Okay help please

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loveyourselfbabe
loveyourselfbabe Posts: 11
in Food and Nutrition
I’m limited to a budget of $100 for groceries, and I do really want to start eating healthier to help out my energy and skin and overall awesomeness that healthy eating does. But I’m stumped on good recipes that are cheap while still staying healthy. Like, I know that I can make spaghetti and chicken stir fry easily, as well as basic breakfasts like porridge/oatmeal and scrambled eggs. But that’s it regarding healthy. I want some ideas for lunches and snacks like fruits that are in season (I'm in Australia so going into Summer) as well as like Salada's with cheese and tomato (is that even cheap? :l ) and just...

Help D:
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Replies

  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
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    I'd suggest you invest in a good multivitamin if you haven't yet.

    Cooking is a trail and error. I'd suggest to start searching around youTube for tips/recipes. There's alot of great videos on practical food you can actually make.
  • MidlifeGlowUp
    MidlifeGlowUp Posts: 91 Member
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    Try the Clean Eating site. They have a lot of great, healthy recipes for people on a budget.

    http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Budget-Recipes.aspx
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    Go for whole foods as much as possible - the basic ingredients like fruits & veggies, meats, etc. It will end up costing less than buying packaged dinners. Also, if you're buying just for yourself it makes sense because you can buy just enough for you.

    Beans are inexpensive and full of protein, fiber, iron, and B vitamins. Frozen veggies are just as good as fresh (sometimes better, since they haven't been sitting on the truck & shelf for a week, the freezing preserves the vitamins) and keep longer. Eggs make a good breakfast and/or lunch and aren't too expensive. If you make dinners big enough for two servings and then save the second for your lunch the next day, it may cost you less, too (per serving).

    Buy things when they are on sale, especially frozen and shelf-stable. I like to have some cans of soup in the cupboard and some meat in the freezer for the end of the month when I've run out of most of my grocery money - it's good to know I have a bit to fall back on. Compare prices when you shop; make sure you look at size and nutrition as well as basic price, but you can usually buy generic for less and it's just as good as name brand. Plan a week's menu out and buy groceries once a week - you'll do less impulse buying that way.

    Our budget is about $100 (U.S.) per person, and I have 3 kids who are teen or nearly teen and seem to be filling up a hollow leg. It seems to work okay as long as we plan out and don't go shopping every day and don't buy a lot of pre-made or packaged foods.
  • skinimin
    skinimin Posts: 252 Member
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    if you're in Australia $100 should be plenty!! shop at the little asian fresh food places rather than woolworths and coles because they're cheaper and fresher.

    try going on taste.com.au there are sooooooo many recipes and you van search based on budget etc.
  • ShantiDey
    ShantiDey Posts: 16 Member
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    Not sure what the cost is in Australia for plain, unprocessed whole grains such as quinoa and millet - both are good protein sources and quick & easy to prepare. Use for breakfast (nice alternative to oatmeal), as a substitute for rice (again, protein!) in rice & beans, to thicken soups & stews, etc.

    One cheap trick I like is to buy a whole chicken and slow roast in the oven. Lots of recipe ideas available online. One chicken is pretty cheap and you can eat for an entire week.

    Eggs are a traditional low-cost cheap source for protein. You can make an easy crustless quiche - just saute a mixture of onions, spinach and asparagus, for example (about 1 - 2 cups total) in a tablespoon of oil. In a bowl, whisk together half a dozen eggs. Add some chili pepper or flakes, salt & pepper to taste, throw in a handful or 2 of cheese, and pour over the veggies. Cover the skillet and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until the eggs get firm and cheese melts.
  • HeatherPH
    HeatherPH Posts: 125 Member
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    Nah, tomatoes are SO expensive here in Oz, at the moment. You could make soups? I made a soup the other day with left-over carrrots, pumpkin, sweet potato. Browned an onion, some garlic, some ginger, added a few spices (cumin and ground coriander), some vegetable stock and a can each of chickpeas and lentils, and that was it! Crazy cheap to make, and it's lasted me six meals so far.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    I'm also trying to keep my food bill for the month under $100. I've been buying lots of spaghetti, sauce and ground beef, pasta, milk, eggs, and veggies for pasta salads, bagels, beans (homemade chili with ground beef).
  • loveyourselfbabe
    loveyourselfbabe Posts: 11
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    I'd suggest you invest in a good multivitamin if you haven't yet.

    Cooking is a trail and error. I'd suggest to start searching around youTube for tips/recipes. There's alot of great videos on practical food you can actually make.

