The Poor Woman's Diet

sunyg

Except for asparagus & mushrooms all of our veggies are frozen. Sometimes I even buy frozen fruit if I'm making something like yogurt pops. I buy frozen chicken too. We have 4 kids as well and I've been laid off since December.
It has been a challenge but I have gotten better about shopping around the outside of the grocery store. I tend to make the same things often because I know we can afford them and that my family will eat it.
Hamburger helper is cheap. But I've found several recipes that are "like" hamburger helper. They are quick & easy. They usually work out cheap as well because we can either have them for dinner twice or there is enough for "left over" night.

k4evans1

I tend to whip together speedy meals. Feel free to look at my blog for ideas. http://freshfitnfabulous.blogspot.com/

Heatherbelle_87

We are picky about a few things, but for the most part I try to buy whichever brand is cheapest, whether I have a coupon that makes it cheaper or the store brand (and sometimes I even like the store brand better!). We tend to rely on the quick meals like hamburger helper and mac & cheese (though I did just discover whole grain versions of both--though more expensive than the store brand I might go out of my way to buy these!).

Basically if I can find something that's quick, easy, and healthy I'm happy. I generally don't get home until 5:30 every night, so by then I only have an hour and a half to cook, eat, and spend time with my kids before I need to start the bedtime routine.

Even the whole grain version of those foods aren't healthy, though, because they are loaded with sodium, preservatives, etc. And, even though it seems cheap, it's generally more expensive to buy boxed foods.

What about making crock-pot meals? A lot of frozen veggies or beans and/or a meat and seasonings can make food for a couple of days, not cost much, and can be prepped the day before and just cook while you're at work.

I agree with pretty much all youve been told AND especially the crock pot.

My sister and I, our parents, and two toddlers all live in the same house. No my sister buys all her own food, but to feed 5 we do it on around $600/mo. We also have gluten intolerances and nut allergies in our house. So if we can do it, you definently can. Making large meals and dividing them in half to freeze, or even individuals help ALOT in cost.

Also remember

WASTE is going to kill your budget. If you wont eat it before it spoils, dont buy it or dont buy as much. We freeze any fruits that are about to go bad and make smoothies

auntiebabs

How old are the kids?
Do you have a yard?

If YOU'VE got a good attitude about this you can make it a fun project for the kids. With 2 jobs I know you don't have a lot of time but encourage them to do most of the leg work depending on their ages. (Maybe Grandma/Grandpa/Aunts or Uncles would like to spend some quality time with the kids.)

Seeds are cheap.
Plant a garden, when I was a kid there were some years we had stuff growing from March thru Nov.
My Dad did most of the watering (he didn't want the water bill to go up too high)
But the kids did most of the harvesting.

They be more excited about eating healthy food if they've grown it.
And You can turn it into a game or a puzzle to find out what grows best in your climate, your yard

It a good way to build your kids self-esteem and confidence.
They'll feel useful and productive and know that they are a valuable and contributing part of the family.
(what do adults want, but to feel useful and productive... It makes you feel important. Guess what it makes kids feel important too, even if the do grumble at chores)


We always had:
-Tomatoes... taste soooo much better than store bought
(I was living in NYC for 12 yrs before I could bring myself to spend $$$ on a tomato)
-Cucumbers
-Radishes
-Snow Peas or Sugar Peas
-Peppers
-Zuchini
-Strawberries
-Green beans
-Scallions

Sometimes:
- Brussels Sprouts
- Lettuce
- Corn (This takes a good amount of space you've got to plant 2 or 3 rows for this be successful)
- Carrots
- Onions
- Garlic

KristensMom314

We are picky about a few things, but for the most part I try to buy whichever brand is cheapest, whether I have a coupon that makes it cheaper or the store brand (and sometimes I even like the store brand better!). We tend to rely on the quick meals like hamburger helper and mac & cheese (though I did just discover whole grain versions of both--though more expensive than the store brand I might go out of my way to buy these!).

Basically if I can find something that's quick, easy, and healthy I'm happy. I generally don't get home until 5:30 every night, so by then I only have an hour and a half to cook, eat, and spend time with my kids before I need to start the bedtime routine.

Even the whole grain version of those foods aren't healthy, though, because they are loaded with sodium, preservatives, etc. And, even though it seems cheap, it's generally more expensive to buy boxed foods.

What about making crock-pot meals? A lot of frozen veggies or beans and/or a meat and seasonings can make food for a couple of days, not cost much, and can be prepped the day before and just cook while you're at work.

I do like crock pot meals (when I remember to thaw the meat ahead of time!). Sad thing is that I have a total of about 3 things I know how to make in it! :embarassed:

KristensMom314

I tend to whip together speedy meals. Feel free to look at my blog for ideas. http://freshfitnfabulous.blogspot.com/

Thanks! I'll definitely check this out!

