healthy food on a budget

chnkytim42

okay, i know i cant be the only person living on a budget, how do i go to the grocery store and buy what i need without having to sell a kidney? lol. i just dropped 70 dollars at the store, and i'll be suprised if what i buy will last me a week. it really is the hardest part of the change for me. i love eating healthy but it is so dang expensive. advice?????? here is a quote i heard the other day, "it's obvious why americans are overweight, when a burger costs 1 dollar and a salad costs 5"

shorty44266

I am with you on this one......Any advice out there?

TeddyBear47

Turkry lunchmeat and whole grain bread. It will last you all week. High fiber cereal and low fat milk. Get whatever greens are on sale that week.

steadk

you may try for bread, going to actual bakeries, they sometimes have a "store" that you can buy their bread. Like here in KC the Roma bakery i was able to get their bread (55 cals a slice) for only 75 cents while at the store it costs 2.19. Also, I look for salad bars where you can load up and then break into smaller ones later.


EDIT: I also use e-meals.com. If you pay for the year, its 5 bucks a month for them to plan dinner for you. They have a ton of meal plans, and I love it. I get the ALDI plan, and just buy the healthier version of some of the ingredients they use.

prettylyzard

Winco....they are awesome!

fypspirit

I couldn't agree more. To eat healthy costs so much more than eating bad I really don't have any advice for it but one thing I do is plan my menus for the whole week write a grocery list and that is all I buy. Plus it really helps take the guess work out of "whats for supper?' every night. I try to buy whats on sale and plan my meals around that. Hope any of this helps.

pinkita

Is there a Trader Joe's near you? They have good prices. Check Target too. Another good place for fresh produce are independent, small mom-and-pop type produce markets.

jpinge

I used to feel that way too....then when I was conscious about serving sizes I realized that if we ate what we truly were suppose to eat I could stretch things out nicely. Buy steam fresh veggies from birds eye...1.25 each. Put them on your potato or pasta (whole wheat of course:) They are just as nutritious as fresh but you don't have to worry about them going bad quick.

970Mikaela1

My stores always have buy one get two free on chicken breasts and tenderloins ..so watch the sales i cook all my own sandwich meat but i agree i bet i spend 100 bucks a week for myself and my daughter !

Chunky_As_Charged

Make use of your freezer!

Only buy meat when it's on sale and in bulk. Then separate it into individual portions. If you buy four pounds of ground beef and know you'll only use 1 lbs and a time... four separate freezer bags.

Same thing for bread... I buy high fiber bread when it's on sale and then freeze the extra loaves until I need them. Or if I have a loaf that's partially used and I know it's not going to be finished before the expiration date... I'll freeze part of it.

Freeze left overs into individual servings.

metco89

You sure are not alone here. It is really hard to do. I have been buying alot of lettuce and lo cal salad dressing and so happy fresh fruit season is here. I just get a back of chicken tenders, whatever fruit is on sale and a small veggie tray, a bag of talapia and find recipes that use these items. I also admit to buying alot of Michaelina's light gourmet entrees which i know are loaded with sodium etc... but they cost a buck and its better then starving or going to mcdonalds which isn't cheap either on any level. I live alone so its harder to get items for just one sometimes. We can do it though, We will do it!!!

missdabby

Whole grain cereal, milk and bananas are fairly cheap....but I agree with you, it can get expensive




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mscoco10

I search for sales usually Walmart is good and I always search for coupons. It's tough but keep doing what you can.

LovesGG

Coupons help (not just the ones you get in the mail, there are plenty of coupon websites)

mslindsay

Get the Sunday Ads, or look them up for the stores that are near you. Buy the Fruits and Vegetables that are on sale and in season. Look for meats on sale and buy in bulk, and freeze what you are not using right away.

peachy_keen

It can get a little boring (but that made food prep easier for me), however:

-frozen veggies
-family-size chicken packs (bone and skin them yourself)
-large bag of brown rice
-beef / pork (you can trim visible fat) on sale
-canned tuna
-plenty of salt-free seasonings just to change things up

I freeze whatever meats I don't/can't use in a week. I always look for sales and clip coupons too. Takes a little time but savings can add up. I do fresh veggies when I can, but frozen is the next best thing. I'm careful about lunch meat for me just because of sodium and other additives.

aibell

I struggle with this, too... Especially when my boyfriend isn't really eating healthy, and I am. He'll eat it if I fix it, but he likes junk food, too, so it throws off my budget when I know some of the healthy items I buy will go bad. I just stocked up on fruit produce with a promise he'll help eat it. I hate seeing fruit go bad!

Seconding the buy frozen Bird's Eye veggies. I LOVE those.

Meal planning for leftovers is hit or miss for me. I try to do it, but something always "comes up" during the week, and I end up not making dinner for a night. When I can stick with it, it's awesome to have healthy leftovers to take to work with you the next day!

