Healthy on a Budget...

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SwiitiPi
SwiitiPi Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I work part time and I don't make a lot of money. After rent and gas I usually only have around $100. I also have to put some of that money toward my debt. SO my food budget is super small. Any ideas?

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  • Griffin220x
    Griffin220x Posts: 399
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    You can do a lot of things with veggies, tuna, and eggs. Those are a staple for me. Try Frozen fish. and some chicken breast that's always while you're on a budget.
  • kwilliam2
    kwilliam2 Posts: 35
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    Price/calorie: (Price in USD ex: .0004=4 ten thousandths of a dollar)
    .0004/calorie-Raw Brown Rice
    .0006/calorie-Quick Oats
    .0008/calorie-Whole Wheat Pasta
    .0011/calorie-Raw Lentils
    .0011/calorie-Natural PB
    .0014/calorie-Peanuts (dry roasted, unsalted)
    .0015/calorie- Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Bread
    .0017/calorie-Almonds (unsalted, raw)
    .0017/calorie-Whole Milk
    .0019/calorie- Great Value Regular Alfredo Sauce
    .0020/calorie- Farmland Original Pork Sausage
    .0022/calorie-Canned Beans
    .0022/calorie-Generic 18pk Eggs
    .0022/calorie-Frozen Corn
    .0023/calorie-Triscuits
    .0023/calorie-ON Mass Gainer
    .0024/calorie-Banana
    .0026/calorie-Great Value Shredded cheese
    .0029/calorie-Chipotle Flavored Mayo
    .003/calorie-Ezekiel Bread
    .0031/calorie-Fat Free Milk
    .0032/calorie- Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey (Big Package)
    .0032/calorie- Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey Rolls
    .0032/calorie-Whole Cottage Cheese
    .0035/calorie-Velveeta Sliced Cheese
    .0038/calorie- Sandwich Thins
    .004/calorie-Fat Free Cottage Cheese
    .0042/calorie-Thomas 100% Whole Wheat Muffins
    .0042/calorie-Peas & Carrots
    .0044/calorie- Ragu Light Alfredo Sauce
    .0045- Honeysuckle White Premade Turkey Patties
    .0047/calorie-Chicken Breast
    .0052/calorie- Flatout Flatbread
    .0055/calorie-Fat Free Shredded Cheese
    .0058/calorie-ON Gold StandardWhey Powder
    .0063/calorie- Honeysuckle White Lean Turkey Sausage
    .0078/calorie-Extra Lean (97%) Ground Turkey
    .0083/calorie-ON Casein Powder
    .0084/calorie-Liquid Egg Whites
    .0091/calorie-Plain Greek Yogurt
    .0093/calorie-Sliced Turkey Breast
    .0095/calorie-Frozen Salmon Fillet
    .0101/calorie-Frozen Mixed Fruit
    .011/calorie-Frozen Broccoli Florets
    .0124/calorie-Frozen Seasoning Blend
    .0124/calorie-Starkist Tuna (in pouches, dry grocery)
    .015/calorie-Frozen Cauliflower
    .0153/calorie-Salmon Pouch (in pouches, dry grocery)
    .0179/calorie-Frozen Blueberries
    .0215/calorie-Frozen Mushrooms

    Cheapest proteins/calorie:
    .0022/calorie-Generic 18pk Eggs
    .0032/calorie- Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey Rolls
    .0047/calorie-Chicken Breast
    .0058/calorie-ON Whey Powder
    .0078/calorie-Extra Lean Ground Turkey
    .0083/calorie-ON Casein Powder
    .0084/calorie-Liquid Egg Whites
    .0091/calorie-Plain Greek Yogurt
    .0093/calorie-Sliced Turkey Breast
    .0095/calorie-Frozen Salmon Fillet
    .0124/calorie-Starkist Tuna (in pouches, dry grocery)
    .0153/calorie-Salmon Pouch (in pouches, dry grocery)


    Note: These are obviously local prices, I would imagine that they wouldn't be the same for everyone but they should be comparable. This is a list of everything I would consider eating (whole foods, natural bodybuilding diet), they're all very easy to cook, the prices are figured with the raw generic brands (great value from Walmart for me). Also, canned beans and fish are extremely cheap but I don't like buying them because they're difficult to weigh (they don't match what's on the label after you've drained and rinsed them).
  • gemmaleigh1989
    gemmaleigh1989 Posts: 241 Member
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    Try starting your own veggie patch!
  • SwiitiPi
    SwiitiPi Posts: 27 Member
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    I would love to have a veggie garden but I live in an apartment complex and there is no where to even put pots. I live in a weird spot where the sun hardly ever hits.
  • CLFrancois
    CLFrancois Posts: 472 Member
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    Buy local (no middle man)
    Buy in season.
    Bulk is cheaper, no packaging. (places that have the big bins you can scoop out of)
  • Kandace_Riopel
    Kandace_Riopel Posts: 80 Member
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    try looking in your area for a community garden where u can rent a plot.... weigh in the cost of it all and see if its worthy of the committment
  • yrammack1
    yrammack1 Posts: 3
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    GREAT LIST !
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
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    I eat primarily raw vegan so it can get quite pricey as most of the things i eat are fresh produce. However, I can get by on about $25 a week for me. All the produce I buy is either in season or on sale. I make my own sprouts (so easy and much cheaper than in the stores!). I make my own bread for my husband (again, super easy and super cheap!)

