How to eat healthy with little resources?

SMN1392

I'm a university student living with little income. How do I eat healthy with little time and little income? Any tips?

Tunia85

Oatmeal, salads, baked potatoes minus the trimmings, nuts, poultry no skin, fruit, lots of water, whole grain rice and pasta... All cheap and lots of filling choices.

keelz2010

Eggs are great as they are healthy and if you only use the whites they are also low cal. You can make boiled eggs, poached eggs, omelettes etc...hit the market for some cheap fruit and veg- they often sell bags of bruised or wilting veg on offer and you can just wizz it up in the blender for a low cal fresh soup , a bag of potatoes will keep you full for lunch if you make baked potatoes, porridge goes a long way...Try going to the supermarket just before it closes and grab some reduced items and pop them in the freezer...
a pack of wholemeal pittas make a nice lunch if you stuff them with salad, I keep mine in the freezer and take one out in the morning so it doesn't go stale trough the week. I also buy value soups, chopped tomatoes and beans. I find bagged lettuce goes limp before the weeks out so maybe opt for iceberg lettuce as it last longer and tends to be cheaper. Freeze leftovers where possible or have them for lunch the next day.
If you have a garden then plant some veg so you have healthy food all year round,if you don't have access to a garden you can still grow a few things such as herbs, cress etc on a sunny windowsill in the home.
I find planning a menu for the weeks helps, as you won't end up buying food you don't need and you'll have less wastage.

bdamaster60

Rolled Oats, Water and Canned Tuna. It's not pleasant but you have Carbs, Proteins, Fats and Fibre. Oats and tuna are generally cheap and last for long periods of time in the pantry. Water you can get for free from the tap.

Firefox7275

Eat less processed food or meals out, make food from scratch using real ingredients, limit portion sizes of meat and fish, choose at least some of your foods on how many different key nutrients they supply, frozen/ dried/ canned produce is often cheaper than fresh. Plain oats, barley, dried beans and lentils, canned oily fish, powdered milk, frozen green veggies, frozen berries, long life fresh veggies (carrots, onions, celery, sweet potatoes), peanuts, block creamed or unsweetened dessicated coconut, tend to be reasonably priced and all are packed with nutrients. Mince (ground) meat can be padded out with lots of cheap vegetables and pulses.

Buy yourself a cheap stick blender and a cheap slow cooker (crock pot), you can make a huge variety of soups, casseroles in minutes using those, and you can make several meals at once, the freeze or refrigerate and reheat.

kelly_e_montana

dorms or off campus?

ktsmom430

The advice here is very good.
Also, since I have been on MFP, I have found that it is actually cheaper to eat healthy. Cooking from scratch, very little processed foods, and above all, portion size, is saving me money.

Mutant13

Buy fruit and veg that are in season and in sale, look for marked down products in store. Buy lots of tuna, oats,

Mutant13

Buy fruit and veg that are in season and in sale, look for marked down products in store. Buy lots of tuna, oats, chicken (skinless thighs are normally cheap, basa, wholemeal pasta, brown rice

"health" foods are normally expensive, that doesn't mean "healthy" foods are.

djcon

I agree with the person who recommended a crockpot. I got one on sale for $9.99 last year. In the search tab here, put crock pot recipes. You will be amazed at simple, delicious, nutritious, and inexpensive recipes. Not only that, you throw all the ingredients in and the crockpot does the rest. So worth the investment

LorinaLynn

Buy meat in bulk and on sale - freeze what you won't use immediately. I typically pay $1.99 a pound for boneless skinless chicken breast. Frozen vegetables are great. Buy store brands.

Check the circulars of the nearest grocery stores online before shopping. Sometimes they have great deals like buy one get TWO free on things like bread or English muffins. Again, freeze what you won't use right away. Or go in with friends and split everything up.

ksludwig

My husband is a grad student, so we try to eat on a budget. We crock pot (slow cooker)! We can make a meal with 10 servings for $10 or less. I also try to buy meat like boneless chicken breast or the lean beef when it is on sale in bulk ("Club Packs"), you can get boneless chicken for a lot less. I freeze it in 1lb packages so when I need some for a meal I just defrost and cook. Beans are a major crock pot ingredient and they have lots of protein and "good" carbs in them, just be sure to drain and rinse the beans before you use them.

The skinny Ms. is a great website for low cal clean recipes http://skinnyms.com/top-10-slow-cooker-recipes-on-skinny-ms/.

Good Luck! :bigsmile:

waldo56

Learn to cook.

It is the cheapest way to eat, and in general the easiest path to a healthy diet.

SueGremlin

Dried beans! They are very cheap and healthy as well! Also if you have an Aldi store nearby, you can get very cheap food there.

ebr250

See if Bountiful Baskets is available in your area. You get an assortment of fresh fruits & veggies for only $15! www.bountifulbaskets.org

Captain_Tightpants

Here's a tip - don't buy anything that's got a "health" claim on the box. 99% of all "healthy" claimed boxed and canned goods are compensated for by extra sodium, extra processing etc. You're getting unhealthier food and paying a premium for a marketing con.

It's actually pretty affordable to eat legitimately health: Fruit, veg, chicken, eggs, oats etc... all very affordable especially if you can buy them in bulk and store them. A few things like nuts are pricey, but you can consider them a treat.

I actually spend less on groceries now I'm eating "well" than I did before.