CHEAP and Healthy HELP!!!

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  • cobarlo14
    cobarlo14 Posts: 582 Member
    look for the chicken breast and lower calories meats to go on sale ad then buy a few of them to freeze. Bulk packs of cereals, and buying the big bags of brown rice will save you soo much. the other day i made a sidekicks noodle pack, (:s) but what i did was add a cup of raw shredded cabbage to the mix and an extra cup of water and it made more and cut the sodium and calories. I just look for the sales, look for the non processed stuff to go on sale. Oh yah COUPONS are fantastic. there are lots of coupon sites check them out. :)

    Go to supermarkets that double and even triple coupons.
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    I'd definitely look for a good farmer's market or produce store near you. It amazes me how much the price difference is at my local produce store as opposed to the grocery store. And as someone else said, buying dry non-perishables in large quantities and being willing to cook the less convenient way (with grains and legumes for example) tends to save A LOT.
  • plt55
    plt55 Posts: 111 Member
    sounds exactly like I like
  • sassylilmama
    sassylilmama Posts: 1,493 Member
    A lot of really great ideas here :) Anything I could post is already here.
  • jules_02
    jules_02 Posts: 46 Member
    bump
  • granneybec
    granneybec Posts: 10
    Use black beans to substitute for 1/3 of hamburger meat in all recipes.
  • koolkat92
    koolkat92 Posts: 16 Member
    I don't know how much time or space you have but you could start a small garden? Seeds are pretty cheap and you can get good deals on plants. Then you have fresh veggies in the fall. In the mean time you look for local truckload fruit and veggie sales and stock up and freeze them. Clip coupons? Hope it helps.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    My partner eats constantly, as well, so we have been experimenting, keeping in mind that fiber and protein are the most filling:

    Nuts: they don't look that cheap by the pound, but you can get deals if you keep your eyes open. Anyone in the house who is concerned about calorie intake needs to be aware of how many they are eating, but those with a high metabolism can really fill up.

    Beans: In some cases, we use beans instead of meat (lentils seasoned like taco meat or falafel, being our two favorites), but mostly I add beans to meals. I bake chicken, pinto beans and salsa, topped with cheddar cheese. I serve pinto beans and turkey sausage. And I make a bean salad (one can green beans, one can garbanzo beans, one can kidney beans, finely chopped onions and red pepper, a bit of olive oil and vinegar) every few days. Just be careful not to use too many baked beans, which are really high in sugar.

    Fruits and Veggies: That is usually how they are listed on the grocery list, then we see which ones are on sale when we get there. You could also try your local farmer's market - a real farmer's market that only happens once a week: the "farmer's market" stores are usually really expensive.

    Meat: We get most of our meat at Costco and freeze it. Bizarrely, we often find boneless, skinless tenderloins to be the cheapest kind of chicken (usually the most expensive in stores). But you do have to shop around - we have found that individually wrapped, frozen tilapia is about the same price in the grocery store and much better quality.

    Cheese: We literally buy cheese by the pound.

    Eggs: Not that cheap any more, but still better than most meats. My partner uses frozen spinach and eggs every morning, with our one splurge - Morning Star Breakfast Sausage.
  • tgaul
    tgaul Posts: 123
    bump
  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    bump for later!
  • lildevil968
    lildevil968 Posts: 152 Member
    I'm probably no help, but I try and find the managers specials for meats, and fish. Those are things that are about to expire that you can get for cheap, and freeze. Sometimes I also buy the big things of hamburger meat, chicken, fish, and I divide it up, and bag them with my food saver, and freeze them. I will divide them up into 3-5 seperate bags, and that helps me make 3-5 seperate meals. I also use a ton of coupons to save money because with that money saved I can afford to buy the healthier option foods.
  • smileyface45
    smileyface45 Posts: 146 Member
    BUMP
  • meinco
    meinco Posts: 62 Member
    My friend told me about this one. I like the local produce market and they have awesome sales. Either print out the online ad or if you get it in the mail use that and price match it at Walmart. That way if the local market is farther away you can get the same inexpensive deals at another store and not have to make a second trip somewhere else (saves gas). If you don't have a Walmart call whatever grocery store you normally shop and ask if they price match.
  • dumb_blondes_rock
    dumb_blondes_rock Posts: 1,568 Member
    www.5dollardinners.com

    She makes a serving for four for about 5 dollars all together....and its pretty healthy.
  • IrishChik
    IrishChik Posts: 465 Member
    While I was checking out some of the links you guys provided, I went over some of the "pins" I have on Pinterest. I have a lot of food photos that are healthy and the recipes to go along with them. I happened to click on someone elses pin and found this website

    http://aturtleslifeforme.blogspot.com/2011/06/freezer-meals-on-cheap.html

    She talks about 46 Freezer Meals for $96. You could use that as a guideline. Replace the vegis you dont like with ones that you do. Replace the ground beef with Jenny-O 97/3 Ground Turkey. I bookmarked the page I was so excited to find it. I hope someone finds it useful. I plan to do a little tweaking of some of the ingredients.
  • nurse_christieyne
    nurse_christieyne Posts: 231
    bump for later.
  • TracieJ65
    TracieJ65 Posts: 645 Member
    You can check out my daily cooking blog! I have put a new recipe, on there, just about everyday for this year! I also post my tips! Also I have a couple of new bean recipes that I will be trying, and working on, soon! Beans are the way to go for cheap! (dry beans) and you can use one bag for a couple of different recipes and beans are filling. My blog can be found at www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TracieJ65
  • Tanya761
    Tanya761 Posts: 146
    This may have been mentioned already, but it is healthier and cheaper to eliminate meat from your diet once and awhile. Meat is usually quite expensive compared to rice, beans, lentils, etc. Beans and lentils have an amazing fiber content and keep you full. Try it. I aim for a few meatless meals a week. I just posted on the Recipe boards today a soup called "Lentil, Pearl Barley, and Sweet Potato Soup". Check it out!
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