Buying food on Food Stamps

maremare312

OP--it's the wrong time of the year for this probably, but I was able to join a Farm Share program/CSA type thing where I can use my food stamps to pay for my share every week. They also had a scholarship type program if you signed up in time (I missed it) that further decreased the amount to pay each week. In my area there are also tons of farmer's markets, and I think all of them take SNAP.

I like to get a 3-5 lb bag of frozen chicken breasts and then figure out some meals based on those. Canned beans, canned tomatoes, fresh and frozen veggies and you have quite a few different meal options. Whole wheat flour tortillas or corn tortillas are also a good meal base. Canned tuna is also a good staple for cheap lean protein.

Do you have a Pinterest board? If you do it's a great way to follow people with healthy food, browse for easy recipes.

Some of my favorite cheap, healthy meals~

Broccoli Veggie soup--Cook chopped broccoli and other veggies you like in broth or stock. When tender, Puree with blender/stick blender/food processor. Add in some shredded cheese or chopped meat if you like for a filling meal.

Chicken wraps--Poach chicken breasts in stock or water until cooked through, cool and chop with onion/celery/veggies of choice. Add in light mayo/yogurt/mustard. Eat wrapped in tortilla (or as a sandwich, on a bed of lettuce, etc)

Here's a Pinterest board of healthy meals, you can browse through and make a list of things that might have similar, cheap ingredients so you can buy a few ingredients but have a nice variety of meals with them.

http://pinterest.com/soapsbymaremare/healthy-eats/

bulbadoof

Oh hey, I run on about $200 a month too! Here are some things I do to keep my grocery bill low:

-Don't mindlessly shop sales or bulk, sometimes name brands on sale are still more expensive than generics regularly priced and bigger doesn't always mean cheaper. My grocery store has a price per 100g on every shelf label that helps me figure out which brand and size is the best deal. If your store doesn't have this, you can use a pocket calculator to divide the price by the weight. Also, don't be afraid of last-day-of-sale marked-down meats if they still look fine; I've been buying them since I started paying for my own groceries, have had high-quality steaks for less than $2 each multiple times, and have not gotten sick once ever.

-Thinking meals is good, thinking ingredients is better. Rice, chickpeas, bell peppers, lean ground meats, eggs, cheeses, whole chickens (and other meats with bones included), leafy greens, potatoes, etc. Buying things you can use for multiple meals will help you stretch your dollar even further - for example, buying meat with bones still attached means you can make a soup stock out of the bones later, or cutting the tops off of stuffed bell peppers gives you just enough pepper left over to chop up and use in an omelette later. I personally try to figure out how long I'll be able to eat off of whatever I put in my cart before I put it in my cart.

-Popcorn. Is. A lifesaver. It's high in fiber, insanely cheap, and incredibly filling. I paid $20 for a crappy air popper last month and it was literally the best purchase I have made all year. It is rather high-carb and not that nutritious outside of fiber though, so it's less of a meal staple and more of a snack food.

HockeyFan1987

Considering I'm still new to this shopping thing on a budget and now just getting into shopping healthy - I need some ideas too for a "shopping list" for stuff like dairy, veggies, meats etc. If y'all could give me some recommendations and approximate overall cost so I know, it'd be very much appreciated!

Thanks

VelociMama

Considering I'm still new to this shopping thing on a budget and now just getting into shopping healthy - I need some ideas too for a "shopping list" for stuff like dairy, veggies, meats etc. If y'all could give me some recommendations and approximate overall cost so I know, it'd be very much appreciated!

Thanks

Your costs are going to vary depending on where you live so prices for me may be totally different for you.

When you go to the store, just take your time and look at all your options when looking for an item. Look for generics and compare them with name-brand items or sale items. Sometimes sales are cheaper than generic and sometimes not. It's just going to be a learning process for you to do that.

Dry beans (black, pinto, kidney) are usually $2 for a small bag, and these can be cooked up for several meals per bag. Same goes for plain white rice or brown rice. Lean meats are chicken breasts and fish, which can be expensive. If you buy chicken legs with skin, it's about 1/3 the price of chicken breasts. You have to remove the skin yourself though. Look for frozen bags of fish on sale. Sometimes we can get 6 servings or so of Tilapia for $5 per bag on sale. Sometimes they even go buy one-get one. Veggies and fruit vary by what is in season. Frozen or canned veggies (no salt added canned is preferred) can be really cheap though and you've got 2-4 servings per container.

charkane

I find reading labels to be very helpful in choosing foods with less sodium and fat contents. I also need to add protein so its a challenge to find anything with the specifics that I need.. Most any place takes EBT cards I shop at my local Walmart and have been able to find good foods.

