Healthy Diet, On a BUDGET!

yayamarieg
yayamarieg Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
Hey Fitness Pals, I am so new to this! I really wanna buckle down and get healthy!! I have just moved back home to my dads, and eating healthy has been hard! I think I need to start buying some groceries for myself, but I am also saving for a place. So any ideas on how to shop for healthy foods on a budget?? Any advice would help! I'll even take grocery list! Also, any ideas on how to motivate myself to get up and eat breakfast !! Lol. I love to sleep, and I am not a morning person! But I want to change my lifestyle so bad!! Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks all!
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Replies

  • weightliftingdiva
    weightliftingdiva Posts: 522 Member
    You don't have to eat first thing in the morning if you don't want to.

    Buy things like rice, beans, pasta, flour and lentils in bulk. They're dirt cheap and a good source of calories, plus you get to learn how to cook.
    Buy store/generic brand groceries.
    If bread is cheaper in bulk for you, buy it and freeze what you won't use right away.
    Buy bouillon instead of boxed stock - boxed stock costs way more to ship because of the water weight then bouillon, so it's much more expensive.
    Season lightly and only buy seasonings you know you will enjoy and use.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Eating breakfast does not make someone healthy. It is o.k. to skip it. All that matters is how many calories you ate in the 24 hour period.
  • TLIVIGNSTON
    TLIVIGNSTON Posts: 81 Member
    this is good avice.. also some veges/salads might last longer if they are kept in a container in the fridge... having said that some might go a lil soggy.. for example i keep kale in a container int he fridge and it lasts ages... same with celery and red cabbage..

    also im in Australia, i can got a and spend 50$ on veges at my local market and it will last me a week to a fortnight. supermarkets are more expensive for fresh produce..

    if you feel like hot chips (fries) make your own from potato or sweet potato... etc... don't buy frozen foods.. frozen veges and berries are ok.. buy canned chickpeas... always a nice addition to salads..


    urmmm im just rattling of things that help me in a weekly shop as im in a similar position that your self.

    having said that spoil yourself once in a while as a treat for doing good.

    hope everything works out.. remember these things take time to fall into place so be patience..

    live long and prosper.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Make your breakfast before you go to bed. Oatmeal and boiled eggs are easy peasy.

    As for everything else, look at your weekly grocery ads. Plan your meals around the cheap cuts of meat and veggies. If something is a particularly good sale, stock up and freeze it. Even most veggies can be blanched and flash frozen.

    Aside from that, buy rice and beans/lentils in bulk and include them as much as possible into your diet.
  • zendudeplaysbass
    zendudeplaysbass Posts: 1
    First post for me. I really need to eat better, eat less and spend less on food because of job loss. It's time to turn things around for mind, body & soul - crunch time is here! Has anybody used the recipes on http://www.budget101.com/frugal/recipes-117/ with fitness in mind? I haven't made any of them yet, but I kinda like the DIY ethos of the site.

    Getting up early is pretty crucial, but make it easier on yourself by getting to bed a little earlier for a night or two first, and get in the habit of spending about 5 - 10 minutes getting ready for your day before you hit the sack. Then when the alarm goes off early, you already have the morning routine kicked in the butt before your feet hit the floor.

    Good luck!
  • TLIVIGNSTON
    TLIVIGNSTON Posts: 81 Member
    oh yea i always try and make lunch the night before... as far as breakky goes it will have a shake and then some toast a few hours later. (im pretty lucky we have a kitchen at work) so this might not apply to you.. if not take some nuts and fruit in.
  • kynsie2
    kynsie2 Posts: 35 Member
    Brown rice, healthier than white rice. Eggs, healthy and inexpensive.
    Fresh veggies since you probably only have to feed yourself. Asparagus,broccoli, etc.
    Carrots & peanut butter to snack on. (Carrots lose a lot of nutrition cooking them) Peanut butter-protien.
    Different beans to cook. (No canned)
    Chicken is healthy, watch for sales.
    No white bread if u can avoid it.
    There's a couple meals there. Omelets, chk and rice, beans chicken & or rice.
    Watch for trans fat, of course all high fructose corn syrup avoid like the plague.
    Beets are good for you.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Brown rice, healthier than white rice. Eggs, healthy and inexpensive.
    Fresh veggies since you probably only have to feed yourself. Asparagus,broccoli, etc.
    Carrots & peanut butter to snack on. (Carrots lose a lot of nutrition cooking them) Peanut butter-protien.
    Different beans to cook. (No canned)
    Chicken is healthy, watch for sales.
    No white bread if u can avoid it.
    There's a couple meals there. Omelets, chk and rice, beans chicken & or rice.
    Watch for trans fat, of course all high fructose corn syrup avoid like the plague.
    Beets are good for you.

