anyone with advice on eating right when broke?

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  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
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    I agree with the beans and rice suggestions. I use Melissa D'Arabian's black beans recipe on foodnetwork.com and I make some brown rice to go along with it. I'm not on a strict budget. I make it because I love it. Sometimes I'll put an over easy egg on top. It's delish and full of good stuff.
  • xoyasminxo
    xoyasminxo Posts: 132
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    Oatmeal
    Eggs
    In season vegetables
    Dry beans
    Brown rice
    In season fruit
    Chicken breasts

    Compare prices, shop deals, eat before you shop, get only what is on your list, eat leftovers, make soups. Most of my healthiest meals are soups with beans,veggies, chicken.
  • superjean1
    superjean1 Posts: 78 Member
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    If you find fresh produce to be too expensive, stock up on frozen veggies when on sale. Brown rice, quinoa, and lentils are cheap (especially if you have a place to buy bulk), they keep for a long time, and recipes online provide endless options. Tortillas (whole wheat) and eggs are my go to foods on busy nights. It takes minutes to scramble some eggs and make an egg/cheese quessadilla with a side of veggies and salsa.
  • TrishLG
    TrishLG Posts: 173 Member
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    Dried beans, dried brown rice, and fresh vegetables. Beans are easy to cook, just wash and boil about an hour. Bring to boil, then lower to simmer. Small beans cook faster.
    I usually cook 2 cups, dried at a time, so preparing meals is quick.
    Brown rice, rinse and boil. Bring to boil, then simmer about 20 minutes.
    Then buy fresh vegetables and fruit.
    It is not expensive if you ditch the unhealthy, prepared stuff.
    The more color the better; the more variety, the better.
    Lettuce, go for the ones with color, or if you like iceberg, add fresh spinach or boston lettuce.
    Use just balsamic vinegar for dressing--cheap when you consider how long it lasts (relative to salad dressings.)
    I avoid wheat. It is difficult, but healthier. My arthritis has calmed down to nothing.
    After reading Dr Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live, I ditched the meat, eggs, and dairy, cold turkey.
    Never thought that I could or would do it and now would never go back.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Pick a couple of your nearest grocery stores, and bookmark their online circulars. Check them before you shop, and only shop sales.

    I can always find boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.99/pound at at least one of the three stores I shop the most. Some of the stores regularly have breads and English muffins for a buy one, get TWO free sale, and I'll stock up and freeze what I won't use immediately. The store with the yummy fresh baked bagels has them half price about every other week, so I get a dozen then and don't buy when they're full price. Buy fruits and veg when in season, or buy frozen.

    Pretty much all my meals are chicken, frozen veg, some kind of sauce or marinade for extra flavor, and rice or pasta.
  • brookehe
    brookehe Posts: 413 Member
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    Oatmeal
    Eggs
    In season vegetables
    Dry beans
    Brown rice
    In season fruit
    Chicken breasts

    Compare prices, shop deals, eat before you shop, get only what is on your list, eat leftovers, make soups. Most of my healthiest meals are soups with beans,veggies, chicken.

