Eating healthy on a tight budget = difficult

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  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    Ninkyou wrote: »
    Steamable vegetables run From $1-1.50 a bag. That's not expensive. It's super cheap and they taste great.

    Seriously, my store's (Publix) name brand steam fresh bags taste better to me than the more expensive versions. I don't worry about them going bad, and they're easy to prepare.
    Take some time on Wednesday's to go through the ads (most stores ad week starts then) and find out which store is going to have the best deals for you or at least what your favorite store has on sale, and keep an eye on the cost per ounce (some stores list it with the price) to start getting an idea of what is the best cost for you. Make a list, stick to your list, those add on purchases is where my bill goes from $30 to $70 (darn you hot chocolate mix, you temptress).

    If you're just trying to lose weight, remember it's more about getting under calorie goal more than necessarily hitting all your macros. :smile:
  • natalie3505
    natalie3505 Posts: 169 Member
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    Do you have an aldi near you? Or a winco? Those are great places to buy produce cheap as well.
  • Jeffrey300050
    Jeffrey300050 Posts: 93 Member
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    Try buying you protein very early in the mornings at your favorite store when it's marked down. Be sure to use right away OR it's fine to freeze and use anytime. Just get it in the freezer quickly.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    Another vote for shopping at Aldi. I sound like a broken record with it, but I can't give them enough positive recommendation.
  • ketorach
    ketorach Posts: 430 Member
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    Eggs (not organic)
    Chicken thighs or pork shoulder for pulled chicken or pork
    Oats (bought in bulk)
    Rice (in bulk)
    Frozen veggies
    Canned tuna
    Bananas
    Canned or dried beans
    Ground beef (when bought in bulk, it can be as low as $2.67/lb at my local Wegmans)

    When I was a broke grad student, I ate white rice with chicken, garlic, olive oil and chick peas all the time. I also ate a lot of chili.

    Also, eating less costs less than eating more. Just reducing your portion sizes will be cheaper and stem your weight gain.

  • DisneyDude85
    DisneyDude85 Posts: 428 Member
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    natalie3505 wrote: »
    Do you have an aldi near you? Or a winco? Those are great places to buy produce cheap as well.

    +1 on WinCo! I'm there at least 3 times a week. The bulk section there is amazing. Usually much cheaper than the packaged stuff. May require a little more overhead on the first visit (purchasing containers and canisters for bulk items), but after that, you can save a lot of money. I have canisters of white/brown rice, lentils, quinoa, oats (steel-cut and quick cook), and whole wheat corkscrew pasta. Their produce is reasonably priced, as well as meat.
  • phyllis731
    phyllis731 Posts: 58 Member
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    I totally recommend frozen vegetables.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
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    Batch cook. I'm doing it right now and so far I have made: 4 chicken/potato/mushroom/onion packs, 3 chicken/green pepper/mushroom/cheese polenta pizzas, and 2 chicken alfredo stuffed peppers. Going to make a bunch more stuff tomorrow.
  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
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    When money allows, buy in bulk and freeze what you don't use. I buy extra fruit when it's on sale and chop and freeze extra for smoothies. I also freeze bread and bagels for later. Take advantage of the 10 for $10 sales when it comes to canned and boxed good like beans and pasta, too. Pre-plan your family's menus, buy only what you need, and don't forget the coupons!
  • Odiaa
    Odiaa Posts: 34 Member
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    Apples are cheap and only 80 calories for a medium apple.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    dried beans, frozen vegetables, oatmeal, bananas, canned tuna. All of these things are super cheap.
  • emmooney235
    emmooney235 Posts: 85 Member
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    Shop the ads and cook in bulk! I made a pasta salad last Sunday and I still have a bit left for tomorrow. One box of pasta, home made vinaigrette dressing, and saute 1 of each cucumber-yellow squash-zucchini-grape tomatoes-broccoli-red onion-black olives-Italian seasoning. I may have missed an ingredient, but it makes a huge batch and all you need to do is maybe add a side veg and whatever protein you prefer. I oven roasted a pound of chicken and that took care of my lunches fir the week. Dinner was whatever leftover protein I had.
    My husband and I shop the sales and meal plan around them and we can usually do our weekly grocery run for $100 or less. Of course there are little trips throughout the week, but still pretty cheap.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
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    The dollar tree has 1# bags of frozen veggies and fruit! The fruit is a fabulous deal. They have blueberries, strawberries, mixed berries, mango chunks and peaches!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Yes it is. You have to be more creative, work with what you have, and plan ahead. Around here a family pack of chicken thighs is the cheapest way to pick up chicken. You can save time by cooking the whole batch at once and freezing it.

    http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/perfect-pan-roasted-chicken-thighs

    You can change it up by switching the sides. With pasta for a cacciatore, baked chicken and rice, or with potatoes.
  • duddysdad
    duddysdad Posts: 403 Member
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    Healthy is subjective. Some people think healthy = clean (organic, unprocessed), which makes no bit of difference in how much weight you lose. Calories are what matters. If you have to eat cheap $1 frozen meals then so be it. You can eat "unhealthy" food and supplement with frozen bulk vegetables. As people have said, dry beans and rice are very cheap and make many meals. Aldi has a huge (5/10 lb?) bag of rice for less than $5 and would last you a long time. It's possible to eat what's considered healthy, cheap.
  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
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    The scale numbers only go up when you are not staying within your calorie goal.
  • Maow1
    Maow1 Posts: 1 Member
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    Grow your own veg! Burn calories digging AND save money!
  • BettyEtte
    BettyEtte Posts: 39 Member
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    I've gotten hooked on ROASTED frozen vegetables. So easy, cheap, & flavorful.
  • VictorMan86
    VictorMan86 Posts: 1 Member
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    In terms of losing weight, I think it depends more on your genetics. I have been using this app for a long time, and didn't remember I have gone beyond my calories intake and I seem to lose weight very quickly. I basically eat two solid meals the entire day and approximately I eat a small meal every two hours. Besides, I exercise at least 4 days a week and I this is a key point in losing weight. As for cheap food, I don't recommend frozen food. It is all about initial payment for a week worth of good food. I would be more vegetarian after 8 pm, eating more of lentil soup and veggie soups in general. When you buy food that expires in a short period, you know that food is good and not highly processed. So, you could but that food in the freezer to keep it fresh for a few weeks and save money.
    I hope this helps.

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