Eating healthy on a tight budget = difficult

I am having issues sticking to a healthy eating plan due to my current budget, does anyone have any healthy options that wont break my bank?? Looking more for lunch and dinner ideas.
I've been logging my eating and I'm under my calorie intake, but my weight only seems to be going up slowly. The scale is actually making me feel guilty and bad, I really want to lose the weight not pack more on :neutral:
I know I should be eating a lot more veggies but they are just too expensive to buy every other day, HELP!!
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Replies

  • frankie_xox
    frankie_xox Posts: 46 Member
    Have you tried frozen and canned veggies? May not be as ideal as fresh, but cheaper and still nutritious.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    beans, legumes, sold in bulk. As the person above me mentioned canned and frozen veggies. Many times they are like 2 for five bucks. Start visiting local markets and/or farm stands if you have them around. When you go to the store always check out the "sale" rack in all departments... Do you research and go to multiple stores to get the sale items if that's what it takes.
  • jandsstevenson887
    jandsstevenson887 Posts: 296 Member
    It doesn't have to be expensive to eat more healthy. Look at other more inexpensive grocery stores. I shop a lot at Aldi. My family eats a lot of pinto beans with rice with a little sausage. We incorporate a lot of frozen veggies so they don't go bad and spoil before we can eat them. We eat a lot of zucchini because it is filling and usually cheap. Some healthy options:
    taco soups (use frozen veggies, beans)
    minestrone
    grilled chicken salads
    simple pasta dishes with frozen vegetables
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Steamable vegetables run From $1-1.50 a bag. That's not expensive. It's super cheap and they taste great.
  • chunky_pinup
    chunky_pinup Posts: 758 Member
    Frozen veggies can actually be more nutritious than fresh depending on the region you live in, because they can lose nutrients if they are picked before ripened to be fresh upon traveling to your region. Where I live, in the winter, fresh veggies are very expensive and they are TERRIBLE quality because they have to come from all over the world. I can stock up on bags of veggies for $0.99 a piece. If you eat meat, buy the cuts that are on sale. Buy in bulk. I buy our grains and legumes in the bulk section and save a load that way. We spend $70/week for three of us, and we always have money left over. Plan out all of your meals ahead of time and only purchase what you need to prepare them.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    rmduck81 wrote: »
    I am having issues sticking to a healthy eating plan due to my current budget, does anyone have any healthy options that wont break my bank?? Looking more for lunch and dinner ideas.
    I've been logging my eating and I'm under my calorie intake, but my weight only seems to be going up slowly. The scale is actually making me feel guilty and bad, I really want to lose the weight not pack more on :neutral:
    I know I should be eating a lot more veggies but they are just too expensive to buy every other day, HELP!!

    Stuff I ate when I was broke...and still, most of these are dietary staples.

    Dried Legumes
    Rice
    Lentils
    Potatoes
    Cabbage
    Broccoli
    Other frozen veggies on sale
    Apples (Gala are usually pretty cheap)
    Whole chickens or chicken parts
    Other meats on sale
    Eggs
  • debmom2boyz
    debmom2boyz Posts: 86 Member
    Pinterest has tons of healthy meals on a budget.
    Do you have local farms that you could do a co-op at? You work and get paid in veggies?

  • itsmemaringle
    itsmemaringle Posts: 69 Member
    Are you in the uk? I filled to bursting my 25l backpack for under £9 in lidl ...all fresh fruit and veg (including some avocados) shop around... Look for deals Aldi do 5 discounted fruit/ veg items per week ... Also I go frozen for soft fruits as last longer and get more for my money. Good luck.
  • Sugar_Slayer
    Sugar_Slayer Posts: 13 Member
    If you are in the US, you could also check out Bountiful Basket for fresh fruits and vegetables. It's like a food coop - you contribute on Monday and then pick Friday or Saturday depending on your location. You don't know what you are going to get, but it's $15 + shipping and usually comes to be about half the price if you bought the same thing in the store.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Check bugetbytes.com
  • bogwoppt1
    bogwoppt1 Posts: 159 Member
    rmduck81 wrote: »
    I've been logging my eating and I'm under my calorie intake, but my weight only seems to be going up slowly. The scale is actually making me feel guilty and bad, I really want to lose the weight not pack more on :neutral:
    I know I should be eating a lot more veggies but they are just too expensive to buy every other day, HELP!!

    Are you weighing the food you eat? Because the only way you can be gaining weight is because you are eating more calories than your body needs. Eyeballing or guesstimating food portions is really hopeless, you need to weigh. Not with measuring cups or spoons or by reading the packaging.

    As a way to save money, buy in bulk, do not buy prepackaged food.

    I buy the following in bulk

    oatmeal
    frozen berries
    chick peas (make my own hummus)
    greek yogourt (biggest size)
    lentils and beans to add to chilis and soups
    frozen veg


    Maybe if your describe what you are eating people can help with money saving alternatives.

  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    How much are you budgeted to eat per day? And how many calories?

    I probably can eat 1500 calories from 4-6 dollars. Since I went on calorie counting everything I eat seems "healthy" in the sense that I don't pack on more lbs and I feel quite energetic.
  • DrifterBear
    DrifterBear Posts: 265 Member
    Spending more money on food won't help you lose weight. You seem to have two unrelated concerns. First with eating health, which I assume you mean as fresh (organic) veggies. Second with losing weight. Those are not related. Spending more on food won't help you lose weight.
  • grubb1019
    grubb1019 Posts: 371 Member
    Shop at Aldis. Their produce is sometimes half the price of Krogers.
  • cate320
    cate320 Posts: 130 Member
    Frozen vegetables and frozen meat are always consistently cheaper than their fresh counterparts. Just as tasty, and even easier to prepare too.

    Eggs are also a good one. If you eat carbs, rice and pasta are always cheap and great to bulk up a meal.

    Other than that, shop sales as much as possible.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,819 Member
    Around here, some of the less popular veggies are significantly less expensive - thinks like root veggies (carrots, beets, turnips, etc.), winter squash, etc. If you're open to trying new things, take a good look around at the grocery store, and try something new that's inexpensive. Search online to see how to cook it, see if you like it.

    +1 to the idea of frozen veg, too.
  • rmduck81
    rmduck81 Posts: 16 Member
    Thanks everyone, those are some good ideas. Really appreciate the help everyone!
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    I saved tons of money by eating healthier foods. You can totally do it :)
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    I don't know what your budget is, but have had very tight times, our budget foods are Beans And Rice!

    For protein:
    Beans beans beans, lentils and peas
    Eggs
    Chicken if you can get it in bulk at Sam's or somewhere

    For fruit/veg
    Check the non-organic in the city farmer's markets, some great deals
    Things that are on sale
    Big bag of frozen fruit
    Frozen Veg
    Canned tomatoes


    For oils, we don't compromise...Butter, Coconut Oil, Olive OIl, but buy in bulk and they last a long time. Also onions, we use them in everything so kind of have to buy them even if not cheap. But they aren't too expensive.

    For carbs:
    Rice in a big bag
    Frozen corn
    Pasta
    Tortillas
    Bread when it's buy one get one, or we do make bread, but it's not a lot cheaper to make than buy.


    And a big part of eating healthy is just not eating too much, so that part is cheap.
  • kandell
    kandell Posts: 473 Member
    I like to stock up on meats when they're on sale, then throw them in the freezer until I need them. Canned and frozen veggies are great, as well as rice and pasta. Canned chicken and tuna are also good options. Buy the generic brands whenever possible, and pay attention to sales :]