Buying food on Food Stamps

HockeyFan1987

I did see an earlier posting regarding purchasing food while on Food Stamps, my situation is slightly different, however.

I am looking for ways to get food at grocery stores or wherever accepts Food Stamps that's not only low calorie but healthy. I've eaten a lot of the boxed meals lately, though I know it isn't healthy for me, it's inexpensive. I have $200 of food stamps to last me for a month's time each month and really don't know what to get. I know how to cook to an extent, so it wouldn't be a problem fixing something up there either.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated from everyone!
Adam

mfpcopine

I know this is a lame answer, but have you tried a Google search. Seems that people would have addressed this issue.

gabriellejayde

brown rice with a can of black beans is good for you, and probably under $3.
Tuna, eggs, whole wheat pasta, frozen veggies, buy chicken breasts in bulk and freeze half of it., buy whatever fruit is in season (apples should be cheap).
get ground chicken or turkey and brown it with garlic, drain off the fat and pour some tomato sauce in it for an easy meat sauce for the pasta.
hope that helps- i'm sure i'll think of more later.

HockeyFan1987

mfpcopine, I'm perfectly content asking people on here. I'd rather get information from those that are or have been in this situation and are using this site instead of relying on google. If I wanted to rely on Google for all of my information about weight loss, I wouldn't have joined this site.

HockeyFan1987

brown rice with a can of black beans is good for you, and probably under $3.
Tuna, eggs, whole wheat pasta, frozen veggies, buy chicken breasts in bulk and freeze half of it., buy whatever fruit is in season (apples should be cheap).
get ground chicken or turkey and brown it with garlic, drain off the fat and pour some tomato sauce in it for an easy meat sauce for the pasta.
hope that helps- i'm sure i'll think of more later.

Thanks Gabrielle, I'll look for that stuff next time I go shopping

mfpcopine

mfpcopine, I'm perfectly content asking people on here. I'd rather get information from those that are or have been in this situation and are using this site instead of relying on google. If I wanted to rely on Google for all of my information about weight loss, I wouldn't have joined this site.

I made a reasonable suggestion; I'm not going to apologize for it.

SueGremlin

Beeeeans! Beans are cheap and healthy! Black, white, red, garbanzo, and especially lentils. If fresh greens are too pricey, stores sometimes have great stock up sales on canned veggies. Do you have a farmer's market nearby? That is a great way to get healthy and nutritious produce and a low price, and many of them accept EBT cards or WIC.
Aldi is a great store for cheap, good quality food if you have one nearby.

HockeyFan1987

Beeeeans! Beans are cheap and healthy! Black, white, red, garbanzo, and especially lentils. If fresh greens are too pricey, stores sometimes have great stock up sales on canned veggies. Do you have a farmer's market nearby? That is a great way to get healthy and nutritious produce and a low price, and many of them accept EBT cards or WIC.
Aldi is a great store for cheap, good quality food if you have one nearby.

I don't know of any farmers markets, but I do have an Aldi up on the hill. I also have a Valu King which is where I went a few weeks ago

1972mom

We have a local farmers market that accepts food stamps. High quality produce for about half the price that is is at the store.

lyttlewon

Costco accepts EBT now. Do you have one close by? I just bought 3 lbs of broccoli florets for $4.49.

Jennvandemark

Gabrielle is right frozen chicken in bulk is a great idea along with frozen veggies. I know eatting healthy can get pricey but once you find things you like you will get the hang of it. Good luck to you on you weight loss adventure.

HockeyFan1987

Costco accepts EBT now. Do you have one close by? I just bought 3 lbs of broccoli florets for $4.49.

