Eating right on a TIGHT budget...

StVal

I need some idea on how to eat healthy on a budget. I live alone and don't need to prepare large helpings. But as we all know, shopping at specialty health food stores tend to drain the wallet. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

TheMaidOfAstolat

Whole grains-barley, brown rice, quinoa, millet, oats, amaranth, teff (some of these are found in a normal grocery store). You can make as many servings as you want for pretty cheap.
Beans/Lentils are both very cheap and once again can be made in batches as big or as small as you want.
In season fruit and veggies...frozen if needed (bananas and apples are usually cheap year round).
Don't buy too many prepackaged foods-for one they are usually not good for you and two you can usually make the same product when you buy the ingreadients yourself.
Stock your pantry with staples likely to come up in recipes-different seasonings, oils, low sodium soups, ect so that you always have them on hand.
Go to a local asian or mexican market-find good produce for cheap...same with seasonings (saffron is much cheaper in places like this).
Hope this helps.

missyjane

Do you have an Aldi grocery store wherever you are? Their Fit and Active line is pretty good and their prices are definitely low. You can look on their website to see exactly what they offer.

kcdrake

I'm in the same boat and am still adjusting.
I pay close attention to what is on sale and try to use coupons whenever possible. I have a vacuum sealer and that helps when I do make large portions because I can just seal up individual portions and toss 'em in the freezer. I use that to individually package chicken breasts and servings of ground beef and stuff that I use often.
When possible, I buy fruit or veggies in bulk or from my local farmers market. I also like to get things like rice and pasta (whole grain) in bulk since it keeps for so long.
I'm hoping I'll pick up on some other tips on this thread too!

kristie874

I also live alone and have to eat on a tight budget. I do like to make large dinners, though, then split them into portions and freeze them so I always have something healthy on hand. It makes for cheaper and healthier alternatives to frozen meals at the grocery stores! Pack your foods full of vegetables and buy your grains in the bulk section if you can. I've noticed that so many things are so much cheaper that way! I buy rice, quinoa, pasta, flour, sugar, etc. in the bulk section at Winco. I also look for deals on snack bars at Grocery Outlet...they always have good prices! I've noticed that my food stretches a lot further now that I measure and weigh it since I'm eating the portions that I actually should be! SHOCKER! LOL Buy chicken and ground turkey (again, Winco has the best prices where I am but not sure what grocery stores you're near) and keep your eye out for other meats when they're on sale. Buy chicken thighs and bone/skin them yourself then put them in baggies, weigh them, label them, and store them in the freezer. Do as much prep as you can at home and get your snacks and meals together for the day either the night before or that morning so you're less tempted to go out and spend money at a restaurant or on convenience foods. If you have an area where you can plant a garden (sadly, I don't and miss it) try planting your own vegetables once Spring is here. That can save oodles! Hope some of this helps!

DrBorkBork

You don't have to shop at specialty stores to eat right with a wallet tight! Just go to your local grocery store, get as much chicken, lean ground critter, and fresh produce that you can afford. You will not only have leftovers, but also your wallet will sigh with relief! Eliminate eating out by recreating your favorite dishes at home. You will be able to make them healthier, tastier, and cheaper!

DaveyGravy

Do you have an Aldi grocery store wherever you are? Their Fit and Active line is pretty good and their prices are definitely low. You can look on their website to see exactly what they offer.

I can second that! When I was over in the US recently for a while, I shopped there and bought lots from their Fit & Active range. Very good quality and cheap! I wish the UK offered that range too.

chattiekat

Check out couponmom.com as well. The site will help you make the most of your money at your favorite grocery store.

StVal

Thank you everyone for your ideas. I don't have an Aldi here in So Cal, but I did when I lived in Illinois. Aldi was amazing when I was on a tight budget. We're about to have a Super Walmart open here and I know that they have really low pricing, but I'm a fan of Trader Joe's, which is where I ended up going over the weekend. Thank you again, everyone.

one_hot_momma

Every few weeks aldi also puts their fresh produce on sale for dirt cheap. I mean... $1 for 3 lbs of apples. If you live in cali try a farmers market?

