How to eat healthy on a budget... HELP!
jlehorton
Posts: 7 Member
I'm new to calorie counting... It's been 6 days & boy has logging my foods been an eye opener... So what's a woman to do when she needs to loose 100 pounds but is on a fixed budget? I am a mom of 2 (we are a family of 4) on a budget of 60 a week...
How do I eat healthy with such little funds?
Help & ideas greatly appreciated.
How do I eat healthy with such little funds?
Help & ideas greatly appreciated.
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Replies
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I would buy rice, beans, and frozen veggies in bulk for main meals.
Are you able to grow any food? That really offsets the budget. When I lived in an apartment, I grew tomatoes and peppers in pots because I eat them the most but you can grow just about anything in a pot.0 -
Plan ahead - freezer meals, buy what's on sale, buy what's in season, use coupons. Make your weekly meal plan at the start of the week and stick to it.
ETA: farmers markets are great!0 -
I would buy rice, beans, and frozen veggies in bulk for main meals.
Are you able to grow any food? That really offsets the budget. When I lived in an apartment, I grew tomatoes and peppers in pots because I eat them the most but you can grow just about anything in a pot.
Exactly what I was going to say. If you live in the US you can get brown rice and dried beans in 5lb bags at Walmart, and a cup of each (prepared) will cost under 50 cents.
Right now I grow strawberries and blueberries on my tiny balcony, and I will probably add some pepper plants soon because those things are so expensive where I live.
Coupons, specials, promotions, etc can help. Especially if you read the flyers ahead and plan you menu around what is on sale.
You can often buy foods close to their expiration and either use them within a day or two or freeze them for later (Google will help you find lists of freezer friendly foods)
Speaking of freezing, you can make big batches of food when the ingredients are on sale and freeze the cooked portions for later. I tend to make chili 12 servings at a time even though it's just me and my husband (also helps for nights when I don't want to cook, but don't need the extra calories and sodium in takeout.)0 -
Eat smaller portions of the foods you already eat. You will save money. Also, potatoes. They get no respect, but they are cheap, filling, a good source of fiber and vitamin C, and if you eat them without fat, you can really appreciate their natural taste.0
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Trader Joe's is surprising affordable for some of the "specialty" items. Also, Aldi is your best friend for staples, dairy, frozen fruits/veggies/meats, etc.
We also like to plan our recipes for the week. We frequently use recipes from Skinnytaste, we plan to use recipes where we can share ingredients and minimize waste (i.e. two recipes that use chicken broth which I get at Aldi for a GREAT price, and I don't waste half the container.
Also, I have found that a lot of Asian or Mexican dishes are very cheap to make once you get the sauces/spices. It can be expensive the first time you make something, but then you have enough to make it many more times (just add meat, veggies, rice). Cheap sauces like sriracha give a lot of flavor for super cheap!0 -
amyrebeccah wrote: »I would buy rice, beans, and frozen veggies in bulk for main meals.
Are you able to grow any food? That really offsets the budget. When I lived in an apartment, I grew tomatoes and peppers in pots because I eat them the most but you can grow just about anything in a pot.
Those. Plus eggs and potatoes. Not sure where you live but definitely shop the circulars (if you don't get them mailed to you, you can try online or spring for a Sunday newspaper). We have a grocery store that is not as near to us as the others and caters to the local Mexican and Mexican-American population, and the deals on produce, meat, and dry rice and beans are INSANE. Can't get a tub of greek yogurt if you beg, so we didn't think of it for a long time, but now we go there first and then just fill out the rest at the regular store. I'm talking deals like three pounds of dry beans for a dollar, ten pounds of chicken leg quarters for 4.70, ten cucumbers for a dollar, five avocados for a dollar, ten pounds of potatoes for 88 cents, and a 72-count pack of tortillas for two dollars. (This is Food City, for anyone who lives in the Phoenix area, and just random examples I pulled from this week's circular).
So there could be something like that in your area, or an Asian market, an Aldi, WinCo, or a Grocery Outlet. Start looking around and be willing to go more than one place to shop. It's a pain, but it could really make your budget stretch.
what!? 5 avocados for a dollar
((((( i envy you $o much 
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budgetbytes.com
Buy things like rice, pasta, potatoes, carrots, onions, dry beans, lentils, oatmeal, peanut butter.
Buy store brand or generic.
Plain frozen vegetables can be economical.
A big pot of soup can be a dollar stretcher.
Buy things whole and bone, skin, shred or cut them yourself.
Sometimes larger containers work out to be cheaper than individual portion containers.
Drink mostly water. Save your calories and money for food.
You need to plan meals carefully.