KristensMom314

How old are the kids?
Do you have a yard?

If YOU'VE got a good attitude about this you can make it a fun project for the kids. With 2 jobs I know you don't have a lot of time but encourage them to do most of the leg work depending on their ages. (Maybe Grandma/Grandpa/Aunts or Uncles would like to spend some quality time with the kids.)

Seeds are cheap.
Plant a garden, when I was a kid there were some years we had stuff growing from March thru Nov.
My Dad did most of the watering (he didn't want the water bill to go up too high)
But the kids did most of the harvesting.

They be more excited about eating healthy food if they've grown it.
And You can turn it into a game or a puzzle to find out what grows best in your climate, your yard

It a good way to build your kids self-esteem and confidence.
They'll feel useful and productive and know that they are a valuable and contributing part of the family.
(what do adults want, but to feel useful and productive... It makes you feel important. Guess what it makes kids feel important too, even if the do grumble at chores)

Honestly, I would LOVE to have a vegetable garden! I've wanted one since we moved in two years ago, but we live (somewhat) in town, so we have a small yard. And with a dog and 4 kids, even the sunflowers we had back there got trampled. So until we get a bigger yard, we can't do the vegetable garden. Although--are there any veggies that grow okay in planters/pots?

DistantJ

If your kids are under 5, you likely qualify for WIC. Look it up!

Also, I have found that fresh fruits and vegies are pretty cheap compared to processed foods. What else can you buy for 99 cents per pound?

Try making your own whole grain breads and pastas from scratch. Insanely cheap as well. Vegan bread recipes are even more cheap because they have no butter, milk or eggs.

Good luck to you!

CindyWarner

I find meat the hardest until I realized to buy the biggest porton you can find. Divide up the serving sizes as soon as you get home and freeze them all. Just make sure you date them.

PJoy6

"Although--are there any veggies that grow okay in planters/pots? "

Yes!

We live in a townhouse and we are not allowed to have any food growing in the ground, so my dear boyfriend with his green thumb made a Salad Table (google it) for our deck. It gave us greens for most of the summer, though they've dried up recently. Also, we have potted green peppers and tomato plants that are full of vegetables. And I have a pot filled with herbs: chives, basil & dill. It's been excellent this year.

Frugality is about planning. You have to read all the sales flyers for grocery stores in your area & find the best deals.
Don't go to a store without knowing ahead of time what you are getting and weather it's on sale. Plan meals around sales.
Be smart!!!

jklmum

I realize everyone is terribly busy, but really cooking from scratch is the best way to go! Spend one day making whole wheat pasta, perogies, and bread! It saves a ton of money and is much healthier. Also if you can find a farmer in your area farm fresh eggs and usually cheaper than the store and I tend to thing better for you, same with beef, it's a huge investment but if you can swing it you can buy a half or quarter of a cow and it works out to be cheaper plus you can see how the animals have been kept and what they've been fed.
Another idea is there is a cookbook out about big batch cooking. You get together with a few friends and split the grocery bill and when your done preparing food you go home with a bunch of meals that are ready to go in the oven or crockpot!
It is so very tough to eat healthy when the crappy for you foods are so cheap but it can be done! And in my opinion don't ever think your depriving your children, think of it as teaching them great shopping and eating habits that will carry them through into adulthood!

KnottyNCrotchety

I do like crock pot meals (when I remember to thaw the meat ahead of time!). Sad thing is that I have a total of about 3 things I know how to make in it! :embarassed:

You dont have to thaw the meat before you put it in the crock pot. That is my favorite part! I have never followed a recipe for my crockpot. I just throw stuff in there. Random frozen chicken breast from the freezer, whatever is looking limp in the veggie drawer and some chicken broth (or water and boullion cubes) to cover. Add in some herbs like rosemary or tarragon and turn it on. When you get home you just need to make some couscous, rice or pasta to add to it and it will be yummy!

Buy a whole chicken or turkey breast and roast it for Sunday dinner. There will be lots leftover, which you can add to rice and veggies for a yummy meal on Monday.

Make your own spagetti sauce, just buy the cheapest canned crushed tomato cans, add your own zucchini and onion (and ground sausage if you like) with the usual italian herbs like parsley, basil, etc. Make a huge batch and freeze it in one quart ziploc bags. Freeze them laying down flat, then when they are frozen they stand up perfectly. This is much healthier because you control what goes into it, especially the sodium and is a lot cheaper than buying jar sauce. Spagetti is an easy meal to make for dinner on a weeknight.

Make your own chili, same deal as above.

