HELP! Which foods are best on a low budget?

tntmom87

Hi everyone! I need some help. About two years ago, I lost nearly 30 pounds - and all the wrong way - by barely eating at all. I've since gained all the weight back, but I want to lose it the right way and change my habits in order to keep it off this time around. I want to start by changing my diet - but need your advice. My grocery budget is about $200/mo for 3 people (myself and my daughters ages 6 and 3). How can I adjust my diet to lose weight on that budget, and does anyone have any meal/snack plans? Thanks!

grandmastime

I know how hard it can be an a small budget. Most of the foods that are bad for us are cheap. I try to stick to fruit and veggies and lean meat. If i eat bread it is always a multi grain that is high in fiber. The fresher and homemade is better than boxed and prossessed foods.

MiamiKid305

oatmeal, eggs, tuna, chicken

holothuroidea

Rice
Beans
Frozen Veggies
Bananas
Root Veggies (sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, beets, parsnips, turnips)
In season produce
Vegetable oils

Also if you have the time and space, you should grow whatever food you can.

fairie_marie

Hi there, I know how you feel. I have around the same monthly for a family of 4, and that includes my 12 year old son that eats me out of house and home... I would not say that I eat the healthiest but I do pretty well and lost 26 lbs since Jan.. My diary is open you can check it out ( ignore the past week LOL).. I try to buy my frozen veggies when they are on sale for a $1 a bag and stock up.. That helps a lot..

KettleTO

beans, lentils, oatmeal

fruits and vegetables - you can focus on what is seasonal and on sale.


not sure if your kids will eat this, but soup below is cheap, satisfying and you'll get a number of meals out of it.

http://www.theppk.com/2013/03/smoky-tomato-lentil-soup-with-spinach-olives/

foodie99

Do you do any meal planning?

Plan out a week (or two weeks) of meals; make sure you include meals of leftovers. Then buy only the items you need for those meals. This helps you avoid impulse buys by sticking to your list and helps ensure you don't buy something, not use it, and have to throw it out because it went bad.

bizco

Unfortunately unhealthy food is cheap.

Most healthy foods are found on the perimeter of the store, not in the aisles. Fresh fruit & vegetables, dairy (low fat cheese, plain yogurt, milk), lean meats (chicken/turkey breast, fish, lean cuts of beef (not hamburger), eggs.

Watch for coupons, stores that offer double coupon days, sale circulars in the Sunday paper. If possible, shop at lower-priced stores like Aldi. Load up when things are on sale. Prepare large batches of homemade soup, hotdish (casseroles), etc. and freeze them if you need to.

Don't buy unhealthy snacks like chips, popcorn, cookies, crackers; or beverages like soda.

tntmom87

Thanks for all the tips! I have planned meals before, which sometimes I feel is pointless because my girls NEVER eat anything I try to make - its a constant battle with them and usually dinner for them turns into cereal, grilled cheese, or spaghetti lol. So I guess I should say that if I'm actually making a real meal...its only for me. I generally get my fruits and veggies at Aldi's because they have fabulous produce prices, and I'm really good at sticking to my budget. But as far as formulating a HEALTHY (and easy) meal plan for myself...I'm just kind of lost.

KettleTO

forgot to suggest you Google this topic as there is a lot out there.

A couple of years ago I came across the blog of a young woman in DC who was doing an experiment to see if you could eat healthy foods (she had IBS) on the average budget of a person on benefits. She questioned whether it was possible. Her conclusion was that it was possible but it consumed so much time and energy sourcing stuff. While conclusion might depress you, her blog would be a good resource because it listed what she bought for the money, what she made, etc.

bodyrollin

Ok so I get this question a lot because I cook what most would consider more "upscale" food pretty often, and the truth of the matter is this...to eat cheaply, cook everything from scratch...sure I can make a pan of lasagna that is 15 layers, and costs 40-50 bucks or more to make, but when you break it down it still makes 12 HUGE slices so depending on your portioning it works out to be about 3-4 bucks per meal...soups are always cheap, as are pastas, casseroles seem like cheap food but a lot of them have a ton of ingredients anymore (and usually not all that healthy anyway). Find a good supplier for your proteins, I'm not sure where in the country you are, but I buy all my protein from my local meat market and fish monger (land and sea market in FL) their prices are usually very fair, Nd they usually reward loyalty...if you Don't have that option, find out when your local supermarkets put their meat in sale (most stores will drasticlly reduce the price of meat when it's only got another day or 3 before its use by date, and it is still fine you just need to use it or freeze it right away) also visit your local farmers market...lots of wonderful locally grown produce, and if you get to know your farmer/vendor they'll usually work out some great deals for your repeat business, and support.

