How to eat healthy on a tight budget?

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Kikers123
Kikers123 Posts: 101 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm going to be real here, I'm pretty broke lol. And I know I'm not the only one on a budget! I was watching some of the movie Food Inc today, and in one part they were talking about how cheap bad food is, and how much more expensive good food is! It's a conspiracy! Hahaha, anyway, I would really just love if I could get some tips on how to eat healthy without spending what I don't have.
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  • hesstb15
    hesstb15 Posts: 14
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    Aldi has really h elped me in my weight loss. They have some good veggies and dairy items that are half the cost than the big super markets. I don't know if you have one in your area. Also, I know protein is expensive, but just have lost of protein and veggies in the house. once you stop buying the junk for snacking, it might even it out. Farmers markets also have a lot of stuff we use on a daily basis for super cheap. I spent $10 on a bunch of stuff this past weekend. It's worth seeking them out!
  • Amara15
    Amara15 Posts: 211 Member
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    i go to the local farmers market and buy whatever fruits and veggies are on sale. I got 2lbs of asparagus for a dollar a couple weeks ago and 1lb of green beans for 2 dollars!
  • MikeRox83
    MikeRox83 Posts: 5
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    Frozen Vegetables retain all the nutrients/health benefits (arguably better than their fresh equivalents when frozen straight after being picked) last a lot longer so you can keep stocked up and are a lot cheaper than buying fresh :)

    They are a great way of making any meal more satisfying and healthy too and very simple to cook.
  • whouwannab
    whouwannab Posts: 350 Member
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    bump
  • elexichoccyeater
    elexichoccyeater Posts: 310 Member
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    you could become vegetarian!!! that is a great way ... eating veg, eggs, pulses, etc!!!!
  • MalibuBeth
    MalibuBeth Posts: 87 Member
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    you HAVE to meal plan. "healthy food" isn't expensive as long as you meal plan, and make your own food. I make a lot of crock pot recipes because I can prepare the night before, and cooks while i'm at work (and i always have leftovers for the rest of the week!).

    pick out maybe 2 recipes you'd like to try (hopefully some of them share the same ingredients), and see how it works. skinnytaste.com is a great site, you just have to put in the effort to do the cooking.
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
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    I agree... farmers markets are amazing...
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    Aldi and cooking from scratch and in bulk are the only ways I've found to do it! X
  • barbaradilisio
    barbaradilisio Posts: 39
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    I go to the produce stand/market by my house. It's always cheaper than the grocery store and usually better quality.
  • psiren28
    psiren28 Posts: 530 Member
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    I'm also on a budget, I don't have loads of tips but I find making things in bulk then freezing portions saves me a bit of money. I live on my own so this prevents a lot of wastage as well as over-eating.

    I've also replaced meat in a lot of dishes (such as curries) with chick peas and lentils which is a lot cheaper than lean meat.

    I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for more tips :)
  • Auntzip
    Auntzip Posts: 126 Member
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    Some healthy things to stretch your food dollar:

    Beans
    Eggs
    Pasta
    Brown Rice
    Frozen Veggies and Fruits (Look for sales and stock up)

    Visit your local Farmer's Market for fresh veggies and fruits. I also recently found if you eat fish, your local fish market will probably be less expensive than the supermarket.

    Hope that helps. Generally, anything you have to cook yourself will likely be less expensive that something ready to eat.
  • MikeRox83
    MikeRox83 Posts: 5
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    Oh another suggestion is to buy versatile ingredients too. So you can use the same things for more than one meal, but in different ways to keep meals interesting.
  • tinacc1
    tinacc1 Posts: 57 Member
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    I hear ya! It's quite expensive to eat healthy. I live on an island in the Atlantic, so getting fresh fruit and veggies is more expensive than most places. For example... a mango-$2, 8 oz bag of spinach-$5, 4 colored peppers-$6 milk-$4 for 2litres(a half gallon)
    yet, a 2 litre of pop is under $1. I just make trips to the grocery store early in the morning and buy the salads that they pack from the salad bar from the night before. Check all the flyers for the weekly sales, and watch all the clearance bins. Good luck my friend. Keep trying
  • MonolithTMA
    MonolithTMA Posts: 62 Member
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    Here's a great article from a few years ago; http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36507576/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/eating-well-week/#.T7QKRcWZ5KM
  • gumigal82
    gumigal82 Posts: 350
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    frozen veggies/fruit, canned beans (low sodium), farmer's markets...frozen raw fish, large tubs of plain greek yogurt...that's what i can think of for now;) But it becomes easier as you learn. Trust me, I very budget wise right now!
  • mcknz121
    mcknz121 Posts: 44
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    get your protein from cheaper sources...beans, eggs, etc. Do some couponing and buy brands that are on sale. like was said above, grab some frozen veggies when they're on sale and use those in dishes. brown rice and whole wheat pasta are good and cheap.
  • Tropical_Turtle
    Tropical_Turtle Posts: 2,236 Member
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    farmers markets and if you have a Trader Joes, you can get good healthy stuff there cheaper than a lot of larger chain stores. Look for sales, coupons. I am on a very limited budget and I make it work for me. You can do this - it is possible
  • cuelgirl
    cuelgirl Posts: 47 Member
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    I live on a very tight budget... But I am also very lucky and have a wonderful farmer's market close to me. I buy all my vegetables and fruit there. Their prices vary from week to week... so if something is cheaper one week... I buy more and freeze what I won't use during that week... and have it for the future! I know it isn't easy... and being on a very tight budget and eating healthy requires a lot of planning... Good luck!
  • mmsilvia
    mmsilvia Posts: 459 Member
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    Shop sales, clip coupons and stock up when you can. I shop at Aldi's and love them. They have allowed me to cute my grocery bill in half. I use frozen veggies because you tend to be able to pick them up pretty cheap (on sale & stuff) they are great alone or part of another dish. I also, keep any left over veggies I have and freeze them in a freezer bag. I use those to make veggie soup.

    Keep tuna, pasta, rice and potatoes on hand to help stretch your meal & buck.

    Find a local farm stand or farmers market in your area. You can pick up seasonal fruit & veggies pretty cheap their.

    Or join a co-op group. They tend to have pick ups about once a month & you get a box of stuff.

    I live on a tight budget it can be hard to get everything you want but, stop and think about what you need. It can be done! Good luck
  • Lidenbrock
    Lidenbrock Posts: 47
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    I buy only shop's own brand. Processed cheaper foods can contain lots of gunk so I also tend to buy the basic ingredients for making my own pasta sauce, curry's etc. So for example pasta sauce - shop's own label chopped tomatoes (ingredients on the back the same as the more expensive brands), onion, garlic and basil (usually frozen). I can control the calories and I know what's in it. I gave up buying fresh vegetables in general as they can be expensive and have a short date - which means they more often or not end up in the bin - again frozen vegetables, shop's own label, just as good as the more expensive brands. Just check to make sure they don't have lots of added chemicals in the small print.

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