Foods that will help you to feel satisfied will have protein, fiber and fats so try to get enough of those.
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It may not be popular - but CUT out the veggies/greens. They have low nutrients per cost. I'm the King of low budget... #1 Costco or warehouse club is ur best friend; buy in bulk. #2 Stick to milk, eggs, bread & potatoes (the basics) - they're all rich foods at low cost.0
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The closer it is to scratch, the less it will cost you to prepare per serving. Even things like taco seasoning or soups. The initial up front cost to get all the ingredients the first time around will be higher, so you need to plan carefully. But, once you've paid that initial cost, you'll get multiple meals out of the ingredients instead of just one, and it will end up costing you half or less in the long run.
It's a hard state of mind to get used to, but try to build up a supply of staples so that when you cook you're "shopping" from your kitchen, not the store. Plan your meals around what's already in the house and what's on sale, don't shop to a meal plan. If this week it's pork on sale, plan on only having pork or whatever meat is already in the freezer. Buy a little more than you need, so you have some for next week when chicken is on sale. Slowly, over time, you can begin to build up a base set of ingredients to cook with, shopping only to replace them when they're on sale, and the combinations are endless.0 -
crock pot meals. you can use cheaper cuts of meat since they cook longer. And most recipes make enough for 6-8 servings so you could get two meals out of it depending on the age of your children.0
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I pretty much only buy meat when it is on sale, so I check the circular and plan my menu for the week based on that. I'm a big fan of frozen veggies and stock up on those when they're on sale. I also have very little brand loyalty, for most things they all taste the same to me so I'll buy whatever is cheapest when I need it. It takes more planning to eat healthy with a budget but it is completely doable.0
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If you are prepare to suffer a bit for one month, then you will have a good base / start for the next....Here is how i did it in the time i had less to spend a long time ago. (luckily)
I bought pasta, potatoes, some frozen veggies, chicken breast, rice, beans
Really the cheapest of the cheapest.... and i made batch food/meals.
I cooked the same pasta dish for a whole week and froze the meals about 5 portion and ate one, Same with the rice i made a curry rice dish with some veggies big batch so could freeze 5 meals
Than a potatoe veggie mix 3 kinds
potato/carrots/chicken
potato/bean/chicken
potato/spinach/chicken
Just what was cheap in total 15 meals
Now that first month i ate a lot the same meals same for lunch and breakfast too. Which had as result that i had money left from my budget.
Now the second month i repeated that trick but because i knew i would have money left plus the money i still had from the month before i expanded my meals. But i kept on cooking in batches so more meals of a certain recipe. Oat meals for in the morning, lot of them frozen fruits etc. And with the money i had spare i expended again and again all frozen fruits and veggies and meats. I started to buy bigger portions of what was for sale. And that is were my variation in daily menu's came from.
And you dont even have to suffer for a month. you can start of slowly. But when you are on a budget it is the wisest thing to do. Cook in batches. And freeze the other meals.
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It may not be popular - but CUT out the veggies/greens. They have low nutrients per cost. I'm the King of low budget... #1 Costco or warehouse club is ur best friend; buy in bulk. #2 Stick to milk, eggs, bread & potatoes (the basics) - they're all rich foods at low cost.
It's a disgrace how corn, wheat and soy are subsidized to the detriment of other produce.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1247588/
...fattening foods are supported whereas healthy fare isn’t. “We put maybe one-tenth of one percent of our dollar that we put into subsidizing and promoting foods through the Department of Agriculture into fruits and vegetables,” he says. As a result, the price gap between high-sugar, high-fat foods and more nutritionally valuable fruits and vegetables is artificially large. That means in supermarkets and restaurants, red meats, sugar-and fat-loaded products, and fast foods not only appear to be the best buys but in proportion to even moderate salaries are downright cheap.
...The very poorest American people, says Lakdawalla, are undernourished and thinner than the general population. But if you exclude the poorest of the poor, obesity is associated with poverty. One reason is that the fattening foods found at convenience stores and fast-food restaurants are the cheapest and sometimes the only available foods in poor neighborhoods, according to Thomas Robinson, an associate professor of pediatrics and medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine Prevention Research Center. A poor, overweight person therefore isn’t necessarily a completely nourished person, says Lakdawalla. Furthermore, poorer people can’t afford health clubs and may live in neighborhoods in which it is too dangerous to exercise outside. And because poverty is inversely related to education, poor people may be unaware of sound nutritional practices.
