eating healthy when you're flat broke?

Options
brittanybrown1991
brittanybrown1991 Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
hi peeps. so i'm struggling with finding healthy choices that i can afford. i find myself VERY tight on cash lately and my work does not have a fridge or microwave or anything for me to pack lunches or bring leftovers from home. so i find myself tempted by the ever present dollar menus that surround me all day. anyone have tips for eating healthy on an extremely tight budget?
«1

Replies

  • daisymae850
    daisymae850 Posts: 127 Member
    Options
    Try Aldi and get the packages of frozen Talipia Filets, they are like $3-4 for the whole bag and there are like 6 or 8 in the bag. Can you bring an insulated lunch bag? If so bring salads from home or low calorie lunch meat on low calorie bread.
  • lizplaster
    lizplaster Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    you can definitley do it! My advice is to plan in advance. Get an insulated lunch bag with the icepacks that you keep in the freezer overnight then place in your lunch pail. You won't need a fridge for that. I pack a sandwich every day along with string cheese and some carrots. I do most of my shopping at Sam's Club which helps you save money.

    You can eat healthy on a diet, it just takes planning.
  • Shelby1582
    Shelby1582 Posts: 191 Member
    Options
    I also agree with an insulated lunch bag so you can bring your lunch instead of eating out. I am also surrounded by fast food so I bring leftovers from the night before or pick up My Fit Foods if I can afford it. I always keep nuts, fat free triscuits and stuff to make peanut butter jelly sandwiches at work also.
  • lqichick
    lqichick Posts: 162 Member
    Options
    Yeah, it can be costly. 4- apples cost me 5$ the other weekend. Then I walk down a cracker aisle and here are two boxes of Special K cracker chips for the same. 4 servings v's at least twice that much. i still chose the apples.
  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
    Options
    I'm not much help but I'll try.

    Oatmeal. Filling, low calorie and cheap

    Salads can be inexpensive and with only minimal amount of cooling.
  • Britterboo22
    Britterboo22 Posts: 300 Member
    Options
    well im sortof on a budget.
    I eat mostly fresh veggies and fruits.
    ALSO ricecakes. love love love them
    Granola bars.

    Last time i went shopping i got a ton of things under 20 dollars.
    ALSO i usually eat a healthy breakfast and snacks but eat whatever were haviing for dinner just portion control
  • Fjcookie
    Fjcookie Posts: 48
    Options
    You can bring salad and/or peanut butter sandwiches.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Options
    I found these sites really helpful when I decided to be a SAHM, and was looking for ways to stretch money, living on just one paycheck:

    http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet16EatingBetterOnABudget.pdf

    http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet9SmartShopping.pdf

    http://stronglifts.com/20-simple-ways-to-eat-healthy-on-a-budget/
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Options
    Bring a small cooler.


    BOOM!
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    Options
    More and more dollar stores offer groceries now.

    http://health.yahoo.net/experts/yourbestfitness/99-cent-diet-could-it-work-you

    For work lunches, you can take lots of fruits, veggies, salads, and some bread as those won't need to be heated or cooled.
  • GoClaireGo
    GoClaireGo Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    1. Good high fiber bread with PB and honey/jelly
    2. Apples (can usually find for $1/lb) are cheaper and more filling than chips
    3. Homemade soups/chili with lots of beans instead of meat - I do this a lot if I have sprung for veggie produce and they are near their date. I chop up any carrots, onions, tomatoes etc and put them in a chili
    4. Tortillas with pinto beans and salsa; side of fruit or carrot sticks
    5. Whole wheat spaghetti with sauce
    6. Vegetable stir fry can be really cheap if you buy a big bag of rice and frozen veggies and makes a lot of meals

    *Definately try to spring for the lunch box and ice pack. It is worth it!

    Sorry most of my suggestions are vegetarian but I think it is cheaper.
  • silvergurl518
    silvergurl518 Posts: 4,123 Member
    Options
    www.poorgirleatswell.com
  • MissFitee
    MissFitee Posts: 106 Member
    Options
    Well.... uncooked beans are extremely cheap. Just cook a biiiig batch and freeze in portion sizes.

