HELP! Which foods are best on a low budget?

oatmeal, eggs, tuna, chicken

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..

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.

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

Eggs are always on sale where I live.

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.

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!

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

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

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.

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!!

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