Trying to eat healthy can be a challenge when you are broke and kind of picky... help?

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Party_Cat
Party_Cat Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
The good news is: I am ready to start eating healthier!
The bad new is: I am picky and money is kind of tight. So here I am, MFP friends, asking for your advice.
I have about $20 - $30 to spend this weekend for lunches for Sunday - Friday. (It's not a lot, I know. I have found eating healthy on a budget is really, really hard sometimes.)
I do not like: Bananas (or most tropical fruits for that matter), avocados, citrus-y fruits, beans, asparagus, fish... (I know, I know! I am the worst!)
I do like: Most berries, yogurt, nuts, steamed veggies, other fruits not listed above, chicken, beef, peanut butter... just to name a few.
I only have a 30 minute lunch break, but I do have access to a microwave and a toaster over. I am not opposed to lean cuisines, but I wonder if they are actually good for me? I also need suggestions for healthy/quick snacks. I am trying to do well within my means... but I am not really sure where to start. Help?
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Replies

  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
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    you can eat what you normally ate... just less... eat at your goal and it won't matter :)
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
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    You know what's not expensive? Eating less of what you like to eat. There is no need to radically change your diet in order to lose weight. Just eat less. Boom. You are saving money.

  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
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    Perfect example... today for lunch I am eating leftover pizza from pizza hut :)
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Count calories not eat healthy

    And I think that's a whole lot of money

    Make a big pot of vegetable stew with herbs and spices -onion, squash, eggplant, zucchini, pepper, mushrooms, celery, carrots, tins chopped tomatoes ...chop and simmer for an hour with salt and pepper- either spicy with garlic, chilli and cumin or med style with garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme
    Boil some rice
    Grate some cheese

    150g rice, 500g veg stew, 10g cheddar - big hot meal for around 340 calories

    And would make you about 7 meals

    Or find another big pot recipe
  • aakaakaak
    aakaakaak Posts: 1,240 Member
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    Pork is almost as cheap as chicken right now. Chicken is always cheap. So is broccoli if you like that.
  • LookAWalrus
    LookAWalrus Posts: 52 Member
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    Don't complicate it by overhauling your diet. Just eat less of what you normally do and start subbing in healthier options.
  • spamarie
    spamarie Posts: 2,825 Member
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    I don't agree with the 'just eat less of the foods you like' advice because when I eat less I'm hungry, grumpy and eventually I'll eat a load of rubbish. I've learnt what I can eat more of and still remain within my calorie goal for the day, substituting some higher calorie foods for lower ones. I'm also a super picky eater btw. But do it gradually, it'll be easier to stick to.

    Cheap protein = eggs. And you can have them cold or hot, breakfast or with a salad at lunch or an omelette. Loads of options.

    Homemade veggie soup/stew. Just cook up whatever vegetables you like, add some stock (I use a veggie oxo cube) and voilà. You can freeze it into portions too, or add a little meat if you prefer.

    Tinned fruit in juice (not syrup) makes a nice dessert and it's better than chocolate. It's usually cheaper than fresh fruit too, and available all year round. I'm obsessed with tinned peaches.

    If you can find a way of preparing oats that you enjoy, go for that because they are so cheap and really filling. I can't stand porridge, so I make oat banana cakes (which you probably wouldn't like) or oat pancakes (it's just 50g of oats mixed with 2 eggs). Lovely topped with fruit or whatever you fancy.

    Good luck!
  • nuttynanners
    nuttynanners Posts: 249 Member
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    Eating frozen food isn't that big of a deal. It often has too much sodium, but if it fills you up enough, I say go for it. Personally, it's not usually enough food for me...more like a snack.

    For me, lunch is easier if I just have a bunch of little baggies full of goodies. You can throw it together in like 5 minutes. I like to mix and match a few that add up to 400-600 calories. Here's some ideas:

    Crackers/apples and nut butter
    Protein/energy bar
    Yogurt (with granola, maybe)
    English muffin/toast with nut butter
    String cheese or Laughing Cow wedges
    Berries
    Carrots/cucumber/celery and hummus
    Wrap w/ tortilla, chicken/turkey, mustard/bbq sauce, greens


    Alternatively you could make food the night before and pack it for the following day, if your schedule allows it. If you can fit chicken into your budget, you can make a big batch of chicken for the week and portion it out for different days. You can always freeze cooked chicken, too, and thaw it out again. I like to get boneless skinless chicken thighs because they are cheap, flavorful, and so, so easy to prepare. It's not that big of a sacrifice, and thighs go great in stir fries, which are also amazingly cheap to make. You can roast chicken in the oven or put it in a slow cooker (seriously, if you don't have a slow cooker they are not too expensive and will serve you well) with minimal effort.