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Shop farmer's markets to save money on produce. Click here to find one near you: http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/
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Also on a tight budget here. I shop at Aldi and feed a family of 3 for average of $80 a week. I agree with a lot of the above. Rice, beans, pasta, frozen vegetables, eggs, plain rolled oats, potatoes, bananas, apples. Chicken thighs are a inexpensive protein, just remove the skin and trim the fat. I buy a big carton of plain yogurt and flavor it with thawed berries. It's very doable to eat healthy on a budget.0
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The closer it is to scratch, the less it will cost you to prepare per serving. Even things like taco seasoning or soups. The initial up front cost to get all the ingredients the first time around will be higher, so you need to plan carefully. But, once you've paid that initial cost, you'll get multiple meals out of the ingredients instead of just one, and it will end up costing you half or less in the long run.
It's a hard state of mind to get used to, but try to build up a supply of staples so that when you cook you're "shopping" from your kitchen, not the store. Plan your meals around what's already in the house and what's on sale, don't shop to a meal plan. If this week it's pork on sale, plan on only having pork or whatever meat is already in the freezer. Buy a little more than you need, so you have some for next week when chicken is on sale. Slowly, over time, you can begin to build up a base set of ingredients to cook with, shopping only to replace them when they're on sale, and the combinations are endless.
Great tips! At my future mother-in-law's request, I baked her pumpkin bread from a box. I could have made it from scratch for just a few minutes more. And, if I had used sweet potato instead of canned pumpkin, I would have had everything on hand already.
Convenience food is (slightly) convenient, but you are paying a lot for that value-added.
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From my own experience, don't buy too much. If you're going for weekly shopping, you can try these that I do:
Buy 2-3 types of veggies, 1-2 types of fruit and always go for the ones you know you will like and eat. If you want to try a new veggie or fruit, just stick with a minimal amount (Just in case you don't like it and then you end up having to throw it away). If you like veggies or fruits that are in season, perfect! They will be cheap but be careful not to overbuy either. You may be able to buy more but can end up being pennies down the trash (and that can add up over time). As for protein, if you can manage, get pastured eggs. Boil them and you'll have a quick and tasty snack
Go with sales of meat that you may find, poultry being the most versatile. Sometimes there may be sales of bone in chicken breast (so much better than boneless chicken breast. They come out jucier, and more flavorful when baked in the oven) and are cheaper than boneless. If you're a grain eater, go for bread that may be on sale and freeze it (inside a ziploc bag to avoid any funky smells e.e ). When I would eat bread, I would get some of those rustic breads they sell at ralphs, buy a loaf or two and freeze them plus they're baked in store and have a lot less additives and preservatives. Definitely stretched my money since I didn't eat bread as often, but since eliminating grains from my diet, I have a bit more to spend on better quality meats and veggies. Avoid buying "healthy snacks" or whatever if you're up for it. Saves you money as well.
My shopping list tends to look like this (for 1 person)
2 lbs of organic broccoli: around 3 dollars
2 lbs of organic carrots for 1.50 dollars
12 dozen eggs (this can last me up to two weeks): 6 dollars (so about 3 per week)
3 lbs of organic bananas: around 2.40 (only fruit I buy with the occasional apples or pear if they're on sale)
And say I catch a sale of chicken breasts at 1.99 a lb, I'd get a pack for say around 5 lbs, so 10 bucks.
And if I find a bargain on a lb or 2 of organic baby spinach, I'll snag it and freeze it to add into smoothies or cook with it) Say around, 4 dollars for a 2 pound box. This can last me two weeks.
Total: Around 25 dollars for a week for my side (not including other sales I may have gotten before that have lasted still and it happens often since I'm just feeding myself. xD)
It's all a matter of learning portioning for the week and not going in the store when you're hungry (cause you'll end up buying junk you don't need). I used to not really control my shopping habits and would overbuy, only to throw over half of it away a week later cause they went bad. I'm not saying you should follow my eating habits either (I am on the paleo way of eating). Just some tips on money saving if you're on a really tight budget. Eat to survive and occasionally treat yourself to a little something (I'm a minimum wage worker that has to get foodstamps just to make ends meet so I know the feels.)0 -
Buy in bulk
Shop at Aldi's, Ocean State Job Lot, or Price Rite
Buy frozen veggies (cheaper than fresh… unless in season)
Buy frozen meat (cheaper than fresh)
Get another job0 -
It may not be popular - but CUT out the veggies/greens. They have low nutrients per cost. I'm the King of low budget... #1 Costco or warehouse club is ur best friend; buy in bulk. #2 Stick to milk, eggs, bread & potatoes (the basics) - they're all rich foods at low cost.
