What should I be eating? (My budget is very small)
TheGoblinKing19
Posts: 11 Member
I have a really hard time with eating as well as I am supposed to be eating. It becomes really difficult because my boyfriend and I really don't make that much money. Does anyone have any cheap meal ideas that are effective?
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The nice thing about losing weight is that you can do it by eating the same foods, just less of them. For now I would say to take that route--simply eat smaller portions of what you currently eat, staying within your calorie budget. As time goes by you may want to try swapping out some foods for others. One budget conscious way of doing that is to buy produce that is in season, as it is usually cheaper than things that are out of season. For example, in the summer you may buy more berries and then in the fall buy things like squash.0
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It isn't ideal because there is so much sodium and processed food, but I lost weight in the past and I ate Lean Cuisines and WW Smart ones for lunches. I can usually get them between $2-$3 each. There are a lot of inexpensive dinner recipes out there, but one of my favorites is chicken breasts and one of those steam bags of veggies. You guys could both eat on that for about $5 a meal. Watch for steaks, pork, etc to go on sale and stock up. I like to cook it all when it is fresh and pack and freeze cooked food. Easy for lunches and better than those high sodium packaged meals (I type this while eating canned soup with tons of sodium).
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Lots of ideas on earlier threads on this topic: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/search?adv=1&search=&title=budget&author=&cat=all&tags=&discussion_d=1&comment_c=1&group_group=1&within=1+day&date=0
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Ramen.
There was a time my husband and I, in our very first apartment in the outskirts of the ghetto, survived pretty much on Ramen for a year. It's like $.10-$.25 a package.
However, knowing what I know now, I would have loved to spruce up that Ramen like the Koreans do with eggs and meat and all sorts of goodies. Yeah... look that up. Cheap, Protein, Carbs... can't go wrong.
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The nice thing about losing weight is that you can do it by eating the same foods, just less of them. For now I would say to take that route--simply eat smaller portions of what you currently eat, staying within your calorie budget. As time goes by you may want to try swapping out some foods for others. One budget conscious way of doing that is to buy produce that is in season, as it is usually cheaper than things that are out of season. For example, in the summer you may buy more berries and then in the fall buy things like squash.
That's a good idea! I have cut my portions way down because I used to eat soooooo much. I would eat when I was bored, sad, happy...all the freaking time! But I will totally start cutting it even more down.
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It isn't ideal because there is so much sodium and processed food, but I lost weight in the past and I ate Lean Cuisines and WW Smart ones for lunches. I can usually get them between $2-$3 each. There are a lot of inexpensive dinner recipes out there, but one of my favorites is chicken breasts and one of those steam bags of veggies. You guys could both eat on that for about $5 a meal. Watch for steaks, pork, etc to go on sale and stock up. I like to cook it all when it is fresh and pack and freeze cooked food. Easy for lunches and better than those high sodium packaged meals (I type this while eating canned soup with tons of sodium).
I haven't tried those steam veggies bags before! That's a really good idea. I hate how vegetables to bad so fast so I've always done cans of vegetables but I am sure those steamed bags are way healthier!0 -
Ramen.
There was a time my husband and I, in our very first apartment in the outskirts of the ghetto, survived pretty much on Ramen for a year. It's like $.10-$.25 a package.
However, knowing what I know now, I would have loved to spruce up that Ramen like the Koreans do with eggs and meat and all sorts of goodies. Yeah... look that up. Cheap, Protein, Carbs... can't go wrong.
I'm too scared to eat ramen after all the stuff I read about it!0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Lots of ideas on earlier threads on this topic: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/search?adv=1&search=&title=budget&author=&cat=all&tags=&discussion_d=1&comment_c=1&group_group=1&within=1+day&date=
Thank you!!0 -
Buy in bulk, or go shopping just before closing time to get discounted bargains.0
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I would not recommend pre-packaged meals like frozen WW or whatever. They tend to be small portioned, over salted and exceptionally expensive compared to buying the fresh ingredients it takes to make them.
I suggest shopping sales. Look at your local flyers and plan your meals around what is on sale that week. If it's not on sale try not to buy it. Especially out of season fruits and veg. The stuff on sale is in season and tastes great now.
I'm not sure where you live but if you have an ALDI near you their fresh produce is very cheap.
I also meal prep once a week so I cook up a lot of veg and a protein to eat through out the week. That saves you time and it saves you from wasting money of foods that go bad because you forgot to cook/ eat them.0 -
Dry beans, smaller amounts of cheap meat. Chili, Hoppin' John, and Red Beans and Rice are three of my favorites and can be made in large quantities and frozen.0
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Make batches of beans and rice and when frozen chicken is on sale, snap it up. Potatoes, fresh produce are your friend and cheaper than people would like you to believe.0
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I suggest keeping fresh fruit and veggies as the more expensive part of your diet because it's hard to find an alternative. Supplement with a ton of Whole Grains. Forget quinoa cause it's expensive but bulger wheat, barley, amaranth, and brown rice are all super cheap and filling. Also beans. Dried beans are so inexpensive and there are so many kinds.
