Ready for a change.all advice accepted

MzEmbery
MzEmbery Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
I am brand new to MFP, yet very motivated to become healthy. I work 2-4 12 hours shift a week and go to school full time. I also have a eight year old. I am on a strict budget. How can I eat healthy on a budget? Please add me and help me. I am ready to feel healthy again and no more fatigue.

Replies

  • mlalka
    mlalka Posts: 16
    I find that looking through sale flyers helps keep the cost down. I let the sales dictate what I eat, not my cravings. Healthier food is more expensive, but you can usually find good deals every week to keep things from getting boring. Taking the time and plan ahead is key. I cook for about 3 days ahead for all my meals and snacks. This helps out a lot since it keeps me from eating out, which got real expensive and wasn't good for me. Alteast if you prepare everything at home, you know what you are eating and you can control what goes in it and how it is prepared. Feel free to add.
  • starfinale
    starfinale Posts: 309 Member
    same here! I have a hard time finding cheap food! it's frustrating. I eat more healthy snacks now than actual meals.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    It's cheaper to make your own of anything. Really. What costs the money is stuff that says "low fat."

    I found a lot of those items I can pretty much make myself if I take the time, and just store in the fridge, pantry or freezer.
  • liznotyet
    liznotyet Posts: 402 Member
    My favorite cheap diet foods: spinach, eggs, onions, sweet potatoes, canned salmon, beans, almond butter. My favorite affordable splurge - one piece of dark chocolate a day, another MFPer calls it her "date with chocolate." Finally - tea bags are much much cheaper than coffee, and if you like it black/unsweetened, it's zero calories. hang in there, it is possible to shake the processed foods cravings.
  • KhinoHoang
    KhinoHoang Posts: 59
    Hi,

    Be careful of what you invest in. Some "fat free" things are high in sugar and do the exact opposite of what you would expect. Unfortunately, it's not cheap to lose weight, but if you're used to eating out, then you're actually saving money.

    I used to buy wheat bread, turkey slices, and cheese. I ate this a lot if I didn't have time. I wouldn't do this for a long time, but it works if you're in a pinch.
  • kgillis87
    kgillis87 Posts: 43 Member
    Shop around (if you can) - check the flyers and compare prices regularly. Also, like the other folks have mentioned, it's often cheaper to prepare things yourself. Buy multiples of things that are on sale (again, watch those flyers like a hawk!), especially if they can keep for a while (think canned, or frozen). While fresh is always so nice, and is going to deliver the most in terms of vitamins and minerals, there's nothing wrong with keeping a bunch of frozen fruit and veggies on hand so that you know it's always there. Also, really cuts down the prep time - how fast is it to whip open a bag of frozen green beans and steam some? And frozen > canned, if you can get it, since canned goods are often loaded with extra sodium. Also, decide what things are important to spend your money on - like good quality fats and proteins - to make sure you're getting the biggest bang for your buck. Good quality olive oil for instance, while pricey, is way different than the cheap stuff - not just in terms of flavor, but also the health benefits of monounsaturated fats (such as lowering cardiovascular disease risk), so it's worthwhile to put a little more money towards those sorts of things if you can. Olive oil is also a great example of versatility - you invest your money in this one thing, but you can get so many various outcomes. As a salad dressing for example, just start with your olive oil, add whatever acid you want (your favorite vinegar, some lemon or lime juice) a little salt and pepper, and from this single purchase of olive oil, you have a plethora of salad dressings at your finger tips - waaaaaay cheaper in the long run than stocking up on catalina and fat free ranch and french and greek and italian.... So, keep versatility in mind too - if you buy something, can you use it in more ways than one, to really make that dollar stretch?

    Hope that was a little bit helpful!
  • kgillis87
    kgillis87 Posts: 43 Member
    Oh! And hummus! Nutritious and delicious, fast and easy to make! Crack open that can of chickpeas (that was pretty cheap and def cost less than whatever pre-prepared monstrosity in the deli area that probably has mayo in it anyways for some godforsaken reason), drain, rinse, chuck it in your food processor/blender/magic bullet/whatever-you-have-that-can-pulverize with some olive oil (a couple tbsp), lemon juice, and whatever flavor your heart desires (garlic, red pepper, your favorite spice). Blast that into oblivion for a few seconds, and boom - hummus. A really good amount of it too - really stretches that chickpea investment a long way. So good. dip your veggies in it, put it on a sandwhich, eat it on an apple, maybe even with a spoon (if you're into that...). Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and deliciousness.
  • fluffychicken7
    fluffychicken7 Posts: 77 Member
    No tahini in your hummus?

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