    I was going to look at one after I do the groceries since I don't have money to spare :l
    And youtube hasn't pulled up anything for me, I don't like relying on videos when I have restricted internet anyway. I want actual websites, not just vague "search on youtube" hints thanks
  • loveyourselfbabe
    loveyourselfbabe Posts: 11
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    Try the Clean Eating site. They have a lot of great, healthy recipes for people on a budget.

    http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Budget-Recipes.aspx
    Thank you! That's the kind of recipes I'm after :D bookmarked <3
  • loveyourselfbabe
    loveyourselfbabe Posts: 11
    Options
    Go for whole foods as much as possible - the basic ingredients like fruits & veggies, meats, etc. It will end up costing less than buying packaged dinners. Also, if you're buying just for yourself it makes sense because you can buy just enough for you.

    Beans are inexpensive and full of protein, fiber, iron, and B vitamins. Frozen veggies are just as good as fresh (sometimes better, since they haven't been sitting on the truck & shelf for a week, the freezing preserves the vitamins) and keep longer. Eggs make a good breakfast and/or lunch and aren't too expensive. If you make dinners big enough for two servings and then save the second for your lunch the next day, it may cost you less, too (per serving).

    Buy things when they are on sale, especially frozen and shelf-stable. I like to have some cans of soup in the cupboard and some meat in the freezer for the end of the month when I've run out of most of my grocery money - it's good to know I have a bit to fall back on. Compare prices when you shop; make sure you look at size and nutrition as well as basic price, but you can usually buy generic for less and it's just as good as name brand. Plan a week's menu out and buy groceries once a week - you'll do less impulse buying that way.

    Our budget is about $100 (U.S.) per person, and I have 3 kids who are teen or nearly teen and seem to be filling up a hollow leg. It seems to work okay as long as we plan out and don't go shopping every day and don't buy a lot of pre-made or packaged foods.

    I'm restricted to "buying once a week" because I have to walk the 1.2km there and back to get the food; no car nor license is rather annoying when you're smack bang between two supermarkets. I've stopped impulse buying entirely so I don't have to worry about that thankfully. Also, i'm more asking for recipes than actual food tips; I already know basic shopping tips from my mother and just in general having to go shopping on my own for the past year.
  • loveyourselfbabe
    loveyourselfbabe Posts: 11
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    if you're in Australia $100 should be plenty!! shop at the little asian fresh food places rather than woolworths and coles because they're cheaper and fresher.

    try going on taste.com.au there are sooooooo many recipes and you van search based on budget etc.

    Actually, that website caters to more artistic and inventive cooks. even their basic recipes are too much for me when I'm in a rush to leave for course or just too tired at the end of the day to cook for an hour for a meal that just looks good but doesn't taste good. I've used their recipes before and I just don't like them
  • LordBear
    LordBear Posts: 239 Member
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    beans... there is a ton of different kinds of bean and u can go nuts with them and there fairly cheap...or reasonable any how..one bag for one person can make up enough to last for several meals.
  • loveyourselfbabe
    loveyourselfbabe Posts: 11
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    To stop from repeating myself, I'll say this again

    I'm just looking for recipes. No tips on what's great and what's cheap, I already know that from doing my own research the last year on being on my own. I just want recipes please. I won't be replying to anyone who's posting hints and tricks; I'm JUST after recipes
  • deadliftfan
    deadliftfan Posts: 66
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    Stop cooking and eat fresh raw food and grilled meat.
  • mock743
    mock743 Posts: 19 Member
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    LUNCH
    Taco salad:
    2 ounces tortilla chips
    2 ounces cooked ground turkey
    2 tsp corn/canola oil (to cook
    turkey)
    ¼ cup kidney beans*
    ½ ounce low-fat cheddar cheese
    ½ cup chopped lettuce
    ½ cup avocado
    1 tsp lime juice (on avocado)
    2 Tbsp salsa
    Beverage:
    1 cup water, coffee, or tea**
    DINNER
    Spinach lasagna roll-ups:
    1 cup lasagna noodles(2 oz dry)
    ½ cup cooked spinach
    ½ cup ricotta cheese
    1 ounce part-skim mozzarella
    cheese
    ½ cup tomato sauce*
    1 ounce whole wheat roll
    1 tsp tub margarine
    Beverage: 1 cup fat-free milk

    Here is what I had to eat yesterday I really hope this will help with your goal for healthy foods on a budget
  • LupaNera
    LupaNera Posts: 170
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    Try to write down here your usually grocery list so we can suggest you some recipes. And maybe some ideas for other things to buy. I'm also living by myself and I am a decent cook (no venting here).
  • loubeth22
    loubeth22 Posts: 72
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    I managed to feed 2 people on $250 a month. My go to was;

    1 packet of cheap meat (Gravy beef, chicken etc - usually about 250-500 grams for $5) Chopped up
    1-2 cups of mixed frozen veg (2kg bag =$10 ish)
    Mushrooms
    cous cous - flavoured - $2 a serve or a 1kg bag is about $5-7

    Total cost per meal is about $25 and you get 4-6 serves at least. I made one of these each week and ate for lunch at Uni. You can make about 3 different tasing meals out of the same ingredients.

