I NEEEEED UR SUPPORT!!!

HelpWanted220

I am a 34yr. old mother of three.....Just had foot surgery in Dec. and am about 65lbs. over weight (killing my knees) the LARGEST I have ever been you look at my Name and you'll see what I weight....lol I need as many friends that will motivate me as possible and want to kick off this weight together. I started on the 11th keeping my food and exersiZe recorded and since then I have lost 5lbs......I have 60 more to goooooo. I am a single parent and am on a fixed budget only can grochery shop once a month...this doesn't help me in the fresh veggies/fruit catagory which I love because by the second week they are either gone or bad and I can't shop for another two weeks..... frustrating!! So some advice in healthy shoping on a budget would be much appreciated!!! Hope to see lots of you on my friends list Take care and good luck!!

cash_money

Good luck with your goal, i know that you will accomplish it, you are already on the right track!

HelpWanted220

Thanks Cash Money I appreciate it!! Yes I am excited and looking forward to my new family of friends and support

MsPeoples05

I am single and my fresh fruits tend to go bad also. I started buying fruit in water. It is not fresh
but it is better than the fruit in the syrup. I buy grapefruit, pineapple and oranges like that. These are
normally found in the product section of the store. I LOVE grapefruit. For vegetables, I buy frozen instead me canned. I found that frozen vegetables don't have as much salt as the canned.

I hope that helps. Good luck on your journey.

Ms Peoples

bktibbetts

Go ahead and add me! We ALL need support!

Gordie580

Good luck on your goal.

bobbyandthekid

Living on my tiny island I know exactly what your saying about food going bad. Good Healthy and Cheap! Here are some great foods for times between shopping. All from Costco! Can last for months!

Breakfast: Old Fashioned Oats...Can be cooked with water if milk runs dry. Add Raisins, berries, apples, etc and Honey.
Lunch: PB&J...the healthy way. Maranatha Almond Butter and Jelly. Alpine Valley Organic Whole Grain Bread. keep bread in freezer!
Dinner: Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Broccoli and any other frozen veggie in mushroom soup. Yummo. Whole grain noodles work great if you have to hike the next morning!

HelpWanted220

Thats awesome Bobby!! Thanks for the advice I will surely use it!! I am really excited right now ....lol I should be hitting the bed but instead I am up I'm gonna write those things down I don't have a costco/sams club card but I can get it from the local grocery store

HelpWanted220

Thanks Gordie I appreciate the support!!

HelpWanted220

Ms. Peoples thanks for the advice I am writing this allll down....lol this is awesome!! Thanks for the support!

TrishJimenez

Congrats on your 5lb loss! Good Job! I am also like you in that I have a very limited food budget for my family. I buy a lot of frozen veggies when I buy groceries. And that holds us over when the fresh run out. Plus I hate throwing out food. And Frozen lasts a long time. You can also buy your fruit fresh and cut it up and prep it yourself and then freeze it bcuz frozen fruit is really expensive but since it seems like you and your kids love fruits and veggies you should go thru it fine before it gets freezer burned. One of my favorite treats when I was a kid in the summer was Popsicle made from cantaloupe. My mom just peeled the cantaloupe and cut it into crescents and laid it in a zip lock freezer bag then when we wanted a snack or Popsicle we just grabbed one and ate it frozen. That is just one idea I am sure you can think of many more. When ever we notice the bananas getting to ripe we just throw then in the freezer as they are. When we have a few we let them defrost and then peel them and make banana bread or cake or muffins. My daughter says the freezing of the banana breaks up the cells of the fruit and there is a better banana flavor in the breads and cakes. This way little goes to waste. You can also turn your fruits and veggies that are getting to ripe into smoothies for you and your kids for a nutritious snack. I recently found a lot of awesome recipes on skinnytaste.com Hope this helps and good luck

HelpWanted220

Thanks Trish for this awesome advice I am writing fast....lol this is great I already love all the support Keep up the great work!! I love the frozen cantelope idea I LOVE thoses gonna do it tomorrow when the stores open back up!!

WifeNMama

Some tips I've acquired:
Make sure to wash and completely dry fruit and veggies before putting them in the fridge. I put it all through 1 part vinegar 3 parts water, then rinse with cold. The vinegar kills the mold/bacteria (like the whitish film on grapes) and helps clean off any pesticides. Don't store it in the plastic bags they cone in because the plastic traps in moisture and makes things rot faster. Mushrooms should be covered so they don't wrinkle up so fast. Buy bananas in various stages of ripeness so they are ready to eat at different times, feel free to take apart the bunches if you have to. And don't put them in the fridge.

