Eating/Cooking Healthy on a Budget? Tips Please :)

soccerkon26
soccerkon26 Posts: 596 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I am graduating college in 2 weeks and would love some tips on how to buy healthy foods while on a budget.

I'm so excited to be able to cook my own meals :) I absolutely love brown rice, chicken and veggies...and I know buying frozen vegetables is usually best! So I know a few things to do/not to do!

Any other tips or meals are appreciated :)

Replies

  • beachhouse758
    beachhouse758 Posts: 371 Member
    Congratulations!

    Someone posted this link to a budget cookbook before and I think it is brilliant:
    https://8e81c55f4ebf03323905b57bf395473796067508.googledrive.com/host/0B2A2SnkA9YgxaHdzbEhGSmJOZDg/good-and-cheap.pdf

    I spend an insane amount of money on food, so my grocery tips would pretty much be a list of what not to do :(

    All I have is: stock up on Buy 1 Get 1 for canned and frozen staples, don't get stuck in buying certain produce every week, but rather buy lots of whatever fruits and veggies are on sale for the week and...chicken leg quarters are a great value!

  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
    The website Budget Bytes is an awesome resource for cooking on a tight budget. It's not specifically aimed at being low calorie, so you'll want to choose recipes wisely, but most of what she has on there is pretty wholesome stuff.

    I've found that the cheapest way to buy groceries is to set a max price for certain items. Your max prices will vary depending on your preferences, the area where you live and what stores you have access to.

    For example, the most I'll pay for meat is 3.99 per pound (unless it's a really special occasion, obviously). So, if chicken is on sale for 2.99/lb we're probably eating a lot of chicken that week. If 93% ground beef goes on sale for 2.99/lb, I'm buying extra to stock the freezer. Same goes for 1.99/lb chicken - I'll stock up as much as my budget for the week allows.

    My max for fresh fruit and veggies is 1.99/lb. So, I just buy whatever looks fairly fresh at that price. If something goes on sale for less than that, I'll buy as much as we can eat before it goes bad.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    Get the sales circulars for the stores near you. I use them to plan my meals and stock up when my favorites are on sale.
  • megomerrett
    megomerrett Posts: 446 Member
    Eggs. You can do all sorts with an egg or two! You've got it on the frozen veg - key to food on a budget is no wastage. Frozen berries are great too - add to a banana and water for a lovely cheap smoothie. I find quorn chicken pieces are so much cheaper than actual chicken. £2 for a bag for 4 people compared to £4 for 4 chicken breasts. Again, like the frozen veg you only use what you need and don't waste the rest.

    Cheap cuts of meat often work best in slow cooked stews packed with root veg (cheap) and thickened with pearl barley or a side of sweet potato mash. Soup is super cheap to make from scratch and has gazillions of flavour opportunities! Tinned tomatoes are my friend.
  • MsJulesRenee
    MsJulesRenee Posts: 1,180 Member
    My favorite cheap meal is brown rice cooked in half water/half salsa, mixed with some chicken, black beans, and frozen veggies.

    Eggs with those .35 cent package of corn tortillas (50 cals each), hot sauce, and mixed veggies.

    I eat oatmeal almost every morning with egg on top and some seasoning (ex: Asian, bacon and chive, garlic salt/black pepper).

    A handful of Oatmeal, 2 eggs, a mashed overripe banana and some frozen blueberries, mix it all together and fry in a pan like pancakes, top with more thawed frozen fruit.

    Frozen fruit is an amazing deal too! Especially when they are in season or you buy them in bulk.

    Costco sells a HUGE bag of individually wrapped chicken breasts for only $25, life saver.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited April 2015
    Take some time and figure out what resources you have around you, and think outside the box :) For example-a Dollar Tree near me recently started selling frozen foods and I can get nice sized bags of frozen fruit and veggies there for $1 each (nothing added either). So random, but it's saving me a lot of money right now, because it's not growing season where I live now so produce is at a premium.
  • soccerkon26
    soccerkon26 Posts: 596 Member
    Thanks everyone!! :)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories