Need Help: Cheap, nutritious, and filling ideas for Breakfas

Noravus

Long time lurker, first time actual poster. Sorry if this seems like a wall of text.

After racking my brain for the past week about this, I have been having trouble trying to figure this dilemma out. I am looking for something cheap, nutritious. and filling for breakfast and lunch. So I figured I would see what people hear could come up with point me in the right direction.

A bit of background is needed, as well as personal preferences. I'm a 28 year old father of an almost 2 year old, in which most of my concern is focused around him and his meals. Whether or not he is eating correctly is how my fiancee and myself have our mindset, and our own nutrition is only an afterthought. So after making sure our concern with him is met, we have little money to take care of our own nutritional needs.

Instead of buying breakfast and lunch every day on the way into work, I have been trying to think of something I can buy and make in bulk that is cheap, nutritious, and filing. Below are what I could come up with on my own:

Breakfast: Trail mix of cheerios, raisins, and peanuts.
Lunch: Salads, A mix of rice, beans, and a vegetable with an apple.

Food dislikes: hard boiled eggs, tuna fish, green bell peppers, okra, canned meats, olives.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Whether the suggests are meal related, or savings related. Thank you.

lowkeyelv

Good first post. The answers will be very useful for folks on a budget. Curious to see what people come up with.

Dexy_

I'll be interested in what people can come up with.

andrea198721

Breakfast- I use egg whites or sometimes a whole egg and I put some Pictsweet seasoning blend(frozen chopped onions, celery, peppers...like $1 and some change) and some cheese. Instant Oatmeal and some fruit.

Lunch- I found some Nature's Own bread for 40 calories a slice and some Oscar Meyer turkey and ham that is 50 calories for 4 slices. Tuna is always good if you like it. Homemade soup, or I use Progresso +a coupon lol.

Snack- Peanut butter and apple slices... Yogurt (Yoplait 4 packs) and you can always find coupons for those and it makes them cheaper than the Walmart brand.

Hope some of that helps!

Juliebean_1027

How do you feel about soup or chili? I usually make a big batch of vegetable soup or turkey chili on Sunday and take it for lunch 2-3 times that week. The vegetable soup is the easier of the two options because you can pretty much throw whatever you want in there. A can of black beans for protein, a can of corn, green beans, carrots, and some V8 juice, some seasoning and voila!

mandah715

As far as breakfast goes, oatmeal is my go to food and I don't mean the instant packet stuff either. I measure out a serving. Add splenda and cinnamon, pop in the microwave for 60 seconds and I'm full til lunch!

jakejacobsen

eggs and wheat bread, add peppers/ veggies for breakfast

wheat bread and sale meat for lunch or left overs

andrea198721

Oh also almonds or other nuts!!! Its cheaper to buy big and divide your portions into little baggies.... Same with chips, or wheat thins, etc. Laughing Cow cheese. String Cheese.

Saffyra

Oatmeal with raisins. Eggs.

Peanut butter sandwiches (and you can put bananas on it and use whole wheat bread).

Apples.

Yogurt thats on sale.

Also, dont get hung up on typical breakfast foods. There is nothing wrong with eating turkey sandwiches for breakfast

You dont mention if you cook at all... Theres plenty of easy recipes out there that can be made and eaten as leftovers. I'm not above eating the soup I made for dinner for the next days breakfast too

BarbWhite09

Do you have an Aldi near you? Being a broke *kitten* college kid, that's normally the only place I shop.
Meal/Snack ideas:
You can put just about anything in a tortilla...I do scrambled eggs, cheese, & broccoli in one, in the mornings.
You can make vegetable soup pretty cheap, with whatever veggies you like.
Can have celery with peanut butter & raisins as a snack
You can get whole wheat pasta at Walmart for $1.08 (I know this because i bought some like 10 minutes ago lol), which ya can make a lot of stuff with
Peanut butter sandwiches are cheap to make (could add bananas to it)
Oatmeal

Check online for ideas, there are tons.

Juliebean_1027

Also, not sure if you have a Sams Club or Costco membership, but I buy Chobani Greek Yogurt and lowfat string cheese in bulk from there. I also really like the laughing cow light cheese wedges. A lot of times you can get them on sale and they come in a variety of flavors. (My personal fave is the original swiss and I use it as a dip for celery and carrots)

Blueberry09

My favorite breakfast is frozen fruit mixed into yogurt with some bran. 200 cal! I keep a large container of yogurt in the fridge at work and a container of all bran in my desk. I only have to remember to take the fruit out the night before otherwise it's like eating flavored ice! It's also a great treat in the summer time if the fruit is still slightly frozen! That and a bran muffin puts me over on fiber for the day.

Noravus

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Please keep them coming. I did forget to mention a few things. One, I did forget to put vegetable soups and chili down in lunch. Also, I do cook. I cook every meal that requires cooking in my household. That is usually breakfast on the weekends and all the dinners.

I wish I had an Aldi near me. I've heard they are cheap, yet good. I do have a Bottom Dollar near my apartment, which I used to do all my shopping at while i was in college. Also if my Wal-Mart didn't make me see red with rage every time I stepped near it, I would totally shop there.Nothing against the company, most of the associates, or the brand...it has mostly to do with about 90% of the people that frequent the ones near myself.