RutheMac

Check this out:

http://www.ewg.org/goodfood/index.php

Lots of useful tips!

HockeyFan1987

Check this out:

http://www.ewg.org/goodfood/index.php

Lots of useful tips!

Thanks Ruth

chellebubblz

Also if you have a Walmart nearby, you can buy Protein powder on food stamps. I'm on a 5 small meals a day plan and 2 of those meals are protein shakes.

I usually do eggs for breakfast, tuna or salad for lunch. and then chicken breast or turkey is the go-to for dinner, with loads of veggies of course. You can buy frozen lean hamburger patties and wrap them in lettuce for dinner as well. Yoplait Light is usually around 50 cents a piece if you like yogurt.

maremare312

Also if you have a Walmart nearby, you can buy Protein powder on food stamps. I'm on a 5 small meals a day plan and 2 of those meals are protein shakes.

I usually do eggs for breakfast, tuna or salad for lunch. and then chicken breast or turkey is the go-to for dinner, with loads of veggies of course. You can buy frozen lean hamburger patties and wrap them in lettuce for dinner as well. Yoplait Light is usually around 50 cents a piece if you like yogurt.

Hmm, not in my state, protein powder rings up as a supplement and you can't use your benefits on it. I know, I tried.

jus_in_bello

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 think they meant about the food stamps, I'm sure there are some gov't sites that have information about that, what can/can't you buy with food stamps? The "healthy" foods remain the same, if the food stamps limit what you can buy google can take you to a gov't site might have more accurate information since it will be a more direct line of "communication" if you will.

Lobster1987

Kudos to you for using it for healthy things. I used to be a cashier and people would use EBT to by Twinkies, pop, and pizza. It's a total joke.

Some ideas- buy dried beans, rice, canned veggies. The beans take time to make, but when you buy them dried, they are very inexpensive. Buy whole chickens or chicken with bones in it because that is cheaper....buying boneless, skinless, chicken breasts is more expensive for the convenience. Do things the hard way, and it saves you money!

AngelAtkins61

Beans, Rice, Meats on sale ,
I LOVE Lentils and rice . You cook up the lentils all day with extra water. I add Garlic and onion powder.. Cook rice seperate but then add to the lentils afterwards. You will get DAYS of healhy meals from this.
Peanut butter is a good cheap sourse of healthy protein also.
YOu can get soup bones and make soups you can stretch out over days also. Its not easy or cheap to eat healthy but it can be done even on your budget GOOD LUCK!

RzRzRzR

Go to Aldi - very good prices!

tigerlinly

i get $200 in food stamps as well. i go to walmart. i get family size of chicken, hamurger, steak, etc. spaghetti, rice and all other things a normal person eats the meat i divide up into portions for 2-3 people servings (2-3 pieces of meatin a ziploc bag) and it last pretty much the month. mom goes with me and like i said meats we get family size Hamburger, pork, steak, chicken breast try to get bonless, skinles), chicken thinhs and chicken legs). sometimes winn dixie has meats but 1 get 1 free and do same thing divide into smaler portions and it makes the month go further. now i'm not saying the $200 gets everythign but it gets a good bit of it

thelovelyLIZ

I'd say I spent about $200 a month on groceries. My boyfriend and I split grocery costs, but I spend anywhere between $175-$250 a month (this also includes non food items though, like shampoo, etc).

Here's some of my cheap pantry staples:

-Quick oats
-Eggs
-Canned beans
-Tofu
-Lentils
-Frozen vegetables
-Apples and bananas
-Peanut butter
-Brown rice

I also look for sales and then stock up. My grocery store was selling bags of frozen vegetables 10 for $10, so I stocked up. They don't go bad, so if you can buy in bulk or on sale, do. I always check for discounted cuts of meat too (especially beef, for a treat) and I can always freeze it for later. I also plan my meals with overlapping ingredients. So if I buy a big bag of potatoes, I'll have a couple meals with potatoes that week, so they don't go bad.

