Broke Like A Joke

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SwampWitch666
SwampWitch666 Posts: 110 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm a tattoo apprentice and I don't get paid regularly since I'm still learning the trade, I get paid in tips for doing chores around the shop. The dedication will pay off, but for now, I'm hungry.

So help a girl out, what are some of your favorite inexpensive, but healthy foods? Any low-cal struggle food recipes out there?

Replies

  • adthrift
    adthrift Posts: 2
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    I was about to ask the same question! It seems like everything affordable is super processed....
  • HawkeyeTy
    HawkeyeTy Posts: 681 Member
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    Eggs.
    Bacon.
    Hamburgers
    Chicken
    Vegetables.
  • rdybeck
    rdybeck Posts: 3
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    When I'm trying to be cheap I make a smoothie of
    frozen kale
    frozen peas
    selleri
    and ~2 dl of apple juice

    It's tastier than it sounds
  • khd8n
    khd8n Posts: 16 Member
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    Dried beans are cheap, healthy and filling. Bulk frozen chicken breasts and bulk frozen veggies are also good options. Check out this blog: http://www.budgetbytes.com/. She's a nutritionist/blogger who creates cheap, healthy meals. She has some good recipes.
  • adthrift
    adthrift Posts: 2
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    Chicken and vegetables would be good. I think that bacon isn't all that great for your cholesterol...and about half of the calories come from fat from what I've heard.
  • MsJulielicious
    MsJulielicious Posts: 708 Member
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    you can do things like making large batches of low fat crock pot chilli and freeze portions.
    Or make casseroles with things like diced chicken, campbells 98% fat free soup and canned veggies
    bulk inexpensive frozen fish will steam quickly and give you lean protein
    Black beans, brown rice, salsa, sour cream and avocado burritos
    Also here are some links I found:
    http://www.cookinglight.com/food/everyday-menus/healthy-on-budget-00412000074682/
    http://www.bhg.com/recipes/healthy/dinner/cheap-heart-healthy-dinner-ideas/
    http://greatist.com/health/cheap-healthy-recipe-collection
  • SwampWitch666
    SwampWitch666 Posts: 110 Member
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    Yeah, I'm definitely kickin' some daily chicken over here. No complaints though, there's a lot you can do with them!
  • 33Freya
    33Freya Posts: 468 Member
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    Black beans ($1.79 per bag- that'll make several pots), winter squash ($1 per lb), potatoes (go for yams), onions (to add to everything else for flavor), eggs, spinach, carrots, cabbage, ground beef. Do stir frys, roast the potatoes and yams, make veggie scrambles with the eggs, have a pot of beans (follow directions on package), roast squash in the oven. Good luck!
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    More and more food banks are offering fresh veg. Look in your area. My parents end up taking things home from the food bank they volunteer at because no one in their rural area has a clue what to do with eggplant or tapenade.

    Beans are super affordable and super healthy. If you like Italian, use white or navy beans and add spaghetti sauce (canned is the cheapest); if you like Mexican, lentils are good with taco seasonings; if you like curry, add curry spices to lentils...

    Some fruits can be very cheap, usually bananas, apples and in season local fruits are the cheapest.

    Frozen veg are usually as nutritious as fresh, but much cheaper.

    Eggs are dirt cheap.

    Do you have any space to grow anything?
  • dumb_blondes_rock
    dumb_blondes_rock Posts: 1,568 Member
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    Walmart pricing

    Oatmeal ($3-something for a huge tub)

    Frozen veggies (1.98 per bag broccoli or green beans)

    Boneless skinless chicken breast (1.99/lb)

    Eggs, I just bought egg whites in a carton, but I buy them buy 30 packs when I do the whole egg and I eat 4 eggs a day. Its about 4.00 for 30


    I eat almost the same thing everyday because we are poor. Oddly enough, it fits great in my macros, alongside with my calories.

    The oatmeal i use brown sugar cinnamon and sometime a tbs of butter and I cook it with water

    The broccoli I cook with butter and 1/3 cup cheddar cheese and I grill the breast with pam and the greenbeans I cook with butter

    Eggs I cook with pam and make an omelet with it, and a tiny bit of ketchup


    Hope this helps!
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    i live ina major metropolitan city and dont have access to a walmart, aldis, other discount store. what i do have access to is trader joes and a lucky's supermarket. cheap stuff is usually:

    eggs
    chicken thighs/wings
    fresh kale/spinach/collard greens
    bagged rice
    canned tomatoes
    pasta
    fresh veggies in season
    fresh fruit in season
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
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    Are you into any food blogs yet? Poor Girl Eats Well, Budget Bytes, and BrokeAssGormet are a few really great sites that are both health and price conscious. I've gotten so many ideas from that. I just got the book Ten Dollar Dinners too. What a great purchase that was. Not only great meals (a lot of them French inspired, which I love!), but tons of tips and tricks on how to stretch ingredients and shop smarter. And since the recipes are for 4 people, I can easily chop them in half to make the perfect portion for just me and my husband. Love that book!
  • alfiedn
    alfiedn Posts: 425 Member
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    I second dried beans and add lentils to the list. Pretty inexpensive depending on where you buy them and cooks up a ton.

    I ate a ton of eggs when I was in grad school. Also, don't be afraid to bake and cook things a bit slower. Make your own bread, etc. that can help with costs of foods.

    Also, if you have a farmers market nearby, hit that up for some good deals on produce. Check the "day old" sections of stores.buy discount produce that might be a bit bruised and cook it or put it in a blender.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Lentil soup. One $3 bag of lentils makes lunches for two of us all week. I usually add in chicken (we use lovely legs (skinless drumsticks), they're cheap, or you could use wings) you get a really filling meal for very little. About $1/serve I'd guess for me, and if you are in the US it's probably about half that.
  • SwampWitch666
    SwampWitch666 Posts: 110 Member
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    Are you into any food blogs yet? Poor Girl Eats Well, Budget Bytes, and BrokeAssGormet are a few really great sites that are both health and price conscious. I've gotten so many ideas from that. I just got the book Ten Dollar Dinners too. What a great purchase that was. Not only great meals (a lot of them French inspired, which I love!), but tons of tips and tricks on how to stretch ingredients and shop smarter. And since the recipes are for 4 people, I can easily chop them in half to make the perfect portion for just me and my husband. Love that book!

    That's a great idea, I've been super busy lately so I haven't been able to browse blogs much. Thanks for the tip!

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