This also is a lot easier during the summer because I tend to grow an assortment of vegetables.

And there is nothing wrong with a turkey sandwich for breakfast. One of my breakfasts last week was a leftover turkey burger..

mslh84

Here are some of my breakfast options:

Oatmeal-Apple Cinnamon (130 calories made with real apples)(also has flax, and omega 3) (Oats revolution is the brand .

Light Thomas English muffin (100 cals), One egg (70 cals) (I use Natures harmony, 100mg of omega 3, farm fresh, no antibiotics, or hormones) scrambled and cooked like an omelet that you'd put on the english muffin, One slice of prima della colby jack cheese about 30 calories, I also opt for butterball microwave turkey bacon 2 pieces (30 cals). Total meal 230 calories and filling, sometimes I also add an orange which is about 63 cals. so 293 cals total then.

Low calorie cereal, I like Honey bunches of oats ( I get the store brand). 1 serving 120 cals, 1/2 of skim milk 45 cals. Total 165 cals, sometimes I'll add fruit like a banana , ranges about 70-100 cals for a banana.

2 scrambled eggs (140 cals), 2 pieces of turkey bacon (30 cals). 1 piece of toast (Natures white wheat 55 cals a piece). 1 small fuji apple (65 cals). Total for this meal 290 cals.

Some of my Lunch options

Sara Lee Honey ham (deli) 3 oz (120 cals), Bread Natures white wheat (110), Cheese 1 single slice bordens american 2% milk (50 cals), bag of 1 oz sun chips (140 cals). Total meal-420, you can also leave the cheese off, that knocks off 50 cals. Or Not eat the chips, you can sub. Popcorn which I do sometimes. Popcorn Indiana is 150 cals for 2.5 cups. So you could do 1 1/4 cups for 75 cals.

Velveeta cheese cup 2% milk (180 cals), I usually do some form of mixed vegetable by birds eye (steam fresh), usually less than 100 cals per serving...

On a rare occasion I do a lean pocket, like lean ham and cheddar its like 290 cals I think.

Campbels Sirloin burger vegetable soup is less than 300 cals for the whole can. I usually have trouble finishing it all.

sapphiretyger

I do yogurt and fruit as well as breakfast bars (Fiber One for example) when in a hurry ... I also like almond milk mixed with some instant breakfast powder. As far as lunch, I like the various frozen options (Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine), but we do have a microwave at work so that helps. I also will have leftovers from dinner the night before as well for lunch.

RobertaKR

As far as breakfast goes, oatmeal is my go to food and I don't mean the instant packet stuff either. I measure out a serving. Add splenda and cinnamon, pop in the microwave for 60 seconds and I'm full til lunch!

I make oatmeal as well, although the quote above does not mention adding water or milk, one or the other or both will be required to cook/soften the oats.
I measure into a screw-top Ziplok container:
- 1/3 Cup of "Large Flake Oats" (120cals) ,
- 30 grams ( 2-3 Tablespoons) of dried fruit mixture that I cut up and mix myself (apricots, dried plums, craisins, blueberries, raisins) (100cals)
- sometimes chopped almonds (1Tblsp) (100 cals)
-cinnamon and splenda (sometimes honey)
-add approx. 1/4 C boiling water or hot milk and let stand or microwave.

I put all dry stuff in container the night before and add the liquid before I leave home for work.
When I arrive at the office I eat the oatmeal. I do have access to a microwave at work if I want to reheat a bit.
The dried fruit and the Oats can be purchased from Bulk stores, or the bulk section of your supermarket.

mamamc03

English Muffins
one slice of ham
1/4 piece of cheese
Slice of hard boiled egg or make a scrambled egg white patty

Make and wrap these in plastic wrap and then nuke em when you are ready.

Also, get stuff for breakfast burritos....FYI, Cooked Zucchini is AMAZING in breakfast burritos. Use a large tupperware and fix how evere many you deem appropriate for you or the little tike.

Best wishes!

Noravus

Thanks for the suggestions everybody. I've taken and used a couple of them already.

mlwood428

These are some really great ideas! I've been looking for some good breakfasts as well.

I've been making a fruit smoothie with oatmeal on some mornings. Really good and pretty low on calories, plus you can buy the fruit prefrozen.

eviltwinkie

Baked oatmeal can be a good on the go food and kid friendly. Home made hummus as a snack / filler with veggies. I like chicken and rice porridge sometimes for breakfast. Cottage cheese sweetened with fruit - though good luck, it may be a fail thing with kids on sight or texture alone. you can never tell. I often cook an egg in my oatmeal if it's microwave oatmeal (so it ends up kind of custardy.) Simple veggie / bisquick / egg 'quiche' can be good for breakfast or lunch. Since you're making it yourself, you decide the amount of fat in it / can cut it to size or make it in muffin tins. Egg and hashbrown 'baskets' in muffin tins? Sliced apples and peanut butter.

jlallen

Really good ideas on here cant wait to try a few!