Looking for tips for dieting on a budget!

if u have a publix in ur area..u should try to catch their bogo deals....this week they have a whole bunch of healthy food on that type of sale... try doing cereal as snacks or yogurt

I'm with you on this! I'm a broke college student, and my lifestyle isn't a cheap one. Taking in 170g of protein every day gets pretty darn pricey. Every time I go shopping, I buy the very basic basics. It's not always the most exciting, but it gets the job done. So here are the very basics for clean eating...you can buy them in large amounts, they're shelf stable, and you can make a lot with them:

Oats
Sweet Potato
Brown Rice (cheapest in large amounts on non-instant)
Whole Grain Bread (I keep it in the fridge so it keeps longer)


Bags of frozen chicken breast (two bags for $12 at Walmart!)
Whiting or Tilapia frozen (usually come in bags as well)
Lean Ground beef in bulk (like the big tubes...80/20 or leaner is great)
Canned Tuna


18 or 24 carton of Eggs (egg substitute is expensive, and you should be eating yolks anyway, they're good for you!)
Fat Free Cottage Cheese
Fat Free Milk

Natural Peanut Butter
Almonds
Olive Oil
Flax Seed
^^The fats are the priciest, but they're important to include especially if you can't afford fattier fish like salmon.

If you really want to save, buy fresh veggies. Those take longer to cook than frozen or steambag, but they're cheaper. Since I can't cook, I buy storebrand steambags :bigsmile: For fruits I always buy the mixed bag of apples and oranges, and just as many bananas as I think I'll eat in the next couple days, which is as little as 2. Then you're not wasting anything!

I also buy Whey Protein Isolate as a quick source of protein...that's also a bit expensive and by no means necessary, but it is a very quick snack.

I suggest that you look up recipes for meal replacement bars...I have made some with oats, PB, and whey protein that turned out delicious, and I could just pop one into my gymbag or purse and go. Cooking things in advance is really helpful.

How about sharing a few of your meal replacement bar recipes with us all?

Sure thing! These are all from bodybuilding.com, but don't worry they're not going to turn you into a musclebound meathead I have been losing body fat for about a year now, and I still use them. The sport is about losing fat just as much as gaining muscle. Many do call for protein powder, which you can get at Kroger, Wal Mart, Target, or any nutrition store for anywhere from $14 to $50. I use it a few times a day, either drinking it with milk or mixing it into my oats. Feel free to replace the flavors with whatever you like. Sorry, some don't have nutrition facts, but if you want to do the math they won' t be hard to figure out. So there's my little disclaimer :bigsmile:

STRAWBERRY & BANANA MEAL REPLACEMENT BARS
Makes 6 bars
1 cup raw oatmeal
5 scoops of strawberry protein powder ( 90g of protein)
1/4 cup fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup non fat dry milk powder
2 egg whites
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 bananas, mashed
2 tsp. canola oil (this is the secret to moist bars instead of the traditional dry bar)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9x9 square pan with cooking spray & set aside. In a med.ium bowl combine oatmeal, Protein powder & dry milk. Set aside. In another bowl beat together with an electric hand mixer, cream cheese, egg whites, bananas, water & oil. Add the oat mixture & continue to beat until the two are combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan & bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Calories-203, Protein 22g, Carbs 22g, Fats 3g
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PEANUT BUTTER BANANA
1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup peanut butter
2 scoops protein powder (add more is desired)
2 ripened banana's (mashed or blended)
2 cups quick oats

Combine peanut butter, milk, banana in pan over low heat. dont cook it just warm it enough to be able to stir together. mix well. add protein powder, stir until uniform color. lastly add oats and stir until well mixed.

press into greased or ungreased 8X8 pan. let cool and cut into 16 bars
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TROPICAL
4 Scoops Dymatize Pina Colada Whey (or your own type)
1.5 C Old Fashioned Oats
1 Pack of Strawberry-banana Sugar-free jello (or flavor of your type)
1 C Skim milk
Sweeten with splenda or stevia.

Mix in flat pan until a good sticky mixture is formed. Place in Fridge overnight or freezer for more hardened bars. Make great snacks or for postworkout.

Totals

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Per Serving
Calories - 1020

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Calories - 170
Fat- 15g

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Fat - 2.5g
Carbs- 107g

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Carbs - 18g
Protein- 120g

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Protein - 20g

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LOW CARB (Flaxmeal is entirely fiber)
6 scoops whey - flavor of your choice
6 egg whites
.5 cup milk
2 cups flaxmeal
1 cup splenda
1 tbs baking powder
cinnamon to taste
1 tbs vanilla extract

Bake @ 350 until toothpick comes out clean when tested in middle.

thx everyone for the great ideas!

songbyrd- you are genious!

another cheap way to get that protein is tofu, it's easy to cook, comes in some great forms and costs way less than meat... well i think it does anyway i haven't ever bought meat... it's like 1.50 for firm regual tofu for stir fry, or a couple bucks for the kind that resembles ground beef and there's a bunch more types too.

oh, and as far as cereals for a snack: kashi go lean crunch is super hearty, has great chunks that make it feel like caramel popcorn balls or something, has lots of fiber and is just sweet enough.

Sounds perfect! I think that will be my next purchase - thanks!

Healthy for the family I buy lots of chicken, veggies, fruit, healthy cereal, lite sauces(spaghetti sauce no meat), lite dressings and wraps. Everyone in my family eats this. I only buy two things for myself Fat free milk my children are little and have to drink full fat milk, and once a month I go to a whole foods store to buy myself shirataki noodles (great meal, filling, easy to prepare, low in calories) I use this to replace what my family eats that I don't want to ie. stuffing, mashed potatoes They only cost me 1.49 a bag so I spend about 30 a month on them. I usually eat half a bag at a time. Research this it seems to be working for me. Since both me and my bf drink soda I only buy diet. the kids don't get it anyway. . I try to use all the food that I cook either that night or revamped in leftovers so we don't waste money.