Also, freeze berries and grapes in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and once they're frozen, transfer them to a bag or container and throw them in the freezer. It keeps them good longer, and they taste great frozen. you can also slice up bananas or other fruit and do the same thing, for small chunks that blend easily into smoothies.

Laurej

Wow That's a tough one! one thing to do with fruits / veggies that are at risk of going bad is to dry them in the oven at a very very low temperature. Drying directions for different things vary, but can easily be found online.

Are there any small local farms near you? lots of small local farms do whats called a weekly CSA ( community supported agriculture) box, for a set monthly price, you get a box of whatever produce is in season each week. A lot of times they will do a really good deal for those on a fixed or lower income, and may even be willing to reduce your cost for the boxes. They sometimes even allow work exchange for boxes.

That way you can get the fresh fruits veggies, even meats dairy etc depending on the farm, available to you weekly.

here's a link which could help you search for nearby farms that might be able to help

http://www.localharvest.org/

econut2000

Congrats on your 5lbs! Off to a fabulous start :-)

Like others have said, frozen veggies!! Nothing wrong with that. Dried beans are a must in my house. I pretty much have cut out meat because it's cheaper to eat beans. I make a lot of soups - it makes things last longer! Just made a vegetarian chili using ~ half a bag of Goya 16 bean soup (it's a dry mix), a can of black beans, 1/2 of a red pepper, 1/2 a green pepper, 1 yellow squash, 1 green squash (you can always use frozen of course!), a whole sweet onion, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, and some seasonings. It's about 180 cals for a large bowl (it's very filling and I can eat A LOT) and makes about 6 servings. It's only me, so whatever doesn't get eaten gets frozen. There are 25 g of protein in this veg chili!!

Buy bread on the day old rack if your store has one and freeze it, clip coupons, shop the flyers if you can, buy in bulk, etc. There is a food co-op down the street from me that has bulk beans and grains - because it's not pre-packaged it's a lot cheaper to buy this way and you can buy only what you will use. I think Whole Foods has a section like that. I will also buy stuff at the dollar store (although sometimes you pay a little more than you would in the store so you have to be aware of prices) and there aren't too man healthy choices but you can find veggies usually and some other stuff.

Good luck!!

karen0214

I am a 34yr. old mother of three.....Just had foot surgery in Dec. and am about 65lbs. over weight (killing my knees) the LARGEST I have ever been you look at my Name and you'll see what I weight....lol I need as many friends that will motivate me as possible and want to kick off this weight together. I started on the 11th keeping my food and exersiZe recorded and since then I have lost 5lbs......I have 60 more to goooooo. I am a single parent and am on a fixed budget only can grochery shop once a month...this doesn't help me in the fresh veggies/fruit catagory which I love because by the second week they are either gone or bad and I can't shop for another two weeks..... frustrating!! So some advice in healthy shoping on a budget would be much appreciated!!! Hope to see lots of you on my friends list Take care and good luck!!

Hey, I hope you'll add me as a friend -- I'm new here, too. I lost 2 lbs this past week -- now 93 more to go. But since getting on MFP, I feel confident that I can do it. Everyone here is so encouraging and helpful to one another.

One thought about fresh fruits and veggies. I know you said you were on a fixed income and can't buy fresh as the month goes on. Maybe you could only spend part of the grocery money during the first 2 weeks and then shop again for fresh during the last 2 weeks? I am a single mom of 6, fixed income as well. I just split my money up into 4 weeks and shop weekly.

Take care and hope you do well on this journey. You're off to a great start.

Karen

Laurej

oh and I totally forgot about this

free fruit.. can't get better than this!!! plus it's fun, not sure where you live, but in a lot of places the law is that any fruit that grow on or over public land is fine to pick. Many places are starting to map where these fruit trees are, and of course it's seasonal. Here we get pears, blackberries, walnuts, pecans, cherries, mulberries that grow on public land and are free for the picking. Take the kidlets and a basket and have some fun! ( double check that your state/city allows this) but most do. I've even seen public fruit maps for other countries, (not sure where you live)

also there is some etiquette to this, never take more than you can carry, never pick a tree bare, take some leave some, and utilize alternative means of getting there, ie walk, bike, bus etc.

http://www.fallenfruit.org/index.php/about/

Ddubb94

Welcome! Feel free to add me as a friend.

HelpWanted220

Thats awesome!!! thank you so much for the support and info. I will be taking it all in!!! Thanks bunches!!