    Pair chicken with seasoned sauteed veggies and voila, you have a delicious meal. At my local supermarket there are lots of options for bagged veggies in the frozen section that you can literally just dump into a skillet. They are usually like 1 or 2 bucks. I buy fresh when I can but I always have frozen and canned (I get the low sodium varieties) veggies on hand. You can always add one fresh ingredient (baby bok choy is awesome, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, etc) to liven up the dish. Seriously, bok choy is soooo good and adds an extra tasty crunch to a veggie mix. And don't skimp on the spices, because they make all the difference!
  • Archerychickge
    Archerychickge Posts: 606 Member
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    cook big filling meals for dinner and take the leftovers for your lunch the next day. Done.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    How to survive on only $100/month on food.

    I don't suggest eating exactly what this guy eats, but it's still some good food for thought.
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
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    Buy a couple pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, a few bags of frozen vegetables, and a few sauces or marinades you like. Maybe some pasta or rice. Cook at home, put in tupperware to microwave at work.
  • LovingLifeInCalifornia
    LovingLifeInCalifornia Posts: 9,362 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Count calories not eat healthy

    And I think that's a whole lot of money

    Make a big pot of vegetable stew with herbs and spices -onion, squash, eggplant, zucchini, pepper, mushrooms, celery, carrots, tins chopped tomatoes ...chop and simmer for an hour with salt and pepper- either spicy with garlic, chilli and cumin or med style with garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme
    Boil some rice
    Grate some cheese

    150g rice, 500g veg stew, 10g cheddar - big hot meal for around 340 calories

    And would make you about 7 meals

    Or find another big pot recipe


    This...

    or figure out what you can make a whole lot of - salad, etc.

    I'm pretty picky, too and tend to eat the same salad types every day. It's not that I can't eat other things, but I get just prefer the same thing. once in awhile I'll get bored and change it up, but I tend to be a creature of habit, I suppose.

    Can you go to a farmer's market? It's much cheaper to get veggies there.

    My husband and i tend to get a few "staples" and make salads with it throughout the week.


    Also on hand are several are the fixings for this cereal: http://engine2diet.com/recipe/rips-big-bowl/

    It's easy to make and when I'm busy/too lazy to cook, I'll eat this cereal with honey and/or dates.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited January 2015
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    You said $20-30 for the weekend, Sunday-Friday...did you mean Friday-Sunday?

    I do like: Most berries, yogurt, nuts, steamed veggies, other fruits not listed above, chicken, beef, peanut butter... just to name a few.

    You can certainly have a huge plate of steamed veggies and 3 oz. of beef, or peanut butter and yogurt, or chicken and veggies and some berries, or beans and a salad and fruit, for well under $10 per day.
  • agratzy
    agratzy Posts: 114 Member
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    Mushrooms!!! I grill/ saute mushrooms like four times a week. They are almost always less than 100 calories for a cup and you can put onions, some cheese, or some dressing you like on them. I eat portobellos like no one's business and they are cheap as hell, as well as nutricious!
  • HillSlug98239
    HillSlug98239 Posts: 28 Member
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    If you like sweet potatoes, do an online search for sweet potato cakes from the Feed Zone Cookbook. They're portable - they're designed to be carried in a cycling jersey pocket and be eaten during a ride, so they'd work for a lunch that doesn't need to be reheated to be palatable. And they're adaptable: the recipe calls for a cube of swiss cheese; I use shredded whatever I have.
    -
    Ditto for the rice cakes from that cookbook.
  • Party_Cat
    Party_Cat Posts: 12 Member
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    Thank you so much to everyone that is responding!! I really appreciate the food for thought! :)
  • muah3iluvzu06
    muah3iluvzu06 Posts: 79 Member
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    Frozen chicken breast, potatoes, bags of frozen veggies, eggs, oatmeal and some fruit should do the trick.
  • Ja_ja_jakeya
    Ja_ja_jakeya Posts: 88 Member
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    I know people are saying eat what you like just eat less, and that's true but you should definitely incorporate more healthy choices into your diet. Yogurt is not expensive, and you can save money buying frozen fruits and veggies. Lean Cuisine is not a horrible choice but be sure to watch the sodium!
  • happywife63
    happywife63 Posts: 2 Member
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    If you have an Aldi's by you go there. Their Greek yogurts are only .79 cents always. Not all of Aldi's produce is super cheap and sometimes it isn't great, but just pick what is good and what you like that is cheap. For my lunches I add an apple, baby carrots or banana to every meal and they are cheap at Aldi's and fill you up.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
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    Party_Cat wrote: »
    Thank you so much to everyone that is responding!! I really appreciate the food for thought! :)

    Enjoy your weekend!

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