So there's my $0.02 from a chef...seriously, to drive food cost down, your effort(labor) must go up...just the way it works unfortunately. Lol

Acg67

dry beans

rice

pasta

whole chickens

ChitownFoodie

Eggs are always on sale where I live.

fitgal05

I think you should get some beans in bulk. They are super cheap, and you can boil them and freeze them. The cool thing about beans, is they are low fat, high fiber and you can make them hundreds of ways. I'm actually going to make them in a vegetarian burgers this week with quinoa and oatmeal. Hopefully this helps.

bcattoes

Dried beans are the best bargain in just about any store. Besides being cheap, they are versatile and packed with nutrients. Peanut butter, brown rice, and oats are usually affordable everywhere.

Fresh fruits/vegetable prices vary by region, but just buy what is within your budget and opt for frozen for others. Thin white fish such as talapia, pollock, haddock and catfish are usually much cheaper than other fish. Canned tuna can be a good bargain, especially when on sale.

Clip coupons, shop sales, and just become familiar with your own store. Many store also offer reduced prices on fresh foods that are near the 'sell by' date. These can be good bargains, you just need to eat or freeze the food immeditately.

bearwith

Just do not buy processed foods. Try a diet of clean eating - soups, home made fruit purees, homemade oat bars etc.

Drink lots of tap water with slices of lemon that last the whole day in the glass. Do not buy any biscuits, cakes or processed floury products.

barb1241

beans, lentils, oatmeal

fruits and vegetables - you can focus on what is seasonal and on sale.


not sure if your kids will eat this, but soup below is cheap, satisfying and you'll get a number of meals out of it.

http://www.theppk.com/2013/03/smoky-tomato-lentil-soup-with-spinach-olives/

I dunno about the OP kids-but I *WILL* eat this-asap!!! Thanks for the link!

ashlbubba

One thing to remember is portion control... meat is generally the most expensive thing on our plate... and we normally eat more than we should. Some people do "Meatless Mondays" It usually saves cash and calories. If you get a jumbo pack of meat, break it up into different meals of the week. Buying drinks at the store really adds up... brewing your own tea doesn't take long and saves a ton compared to other sugary drinks out there so you're cutting out drinks and not drinking water all the time.

Good luck!!

tarac98

also try ground turkey to use in place of beef. Much cheaper and your kids won't notice the difference!

maegmez

When you eat healthy, you eat less. I find I buy a lot less ingredients and I cook most of my meals from scratch. I cook for a family of 6. For chicken breast, I only buy three and slice them through longways. I live in the UK and our breasts aren't as big as the American ones. You could easily get 3 servings from one breast at walmart. I get 6 burgers from 500 grams, you can bulk them up with beans. I make a huge batch of healthy chilli and load it with carrots, peppers, and sweet potatoes. Sauce is homemade too and dirt cheap.

Pasta is a cheap meal and if you eat the right portion, you will get quite a few meals out of one bag. Bulk your plate up with veggies, do that with every meal. In the summer, find your local farmers market and barter. The more you buy from them, the more they are willing to barter with you. It may only be a buck, but that's a buck towards other meals.

Honestly, I found coupons in the states, useless for the most part because most of them are for junk foods.

You might be able to buy junk food cheaper but you tend to eat more of it so being cheaper means most buy more of it.

tntmom87

Thanks everyone so much! Loving these tips. Some I already knew but needed to hear again And seeing some new ones too.

redraidergirl2009

Beans are your friend. $1 a pound or less. Very versatile.

tntmom87

Beans are your friend. $1 a pound or less. Very versatile.

I'm really looking into the beans idea....I have a bunch of dry beans at home, but have never used them because I've never know what to make or how to use them! lol.

karrielynn80

i eat a lot of eggs
tuna (although higher in sodium i can do 2 cans a day & stay under my sodium limits)
chicken
oatmeal
ground turkey (instead of ground beef)
fresh fruit (i'm not a veggie person persay)
** most of these were already said, but if you're good with mondane like me, these will work for a while. I usually give myself these thruought the work day & then have a "normal" meal w/ the family - only exclusion is if there is any kinda of gravy or sauces i skip out and i substitute all my ground beef for ground turkey or chicken.

