Broke and healthy eating

Mariposa187

So my job has severely cut my hours and my husbands job no longer allows him to put in overtime. We are really struggling right now and are going to start buying foods that are cheap and last longer like (bread, bologna, ramen noodles, hotdogs, lettuce, mac n cheese) I have bought some canned veggies (green beans, corn).

What are some non expensive things that I can buy that are relatively healthy? Do you know of any recipes that are healthy and cheap? I am talking about $10 - $20 a week if that... It is just my husband and i...

Thks for your comments and God bless

rachyz88

Baked potatoes with watever filling u like is always a cheap option! I eat them alot

Potatoes are good cus u can make so much with them.... I use them alot!

FionaHelen

stir frys and vegatable curry's are not only tasty but cheap and very low in calories!

Snakey74

Coupons are a good way to save that extra bit. Especially if you have a supermarket that doubles them!
Oatmeal isn't expensive, and that's a great way to go. If you have an Asian grocery store near you, they always have produce at really decent prices!

digitalsteel

bacon, ground beef and chicken are the staples in my diet, they tend to be relatively inexpensive at around $3-$4 a pound

momma_roo

Eggs, high in protein and like potatoes, there is a lot you can do with it. Sorry to hear about your struggles

K8ty_7

Ive found making soups help, u can make a massive soup and freeze it into portions, that with a slice of toast or 2 is nice and ur geting ur nutrition out of it aswel. wen we went thru a rough time we lived on soups and it wasnt half bad. good luck!!

poesch77

Great Value (Walmart brand) has tons of options! Frozen veggies and fruit....whole wheat noodles for pastas and spaghetti.....I clip coupons too.....one income with a family of four. Bananas and apples are cheap, Aldi's is a great place if you have one near you...they have ground turkey really cheap and a Fit and Active brand....for like string cheese, almond milk, yogurt for less fat and calories. Hope this helps!

ellekay22

Lentil soup:

lentils - 1.99 1KG bag
water - from the tap
salt and pepper to taste

1:3 lentils to water in pot or slow cooker. High in fibre and protein.

jenfactor

dried beans and dried rice, super cheap and nutritious.

lcnelson

I totally agree with the eggs and potatoes. I am a big fan of making soup with any kind of vegetables and left over meat.
Local farmers markets have way better prices than grocery stores.
Good Luck,

PennyNickel14

Beans! Black beans (dried) are extremely inexpensive. As are pinto and white northern - but i like black bean.

An egg *12 for about 2 bucks in the states and Quaker old fashion oats (it really cooks fast) - you can make breakfast for two for under a DOLLAR a day!

Frozen Broccoli - I know a lot of people don't love the frozen veg - but you can get a big bag and a serving is about 40cents.

Cabbage Fresh! Another veg and can be used as a stirfry or a filler in cheap soups!

Justjoshin

Bulk Beans, Whole Fryer Chickens for roasting/grilling, eggs, long grain brown rice, lettuce, canned low sodium vegatables when on sale.


Almost none of the things you listed .. Ramen, Bologna, etc are things I would eat, or consider purchasing.

Do more research before stocking up on that stuff.

Coupons, Walmart, Shop Around, shop smart, etc.

amysj303

There are some good sites like "broke and healthy" http://www.brokeandhealthy.com/category/recipes/recipes-by-meal/main-dishes
that have good recipes.
You might want to think about freezer veggies, the sodium is lower and the nutrients are sometimes better, if you have the freezer space.
The problem, it seems, is a lot of the cheap pantry items lack protein but if you can freeze meat you find on sale, you can cheaper cuts and put them in the crockpot, which makes them more tender.

squishysangel

Oatmeal...you can dress it up with whatever and its good for you to boot. Pinto/whitebeans (dryed) a small piece of ham and voila a long lasting meal thats healthy and freezes well. If you can get a sale on hamburger cook it up and freeze it in serving sizes, works for spagetti sauce that can then be streched into chili, or you can make tacos. Chicken, celery, onions and carrots..voila a hearty soup that freezes well for multiple meals...same with really cheep cuts of beef or pork or lamb if thats what you like. Usually if you can get the least processed foods and combine them into something its way less expensive.