    Brown rice really isn't much/at all healthier than white rice. White bread is fine. HFCS is fine as well.

    The rest of it I agree with. :flowerforyou:
  • kynsie2
    kynsie2 Posts: 35 Member
    canned chickpeas oh yea these are good
    and if you want them as a snack put a little oil on a pan, roll them around, add some garlic or salt, what ever u like and bake them
    Better than pretzels!!
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
    Provided you don't live in a food desert (like I do - that's a place where a lot of lower middle class and poor people live, that doesn't have many options for fresh foods, and most of the options for food are chain stores that don't have many options or are expensive, gas stations, or discount stores like Dollar tree - and since people are lower middle class or poor, transportation to the city is hard), avoid chain stores and discount stores when doing your shopping.

    Farmers markets tend to have the best offers for fresh fruits and vegetables. We have exactly one nearby (but I can't get there unless my sister comes by to give us a ride), and we can get lbs of fruits and vegetables for a dollar or so. Sometimes less, if it's bruised or something. And some fruit is fine bruised, like bananas.

    Shop frugally. When buying meat, shop around a lot. Buying it by the bundle is often cheaper. I haven't been able to buy any at all (the past few months I've been surviving off less than 100 a month :( ), but when I can buy it.. I always buy bundles. It works out to where you save up to ten bucks or more.

    Don't be afraid of frozen fruits and vegetables. They last longer (don't go bad as quick as fresh ones), so you can buy them in bulk when you have the money and they're a bit healthier than canned (though less so than fresh). Canned works in a pinch for the end of the month, when everything else is low.

    Oatmeal is cheap. Rice is cheap. These make great sides or breakfasts. Brown rice is pricier than white... and they're both, actually, fairly healthy. Eggs are a cheap source of protein. Peanut butter is cheap and filling. And don't be afraid to experiment. Part of living on a budget is learning to make the best with what you have! One of our favorite meals growing up... was a simple pot of potatoes, sausage, and onions. My mom made it at the end of the month... literally using the remains of our food that hadn't been used. We, also, loved when she made white rice with burger.
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
    You don't have to eat first thing in the morning if you don't want to.

    Buy things like rice, beans, pasta, flour and lentils in bulk. They're dirt cheap and a good source of calories, plus you get to learn how to cook.
    Buy store/generic brand groceries.
    If bread is cheaper in bulk for you, buy it and freeze what you won't use right away.
    Buy bouillon instead of boxed stock - boxed stock costs way more to ship because of the water weight then bouillon, so it's much more expensive.
    Season lightly and only buy seasonings you know you will enjoy and use.

    :noway:

    I never thought of doing this! How well does it thaw, and how long can you keep it frozen for?
  • yayamarieg
    yayamarieg Posts: 5
    First let me say thank you all for all of your responses! I honestly didn't expect to get so many so quickly! I am definitely going to take notes and then go do my shopping! You guys are all awesome! I'm excited to start my journey and fully commit. I have a long way to go! But I am very eager! And I will definitely use this site for motivation! Thanks again!
  • RamonaFr
    RamonaFr Posts: 112
    It's time to learn to cook! For instance, it takes five minutes to throw together a batch of bread, then the rest is just waiting and baking. It's much less expensive and tastes better than commercial bread -- and you know what's in it!

    Homemade soup is delicious, much better than canned soup and much healthier. And it freezes well, so you can make a lot, divide it up into servings and freeze them individually.

    Cook your own lean protein for sandwiches, depending on what's on sale. It's not hard to cook chicken breasts, for instance, and then slice them as needed to make sandwiches or salads.

    Don't buy mixed salad greens -- too expensive. Buy whole heads of lettuce or cabbage and make your own salad mixes. Properly washed and wrapped, lettuce keeps well in the frig.

    Shop around the outside of the main aisles in the store -- that's where all the fresh food usually is kept. You'll find produce, dairy products, meat around the outside of the store. Venture into the aisles to buy whole grains and dried beans. They're easy to cook, too.

    You can even learn to can, dehydrate or freeze produce when you find it at a really good price or the neighbor gives you a huge basket of tomatoes or squash.
  • Gidzmo
    Gidzmo Posts: 905 Member
    If you have the space (and the patience), try starting a garden.