    I agree with her, though in my area I can get sales on Chicken drumsticks/thighs/leg quarters for 79/lb. which is when I stock up and freeze them. Chicken breasts go on sale (bone-in for all chicken mentioned) for 99/lb. I just yesterday bought two whole chickens to roast, they were on sale (limit 2) for 77/lb. So for meat proteins, this is my go-to. Tuna cans/pouches when they go on sale. I also stock up on canned tomatoes when they go on sale (33-49/can) to use in soups and stews. I buy my beans, lentils, rice and soup mixes of beans in the bulk section, always less than $2 and usually 99/lb on sale. Last week I made a 10-bean soup mix, added a frozen package of combo carrot/celery/onion and one can tomatoes. I got 13 servings (from one cup dry) for not quite $4 total (and only about 240 calories with ham in it). this morning I made a black bean veggie soup with carrot/celery/onion/red pepper/jalapeno and a can of tomatoes for less than $3 and I'll get about 12 servings out of it for about 160 calories each. It is possible to eat great tasting and healthy foods on a budget (and only have to cook once or twice a week if that's your preference).
  • MissVee22
    MissVee22 Posts: 5 Member
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    Shoop frozen at costco!! for about $30 dollars you can buy a huge bag of frozen chicken breasts and a variety of different bags of frozen veggies-- the combinations are endless for what you can do! Stir fries, grilled chicken for salads, chicken on the BBQ grill, chicken & veggie soup, chicken pot pie, casseroles, chicken salad using light dressing or mustard. .. ect, ect, ect!! good luck!
  • brookehe
    brookehe Posts: 413 Member
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    Oh yeah, I would also add that at my $$$ stores I can buy frozen fruit for smoothies (they sell strawberries, peaches, mango and occasionally pineapple and mixed berries) for $1 each, plus I get quarts of lowfat soy milk there for $1 and I just add bananas (here usually about 45-55/lb.) So for about $5 I get about 8 smoothies (it's a little more each if I add protein powder, which I've been doing lately). These are generally around 200-250 calories and very filling because of the fiber in the fruit. Hope these ideas help.
  • brookehe
    brookehe Posts: 413 Member
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    Just found this on pinterest: http://www.aturtleslifeforme.com/2011/06/freezer-meals-on-cheap.html

    This gal managed to buy/cook (or prep)/freeze 46 meals (for 4 people) for $95. Wow! she's even more of a bargain shopper than I am! Hope these ideas help.
  • flutterbygrl1
    flutterbygrl1 Posts: 12
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    ok... so maybe my budget isn't the problem. i just have to be more creative. can-do! :happy:
  • LyndaSS52
    LyndaSS52 Posts: 2 Member
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    We have a discount fruit and vegetable store called H&W Produce - that sells fresh at a very reasonable price. (but you do have to watch your prices and the quality as you shop. I only purchase the bargains (and end up with variety week after week)
  • disdatdude
    disdatdude Posts: 118
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    There is no better time than dieting/monitoring what you eat to have an excuse for spending less money on food :laugh:

    All of the suggestions have been great. My addition would be to find a good grocer and get their discount card or use coupons. Also, if you are a meat eater, there are days that your market will discount it's meat so that they can move it faster. That's the day you want to scoop up your meat at a very nice discount. Nice steaks at Harris Teeter, Chops at Safeway...etc. Usually, they have a rack hidden in a store corner where they offer other things for discount (dry food, drinks, etc).:wink:
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
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    healthy foods not that expensive really. shop the sales, build meals around whats on special and low cal vs perhaps what you want to eat, fill up on salads and cheaper veges, make your own lunches and take them along, etc. Apples are cheap, and you can stew them for puddings easily. grated courgette and carrot to bulk out lean mince, you can even add gratged sweet potato to things as a carb.

    eating healthy isn't more expensive, it's just less convenient than grabbing junk.
  • blytheandbonnie
    blytheandbonnie Posts: 3,275 Member
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    Why does everybody say 'chicken breast? A whole chicken is much less expensive. You can roast it and have a meal then have leftovers and/or sandwiches and salads, and then make soup. The calories are not that much higher as long as you don't eat the skin. You can get a whole chicken for about $5. p.s. Use the skin for soup and skim off the fat.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    Why does everybody say 'chicken breast? A whole chicken is much less expensive. You can roast it and have a meal then have leftovers and/or sandwiches and salads, and then make soup. The calories are not that much higher as long as you don't eat the skin. You can get a whole chicken for about $5. p.s. Use the skin for soup and skim off the fat.

    I said chicken breast only because I never ate the dark meat on chicken or turkey. A lot of people do not like the dark meat and therefore buying a whole chicken would result in a lot of waste if there was no one around to eat the dark meat. Also, where I am it is much cheaper per pound to buy the chicken breast than the whole chicken unless the store has the precooked chickens on sale... but those I never did like to buy unless they were fresh out of the oven as some stores around here weren't popular and therefore had been sitting there for hours. A lot of stores around me don't even sell whole chickens.

    I do agree that a whole chicken can be more budget friendly if you can get them at a good price. The few times I have purchased them I have used the white meat for my meal and my husbands... we would use the bones for making stock and than add the dark meat with some veggies for a homemade meal for the dog.

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