Broke and healthy eating

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.

JulieSD

I definitely agree with an above poster. I swear by a weekly menu and follow it. I buy exactly what I need and don't make any changes. It can be super boring or frustrating but the money saved is incredible.

tam120

I've discovered that store salad dressings are a huge waste of money. I make a balsamic vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.... much cheaper than a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette at the store.
You can make a huge pot of soup (chicken noodle/vegetable - cook the noodles separate so they don't disintegrate in the soup and mix them in the bowl, beef vegetable, ,minestrone, black bean & corn chowder,lentil - there are soooo many soups and this is the perfect time of year for it), eat it with crusty bread (make it yourself, it's not as hard as it seems - or buy it at $1.79 a loaf) and a salad one day, pour it over rice/beans/potato the next day and freeze the rest for the following week or two weeks. I freeze my soup in zipper bags, it takes up a lot less space, just put the bag in a bit smaller container, pour in the soup and lay it flat in the freezer until it's frozen then layer them up.

The internet is a plethora of fabulous bean recipes, beans and rice are the cheapest meals and they are so healthy, just add a side of frozen veggies, frozen are cheaper than canned with a lot more nutrients and a lot less sodium. You don't have to eat meat every day (which is particularly expensive) to get your protein - beans have all the protein you need and no cholesterol and very low in fat.

Buy your chicken whole and cut it up yourself (lots of instruction on that at foodnetwork.com) then save the stuff you don't eat like the backs/wings etc in the freezer and make chicken stock - so much cheaper and tastier than store bought stock. Save all your veggie "by-products" like stems/peels and stuff that's just too old in a zipper bag in the freezer for veggie stock. As Anne Burrell says, you bought it, use it, don't throw it away!

As someone already said you can make your own hummus with a can of chickpeas and some add ins (much cheaper than the store bought hummus) make a sandwich - bread or a pita spread with hummus, maybe some salsa and sliced tomato and greens (yum-o -sorry folks I'm a RR fan).

theba2il

If you don't have a crockpot, there may be one at a thrift store. There are a ton of crockpot recipes online.

God Bless you and yours. (((Hugs)))

Luckiestmomever

Check out angel food ministries. They sell food, see if there is one in your area. Very cheap. I have purchased from them when times were tough. It's a ministry group, but there is no religious stuff you have to listen to or anything, it's just a service they provide. I picked mine up at a local church near me and it fed my family for 2 weeks!

batgirlmama

brown rice! I understand - its exhausting to try and eat healthy on a tough budget. soup is also great, beans, also see if there is a garden co-op in your area.

silkysly

• Great Value dried beans
• Great Value frozen broccoli
• Great Value frozen spinach
• Great Value peanuts
• Great Value peanut butter
• Great Value ranch dressing
• Carrots
• Celery
• Lettuce
• Whole turkey

cedarhurst2006

I brew my own iced tea every morning for the day. Tea bags are cheap.

If buying canned veggies, try to buy lo salt or no salt added.

Shop Aldis (if you have one) for produce, spinach, lettuce, butter, beans, oats, eggs and milt - cheap.

Try to cook as much from scratch - I have a great granola recipe that makes a lot.

Buy a bag of regular popcorn kernels. Put 1/4 cup in a paper lunch bag, fold over and secure with scotch tape. Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes and there you go - healthy popcorn! A bag of kernels - cheap.

Turkey chili - ground turkey, 1 pepper, 1 onion, seasonings, 1 can of beans, 1 can no salt added diced tomatoes.

Roaster chicken - tons of uses for meals. Use every leftover possible.

Grind your peanuts in a processor for peanut butter.

+

Rhodygarden

I make split pea soup in the crockpot - very good, inexpensive and healthy.

When the bags frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs are on sale - I make an easy crockpot meal with them. Put enough frozen chicken thighs to feed your family in the crockpot, add a little chopped onoin and add some BBQ sauce (can be boughten or homemade) put the crockpot on low and let cook for 6-9 hours. Take two forks and shred the chicken, stir and serve on toasted buns. The family loves it and it can be paired with a cut up friut and raw or raw vegies.

I make a lot of stews and soups in the crockpot.

This type of cooking is great on the pocket book and it is healthy. Much better than packaged foods.

trinichris

Wow the support here is amazing !!!!!!!!! Chin up we have all gone through our struggles. Turn everything into a positive !!!! Thanks for all the ideas cuz sometimes I'm financially challenged !!!!

raevynn

Anything that is canned or boxed, or frozen prepared (dinners, entrés, etc.,), you are paying for someone else to process it.

Buy fresh, unprocessed food.

Like you've seen in previous posts: beans, rice, quinoa, plain frozen veggies, fresh veggies, and learn to do a little simple cooking.

You can eat amazingly well with just a little prep time.

And, personally, I'd stay away from "deli meats", as you are paying a LOT per lbs for someone else to slice something for you. If you must eat meat, buy a real chunk of it, and cook it yourself. do your own slicing, dicing, and freezing. You can get a lot of meals out of just one "roast", if you follow good nutritional guidelines (that would be that a serving is about 4 ounces. That's four per lb. A 5-lb roast will make 20 servings of stuff). If you can skip meats, you can put a lot more money into veggies, fruit, and more nutritionally dense items.