    As for what to bring to work. Is it possible to bring prepared frozen meals that can be eaten cold and then just let them defrost slowly through the day...
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
    Options
    Get an insulated lunch bag and a small ice pack to keep things cold. You can usually find these things at the dollarstore and they allow you to bring salads, milk and cereal, cold pasta salads, sandwiches.. just about anything really that needs to be chilled until lunch time.
  • oX_Vanessa_Xo
    oX_Vanessa_Xo Posts: 478
    Options
    Good question. Im going through the same! Though I struggle with this at home!
  • Cockney365
    Cockney365 Posts: 52 Member
    Options
    I'm a student on an £800 a month bursary with bills of about £1000! Don't ask me how that works, it very rarely does. Anyway I don't know if you have them where you are, but I make my lunches for the week in one go with those chicken-in-a-bag meals, on a Sunday night. Colman's Season and Shake, at the moment my current favourite is Cajun Chicken. In the oven, 45 minutes later and Bob's your uncle.

    400g chicken (I buy frozen for about £3 a bag and defrost them)
    175g brown rice, (£1 for 1kg)
    1 onion (45p)
    200g cherry tomatoes (not essential, a squirt of ketchup will suffice if the tomatoes aren't on special offer!) (£1 for 100g)
    some water (gratis)
    The Season and Shake sachet (£1 maximum)
    1 pepper (bought in a bag, £1.20)

    Total cost: £6.65 for 4 meals. Makes four servings which is my Monday to Thursday lunch sorted. I eat it cold when I am at uni, I just take it in a cool bag with the frozen packs in to stop it from recooking in the lecture theatre. The sachets themselves range from 50p to £1.20 and I tend to stock up when they are on special offer, 2 for £2 normally, and there are others like Maggi So Juicy etc. It may be processed, it may not be clean/paleo/whatever but it's a good combination of carbs, protein, vegetables and with mostly fresh food, or as close to as I can get it. Works for me anyway! I make sure I drink plenty of (free) water, flavoured with slices of lemons and limes (currently 4 for £1 at Tesco) and an apple or orange to increase my uptake of fresh stuff. You can always add half a bag of salad if you feel like you need more food for lunch (I personally don't, on 1700 calories a day)

    Hope this is helpful!
  • gracetillman
    gracetillman Posts: 190 Member
    Options
    Look for sales -- every grocery store puts out a weekly sales flyer and there are ALWAYS healthy options included -- usually some good produce buys. I also look for when they mark down meats. I picked up organic ground beef last week for $3.50 a pound. My freezer is my friend to stock up when I find excellent deals. I try to buy one or two extra if I can.

    I shop at an Asian grocery store which carries ripe produce at inexpensive prices compared to regular grocery stores.

    You can also buy one of those little thermos insulated containers to bring hot food to work. For a couple of hours they will keep it pretty hot. I bring warm leftovers to work all the time and don't need to microwave it.

    I make sandwiches using whole wheat bread or whole wheat sandwich rounds -- with an ice pack in the lunch box they are fine.

    Sometimes I make a tuna sandwich with the packages of tuna and a lite mayo pack (usually extra from Chick Fil A) but do not require any refrigeration.

    Cheese is inexpensive if you can find it on sale.

    You can do it but it will take a little more planning.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Options
    Call me old school but my Mom would pack my Dad a lunch every night in an old metal lunch pail to take to his midnight shift @ the foundry. I'm sure there was no refrigerator, microwave or stove where he worked back in the 50s and 60s. To make it more interesting sometimes he would bring a half sandwich home: wilted lettuce, mayo and bologna, chipped ham or egg salad. I'd have it for breakfast on my way to the bus stop. Wow. I loved those warm, leftover "sammiches" with the wilted lettuce. Same was true of everything else Mom may have packed in his old lunch pail. Recycled to keep us all fed. My brother and I are still alive to talk about it.

    All said, a lunch cooler with an ice pack is a reasonable idea. I'd bemore worried about what is in the ice pack just in case it springs a leak.
  • hmg90
    hmg90 Posts: 314 Member
    Options
    I was tight last week and had to make some changes:
    - I eat a lot of eggs anyway, and they aren't too expensive.
    - Frozen vegetables. Green beans are very low calorie and very cheap too.
    - I'd make porridge of just oats and water. Not very exciting, but keep you full.
    - Soups.
  • JackWeaver84
    JackWeaver84 Posts: 3
    Options
    Yeah, it can be costly. 4- apples cost me 5$ the other weekend. Then I walk down a cracker aisle and here are two boxes of Special K cracker chips for the same. 4 servings v's at least twice that much. i still chose the apples.

    Wow, way to be constructive. Can you use those 5 apples as full meals 3 times a day? Fail of a post


    Anyways OP, I understand where you are coming from. I have found that it can be expensive if you buy all the fancy "diet food" but it is reasonable when buying the basic. Veggies, fruits, turkey meat, skinless chicken etc can all be reasonably priced. You can make stir fry, salads etc out of these things. Just watch for sales.

    Good luck :)

Categories