    Benefits: exercise, fresh fruits and veggies. You don't even have to start from seeds; you can get some plants at the stores.
    Downsides: weeds.

    Also, if you have a card for someplace like Costco, that is good for SOME things in bulk.
    I also have store loyalty cards (for the local grocery stores); these give me special prices for different things (check the store ads).
  • mickiebabs
    mickiebabs Posts: 183 Member
    You don't have to eat first thing in the morning if you don't want to.

    Buy things like rice, beans, pasta, flour and lentils in bulk. They're dirt cheap and a good source of calories, plus you get to learn how to cook.
    Buy store/generic brand groceries.
    If bread is cheaper in bulk for you, buy it and freeze what you won't use right away.
    Buy bouillon instead of boxed stock - boxed stock costs way more to ship because of the water weight then bouillon, so it's much more expensive.
    Season lightly and only buy seasonings you know you will enjoy and use.

    :noway:

    I never thought of doing this! How well does it thaw, and how long can you keep it frozen for?

    We do this all the time. Weekly I buy about 6 loaves of bread and put them in the freezer. It takes less than an hour to thaw and taste fine. I'm not sure about keep time because with 6 people in the house, it doesn't stay in the freezer for more than a week. We've also done it with milk, cheese, butter, and go-gurts. Milk products take a little longer to thaw though.

    To the OP: Ask your dad if you can plant a small garden. I've been munching on tomatoes out of our garden for weeks now.

    Also, see if your local stores have a loyalty program. Ours has a fuel saver program to earn money off per gallon of gas. The weekly ad shows what's on sale but also items that qualifies for fuel saver discounts. While the fuel saver discount doesn't affect the price of the item it still saves us money in the long run. I had an extra $140 for our grocery budget this week because I filled an SUV and a truck for only $0.33 total.

    One last one. Sometimes I'll cook a lot of food and individually package it to make home made tv dinners. If I get the items on sale it's cheaper plus I'm not buying any tv dinners (great for in a pinch when the family wants something not in my calorie budget) or frozen snack items buy doing this. Also since they are frozen and individually packaged, there is less chance I'll eat seconds.
  • BEquality
    BEquality Posts: 58 Member
    I agree with many of the suggestions above me.

    I, too, am on a tight budget. Right now I am living at home (finishing school), and my family is relying on one income right now. It can be extremely, EXTREMELY hard and very stressful.

    I recently discovered the wonder that is WinCo. They have a bulk section that is really amazing... others rec'd getting beans/etc. in bulk, and you can do that at WinCo. They also have spices, nuts, pasta, and more... even some candies. It's great. I looked at your profile to see where you live, and you do have a WinCo in your city! :)http://wincofoods.com/about/locations/california/


    If you like salad, WinCo stocks Bolthouse Farms' low-calorie line of dressings. I REALLY recommend the Caesar Parmigiano yogurt dressing (no anchovies!), and the Miso Ginger dressing.
  • keefmac
    keefmac Posts: 313 Member
    I bag pita breads up in pairs and freeze them, same as wraps and bread. Take them out half an hour before making pack-up and they're fine.
  • catcalledjinx
    catcalledjinx Posts: 85
    Homemade vegetable soup. (Scientifically proven to be more filling than the same food not made into soup.) Very easy to make large batches and freeze portions. Very low in calories and very cheap if you buy vegetables which are in season.

    My trick to guarantee that the soup always tastes good is to use Marigold Vegetable Bouillon for the stock - always turns out delicious whatever veg I use. Also, I like to make soups that look good - bright colours - so I tend to stick with one or two veg at a time, eg, carrot (flavour with coriander), pea (add a little spinach for a real health kick and to make it a real vivid green). Always start with a white onion (you can soften it in oil first but obvs that adds a few calories), then add the chopped veg and the stock. Bring to the boil, simmer until veg is soft, then blend.