I know it is a bit of a time commitment, but bake your own bread, muffins, etc. I have a big bake day every three weeks or so on a Saturday. I like to bake my own wheat bread and throw in lots of different grains. I leave two out for the week and put four in the freezer for the next two weeks. It is just as easy to make 6 loaves as 2, so it works great. I will also make a couple of batches of muffins at that time too and freeze a bunch of them. These are great in lunches, or for breakfast for kids. Much, much cheaper to make healthy whole grain breads than to buy them.

Lastly, look into other places to buy your food. I love Grocery Outlet, they even have good cheap veggies and fruits. I shop there first, then go to the regular grocery store afterwards to fill in what Grocery Outlet didn't have. I also shop at the farmer's market for fresh veggies (and I buy lots when it is in season and plentiful and cheap and freeze the extra). We also think it is fun to go berry picking at U-Pick farms in the summer for berries. We get lots ($2/pound vs $2/pint at the grocery store). We eat lots and lots when they are fresh, but I will also freeze them for later for smoothies (put them on a cookie sheet individually then put in the freezer so they will freeze without being a big clump). I also make our jam, which is cheaper than buying jam after the initial investment in the jars and rims (but you can find these at the thrift store pretty easy).

msmandyjo

bump for later!!!

silver02bullet

Good ideas!

sunshinel397

When I have broke weeks, I tend to hit the bulk bins in the supermarket. You can get nuts, pasta, flour, sugar, snacks, honey, vinegar, etc. in the bulk aisle for a better price than buying packaged. I also hit the store brands and shop the flyers and circulars. Couponing works, but only if you need/want the stuff you get the discount on. Hope this helps!

FaithsVegWorkout

So, you are buying hamburger helper . . .are you buying a lot of processed/premade food? What's a typical grocery cart for you?

sleepytexan

I also have 4 kids, and an out-of-work hubby. My income is meager at best. However, I don't find it hard to feed our family healthy foods within our budget. It is my top priority. I serve a lot of tacos bc I can serve the whole family with only 1 lb. of meat or fish. I do not buy ANY processed foods, and I cook almost every night (lunch too). I never buy already chopped fruit or veggies--I can chop myself!

Here's an example of a meal for 6 with leftovers: GRILLED FISH TACOS w/ fruit and veggies. Always buy fruit and veggies in season, and from farm stands if possible. I put out $14.50 for this meal, so it's about $2.42 per person, but really since there are leftovers, my husband, my 13-yr-old and I will have it again for lunch the next day, which really makes the total cost per serving $1.61.

1 lb. tilapia (yes, just 1 lb.), grilled with olive oil, lemon juice and season salt (about 5-6 minutes on the grill) - about $3.99
1 pkg. tortillas (without partially hydrogenated oil) - $2.19
fresh fruit IN SEASON (today I bought a pint of blueberries for $.99, and a pound of cherries for $1.99, and a pound of grapes for $2.99).
salsa (in the fridge)
cheese, shredded (buy in block and shred yourself). don't need much for this meal, so not really counting the cost of the $3.50 cheese.
homemade guacamole ($2.50 for the avocados, -- I know that's cheap, I live in SoCal, they grow 'em here). onion is about 30 cents, and I grow my own tomatoes, so free.

My kids are 13, 10, 8 and 3, and everyone gets their fill plus we have leftovers.

blessings.

Mamapengu

We tend to rely on the quick meals like hamburger helper and mac & cheese (though I did just discover whole grain versions of both--though more expensive than the store brand I might go out of my way to buy these!).

My husband makes a 'poor man's hamburger helper:' a box of mac & cheese, hamburger meat and frozen veggies added. My kids both like 'noodle soup' (top ramen) - cut the salt packet in half or even more and add frozen veggies, broccoli is a favorite. I've also made a noodle dish from 2oz whole grain noodles, 1TBS teriyaki sauce, and 3oz chopped chicken per serving. It's filling and my kids both love it. add canned fruit or frozen veggies (again) and its complete.

I'm trying to figure out how to dig up part of our yard to add a small garden. Less mowing for my husband, more exercise for kids and I, and fresh veggies. Can you add anything, even in pots? potatoes, carrots, lettuce, broccoli are easy to grow.

ecpiersk

Cabbage.

zorbaru

dont forget , if you are going to use crock pots, you can use the cheaper cuts of meat. they come up awesome. such as chuck steak, lamb shanks etc. because it cooks for so long, it always comes out tender.

you can usually get recipe bases for crock pot meals for like $1 too. we add meat, potato carrots peas corn and whatever other veg, then a tin of diced tomato (another 50c) and the recipe base. if the recipe base calls for some water, add some stock cubes as well it just gives it a bit extra.

this is the kind of thing im talking about..... (ok, they are $1.50 but you can get them cheaper and other brands too)

http://tinyurl.com/3korbkk

you dont have to take too much notice of the meat or veg it tells you to use. just add whatever and then whatever liquid the recipe says.