JulieSD

I understand the struggle. I also suggest potatoes, they can be cooks in many many ways, baked and topped with salas or bacon bits or sour cream or chili or all of the above. Burger can be in pasta, or sloppy joes or even mixed in with fired potatoes. For my kids I have put burger into cooked kd. burger/pasta/canned tomatoes for a goulash. grilled cheese with ham inside. stir frys with rice. I have a cook book called 'dining on a dime' maybe google a topic like that and see what you can come up with ?
good luck!

CodyRSweet

Chicken, fish or ground turkey. Frozen veggies (I can get them for only $1 a bag!). Apples, carrots, celery, bananas. All those are inexpensive. They dont keep for long, so you may have to make more trips but so worth it! Oatmeal is also pretty inexpensive. I am a single mom and on a really tight budget and I dont find it hard at all to eat healthy. A bag of carrots is a lot cheaper and lasts longer than a bag of chips

jessica_sagui

Oatmeal and brown rice. Invest in a $13 rice maker at Walmart and buy brown rice in bulk - so cheap. Stock up and buy frozen veggies, chicken breast, and lean ground turkey when they're on sale.

beatleschic87

VEGGIES!!! They are super cheap if you get them fresh and all you have to do is bake them, wok them, or boil them with some olive oil... OR if you have the calories to spare make a rue with some butter and flour... amazing.

sheisbrown

Chili made with ground turkey instead of beef. They often have ground turkey on sale here and chili beans can be gotten for cheap. You can make a big pot of it and freeze the rest for later. So delish.

nomorearmflab

dried products such as rice and beans are fairly inexpensive. and it never hurts to sniff around the vegetable aisle, especially now since a lot of the summer fruit and vegis are low in price. grabbing them fast and freezing them yourself, or making a soup/ stock out of them is a really good idea.buying in bulk could help too, if you can stock up on things like peanut butter.

Though a key thing might just be moderation of some of these items that stay preserved,
and thinking about what to cook for the week is a great way to stay on budget. making a list of what you have for breakfast for a week, and dinner. make extra dinner so you can have leftovers!
pasta is a great thing as well.
and if you need too, it is cheaper to make bread than buy it. if you have some flour hanging around I know a great recipe you can use. ( don't get it if you don't have it though. it may save you money, but flour is a little price when buying at first.)

TourThePast

Unfortunately I have a strong dislike of lentils and beans, but unless you're as idiotic as me, they're your passport to a healthy and inexpensive diet.

ninerbuff

Eggs, rice, tomatoes and chicken. With these you can make lots of different recipes.

BigDaddyBRC

Eggs, Lentils, Pork, potatoes, rice...get your spices, and explore.

Also, ditch the colas and juices. DRINK WATER! From the hose, even.

hooah_mj

Chalupas were always my go-to when pinched:
crispy tostada (flat)
refried beans (ff)
salsa
salad fixin's a top

Main thing I focused on was sticking to a menu, which helped immensely!
Basketti Mondays (pasta/sauce)
Two for Tuesdays (soup/sandwich)
Welfare Wednesday (no meat, no dessert/snacks)
Thrifty Thursday (left-overs)
Tucky Friday Chicken (still $5 at the grocer deli...HEB, Randalls, etc)
Wacky Weekends (breakfast for dinner & frozen pizza)

These are still wonderful memories we share and still follow (for the most part), tough times made us strong and brought us closer...best wishes & hugs :flowerforyou:

maddymama

Dried beans are awesomely cheap and make a huge amount. I usually make them in the crockpot and use them in soups, sides, and as fillers all week long. Tons of protein and fiber for cheap.
Bulk grains (rolled oats, steel cut oats, quinoa, rice) are much cheaper than pre-packaged. I can buy a ton of oats for less than a dollar and eat that for breakfast every day. I also buy alot of frozen fuit to eat with my oatmeal, as you can't really tell it wasn't fresh in the hot cereal.
Soups can be made for cheap, with leftover veggies and cheaper cuts of meat.