    Happy blending!
  • pbbagel
    pbbagel Posts: 53 Member
    Everyone's advise is really good so far.
    You should also find the time when your supermarket reduces items. Some supermarkets tend to reduce everything by 20% at say 4pm then 50% at 8pm. If you find out when your supermarket reduces things (even if you ask one of the staff members) you can buy things like meat and dairy for very cheap. Then just portion it using plastic bags or saran wrap and freeze it.
    Also avoid going shopping when hungry to avoid impulse purchases and stick to the fresh sections of the supermarkets to avoid buying pricey snacks. For example, vegetable with homemade dip or yogurt and fruit is muchhh cheaper than pre-made snacks. I recently make my own fruit jello (just gelatin, sugar and tinned mandarin pieces) and my own ice-lollies, for about 1/3 of the price of pre-made stuff. It only takes a little effort and you can save a lot. This rule also applies for pasta sauces, etc.
    Oh! and eating oatmeal or muesli is much cheaper and healthier than regular cereal.
  • yayamarieg
    yayamarieg Posts: 5
    You guys have been so helpful!! I am looking forward to going shopping! and i definitely will let you guys know how it goes! Im so excited!
    Any ideas on Beginner workouts at home? Or Dvds that are good? I am pretty overweight so I wanna find something that works, but that I also am able to do! Only ones ive heard of are p90 and insanity, and I dont think i am quite ready for that :)
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    I bag pita breads up in pairs and freeze them, same as wraps and bread. Take them out half an hour before making pack-up and they're fine.

    Buy some freezer bags and containers. One of the biggest money drains is spoiled food. By packing in single serving portions and freezing what you won't be using soon, you can save tons of money.
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    Here's some tips,

    Try to avoid the whole food organic fad. I do enjoy me some organic foods especially a lot of the organic meats, but this is a luxury item for me and not essential.

    The grocery store is already a great start, try to avoid name brands and purchase store brands where you can. I shop at giant and I honestly can't tell the difference most of the time (some exceptions) between store and brand name items.

    Rice and beans are a great way to keep you full on a budget. Buying chicken and other meats in bulk (like from costco) then freezing is a great way to keep it low.

    I highly encourage exercise, just remember that the more you exercise the more you need to eat to fuel your body properly. If you are working to lose weight you can do that solely by your choice of foods and eating at a calorie deficit. I would highly recommend that if you want to spend time at the gym to start a beginners heavy lifting program and do light cardio after or on in between lifting days. Heavy lifting does not burn as much calories but you will love the benefits from how you look and feel after. Cardio is great to give you extra room for sweets and treats and for general heart and joint health.
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    Just to add, the point of heavy lifting is to help mitiage muscle loss when eating at a calorie deficit and it will help you gain strength as well. After you lose the weight you can also keep up the heavy lifting to put on some muscle (eating at a small surplus) and you'll love how your body looks and feels.
  • BEquality
    BEquality Posts: 58 Member
    You guys have been so helpful!! I am looking forward to going shopping! and i definitely will let you guys know how it goes! Im so excited!
    Any ideas on Beginner workouts at home? Or Dvds that are good? I am pretty overweight so I wanna find something that works, but that I also am able to do! Only ones ive heard of are p90 and insanity, and I dont think i am quite ready for that :)

    I still stick by my WinCo rec, hehe. They really do have a lot of great stuff. The bulk section, fruits, veggies, low-cal salad dressing, healthy meats, healthy cheeses, low-calorie oatmeal/hot cereal, almond milk/coconut milk, and a lot more. Plus, if you bring in a bunch of reusable bags, you get a discount per bag (and more if you bring in 10+ bags!), even if you don't fill all of them.

    Anyway, back to your most recent post! :) Personally, I recommend Just Dance 3 or Just Dance 2014. I have those games for the Wii, and it's a good way to get started. I still do them when I'm not up to going to the gym, and it's a lot of fun. There are also some good workouts on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN8cwK3zM20 is my favourite simple warm-up. Fitness Blender has a LOT of workout videos. I had a sciatica flare-up for a week or two and working out helped me get through it quicker and with less pain (than my first incidence of it in March, which was horrible). The Just Dance games I play have fitness modes too... they're different from one another, but it's not too confusing.

    To make sure I am drinking enough water, I have a couple different bottles I drink, refill, chill, repeat. I also bring one with me when I go out, whether it's grocery shopping, another errand, or something else. It helps. Although, there's a hashtag on Instagram that really fits here -- #drinkallthewaterpeeallthetime. ^_^ If you tire of plain water, there are a lot of zero-calorie flavour drops that are really tasty.

    Also also. When serving yourself food, use smaller bowls. I saw that tip on another post earlier, and it totally works. I put a couple servings of what I made for dinner in a smaller bowl than I had planned on, and I stuck to those servings and saved the rest for later. Aaaaand I'll stop, I'm rambling a lot.
  • going2heaven87
    going2heaven87 Posts: 32
    Eating breakfast does not make someone healthy. It is o.k. to skip it. All that matters is how many calories you ate in the 24 hour period.