For protein there are lots of options. There are always eggs and chicken breasts. You can also get cheaper cuts of beef like london broil. Or get a pork shoulder. Most of the inexpensive cuts of meat are more flavorful but do require either marinating or longer cook times. Totally worth it.0 -
Eggs, peanut butter, and whole wheat bread are fairly versatile. Chicken, rice, and frozen veggies do well too for good nutrition and not too much expense. Oatmeal is extraordinarily cost effective and fills you up. Oatmeal + peanut butter + raisins + a little maple syrup = delicious and filling on a budget. I tend to eat a lot of egg sandwiches, chicken fried-rice, and oatmeal, all for far less than a dollar per serving.0
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I usually go to Costco to buy chicken breasts or chicken thighs. The amount you get can last you for 2 months (I paid $27 for a package of chicken breast) but that's 2 months worth. Also in bulk I buy frozen broccoli and Frozen mixed bag of veggies (you can basically buy most veggies and store it in your freezer until you're ready to use it). At your local supermarket or if you have a Trader Joe's that would be even better! They have a variety of marinades, rubs and seasonings to keep that chicken interesting.
One night (pick your least busy night) cook enough for 2-3 days. You can cook for the whole week if you want to! In my experience I get tired of eating the same thing day in day out, so I like variety after a few days. A sample meal could be teriyaki chicken with steamed or boiled veggies (seasoned with salt/pepper/your choice).
I also suggest using glass containers such as pyrex or glass lock. ( I had to throw out so many plastic ones from rubbermaid and Glad over the months because they seem to absorb odors over time).
Check out youtube for cheap/easy/weekly meals.0 -
rice,beans,peanut butter,oatmeal,frozen veggies and berries,bananas,apples,any veg that is in season an for a good price,stock up your herb/spices cupboard and you can make any meal taste awesome, ramen is a good idea you dont need to use the gross packets they give you add your own flavour (cheesy.bbq.hot sauce whatever) pasta is a good idea in general, tofu is very very inexpensive in my experience and it ca be cooked in many different ways just start looking up (fried tofu,crispy tofu,baked tofu,marinated ect) potatoes very versatile and you can get a 10 pound bag that will keep for weeks0
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Pasta is very cheap. Load it up with frozen mixed veggies. You can even add some type of premade alfredo or marinara. Frozen broccoli, penne pasta, alfredo make a meal. Chicken is normally inexpensive. I think what is economical is to buy chicken and make it plain then you can turn it into salads, sandwiches, pasta, tacos, etc.
Beans are very inexpensive. You can eat them as a side, toss in a salad or use as bean burritos. Another idea is vegetarian chili. Beans, can of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and chili seasoning. If you have extra, add peppers and onions.
Before buying frozen meals, I would go with a package of dry pasta, some bought tomato sauce and shredded cheese. You can purchase this for almost same cost as a meal or two and get alot more out of it.
Frozen broccoli makes great soup. Can tomatoes make a great tomato soup with a grilled cheese or cheese toast.
I mention chicken. Also, whole chickens are cheaper. You pay for them to cut it up. Roast it whole for a great meal and use leftover meat as I listed above. I bought an entire package of chicken thights for a few dollars. I'm going to bake them with lemon slices, salt pepper and herbs.
Tonight I'm making fish tacos. Frozen tilapia. Very inexpensive. I'm defrosting it, seasoning it with old bay and lime. Then cooking in nonstick skillet with cooking spray. I'm serving in corn tortillas with coleslaw. One filet will make for two tacos.
I think best thing to do is experiment. Canned and frozen foods aren't bad for you. Unless you have issues with sodium, it's safe to eat.
And if you see meats on sale, grab extra and cook to transform into another meal. Takes about same effort.
I had a salad with hamburger patty last night. I cooked the rest of the meat for stuffed peppers tomorrow night.
Good luck to you. 0 -
Clean out your freezer of things you won't eat. Then, go shopping for bulk items, including frozen veggies. If you can stock your freezer with meat and veggies, you'll have more options for cooking dinner. We end up getting Costco meat, which costs a big chuck at one time, but actually saves money for the next couple of months, so it works out well.
Look online for budget recipes as well. There's a lot of good recipes for cheaper cuts of meat that work well, so you don't have to go buy steaks to have a good tasting meal. One I've used before is http://www.budgetbytes.com/ , though I know there are others out there.0 -
TheGoblinKing19 wrote: »Ramen.
There was a time my husband and I, in our very first apartment in the outskirts of the ghetto, survived pretty much on Ramen for a year. It's like $.10-$.25 a package.
However, knowing what I know now, I would have loved to spruce up that Ramen like the Koreans do with eggs and meat and all sorts of goodies. Yeah... look that up. Cheap, Protein, Carbs... can't go wrong.
I'm too scared to eat ramen after all the stuff I read about it!
What have you heard?!0 -
Ramen.
There was a time my husband and I, in our very first apartment in the outskirts of the ghetto, survived pretty much on Ramen for a year. It's like $.10-$.25 a package.
However, knowing what I know now, I would have loved to spruce up that Ramen like the Koreans do with eggs and meat and all sorts of goodies. Yeah... look that up. Cheap, Protein, Carbs... can't go wrong.