BarbWhite09

Where do you normally shop at? Is there an Aldi near you? If so...GO THERE. Broke college kid here & Aldi is a life saver. What type of groceries do you normally get? What type of meals do you normally have? See which items you're eating that are costing the most & try to replace them or just eliminate them.

I have a smoothie most mornings & the ingredients for it normally cost me less than $8 for the entire week. Frozen peaches [$3], banana [normally barely over $1 for a bunch], spinach [$1.50], & half a cup of milk [could do it without milk so that saves some money...$2.50ish for a half gallon].

You could also do a peanut butter & banana smoothie for even cheaper...& you don't necessarily have to have them just for breakfast, can have one for lunch if you're on the go or something.

So yeaaa, there's one idea. Lol.

Laner07

Farmers markets can be a good place to find cheap fruits and veggies. You'll find the freshest stuff earlier in the day.

Melyssaks

I have the same problem...

I tend to stick with some of the same foods that are more filling and decently priced. Some examples:

1) salads with shredded lettuce, 1 roma tomato, 1/3 of a cucumber, sprinkled cheese, & cut up sliced turkey

2) I look for the deals on frozen food meals for lunches so whatever is under 400 calories & are on sale for the week (Tops seem to be the best for weekly sales)

3) sandwiches with thin rolls, turkey, cheese slice, lettuce

4) If you have an Aldis, they have decent prices for fruits/ veggies but I can't always find American grown produce here

Don't be afraid to look for coupons or go with store brand products! They save me wonders.

JaclynnGail

We spend WAAAAAYYY too much on groceries and I hate it, so I understand what you mean. One thing that's helped me is having a couple of staple foods that I always have that aren't so expensive to kind of use as fillers. I keep tons of dry beans in the house...you can get those for something like 89 cents for a bag...and I cook a lot to throw in salads, soups, wraps, etc. So...that's cheap. Also, I found I was throwing out produce because I was buying a whole bushel of broccoli or whatever, using part of it, and then forgetting about the rest. So, when I can, I make use of the grocery store salad bar for pre-cut, smaller amounts of vegetables. For about $5, I can get some cut broccoli and onions for soup, peppers and mushrooms to put in my eggs, and snow peas, peppers, and whatever else for a stir fry. Sometimes I'll even throw in some banana peppers, olives, and whatever else to put on mini-pizzas. That's saved a fair amount of money, and lets me get a variety of vegetables in amounts that I can actually use before they go bad. Always we keep a huge tub of spinach in the house...those are relatively inexpensive and can be used for anything. And definitely load up your freezer and look for things on sale. I am becoming a pro at looking for that orange "manager's special" sticker on meat at Kroger. Eating healthy on a budget CAN be done...you just have to be a little creative about mixing and matching a few inexpensive items to make different dishes. Good luck!

acksaysbillthecat

Hi!
I just bought Kale (the best lettuce type food for you) for 99cents/head at my grocery store. I put chili on it, and it's the only kind of lettuce I really like (I really hate salads). You can also make kale chips in your oven. I think if you buy more vegetables, your grocery bill goes down.

Bulk items are much more inexpensive at your local health food store (except whole foods): Rice, quinoa, oats, nuts, dates. You can buy these for much cheaper at your health food store. I hate shopping at more than one place, but it will save you $$$. Especially Rice!!!! I can't believe the price difference!

kwest_4_fitness

Canned tuna fish, high fiber bread, chicken breast in a bulk pack (freeze individual breasts for use over time), pasta (high fiber or whole grain) & sauce, Bear Creek chili (great with some added beans & tomatoes and a bit of chili powder), generic fiber bars (LOVE the peanut butter flavor), Hunt's snack pack sugar free jello and pudding, eggs, boca burgers or chicken patties, steam-in-the-bag veggies.

I go grocery shopping at Wal-mart once a week for my husband and myself. I spend between $100 and $120, depending if I have to toss in a 50 lb bag of dog food that week. Of course, my husband and I are very simple eaters. Not a lot of fancy stuff going on my plate. We did invest in a vacuum sealer. We had the Ziploc one that's like $8.00 and once we saw how much use we got out of it, we splurged on the electric one. Vacuum sealing allows us to make a package of fat-free hotdogs last for 3 weeks, a 7 lb package of chicken breast last for 2 months, and a 5-pack of italian turkey sausage last for 3 dinners.

Also, learn to love leftovers. Spaghetti dinner at my house turns into spaghetti lunch the next day. Chili one night is had with salad and baked potato. Next night with hot dogs for a chili dog dinner. I also have chili for lunch about 3 days a week.

AZKristi

A lot depends on where you live... I can get a huge container of fresh spinach at Costco for $3.50. I buy the rest of my produce at Sprout's where they have great prices. I carried out a reusable bag that was filled to the brim with fresh produce plus a sack of red potatoes yesterday and only spent $15. Use coupons, read ads, shop sales, buy produce that is in season.