    It also matters how many calories you put out. If you skip a nice energy filled breakfast, you may burn less calories throughout the day due to less energy early on (even if you don't notice it) which results in less weight lost. I like to prepare my breakfast the night before since I have to be at the gym at 6 AM. If I don't, I will skip it and be sluggish during my workout.
  • going2heaven87
    going2heaven87 Posts: 32
    Hey Fitness Pals, I am so new to this! I really wanna buckle down and get healthy!! I have just moved back home to my dads, and eating healthy has been hard! I think I need to start buying some groceries for myself, but I am also saving for a place. So any ideas on how to shop for healthy foods on a budget?? Any advice would help! I'll even take grocery list! Also, any ideas on how to motivate myself to get up and eat breakfast !! Lol. I love to sleep, and I am not a morning person! But I want to change my lifestyle so bad!! Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks all!

    Former extreme couponer here (and I have the butt to prove it). I still use coupons and always recommend them for the products you already buy.

    Ways to get coupons:

    contact companies- figure out which brands you buy, go to their website, give them a compliment and butter them up and ask if they have coupons available. Many companies will mail them to you for free and sometimes include coupons to get a product for free! Bolthouse farms carrots, cal-organic, pacific food and any company under tha Hain-Celestial group send out coupons on request.

    print them- many websites such as commonkindness.com, mambosprouts.com and coupons.com offer coupons for healthy foods. you can print them directly from your home computer (this is my main source of coupons).

    the sunday paper- I don't recommend paying $2 for a sunday paper just for coupons if you are eating healthy because most of the food coupons in them are processed junk. If you get the mid week coupons in your mailbox, then you might start cutting those out to help you save.

    Of course you also want to look at your stores weekly sales. My best tip to everybody is take advantage of Walmart's price match policy! Every week I take Aldi's ad to walmart which has the dirt cheap produce and price match it at Walmart. You can get a 3 pack of bell peppers for $1.49, buy 4-5 packs, wash them, cut them up, flash freeze them and you have bell peppers for a while. Same with other veggies and fruit too! If whole grain bread is on sale, get 10 loaves and store them in the freezer.

    Where the real deal comes in is when you find something on sale AND have a coupon for it!
  • going2heaven87
    going2heaven87 Posts: 32
    Here's some tips,

    Try to avoid the whole food organic fad. I do enjoy me some organic foods especially a lot of the organic meats, but this is a luxury item for me and not essential.

    The grocery store is already a great start, try to avoid name brands and purchase store brands where you can. I shop at giant and I honestly can't tell the difference most of the time (some exceptions) between store and brand name items.

    Rice and beans are a great way to keep you full on a budget. Buying chicken and other meats in bulk (like from costco) then freezing is a great way to keep it low.

    I highly encourage exercise, just remember that the more you exercise the more you need to eat to fuel your body properly. If you are working to lose weight you can do that solely by your choice of foods and eating at a calorie deficit. I would highly recommend that if you want to spend time at the gym to start a beginners heavy lifting program and do light cardio after or on in between lifting days. Heavy lifting does not burn as much calories but you will love the benefits from how you look and feel after. Cardio is great to give you extra room for sweets and treats and for general heart and joint health.


    It's sad to think that avoiding GMO's is a "fad". At what point did it become acceptable to genetically modify foods (yes, even the seeds which our conventional produce are grow from) and consume them? I use to get Tyson chicken for dirt cheap with coupons and thought I was eating healthy until I found out how they raise the chickens and all the hormones, steroids, antibiotics ect that are in the chickens. You literally are what you eat and I know I don't want to be a genetically modified being nor do I want my kids to be pumped full of hormones. We are organic beings, so it makes sense to me to avoid GMOs and eat organic when I can (which is almost always).
  • melindafritz1976
    melindafritz1976 Posts: 329 Member
    aldis
    save a lot
    sales
    coupons
  • melindafritz1976
    melindafritz1976 Posts: 329 Member
    you do need to eat in the morning
    to give you energy
    and stuff
  • lollyhackett
    lollyhackett Posts: 79 Member
    Great post!

    There are so many ways to save money and buget on meals, I could go into a long spiel of ideas but head on over to pinterest for literally tens of thousands of ideas for low cost meals:

    Here's just one example!

    http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=budget meals

    Have fun!!

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