Beautifulrita

Hi,
I have been in your situation before and my first line of advice is ,you must remember to buy all your food at once. Don't pinch off your stamps on box food or 7Eleven places. I have found Walmart to be the perfect place for me. I buy fruits and vegetables out of the Deli and frozen veg. when there on sale. The key to saving money is to cook, refrigerate left overs and eat the left overs. Salads are great and you can even buy Walmart brand bottled water. I own a deep freezer so I buy lean meat and freeze it until needed, which works great for saving $$. Treat your food stamps just like cash and watch your dollar go farther while your eating healthier. Good luck in your future with your weight loss success.

HockeyFan1987

Kudos to you for using it for healthy things. I used to be a cashier and people would use EBT to by Twinkies, pop, and pizza. It's a total joke.

Some ideas- buy dried beans, rice, canned veggies. The beans take time to make, but when you buy them dried, they are very inexpensive. Buy whole chickens or chicken with bones in it because that is cheaper....buying boneless, skinless, chicken breasts is more expensive for the convenience. Do things the hard way, and it saves you money!

I know how that is, I used to be a cashier at walmart and people would ring up nearly 350.00 in food stamps worth of junk.... frozen food dinners, chips, pop, candy and everything else in between it drove me nuts. and ty for the info

HockeyFan1987

Hi,
I have been in your situation before and my first line of advice is ,you must remember to buy all your food at once. Don't pinch off your stamps on box food or 7Eleven places. I have found Walmart to be the perfect place for me. I buy fruits and vegetables out of the Deli and frozen veg. when there on sale. The key to saving money is to cook, refrigerate left overs and eat the left overs. Salads are great and you can even buy Walmart brand bottled water. I own a deep freezer so I buy lean meat and freeze it until needed, which works great for saving $$. Treat your food stamps just like cash and watch your dollar go farther while your eating healthier. Good luck in your future with your weight loss success.

Yeah, unfortunately I don't have a deep freezer yet lol

MissBee2004

A little OT but I just read through this entire thread and I have to say, those of you who have $200 in your EBT, you're really really lucky. I only get 100/120 a month depending.

funkychickenbean

Hi there!
Am somewhat in this situation. My boyfriend gets $200 a month for food though he let his add up for a while so I think he's got slightly more available in his account. But I make very little money and barely have enough for buying myself food. It's a real challenge and it's sad that people with little money are often forced to sacrifice nutrition for the sake of affordability. We do the best we can though.

Definitely agree that buying large packs of chicken on sale is a great idea. You can cook it many ways and freeze the rest until you need it. Pasta is not often considered healthy but whole wheat pasta is good, too. Buy yourself some olive oil and fresh garlic and make your pasta with some sauteed garlic in the oil and put that over your pasta with some chicken or fish. Buy the bags of frozen salmon filets, too. They are individually wrapped so it's convenient.

Buy bagged dry beans and such over canned. Canned is good, but soaking them is best, plus you get much more. You can spend about $1.25 on a can of beans in some places or spend $2-3 on a bag of dried beans and get 3 cans' worth out of it.

Buy frozen veggies over fresh because they will last longer than fresh and still have just about as much nutrients. Steam them in the microwave over boiling in a pot because the nutrients boil out into the water.

Eggs are good. Don't forget that with a bag of frozen veggies, a couple potatoes, some flour, water and meat you can cook up a big 2 gallon pot of beef stew that you can eat from for a couple days.

Do you have Aldi? For stuff like olive oil and bagged beans and such try to located a Spanish section in a grocery store and check the Goya prices, if you have it. Sometimes when you buy stuff from the international sections, certain ingredients are cheaper.

Don't forget that you can buy a whole roaster chicken and not only do many things with the meat you get from it, you can boil the carcass down into a pot of chicken soup aka Jewish penicillin.

It's not easy but make a list first of the recommended food groups, what ingredients from each group packs the most nutrients, and in what ways you can obtain each in the largest quantities, as fresh as possible, for your money.

It takes practice but try to learn how to cook from scratch vs. from boxed meals and definitely start hoarding coupons for stuff you might need. Also start collecting recipes that employ staple ingredients you can use in other recipes (canned or frozen corn for example).

Feel free to add me as a friend and maybe we can swap recipes and such As i said, I am on a very limited budget and portion everything I buy out as much as possible so that it lasts and gets used in the best ways.

Good luck!

magj0y

1; buy in bulk
2; buy foods that can do double duty. For example, lean ground beef can go in chili, italian (don't discount this!) and mexican foods.
3; don't discount frozen vegetables.

It's just you, so cook a meal for for, portion out the other 3 servings and freeze. You'll do less cooking in the long run, saving you time.