knapowell

We are in the construction industry and have been watching our pennies for some time now. I try to pay attention to sale ads. Around here I can get chicken from $.88 per pound for a whole chicken or thighs up to $1.89/pound for boneless skinless chicken breast, so I use a lot of chicken. I buy a large pork tenderloin when they are on sale, I take a hit for that week, eventhough I can find them for around $1.99/pound. I throw it in a crockpot, cook almost til done, then drain some of the juices and add bbq sauce (usually homemade - cheaper, easier, and way less sodium). The bbq can be frozen and makes a ton. I also buy a ton of frozen vegetables, as someone said, they are much lower in sodium and usually more nutritious since they are frozen soon after harvesting. Yesterday I cooked my first REAL pot of beans. I added a ham steak that I got on sale. I cannot even tell you how good they were, and cheap, and I am not a huge bean eater. These will be made often. I made a box of sweet corn muffin mix to go along with them. I make a lot of stir frys pasta meals and soups - more veggies, less meat, less pasta - goes a long way. I also suggest a crockpot, if you don't already have one. I have really cut back on the convenience items that I keep around the house, and now make a lot of those from scratch. Of course I still buy some things, but I try to use coupons for those. Breakfast is cheap and easy - grits, oatmeal (not the individual packages, if you don't have time for real oatmeal in the morning, you can make crockpot oatmeal the night before or baked oatmeal ahead of time), muffins, fruit.

sarahkatara

I'm on a $50/week budget so I can really appreciate your struggle. We want to eat healthy but produce, meats, etc are the most expensive! Here are some of my tips.

Buy deli meat by the pound and freeze half. That way you always have a healthy option. Make sure to take down the frozen portion before you run out of the first batch so there's no time when you have nothing to eat! Buy what's on sale. Ham, chicken, and turkey are ideal and you can usually find store-brand meats that are quite good.

Buy on sale. See some good whole wheat bread on sale for Buy 1, Get 1 free? Buy that and freeze the extra. Your freezer is your friend!!

I also shop at the Dollar Tree a lot (any dollar store will do). They have canned veggies, among other things, which are great. If you're lucky they may have a small refrigerated section. Mine does and I can get a dozen eggs for a dollar! Can't beat that! Just watch out for the sodium content on canned anything.

Beans. Beans and rice. Beans and pasta. Beans on top of a baked potato with some low-fat cheddar cheese and salsa. Get creative

Make your own hummus to pair with cut up veggies for snacks. MUCH cheaper. All you need are garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and olive oil. Add garlic, roasted red pepper, pine nuts, if you have it on hand. Garlic is usually a staple in my hummus! Also make your own salad dressings. Combine different spices with olive oil and vinegar. Cheaper and healthier.

For salads, don't buy pre-washed and cut lettuce. Instead choose a head of iceberg lettuce or romaine and wash it and prepare yourself. Same with things like celery. Some comes washed and cut up but if you buy the whole stalks that have the leaves still attached, it's at least a dollar cheaper.

And finally- FARMER'S MARKETS! Most counties or cities will have at least one in the local area, usually on weekends. Look for one in your area and go for your produce there. It's fresher, WAY cheaper, and you're supporting local farmers.

I hope this helps a little!!! Just know that you're not the only one with this problem. I've been dealing with the same thing for about two years now :P Good luck!

KirstFaye

Dried beans, pulses.
Check local farmers markets, cheap & fresh
Coupons, coupons, coupons

Best of luck!!!!

muriah2

Bump!

Fairysoul

Spaghetti is cheap, but healthier, yup rice and beans goes a long way with some veggies, people have some good ideas on here, ramen is just no good, do you have kids? Have you considered food stamps or maybe a local church or community place that does food drives? We have a community cubboard and they will give you food.