Healthy on a Budget
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dillyweed
Posts: 9
I am finding it super hard to stick to a healthy diet on a budget. I went out last week to get some stuff for some salads for lunches and blew almost my entire grocery budget on salad fixings. I can't live on salad alone! I need some healthy heartier meal ideas for cheap.
Anyone have any good ideas for healthy suppers that can be prepared in bulk and for cheap cheap cheap!
Anyone have any good ideas for healthy suppers that can be prepared in bulk and for cheap cheap cheap!
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Fruits and vegetables do not have to be so expensive. I usually buy them at a fruit and vegetable store because grocery stores usually have HIGHER prices. Farmer's markets are also a good place to get a decent priced fruit/veggie purchase.
From what I can tell soups are CHEAP...and perfect for diets. I like a lentil and chicken soup recipe from skinnytaste.com. She also has a stuffed bell pepper soup too. Both are delish and you will have plenty of leftovers. You will find that as you diet and watch your portion sizes you tend to eat less food. Eating less food means your groceries should last you longer and I believe in the end it is cheaper.0 -
Fruits and vegetables do not have to be so expensive. I usually buy them at a fruit and vegetable store because grocery stores usually have HIGHER prices. Farmer's markets are also a good place to get a decent priced fruit/veggie purchase.
From what I can tell soups are CHEAP...and perfect for diets. I like a lentil and chicken soup recipe from skinnytaste.com. She also has a stuffed bell pepper soup too. Both are delish and you will have plenty of leftovers. You will find that as you diet and watch your portion sizes you tend to eat less food. Eating less food means your groceries should last you longer and I believe in the end it is cheaper.
What she said. Lentils , eggs, beans, chicken, and vegetables are all cost effective and healthy. My groceries last much, much longer than they used to. A bottle of barbeque sauce that would last a month now lasts until the expiration date, a box of cereal that used to be 4 meals is now 10+. When I initially began eating healthier it was definitely an investment to get the items I needed to cook healthy meals but now I spend the same amount or even less than I was before I began eating healthy. Good luck in finding healthy foods you can enjoy as well as afford :] You can do it!0 -
Agreed. About the beans--Dry beans are cheapest. Soak them in water with 2-3 T of baking soda for 30-45 min. Strain off water and rinse beans well. Then cook with clean water and whatever seasonings you like.
This will reduce the gassy effect tremendously. Also, 1/2-1 tsp of ground ginger will just about finish it off. Beans get a bad rap for this. The truth is, they have a lot of fiber, which makes you feel full longer. And any vegetable with lots of fiber also comes with gas.
If you don't cook, you can use the canned beans, but again, rinse them to reduce gas.0 -
I eat beans everyday. I forgot about that one. Rice too. I'm from the Caribbean so that's our staple. I use dry beans as well but I let my crockpot help me save time. I usually just throw 1 lb of beans with 8 cups water in the crockpot and let it cook on low overnight. In the morning I store them in canning jars and it last me an entire week or more but that's because we eat beans everyday.
It will all work out once you limit your portions as well. Best wishes!0 -
Healthy food is not expensive. Unless you eat from the dollar menu everyday then yeah fresh might seem a bit high. My fiance and I eat healthy and it Costs us $100-$150 in groceries every week. We plan out our meals and only buy what we need to make sure nothing goes to weaste. Buy veggies when they are on sale and make home made soup. So much more cost efffective. Deffinately wait until meats go on sale, like chicken breasts. Stock up when they are and freeze them. I got into the habbit of freezing them in different ways. Cut them up into stew size chuncks, or strips, and pound some pieces flat for chicken burgers. And plus, when you eat healthy it fills you for a longer period of time so you're less likely to go back to the fridge and eat more bad "cheap" food. Don't fall for the frozen foods that are pre cut and all that. Buy fresh broccoil and cut them up, put in freezer bags and there you go and probably just saved a few dollars. Spending a couple of hours every weeks sorting and portioning your food after getting groceries will save you money.
We are on a budget as well for everything and we have also failed because we were not sure how to actually do it. If you ever seen the show "Til dubt do us Part" you will know that there is a way to save and she made it easy. On her website you can download her budget worksheet and she gives you steps to fills it out properly. We are trying it her way starting this week. It tells you what you should be spending on what and how much of your income. Anyone with debt shouls try this.
http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/resources/guide_to_building_budget.html
That's the website if anyone wants it.0 -
I like to eat fresh veggies, but lately it doesn't work out well because within two days, they go bad. Produce hasn't been so great lately in my area. A lot of the veggies and fruit already have mold on them sometimes when I try to buy some. My nutritionist at work said that frozen veggies aren't that bad for you. I buy some veggies in the fozen aisle and I buy low sodium veggies as well. It's better than going to the junk food. Just be sure to look for low sodium items. I read mainly the calories, sugar, carbs, and sodium on labels because that's where I usually can end up getting in trouble. Here is what I eat for most part during the day. It's under $50 a week.
5:30 AM Breakfast: 2 slices whole wheat toast (100 cal.)
2 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter (190)
1 cup Skim Milk (90)
10:00 AM Snack: Either a Bowl of Broth Based Soup (120-160 cal) or a Piece of Fruit and 100 Cal. Pack Almonds (180)
1:00 PM Lunch: Turkey Breast (110 cal), Steamed Broccoli (60 cal.), Green Beans (35), and another vegetable around 60 cals.
3:00 PM Snack: Dole Jr. Banana (85 cal) and a 1/4 c. of sunflower kernels (190)
I don't feel so hungry during the day. The last snack is before I leave work and head for a run that is a couple of miles and I know it might be another 3-4 hours before I'll eat dinner. This is what I have been eating and I lost 2.5 pounds after the first week. I still live at home and my mom will make either chicken and a bunch of veggies for dinner, or a home made soup. I typically don't eat too many calories or carbs at that meal.
So it is possible to eat on a budget. You just have to be smart about it. Add up what it would cost if you ate fast food and compare it to when you buy your own healthy food. I have been noticing that I save a lot of money by doing this. . .as well as calories. The only thing getting lighter is me I hope you find a way to make eating healthy work for you! 0 -
I was the same way. When we made the decision to start eating healthier our grocery bill went up. Where we live, it is much cheaper to have the fast food type foods. Fruits and veggies are extremely expensive.
We cut some costs by having a small garden in the summer. Not practical for everyone, but it works for us.
Another way was to shop mostly sales and purchase enough of each item to last for several weeks. For example, if cheese is on sale buy 5 or 6 blocks of it instead of just one. Having a freezer is a great help. Many things can be frozen without hurting them. I also buy meat in bulk/family size packages. If possible, I buy them when they are on clearance. They are still good, but close to the expiry date. If you freeze them right away they don't spoil.
Hope this helps.0
