I can't afford to buy the right food...

Even if you have to buy the cheaper, unhealthier stuff, you should still be able to stick to your calories. I have the opposite problem - I stuck to my calorie goal at uni by eating microwave meals all the time, it was easy. Now my boyfriend wants to cook properly and every home-cooked meal seems to be twice the calories of its microwave equivalent!

Go to an ethnic store and buy veg and lentils there. Channa dhal is cheap and nutritious, as are black beans which you soak overnight and boil for an hour. Add coriander leaves, limes, chili, oil, salt, red onion. Incredible. Processed and ready made foods are way more expensive. Go to Iceland and get the deals on frozen fish and meat.

Dried beans, lentils, and split peas will take you far. They are inexpensive, healthy, and very filling. Make soups, you can use cheaper cuts of meat and no one will notice.
Having a limited budget is not an excuse to eat badly, most of the convenience foods are more expensive than buying ingredients to put a simple meal together.

That said, there is nothing wrong with pizza and fish sticks if you like them. You can fit them into your diet, and eating less is ALWAYS cheaper.

Soylent!

http://www.soylent.me/

I made a DIY recipe of Soylent that's going to cost me less than $150/month.

I saved thousand of $$$ by eating healthy. I no longer have to buy sleep apnea supplies or medications. With that being said you can save loads of money using coupons. Buy the Sunday Paper with all those ads and clip those coupons. You can do it.

Also, I don't know how old your children are, or what you financial situation is, but you could see if you qualify for WIC benefits (women, infants, children under 5). If you do, you get money for certain foods per week (usually milk and other produce). Something to think about if you need it.

Hi Jodi-fletch, I too am on a very tight budget but I make virtually everything myself and I don't spend hours cooking. Mostly I spend about 30/45 mins preparing healthy, cheap, interesting meals.

I have just made some delicious potato and onion soup which works out at about 150 cals a portion (less if you don't use the butter, just 'stock-fry' the onions and potatoes first). For added protein you can use a topping of grated cheese, or put some butter beans in it (these are cheap but healthy), just remember to add the additional calories. Make a big pot, put out some chunky bread (my husband makes all our bread) your family will love it, and it only takes 30 mins from start to finish and costs very little. Recipe here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/potatosoup_11631.

You can make your own pizza base really easily with stuff you've probably got in your cupboard already, add some vegetables, or meat, a tin of tomatoes (these are inexpensive) herbs spices of your choice, and some cheese, serve with a side-salad of peppers, beansprouts, lettuce, tomatoes, etc, or maybe a jacket potato. You'll enjoy it better than a shop-bought one, so will your family.

It's all about planning and looking up delicious recipes (the Internet is a good source). You really can eat healthily, cheaply and lose weight without resorting to processed foods, which will cost you more in the long-run leave you feeling hungry, wanting more.

Good luck with your efforts, it will be worth it in the long-run.

If you have a partner and two children, you can save by buying in bulk For instance, my market had chicken breasts for 1.99 a lb., even cheaper than hamburger! Chicken breasts, rice, and frozen vegetables make a very good meal. Often, chicken leg quarters are under $1 a lb. As many posters above stated, pasta is an economical meal that goes a long way. Even whole wheat pasta is under $1.50 a box, and l lb. of pasta can feed a whole family and even have leftovers.

There are many cheap dinner options that include whole, real, food for your family:
Rice cooked in chicken boullian, chopped onion, peppers, black pepper. Serve with roasted chicken or fish baked in foil.
Rice cooked in beef boullian, chopped onion, peppers, black pepper. Serve with flank steak (cheaper cut) or pork chops baked.
Rice cooked with soy sauce, chopped onion, peppers, black pepper. Fry it in a teaspoon of oil and add an egg and scramble. Add peas.
Rice cooked plain topped with pork or chicken baked with a can of 98% fat free cream of chicken soup and black pepper. Or top with either of those baked with lipton onion soup mix mixed with a little water or a can of 98% fat free cream of mushroom.
Rice cooked plain topped with ham steak baked with a can of pineapple and a little brown sugar. You can thicken with corn starch to get a good gravy.
Dried beans rinsed, soaked and cooked with chopped onion, peppers, carrots, frozen spinach, and seasonings to make soup. Adding tomato changes it to a new kind of soup. Try Sazon seasoning, Shan Indian seasonings, Cajun seasonings. I make a double pot of this once a week. You can add pasta or rice. (I don't 'cause I limit my carbs, but it makes a more filling meal for the family, so you can add it to theirs).
Canned beans work too, no need to drain them first.
Canned fat free refried beans, with salsa in tortillas. You don't need meat since there is enough protein in the beans.
"Spanish rice" is good with this: Rice cooked in tomato sauce, with onion and peppers.
Any kind of Breakfast foods for dinner.
Tuna is cheap too. 98% fat free cream of mushroom and peas over toast. Or wrap in pizza dough and bake. Some cheese in it is good, but ups the calories.
I wrap things in pizza dough often to add variety. Any meat with low fat cream cheese or laughing cow cheese, a sprinkle of parmesan, seasonings.
Pasta is great too, if you can afford it. I buy the high protein to help with weight loss. I love jarred marsala sauce with mushrooms and chicken, but you can make your own with beef boullian, wine, mushrooms, a little soy or Worcestershire sauce and cornstarch. Pan fry chicken first in Pam, remove it, then make sauce.
Good luck!