I have friends that get their produce from bountifulbaskets.org, see if they have a pick up station in your area!

gracie2586

Aldi frozen chicken breasts and whole grain brown rice. I also like whole grain spaghetti, the noodles usually cost about $1.50 and sauce usually costs about a $1.50 and i usually get three to four meals out of it also try farmers markets for cheap produce.

oreolover

I am in the same boat, a few things I have found are:

Use the freezer. Buy meat on sale and/or in bulk. Buy frozen fruits and veggies when you can and if possible get them on sale. They are as good or better in nutrition and there is no waste (not always so with that carton of strawberries or that bag of baby spinach I cook anyways).

Find a good store that caters to the health conscious. I like Trader Joes, they have bags of salad greens for $2 every day. It is more expensive than a really good sale but a great price when nothing is on sale.... Same with their greek yogurt, it is about $2 cheaper than a normal grocery store. You just have to compare prices and find what their deals are. And of course shop sales and eat in season.

Cook for yourself. I can make a loaf of no knead whole wheat bread in less than 5 min (active time) and it costs pennies. Then I also know what is in it. And cook stuff based on what is on sale that week to keep in your freezer. It is cheaper than frozen meals and much healthier.

Lastly opt to be a 'flexitarian' (if you are not already vegetarian/vegan). I use beans, eggs, fish (canned is cheap) and dairy several days a week to meet my protein needs rather than meat and it has really decreased my food bill. But I still get plenty of meat in my diet to keep me happy.

Also check out 100 days of real food blog http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/ , the lady did only real foods for her family and for some of it did it under a food stamp budget! She has tips on how to keep it cheap while still being healthy

Good luck, it is hard but doable!

Kell_Smurthwaite

I'm on a very tight budget and find that my freezer and slow cooker are my best kitchen friends. When I get home frmo the supermarket, I divide all meat into individual portions and put them in the freezer so I never have to defrost more than i will use - no wastage there. I also use frozen vegetables frmo the basics range - cauliflower, peas, sweetcorn, broccoli - they're the same whatever range, so why spend more than I have to? Again, I only take out what I will use and it keeps for ages, so no wasteage. I also cook in bulk - I use my slow cooker to make chilli, bolognese, curry, stews and soup, and once again, divide it into individual portions in the freezer, so I always have healthy meals ready to serve when I don't have time to cook from scratch. I also make up individual lasagnes when I'm making bolognese sauce. When it comes to fresh produce, I tend to buy seasonal fruit and veg as it's lower in price and tastes better. And when it comes to meat, I check out the reduced section that is coming to the end of its dates because it's going in the freezer anyway and will keep. If you plan your menu and only buy what you need for the recipes you will be cooking that week, you will save loads too. Take advantage of special offers for things like pasta, rice, lentils and split peas - all those things that will keep in your cupboard for ages - because you can take your time using them and they are always great to fill out meals. Same with tinned goods. But make sure it really IS a good deal first - check out the basics ranges because 9 times out of 10 they're just as good as the other brands and are a fraction of the price.

Elizabeth_C34

Look for sales on meat and stock up when it's cheap. Freeze what you don't use immediately. Try to see if there are any co-ops in your area. They are great for local veggies, and cheap too.

You can also freeze bread so buy that when it's on sale. Check for coupons in your local papers for staple foods.

saragato

Try and see if your city/town has any local farmer's markets that are open on the weekend. You can usually get produce and vegetables for a better price than at the store.

As for meats I buy the store brand chicken breasts and frozen Tilapia filets which don't take long to thaw or cook. The chicken for a pack of 10 breast pieces probably costs me $7 or $8 since they run markdowns on it often. Tilapia... I think it's $10 but you get somewhere near 20 filets and considering I only eat 1 1/2 each meal I have it, it's a good deal. I also buy frozen broccoli florets which are between $2-$4 depending on brand.

It's also a good idea to pay attention to the grocery store sale flyers you get in the mail. Check them for items you like or can eat that are at a reasonable price and stock up. My mother and I will both go and get the maximum you can have if there's a limit and pay separately. Sure it can cost a bit but for the quantity it's worth it because that's one less week or whatever you have to go out and buy it at the regular price.

jovz10

try costco where 3 head of lettuce is less than $3, romaine lettuce less than $3, wheat bread 3pack for less than $5...

i go to frazier farm market, don't know if its available where u are but there vegetables and meat are pretty good price... asparagus for $1/lb, 4 for $1 red bell pepper, 2 for $1 hot house cucumber and organis chichen breast for 1.99/lb...

also look for sales online before going to the store... found a cherios cereal for 1.99 instead of $5....

Travelfixer

I buy fresh chicken breasts at Walmart on the sell by date for $1.38/lb, I then freeze them in bags of 1 or 2 as its only me. I used to go to Costco with a friend who had a membership and buy spring greens from there, the veg usually is less than many stores and better quality I've found, split with a friend when you know you're not going to eat it all. Krogers has 10 or 10 deals on quite often so I buy fruit and veg etc there.