Nope, no CostCo near me, unfortunately

Factory_Reset

wheat pastas, brown rice, beans....some of these items might be available in the bulk section of your grocery store for a better price than boxed items. oatmeal is a good choice too. tuna and chicken are usually good cheap items you can cook with. as for produce, I know it can seem expensive but if you buy a little at a time, even if it means 2-3 trips a week to the store, you can usually get what's in season for a really good price. It might help to map out some meal options and only buy the amount of produce for those meals/snacks. would also look on the recipe section of this site to get some ideas. don't let that overwhelming feeling stop you from changing a few or all of your meals. it's so worth it in the long run.

just wanted to add the frozen veggies and fruits can come in handy too! Gabriella has some good ideas.

Keiko385

If you have a freezer and a crockpot you are half way there. Soups and stews stretch out the grocery budget nicely. Check the stores produce section for items that need to be sold that day, even if you cant use them most veggies can be frozen till needed, any type of berries, bananas(peeled) or stone fruits freeze well and can easily be added to oatmeal or smoothies. I buy a lot of dried beans instead of the canned, frozen veggies are more economical than canned especially if you are a single person.

jrwatson87

I do a lot of shopping at 99 Cent/Dollar Tree stores and they take EBT. They always have (relatively) fresh produce and a frozen section. I think the only thing you can't get there is meats.

HockeyFan1987

If you have a freezer and a crockpot you are half way there. Soups and stews stretch out the grocery budget nicely. Check the stores produce section for items that need to be sold that day, even if you cant use them most veggies can be frozen till needed, any type of berries, bananas(peeled) or stone fruits freeze well and can easily be added to oatmeal or smoothies. I buy a lot of dried beans instead of the canned, frozen veggies are more economical than canned especially if you are a single person.

Unfortunately no crockpot, but I'm sure I could borrow my mom's when she isn't using it

HockeyFan1987

wheat pastas, brown rice, beans....some of these items might be available in the bulk section of your grocery store for a better price than boxed items. oatmeal is a good choice too. tuna and chicken are usually good cheap items you can cook with. as for produce, I know it can seem expensive but if you buy a little at a time, even if it means 2-3 trips a week to the store, you can usually get what's in season for a really good price. It might help to map out some meal options and only buy the amount of produce for those meals/snacks. would also look on the recipe section of this site to get some ideas. don't let that overwhelming feeling stop you from changing a few or all of your meals. it's so worth it in the long run.

just wanted to add the frozen veggies and fruits can come in handy too! Gabriella has some good ideas.

thanks Green

ber3023

I agree with Aldi. Their fit & active brand stuff is great. I haven't bought anything there and been disappointed. I don't know if they're all the same, but our Aldi's produce dept isn't the best. It's usually stuff that needs used quickly before it goes bad, but if you're eating fruits and veggies daily, that isn't much of a problem.
I actually think if you buy like a pack of steaks or chicken and then separate them into servings before freezing them, you'll probably end up making a cheaper meal than the boxed/prepared things. Also making a big pot of chili or soups and freezing them by serving size works great for a quick meal.

girlnamedlee

If you don't have a crockpot, but you can still make soups on the stovetop. Most of the things people mentioned already can be combined into soups, stews or chilis & then eaten for a few days (which makes them convenient as well as easy).

I also don't know how big your freezer is, but I know at my local grocery stores, sometimes they'll have a big meat or freezer sale & that's always a good time to stock up.

Nekoashi

If you have a crockpot, make it your friend when you're on a budget! I like to get a big bag of frozen chicken and put it in the crock pot with a big container of salsa, some canned tomatoes and tomato sauce; cook on low for 6-8 hours; after its done shred the chicken and put it back in the crockpot to soak up all of the liquid and now you have chicken to put in tacos, wraps, in pasta sauce, use with cans of light vegetable soup, and much more. I know for my husband and I it lasts all week and helps with our budget.

I also buy wheat pasta, rice, beans, frozen veggies to help stretch the budget, mix well with other items, and they can be filling too

Feel free to add me if you want to, and anyone else on here who would like another friend :flowerforyou:

Nekoashi

I took too long writing my post, others beat me to it :laugh:

if you don't have a crockpot, you can still cook it on the stove low and slow or in the oven too