    Buy in season. Make your meals around what is on sale and what is in season. Buy large bags of dried beans and rice which go a long way and are super cheap. Shop around... find what store is cheapest. For produce you will eat in the next day or two buy off the cheap rack of things that are about to go bad. For meats, go right before the stores close... most stores will mark down their meats (some do it right before close, some in the mornings). Depending on where you live, some dollar stores sells great frozen foods. Try not to buy processed foods as they can be more expensive. Eggs can be pretty cheap and go far.

    When they are open, shop at farmers markets. Go later in the day as most people will mark down their produce so they don]t have to bring it back with them.

    Find a sunny corner of your apartment and grow vegetables. I grew green peppers, tomatos, jalapenos, and lettuce mixes in pots in my old apartment.
  • yoshna
    yoshna Posts: 69
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    The best thing I've done is start to buy things like nuts, seeds, wholegrains, lentils, mung beans, dried fruit, honey and nut butters in bulk. I've collaborated with 7 friends to set up a buying group, and we do a monthly order from a wholesale website between us - so we each spend £20 a month and get LOADS of stuff for it. If you know some people in your area who'd be up for doing something like that, it's wonderful!
  • esmer0924
    esmer0924 Posts: 3 Member
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    Farmer Markets in your area, coupons (there are coupons for healthy items) like Kashi, Turkey Bacon, Some Dollar Stores will have good produce, food pantries are good,
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
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    Buy what is on sale, buy generic, buy things that will not spoil quickly and that you can use for several different meals. Check out frozen produce, pasta, rice, tuna fish, peanut butter. I have been in your boat before....cut coupons and really price compare. Also, see if there is an ALDI or Bottom Dollar near you they usually have items for under your regular grocery store prices.
  • sweetbippy
    sweetbippy Posts: 189 Member
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    Do you live anywhere near an Aldis? They are so much cheaper. I find their veggies and fruits are typically half the price of a regular grocery. Try Big Lots/Odd Lots/Job Lots. Ours has started carrying quite a few healthy boxed/canned items for a fraction of the cost. It's different every time, so keep checking. You could invest in an indoor growing light and try to grow some things from seeds. My uncle and grandmother have had great luck with this. Does your apartment have a roof top you could use for potted veggies? Lastly, if you see a good sale, check online for printable coupons, and buy several to use when it's not on sale. We save a lot of money doing this. Good luck!
  • chercee
    chercee Posts: 120 Member
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    Definitely make friends with your local bulk store. Spices are (usually) really, really cheap and they go a long way to make food taste delicious without adding a bunch of extra calories. You can also get things like flax seeds, hemp hearts (etc) for little cost. Nuts can be expensive, though I've found almonds and pistachios to be the cheapest.

    If you don't have dietary restrictions where you have to be really specific, go no-name for things like oats. As others have said, eggs and tuna can help you out a lot.

    Soup/stew is something that you can really stretch - I call them my "something from nothing meals." Odds and ends from your fridge and pantry, freeze what's leftover.
  • magsxx
    magsxx Posts: 46 Member
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    Do a weekly/monthly food plan and only buy what you need. Have similar things for breakfast/lunch for the week so that you don't need to be buying loads of different stuff and then mix up your dinners and snacks so that you don't get bored.
  • Jamie430
    Jamie430 Posts: 8 Member
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    Do a weekly/monthly food plan and only buy what you need. Have similar things for breakfast/lunch for the week so that you don't need to be buying loads of different stuff and then mix up your dinners and snacks so that you don't get bored.

    I definitely second a menu/food plan. This has saved us a lot of money by simply planning exactly what we are going to eat. I also look at the sale ads. If boneless skinless chicken breast is on sale, then that is what is on the menu lol
  • dawningr
    dawningr Posts: 387 Member
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    Frozen Veggies, Shop sales (I just bought fresh pineapple for only $1.49 each this past week), co-ops, farmers markets. Buy in bulk. the Large container of yogurt for me is always cheaper than individual cups (even when they're on sale). Frozen Chicken Breasts, Markdowns at the meat counter, tuna, etc. It can be done.
  • Pkeenan1229
    Pkeenan1229 Posts: 51 Member
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    I buy a LOT of frozen veggies. When I used to live in Philly, there was a really cheap Italian Market. Fish and meat was even cheaper there. I carry a nalagene with me full of water/crystal light and try to keep some snacks on me so I won't buy out when I'm hungry / too busy. You could even get plain popcorn kernals and pop your own. You can do it! If you need to eat something like Ramen / rice just keep it within your calories and watch portions. Good luck!

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