Catzwitch

I understand your pain - we live on dollar-store food these days here so eating right is difficult. Especially when you're a vegetarian like I am.

I go to a local flea/farmers market once a week for lots of cheap fresh veggies. there are a lot of migrant farmers in my area that bring out tons of good veggies for low prices there. Check and see if there's anything like that in your area. Sometimes the best ones are the ones that aren't advertised or anything.

Good luck!!

sofaking6

If you're in San Diego check out the 99 Ranch Asian market: http://www.99ranch.com/

I just went there for the first time and was shocked by the high quality and low prices on produce there.

I live alone but still shop at Costco..they have great deals on chicken in freezer-ready packages and also on bulk fruits and vegetables. I also make regular sized meals and freeze them to bring for work lunches.

Also out here we can get nice "cheap" CSA boxes...you pay an upfront price for a weekly or bi-weekly large or small box of fresh produce from a local farm. There are quite a few here, I use JR Organics. I like it because once I've paid, I have no choice but to bring home fresh veggies every week.

StVal

I've never heard of 99 Ranch. Where is it located? I'm thinking that I might have seen it before in Mira Mesa. By the way, when I went on the website, the first thing I saw on the main page was a yummy fruit tart cake. hah

I shop mostly at Trader Joe's, but their variety is limited. I refuse to go to grocery stores, because they are so expensive. Vons & Ralph's is out of control on prices, so I stick with the food sections at Target & Walmart and mostly Trader Joe's. I think planting my own little garden with fruits and veggies and even some herbs would be a good thing. But other than getting the basics like bread, chicken, etc. what are some other things to get and what are some tasty, yet easy ways to prepare them?

Notenispal

I live in Mira Mesa and they have a farmers market on Mira Mesa Blvd every tuesday. Right now they are not going on but the farmer's market will start back at the end of the month.

I work up in Vista and I know a little hole in the wall market that is SOOO cheap but it's all the way up there. I stop off on the way home from work and pick up fruits and veggies from there. It's obviously locally grown and VERY cheap. I'm sure if you search around a little, you can find something closer to mira mesa. I probably won't have my job next year (music teacher) because of cuts so I might need to know of a place closer to home. Let me know if you find anything and I'll look around as well!

sofaking6

Yeah I die when I go to Ralph's and see that I can a pint of blueberries for the same price as a pound at Costco. Ridiculous.

The 99 Ranch is a block or two east of the 805 on Clairmont Mesa Blvd, it's on the left hand side and you can't miss it.

I'm pretty new to cooking healthy myself, but a couple of my favorite things are: mushrooms...they have probably 20 different kinds there, at least, and chicken w/mushroms and rice is a super easy meal to make any time, and something you can freeze as well. They sell baby bok choy there, put it in any dish where you're sauteing vegetables...it's really delicious (and I don't like many dark greens).

If you like curry, invest in a tub of curry paste, it's a staple for me because I love the flavor so I use it in lots of dishes. It's like curry powder mixed with garlic and salt and peppers etc. And a bottle of soy or tamari sauce, you can use that instead of salt for a deeper flavor.

I also loooove bean sprouts and they have big and small sprouts in giant barrels. And they have the calorie-free noodles (shirataki) there as well, although they're not the most budget-friendly they are zero cal!

dumb_blondes_rock

I'm a hairdresser, and the economy sucks, so not only do i need a CHEAP lunch, but i need it fast. Sometimes i will cook up a package of tuna or salmon the night before(to add the spices and flavors i like) and they come in pouches instead of cans now, or they even make already seasoned salmon and tuna steaks, and ill go by mcdonalds and get a dollar salad and put the fish on top and use fat free dressing i leave at work. fast, afordable and delicious.Now if you didn't like fish you could do the same thing to canned chicken(even though the thought of canned chicken kind of creeps me out) it adds up to about 3 dollars.


and also this is my FAVORITE website
www.5dollardinners.com
her children are allergic to lactose and gluten so she always has a healthy gluten, dairy free alternative to anything she makes.