make hamburger helper or meat in my spaghetti i make sure to really drain it well, and also instead of using a whole pound the receipe calls for i use .75lbs or .5lbs, which saves money AND calories/fat.

I have steak and pork, etc, and just watch portions.

Canned tuna on sale (my moms been finding it at 25cents a can, so we have 20cans right now), then i mix it with yogurt instead of mayo to save calories and add in some celery for a veggie.

I rarely buy fresh fruits. I get canned ones and lil indivdual cups. also frozen ones r good for smoothies, etc. this month on my list i have some fruits like grapes and raisins, but unless i can afford the fruit, i dont get it.

Veggies seem cheap to me so far, lots of carrots, celery, spinach, brocolli for me. i like mine fresh, canned has to much sodium generally, and im not big on frozen veggies personally but thats just me. I probably eat carrots everyday. good snack, filling than other veggies.

I shop at winco and they have seasonings in bulk (just refill ur old garlic powder instead of buying a new bottle, etc), saves money. they have nuts and such too that i plan to look at next time i go.

Go online and use coupons, get a newspaper with the coupons in it, etc... will help save money.

I buy a whole loaf of regular cheddar cheese and dont worry about low cal ones that are more expensive, i cut my slices really thin so they arent a full ounce..

beans n such r cheap, however i dont like beans, so i dont use them.

be careful with processed foods and such items. compare labels.

the cheap 75cent can of spaghetti sauce is under half the calories of the expensive jarred ones... wheat noodles instead of regular... leg quarters r fine, remove any skin or fat like that..

Just count ur calories and try not to go over.. i eat cheap, im full all the time, and im never over on calories (until i go out or something like that). I personally buy bagged chicken breast, frozen, skinless, boneless, etc and one bag is $5 and lasts me like 3weeks because ur only using half a breast for a 4oz serving..

I dont feed a family as big as yours, however i have to eat cheap as well...

oh and if u have the option, doing things like popping ur own popcorn can save u money, instead of individually wrapped packages. make ur own meals instead of anything boxed or pre-made.

ksludwig

My fiance and I are on a tight budget. We have been cooking a lot with beans and in the crock pot. I make taco soup,bean soup, bean chili, etc. we usually get 10 one cup servings out of our recipes and will eat off the crock pot meal all week for lunches and dinners. If I do put in meat I will buy 1lb of ground turkey on sale and put 1 lb in the recipe, it provides even more protein in addition to the beans. Bean are less than a dollar a can and really make a meal filling!

tobitude

I appreciate all the replies and have picked out a few of the responses and plan on using them.

For the bread, as much as I would like to say I am a good cook that is the only thing I am not able to make from scratch. If you would like a brick feel free to call me for a loaf of homemade bread LOL.

Some of the things we already do to make sure we stay in budget, and some of the things I will pick up and start using.

I am also the queen of the freezer and buy stuff cheap or on discount and freeze it.

Thanks for everything, and feel free to friend me if you need a friend with similat issues LOL.

Linda4859

I understand exactly where you are coming from, I would buy the expensive bread for yourself and take 2 slices place them in a freezer bag. ( Do this with the whole loaf). That way it wont go stale and therefore you are saving on waste. Frozen veg is just as good as fresh and much cheaper ( especially the out of season variety). Make homemade soups you can literally use anything and throw it in, always going to be filling and low calorie ( as long as you dont use cream). Eggs are relatively cheap and can be so versatile. As for fruit go to the supermarket and buy the damaged fruit, take it home and make smoothies. Chicken quarters are fine as long as skinless and so many recipes can be used. Buy rice and wholemeal pasta in bulk always the cheaper option. Hope some of these tips help. love and hugs.xx

lalilalu

Something else you could do is make up for own cereal/muesli. You can buy all sorts of breakfast grains (oats, bran, millet, rice, wheatgerm etc etc) and add some sultanas, some coconut, whatever is cheap at the time and make up a big batch of cereal. It'll save loads of money and will keep well as long as you have a decent air-tight container.