This might be the most ignorant thing I've heard.0 -
I vote for frozen veggies, supplementing with in season fruits and vegetables in season and on sale. Just because fruits and veggies are so full of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins.0
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If you're in the US, there are apps that you can download that will give rebates on fresh produce and other grocery items. Ibotta, checkout51, shoppium, and Savings Star are a few I have used. I've gotten over $100.00 this year in rebates. There's also a store sale comparison app that is phenomenal called favado. I've done a weeks worth of shopping on organic foods and its cost me less than $10.00. Coupons are also essential- I oil for organic coupons on LOZO, and common kindness also has them. I wait for specials and then combine all of the above tactics and it saves so much money. Also, Whole foods will let you combine their coupons with ones you get online (not their online coupons.) usually their coupons correspond to items on sale, so you can get three discounts off that item - bonus if it's listed in one of the rebate apps lol. Good luck to you!0
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A single whole chicken can make several meals including a roast, a crock pot, and a soup.0
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I have a big garden these days, but when I was limited to a balcony, I grew herbs in containers. When I buy bunches of herbs, they tend to go bad before I can use them all.
Frozen strawberries aren't as good as fresh, but they are fine for smoothies and you don't have to worry about waste.0 -
btw by meal prepping ( because that is what you start doing when you cook in batches) you learn a lot too and get some good habits.
I still cook all my beans, rice in batches and freeze the portions. There is no fruit going to waste here. I freeze what is too much or get to ripe. I make jam out of them or smoothies or (like with apples) apple-pie smudge for over yogurt etc etc
The rice i make different dishes with. Beans for in dishes and wraps. And yes i freeze tortillas too. And bread. Cheese and milk Only milk i dont use to drink like that anymore but for cooking and in smoothies
There is so much you can freeze and saves you money that way.
I still like buying frozen Talapia instead of fresh lol. And when i buy fresh salmon now, i buy a big hunk for sale and cut it up and freeze.
So even do it was a long time ago for me that i lived on a tight budget, i learned some good habits that saves me money and time.0 -
Oh another thing when you have a garden/patio/balcony or any room...grow food yourself too. Herbs can grow in pots in your kitchen too.
I had a lot of herb/spices in the house...and i started a garden..first everything in pots. Radishes pack of seeds in that time only 76 cents or so...had bunches of them.
Strawberry plants doing very well and tomatoes
Green beans are so good and you get to much of them very quickly... i sold them to the neighbors per pound lol or swapped them for jam or potatoes.
There is a lot you can do with a little bit of space and every veggie and fruit grows inside too in pots
Some take time, others ( like spinach) only 45 days! 0 -
Eat what you always do, only less, in a deficit.0
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Also on a tight budget here. I shop at Aldi and feed a family of 3 for average of $80 a week. I agree with a lot of the above. Rice, beans, pasta, frozen vegetables, eggs, plain rolled oats, potatoes, bananas, apples. Chicken thighs are a inexpensive protein, just remove the skin and trim the fat. I buy a big carton of plain yogurt and flavor it with thawed berries. It's very doable to eat healthy on a budget.
Aldi is great. I didn't realise it was around in the US.0 -
Family of 5 here on a grocery budget of $90 a week. I third Aldi if you have one around you-that store is seriously awesome Also look into bread outlets, dollar stores that carry food (I can get frozen fruit and veggies at my local Dollar Tree, along with tea, spices etc etc). Also Upick farms are great (flash freeze things like blueberries and strawberries), along with hobby gardeners who sell at stands in front of their houses etc.
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Aldi is great....i bought brown rice, dried beans, whole chickens, tougher cuts of meat for the crock pot, frozen veggies, oatmeal, potatoes...there are a lot of good suggestions above me. I'm not quite as hard-up as i once was, but i also made everything from scratch, including bread, taco seasoning, muffins and pancakes, spaghetti sauce, croutons from the leftover bread.
I did splurge on olive oil because it was worth it to add some healthy fat.0 -
I'm new to calorie counting... It's been 6 days & boy has logging my foods been an eye opener... So what's a woman to do when she needs to loose 100 pounds but is on a fixed budget? I am a mom of 2 (we are a family of 4) on a budget of 60 a week...
How do I eat healthy with such little funds?
Help & ideas greatly appreciated.
I eat lots of beans. Dried beans. Healthy? Arguable but I'd say yeah ... plus a dollar buys about 10 meals worth.
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I follow all of these. Meat, fish, produce.. only buy whats on sale. I go to 2-3 grocery stores and buy only the sale stuff.
Have a list of staples that you stock up on anytime they are on sale (oatmeal, lentils, rice, evoo). And learn over time what the lowest sale price of those times are..
Also, are you eating out? I spend a lot at the grocery store but i hardly ever eat out, i bring with me all my meals and snacks which is MUCH cheaper and healthier0
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