Except the sodium levels are absolutely through the roof! I'm pretty sure ramen is terrible for you. Instant noodles have been linked to heart disease and metabolic disorders in the past, just google "is ramen bad for you" and all the links that come up talk about how AWFUL it is for your health.0 -
DizzyMissIzzy wrote: »Ramen.
There was a time my husband and I, in our very first apartment in the outskirts of the ghetto, survived pretty much on Ramen for a year. It's like $.10-$.25 a package.
However, knowing what I know now, I would have loved to spruce up that Ramen like the Koreans do with eggs and meat and all sorts of goodies. Yeah... look that up. Cheap, Protein, Carbs... can't go wrong.
Except the sodium levels are absolutely through the roof! I'm pretty sure ramen is terrible for you.
I agree with sodium. If I eat them as directed, I retain water terribly. If I'm not using the seasoning packet, I figure I just as well buy thin spaghetti to spruce up.0 -
Home made is often cheaper. I learned to make beans from dry but canned are nearly as inexpensive. There are soups, stews, chilis, and slow cooker. You can roast a chicken in your slow cooker and use the meat for many meals. Sturdy fresh vegetables include potatoes, carrots, onions, and cabbage. Frozen veggies like peas and corn are inexpensive and in the freezer they stay fresh. You can get your carbs from rice and noodles too, and they are inexpensive. Oatmeal, inexpensive.0
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- Dried beans in bulk
- Brown rice
- Potatoes (I just bought a 5 Lb bag for $1.69)
- Oats and other whole grains in bulk
- Whatever meat or poultry is on sale...whole chickens and chicken pieces rather than breasts and whatnot that have been already trimmed...fattier cuts of meat...pork tenderloin is usually pretty cheap
- Eggs
- Frozen veggies are always on sale
- Fresh, un-trendy veggies like cabbage are always cheap
- Onions
- Gala apples tend to be the cheapest winter fruit in my neck of the woods.
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The way to save money on food is to cook from scratch at home instead of purchasing prepared meals and packaged, convenience foods. It would be great to eat organic produce, meat, and dairy ... if you can afford that kind of food ... but if you cannot, then the regular food you buy at a supermarket/grocery is fine.
Learn to cook if you don't know how. Cook together if you can get your boyfriend to buy in on that. IF there is a Walmart Superstore, or an Aldi in your town, the whole, regular food sold there is cheaper than at the local grocery store because they buy in larger quantities.
Some tips that I do to keep food costs down ...
clip coupons for food items that are not convenience/pre-cooked ... stuff like canned tomatoes, tuna fish, canned fruit (unsweetened), pasta, spices, frozen plain vegetables, butter, eggs, milk, cheese, etc. When they are on sale, I stock up some to have on hand.
Shop the sales ... look at the grocery store weekly shopping ad ... some of them you can do online, others from the flier in the Sunday newspaper, and plan your menu for the week by what's on sale from the foods you like to eat. ... If sirloin pork chops are on sale at a price lower than the chicken or beef, then pork chops make it to the menu that week, etc. Then, buy the largest package you can afford ... the big packages are sometimes the sale deal ... and freeze what you cannot use up right away for another time ... be certain to prewrap the pieces of meat into portions for one recipe before freezing. If you wrap in plastic wrap and then store them in a larger freezer bag, you can remove to defrost what you need and keep the rest frozen. Also, if you don't let it defrost inside the plastic freezer bag itself, you won't have the inside contaminated by meat juices and can reuse it efficiently for more wrapped meat to freeze later.
Go meatless for at least one dinner a week ... that doesn't mean load up on cheese instead, try vegan instead.
Buy dried peas, beans, lentils, and whole grains and cook them up to use for soups, chilis, grain sides instead of buying the canned versions.
Break the sweat-tooth habit by making that ice cream, baked good, candy, etc .. a treat instead of a pantry staple. If you gotta have dessert with every meal ... make it fruit that you buy whole or pudding that you make from scratch.
stuff like that ...
Good luck
Try it .. it works.0 -
Lentils! They are so cheap and high in protein and only take like 10 mins to cook and are a good recipe base. Just chuck in some tuna and veg and your good to go.1
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Thank you guys all so much!!0
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TheGoblinKing19 wrote: »Ramen.
There was a time my husband and I, in our very first apartment in the outskirts of the ghetto, survived pretty much on Ramen for a year. It's like $.10-$.25 a package.
However, knowing what I know now, I would have loved to spruce up that Ramen like the Koreans do with eggs and meat and all sorts of goodies. Yeah... look that up. Cheap, Protein, Carbs... can't go wrong.
I'm too scared to eat ramen after all the stuff I read about it!
What have you heard?!
https://www.yahoo.com/health/why-ramen-noodles-could-cut-your-life-short-94747327572.html0 -
The other side of the story.
http://www.theramenrater.com/2012/04/25/setting-the-record-straight-rampant-claims-of-instant-noodle-dangers/0 -
You could also check out your local food pantrys they usually give rice and other things to help make meals0
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