If you don't have the space or time to grow your own veggies, maybe you could just make a little herb garden in a pot plant. This way you can grow a number of different herbs and use them in your cooking. You get the benefit of lots of nice fresh herbs to flavour your meals meaning you can cook with less fat and salt.

Buying in bulk is also good. I've stopped buying the individual tubs of yoghurt, but kept a couple of the tubs and washed them out. And now I buy the 1kg tubs and spoon portions into the little tubs for snacks. I do the same with tinned fruit.

kasmir8199

I hear you on this. Do the best you can with the resources you have.

Like mentioned before, when it comes to weight loss, it's all about calories out vs calories in. Always bake instead of frying (even fries, if you must have them...oven baked fries are much healthier...and over baked sweet potato fries are good!

Try not to eat anything 3 hours before going to bed and do exercise regularly.

You can still make a difference by doing easier substitutions. Like skim milk vs whole (usually the same cost), using PAM instead of butter or oil when needed for cooking...kudos on the farmers market! I wish ours was still open.

Substituting fruits and raw veggies for snacks is the best thing you can do. You can save tons by not buying the snack foods that our kids beg us for...easier said than done sometimes, but...

I know what you're going through. Hang in there!

donicagalek

Whole grains and beans are pretty cost effective. Especially if you cook them yourself rather than buy them canned.

Yes! Gobs of yummeh and healthy meals to be had when you incorporate beans and grains with some of the least expensive fresh produce! Carrots, celery, potatoes...can we say hearty soup! :-D

Leg quarters? SAVE THE BONES - make stock and freeze it! :-) You can make chicken and whole grain/wheat dumplings. If you have a health store or co-op near you then check their bulk grains! Wheat bran is DIRT cheap and I put it in so many things.

About once a week I notice that a lot of my fresh produce is about to go bad, so I make "Rotting Produce Bread". Sounds terrible, but it's DELICIOUS! Use a basic banana bread recipe, replace about half of the white flour with oatmeal/wheat bran and replace however many bananas with equal amounts of produce (bananas, grated apples, and carrots are the biggies). I also add some chopped up prunes and/or raisins if I have them on hand. Breakfast!

donicagalek

If you have an Aldi and/or Save-A-Lot near you - take advantage! Aldi's Fit & Active line is awesome and Save-A-Lot's chicken leg quarters can be used for tons of chicken recipes. When Save-A-Lot has ground turkey on sale, stock up! You can make all kinds of healthy casseroles, chili, even turkey dumplings!

Tonight my husband and I spent about an hour making sweet potato pierogi and freezing them (the kids love them!). Dumplings are made with the same dough recipe:

1 egg
1/2 egg shell milk
1 cup flour

You use so little dough/dumpling or pierogi that it isn't a diet killer. Stuffed with healthy things like ground turkey cooked with onion, sweet potatoes and cinnamon, cabbage fried in any kind of "healthy" oil with onion...endless possibilities.

elliecolorado

I know how you feel, but like another member said, it's Calories in vs Calories Out...I usually buy a whole roasted chicken from the supermarket for $5.99, which makes 2 decent meals for 2 people. I have a leg and thigh one day and a breast and wing the next. It's all about portions.

Agreed! As much as some people will tell you should eat only healthy foods, it really does come down to calories in vs. calories out! No matter what you are eating, if you burn more calories you will lose weight