1shauna1

I know they're not as good, but how about frozen fruits/veggies? They would last that long, and I believe they're better than canned....I'll add you as a friend; you can never have too many!

determined2lose89

Feel free to add me... I'm only 22 with no kids but live with my BF and like to stick to a low food budget while eating healthy. I have tons of budget friendly meals and ideas and am a very supportive MFP friend!

HelpWanted220

Thanks Laurej for that info. I am going to visit those websites and thats a new one freezing on a cookie sheet that sounds awesome!! Thanks for the support!!

Evette7

Ooooh girl do I feel your pain! I also have three kids and was a single mother for 13 years! Money has always been tight and healthy eating has always been a problem. I would love to offer some support on here and we can swap some money saving tips! It would be great to get some mutual support from someone who knows exactly how hard the struggle is!

tamerkins2

Hey, welcome!! I am sending you a friend request For some really good/nutricious/cheap meal ideas, check out skinnytaste.com. Some of the recipes can get to be expensive, but they feed a large family for a few days or a small family for like a week! Her recipes are so healthy and so tasty! Anyways, my point was that there is a "Recipes under $10" section, which could help you on a budget!!

Good luck on your journey!

bevsdietfor2011

Hello and welcome. I will be sending a friend request and you can look at my profile and add me if you would like to. Why don't you buy frozen veggies like the steamfresh ones and also frozen fruit. They are the next best thing to fresh and they won't go bad. I like very few veggies so the steamed ones are how i get my veggies in. You can do this and we are all here for you, my daughter is on here and she is a single mom too.

Bev

delmore1

Friend request sent. Welcome aboard and good luck!

Evette7

oh and I totally forgot about this

free fruit.. can't get better than this!!! plus it's fun, not sure where you live, but in a lot of places the law is that any fruit that grow on or over public land is fine to pick. Many places are starting to map where these fruit trees are, and of course it's seasonal. Here we get pears, blackberries, walnuts, pecans, cherries, mulberries that grow on public land and are free for the picking. Take the kidlets and a basket and have some fun! ( double check that your state/city allows this) but most do. I've even seen public fruit maps for other countries, (not sure where you live)

also there is some etiquette to this, never take more than you can carry, never pick a tree bare, take some leave some, and utilize alternative means of getting there, ie walk, bike, bus etc.

http://www.fallenfruit.org/index.php/about/

Great info,,,,

HelpWanted220

Thanks Econut uuummm that chilli sounds great!! I'm gonna have to make some although I have 3 people that live in the house that are "anti-veggie" well I'm not sooooo the more for me!! Thanks for the advice!! WOW!!

AZKristi

I have several friends who purchase produce baskets from local co-ops and get great prices: http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/

Or, if one particular store near you has good produce prices, decide how much money you have to spend on fresh produce every month. The week you go shopping, spend 25% of your produce allowance on fresh produce and put the remaining 75% on a reloadable gift card. Then, you can pop in each week and spend another 25% of your monthly produce budget to buy fresh stuff that you can eat before i t goes bad.

Frozen veggies are good too, but for some things, fresh just tastes better. Even if you can only afford a few things each week, you'll have some yummy fresh produce from time to time.

jessicarhea2012

You can do this!! Stick to your plan and think about how good you feel after a quick workout or a healty breakfast, lunch or dinner. I love this site it keeps me in check with what I eat and how I exercise daily. I am a 37 yr old mother also ( not single) and finding time with just one child can be trying. If you have comcast cable check out ON DEMAND and look at the fitness link. There are 2 I love 30 Personal Trainer - Michele Rogers and 5 min Abs - David Sinclair. These don't require much time and are great for toning and burning calories. I hope you continue on your way to great health and loose those extra pounds you want rid of. Also if you google Califlower pizza you will pull up a lady Kati Heifnar. She has wonderful food and menus for the wk.

Alliwan

Welcome and gratz on your 5lbs lost!

We live on a tight budget also, a fix income and hubby's a full time student, so grocery money is always tight. I got into couponing, as this not only helps me make the money stretch but it helps me lose weight as i walk the isles. I use online sites to tell what coupons go with what sales, so it probably takes me about 1/2 hour a week but been saving my family about $300 a month on food alone.

We buy a lot of fresh fruit in the summer when its really cheap and dehydrate or freeze it for in the winter when its too expensive to buy. Frozen veggies go on sale a lot so you can stock up on those. Oats are awsome, can make them in banana bread, or oatmeal. I have a great recipe for steel cut oats in the crockpot that's very good and good for you. Filling too. I make my own yogurt in the crockpot also, since its better and much much cheaper than store bought.

there are so many cheap and healthy sites and ideas out there. Add me if you'd like, we can run this race together!