    Meal 1= stew
    Diced meat in saucepan with some water, cook until browned. Add mushrooms. Add more water. Add veg. Simmer until you think its cooked. Add cous cous to soak the water up. Eat.

    Meal 2=
    Marinade meat in whatever you have (vegemite and chilli workes really well) cook. Cook veg and cous cous as per packet. Serve as pretty as you like.

    Meal 3 doesn't include cous cous.
    Take leftover meat form bbq or cook extra night before. Put veg in cold frypan and add meat as it heats up. Stir in any sauce you have for "stir fry"

    I was surprised at how different each meal seemed especially if you change the type of frozen veg you buy. You can manage really simply if you work out 5 "sides" you can do ie, Steamed veg, cous cous, corn, baked potato and garden salad, and each night you pick one or two of them to have with whatever meat you can find. Also polony and sauce rolls sustained me during summer when I hated the kitchen.

    I spent around $45 on vegetables each month, $30 on rice, pasta and cous cous and then whatever I had left went to meat or if I saved up I could go to the pub with friends.
  • loveyourselfbabe
    loveyourselfbabe Posts: 11
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    I'm talking $100AUSD a fortnight actually, so everyone going by one month etc I'm letting you know that for me it's fortnightly >.<

    I don't have a standard shopping list honestly, because my housemates have been helping me come up with food ideas and they don't know what to suggest now that I've changed my diet. Add into that the fact that the past three fortnights I've lived off of food hampers because of unexpected bills (now sorted thankfully), I didn't have much of an option on what I got. But generally? I'll include the staples and general stuff, as well as what I have currently;

    SHOPPING LIST
    Milk 2L
    Bread x 2/3 white (going to change to wholemeal)
    Cereal (either Cornflakes, Rice Bubbles or a sultana bran, was considering Just Right)
    Meat (mince, chicken breast/thigh cutlets, whichever's cheaper)
    Apples red
    Carrots
    White sugar
    Zucchini
    Mushrooms
    Potatoes
    Sweet potato
    Celery
    Eggs
    Pasta sauce (want to change that to being a home made sauce though)

    HAVE CURRENTLY
    Oats
    3L Milk
    Butter
    Plum jam
    Pasta sauce
    Cheese
    Flour
    Brown sugar
    Caster sugar
    Black tea
    White sugar
    Tomato sauce
    Salt & pepper
    Mixed herbs
    Pasta
    Sweet Soy Sauce
    White rice 1kg
    Canned items such as spaghetti, chicken soup, chopped tomatoes
    Minced garlic
    Bananas
    Bok choy/Baby choy sum (not sure which, came in a food hamper as did the below)
    Zucchini/the other green thing that's like zucchini
    1 mandarin
    2 green apples
    1 celery
    1 broccoli
    2x Pak choy


    I can cook with ease spaghetti (just pasta sauce, mince and pasta) but would love to add into the mince and make my own sauce. I've done it once with the help of my housemate but that was a month ago. Also would love great, sweet tasting chicken stir fry's with vegetables and home made sauce as that was yum when I made it but again, housemate helped. I can do scrambled eggs, porridge and eggs on toast as well as cereal for breakfast. I would love to be able to make soups like pea and ham (that one's easy to do I know). I'm wondering what I could make to take with me to course Monday and Tuesdays for lunch to avoid buying lunch; I'd rather save that $3 a day thanks >.<
    I guess I would love to learn how to make great, yummy and healthy muffins and cookies because I've got the cooking ingrediants to use, such as the caster sugar, flour, brown sugar, milk and I just need eggs and the fillings. Or even good variations on dinner meals that the leftovers can be frozen for lunch the next day, or yummy snack ideas.

    Note: I HATE peanut butter. Hate it. So please don't suggest anything with it :(
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
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    Lunch idea:
    tuna
    add mayo
    chopped dill pickles
    salt
    pepper
    eat plain or on crackers or bread

    BTW, what is a fortnight?
  • tleighs
    tleighs Posts: 16
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    I actually helped keep my food costs down a bit by growing some of my own veggies. I live in apartment and have a patio. I have 2 tomato plants, strawberries, cucumbers, lettuce and fresh herbs of all kinds. In USA, cost about $2 per starter plant or $1 for seeds. I live in the south with a longer growing season. I planted in early April and will still continue to have veggies and herbs to pick through most of October. Patio garden takes very little effort to maintain and there is nothing like going to your own plants and picking your dinner. 10 feet from garden to plate. Can't get any fresher than that.

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