MisMolly

I agree with a lot of what has been said already...I will be picking up some of these for my own use and others are things I already do. Two quick thoughts to add are 1.) Watch how you serve things. Serving grilled chicken breasts whole generally means one breast per person, but if you were to slice it up before serving the amount each person (especially kids) will take is a lot less than the whole breast. Same goes for steaks, sausage (I get these amazing italian turkey sausage links and instead of eating a whole link in a sandwhich, I stretch them out by slicing them and putting them in wheat pasta dishes--a much better choice than meatballs--or brown rice, making a healthy jambalya) or pork roast (shredding it and serving it as BBQ pulled pork goes much farther than serving thick slices, just watch what is in the BBQ sauce). Little tricks in presentation will save money and calories. 2.) Try to never ever waste food. It is easy when buying in bulk to loose track of what you have or what is older. Frequently take inventory of what you have and make plan use older items first. Remake leftovers into new dishes (soups are my go-to) to ensure they get used up. Try to keep things you stock up on rotating...place newly purchased items in the back of the freezer or pantry and bring older ones forward. Nothing is more irritating than coming across a freeze dried chunk of mystery meat in the freezer and having to throw it away. It is like throwing more right into the trash.

TonyTrinch

For the bread, as much as I would like to say I am a good cook that is the only thing I am not able to make from scratch. If you would like a brick feel free to call me for a loaf of homemade bread LOL.

hehehehehe, right there with ya on that one! Last time I tried to make my own bread I could have ended up building a hurricane proof house with it.

Can't add much more than has already been mentioned. The one thing that I did think of though, you said you get your veggies and fruits from a local farmer's market. Next you're there try talking to the sellers, usually the farmer or a family member, find out if they also raise chickens. Might be able to find a slightly cheaper source of meats direct from the farm. Never hurts to ask and never hurts to build up a relationship with the farmers at the market.

On a side note to that, try talking to the butcher in the supermarket as well. They don't generally get as much face-time with customers anymore and really really it when someone asks them questions about the meats or asks for a particular cut of meat. I've found the butcher at my local Food Lion will let me know when particular sales are coming up or will slide me the occasional "going bad" sticker on a cut of meat when he can get away with it. All because I chat with him when I'm there and notice he's not overly busy with work in the back. Having folks on the "inside" can be a boon when you're on a budget.

Vtrembacki

Brown rice and beans. (as previously said)

making beans yourself seems like a hassle because they take so long, but if you cook them in the crockpot its super easy.

You can soak the beans or not, its up to you. (you MUST soak kidney beans and throw away the soaking liquid and cook them in new liqud though because of some crazy bacteria)

I do not soak my beans (except kidney!). I stick them in the crock pot in the evening with water about 2-3 inches above the bean level. Put the crockpot on high for about 2 hours. Then right before bed I turn it to low, and let that cook for about 8-10 hours. In the morning they are done! This is an easy way to cook alot of beans, and you can FREEZE them too!!! Its up to you whether you keep the liquid they make. I keep it, but if you are making something you want dryer, you may want to drain them.

for easy brown rice, I use minute brown rice, but regular brown rice is probably cheaper.

sunshine269

With today's economy I think everyone is looking for ways to cut back on the grocery bill. Since I started MFP I realized how distorted my portion size was. Just cutting back on portions afforded me healthier foods. I am still full because the "good" stuff sticks with you longer.

abyssfully

For me, when we run out of healthy options in our house early (before grocery day) and have no money to purchase more, I make sure to really watch my portion size.

BMillerDBQ77

I have found that I save money by eating healthier. Am trying to follow a lower-carb diet, so I save money by not buying as much bread/pasta/potatoes as I used to. For lunch, I usually just have a salad with homemade vinaigrette, some tuna/chicken and a sugar-free drink mix (when I finish my lunch, I am full!). My "splurge" is a trail mix. My suppers are generally salad/veggies and meat. My husband still eats whatever he wants, so now I just make a one-person meal for him with a little extra meat for me. If I want to add some protein without cooking, I will have tofu and add it to my salad. As many people before have said, discount stores are your best bet. Sam's has large bags of veggies and salad for not very much money. One 3 lb bag of salad mix and a large bag of mixed veg lasts me an entire work week. We also have Save-a-Lot and Aldis which has good food at good prices. Portion control, smart shopping and a willingness to shop in different stores will be your answer.