LJSmith1989

Hi everyone! I need some help. About two years ago, I lost nearly 30 pounds - and all the wrong way - by barely eating at all. I've since gained all the weight back, but I want to lose it the right way and change my habits in order to keep it off this time around. I want to start by changing my diet - but need your advice. My grocery budget is about $200/mo for 3 people (myself and my daughters ages 6 and 3). How can I adjust my diet to lose weight on that budget, and does anyone have any meal/snack plans? Thanks!

Thats double my sisters budget for 6!

Its doable, my sister changed her families unhealthy eating habits to healthy for pretty much the same amount as before.

Plan meals for the week... also stock up on store cupboared staples.

Make large meals and freeze half etc etc

repeated I know but eggs, frozen veggies, veggie stews are good.

Good luck

holothuroidea

I eat beans or lentils with pretty much every meal.

I don't do anything special with them, I just cook them and eat them with a little soy sauce. I often mix in a little rice.

This might sound super boring to most people but I like to keep it simple. If I'm feeling fancy I'll fry some onions and mushrooms in oil and season with paprika, chili powder and summer savory and mix that in to the beans.

Make sure you soak your beans overnight! Lentils and mung beans can be cooked without soaking, though.

tracygolden

Thanks for all the tips! I have planned meals before, which sometimes I feel is pointless because my girls NEVER eat anything I try to make - its a constant battle with them and usually dinner for them turns into cereal, grilled cheese, or spaghetti lol. So I guess I should say that if I'm actually making a real meal...its only for me. I generally get my fruits and veggies at Aldi's because they have fabulous produce prices, and I'm really good at sticking to my budget. But as far as formulating a HEALTHY (and easy) meal plan for myself...I'm just kind of lost.

I have three very picky eaters at home. I know what some say, "Cook it and make them eat it or starve" I can't do it. My children eat lots of mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. I hate it but that is the way life is right now. I try to concentrate on preparing healthy foods for me. In doing so , while continuing to cook for them, they have decided to "try" some of momma's food. I have them eating and liking a few more things now.

Queen_JessieA

You can really stock up on veggies when they are on sale. I don't know what sort of grocery stores are in your area, but I am in GA and we have Kroger and Publix and they have outstanding deals on frozen veggies!! Bogos and $1 a pack ~ plus both of those stores will double coupons. I can get veggies for about $.25 a bag when I really plan ahead and have my coupons ready

Oatmeal, eggs, chicken breast, ground turkey/chicken/lean beef, sweet potatoes, salads....you can make it work! I have a budget of $125 a week for 5 people ~ and while that sounds like a lot, I just went up on my budget a bit. It was $80-100 a week. But, that is for everything in our house hold. Two dogs (feed), a rabbit (litter for his cage and feed), cleaning supplies(again, coupons!!), toiletries...everything.

lindseymaekeller

My bf and I are on a low budget too. We meal plan on mondays so we arent buying too many ingredients. Recently we ran out of ideas on a friday and did an eggs benedict of sorts with things we had in the kitchen. It was sort of an eggs benedict bowl if you will? It was brown rice, over medium eggs, red or black beans, onion and cilantro. It turned out REALLY good and was super cheap!!

tntmom87

My bf and I are on a low budget too. We meal plan on mondays so we arent buying too many ingredients. Recently we ran out of ideas on a friday and did an eggs benedict of sorts with things we had in the kitchen. It was sort of an eggs benedict bowl if you will? It was brown rice, over medium eggs, red or black beans, onion and cilantro. It turned out REALLY good and was super cheap!!

That sounds really good! Might have to give that a try.

Radface

Oh man, I'm a college student who pays for everything and I recently quit my third job, effectively reducing my meager income by at least 40%! So this is SO relevant to me, I loved reading the responses so far.

Usually I grocery shop two or three times a month, and net around 25-35 dollars a month, depending on whether I've run out of long-term goods like butter.

My personal staples:
-Eggs
-Beans (dried)
-Steel-cut oats (I can turn $1.50 of bulk oats into at least 6 meals)
-Kale/greens ($0.89/lb! Packed with nutrients and seem to be always seasonal)
-Broccoli! Very filling for me.
-Whatever fruits/vegetables are in-season enough to be cheap
-Salsa (I buy this made in-store, so it's an inexpensive versatile condiment)
-Frozen veggies -- stock up when they go on sale and then they last me forever!
-Plain yogurt OR cottage cheese (a little expensive but they last me for some time)

Occasionals (bought once or twice a month):
-Peanut butter
-Soft taco tortillas (bean/veg tacos with salsa and plain yogurt are music to my ears)
-Apples, bananas, or clementines