Hard to eat healthy when you don't have $$$$$
Replies
-
ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »People seem to be going off about how you can lose weight regardless of budget. The original post is about eating healthy.
Well, then, define "healthy." There really isn't one definition, which is part of why people tend to interpret vague posts like the OP in the vein of losing weight.
If you're defining "healthy" as "getting adequate protein?" Canned tuna/chicken, buying chicken in bulk on sale, dried beans in the crockpot, eggs if they're cheap where you live (they're cheap where I live but geography makes a difference here), cottage cheese, etc.
Does it mean "getting 5 servings of fruits and vegetables?" Frozen, canned, look for sales, buy in-season, and buy whole heads of lettuce/broccoli/cauliflower/whole carrots instead of buying packages of already-cut-up veg.
Does it mean "low calorie?" People have already given the OP a ton of advice in this area.
Does it mean "all organic and fancy?" I think you're out of luck there, but as many people upthread have pointed out, healthy doesn't mean organic and fancy.
Does it mean "realistically, I have to keep relying on as much free food and ramen as I can because I'm for-reals broke right now?" That's okay too, you can always make even free meals healthier. Look for ways to increase the servings of veg you're getting (if the meal includes a salad or veggie tray, head there first) and concentrate on protein without going too heavy on cream- or fat-based sauces. You can gradually cut down on the amount you were eating while still eating the same types of things, and your overall diet will become lower-calorie too. Look for sales on frozen/canned veg to bulk up your ramen.
7 -
I use my sales paper a lot. Buy dried beans, rice and cook those on my own. I also buy frozen vegetables if the fresh vegetables are out of my budget (sometimes also canned veggies too, I just wash them). I cook in bulk to have a dinner become lunches for the rest of the week. I bought 1/2 a pound of ground turkey yesterday that came to $2.60. Made 3 burger patties with it and still have a ton left over. I also buy cuts of meat that are less expensive. A nice big slab of london broil top round cost me $2.50 or so earlier this week because they were doing a sale.1
-
So much good advice. Years ago when we had a small family,only my DH worked.In order for me to be home,every penny had to be squeezed,then squeezed again,so grocery shopping was a study in getting the most for the money.
Never shop without a list & I learned to divide that list into 3 parts.What had to be bought that day,what we needed if there was money after buying the "must haves".Things like "extras" were bought few & far between.
I learned to total the grocery bill as I went,because there was a certain amount & no more if I spent over that.Basic cookbooks from the library were my textbooks.They teach how to cook most foods,from dried beans to pancakes.There is no rule saying a meal has to have meat,pasta,a veggie & salad.You need to buy only food that will be eaten,with almost none thrown out. It takes time to learn,experience to save while feeding a family or yourself.From the posts on here,take what works for you.Keep at it & you will see a difference.Good luck.1 -
FreyasRebirth wrote: »Anyone saying it is cheaper to eat healthy has obviously never been poor...
Sure, maybe it's cheaper in the long run to purchase health food and ingredients in bulk. But if I have 10$ to my
Name I'm not thinking about the long run. I don't have 20$ to spend on a huge bag of rice that would admittedly last me a long time, but if I don't have the money... I don't have it.
How long do you want $10 to last?
(Using actual prices from Kroger's ClickList, not including sale price)- Variety Pack Generic Oatmeal: $1.59 for 10 packets
- 3 lb bag yellow onion: $1.50
- Generic Black (or any variety) Beans: $0.69/can
- Generic Italian Style Stewed Tomatoes: $0.73/can
- 1 lb Whole carrots $0.89
- 1 dozen generic eggs $1.59
- 1 lb Generic long-grain brown rice $0.89
- 3 "small gala" apples ~$0.99
- 1 Green Bell Pepper $0.89
When I was in college, I used to get packages of brown rice for under a dollar and packages of dried black beans for under a dollar, which would last me for like two weeks worth of dinners. Dump about half the package of black beans in the crock pot for a few hours with some water, a chopped onion and a bay leaf (if you have an ethnic grocery store near you, they're cheap and will last forever if you store them in the freezer). Brown rice + black beans + any other veg if I had it + hot sauce = NOM. I don't eat meat, but if you add some chicken to that it's bonus protein time.4 -
There are a lot of recipes and web sites that you can use for getting recipes and tips for tight budgets.
Are you making use of food shelves and/or food stamps?
There are many ways you can save and eat "healthy"
A lot of great tips and suggestions here OP.
1 -
Couscous - £1.40 per kilo
Tesco Everyday Value White Fish Fillets 520G £1.90
Tesco Sweet And Crunchy 370G £1.50
Some kind of flavouring for the couscous eg salt, herbs
That's good for 6 meals for £1 each, post-Brexit prices! Easy to prepare - I can do it and I can't be arsed with cooking. Yeah, it'll be the same meal every time but who cares.2 -
Anyone saying it is cheaper to eat healthy has obviously never been poor...
Sure, maybe it's cheaper in the long run to purchase health food and ingredients in bulk. But if I have 10$ to my
Name I'm not thinking about the long run. I don't have 20$ to spend on a huge bag of rice that would admittedly last me a long time, but if I don't have the money... I don't have it.
I'm sorry but no. I was poor when I was a kid, I was poor when I moved out on my own with no job, no car and no money. I left my parent's house with $35 to my name.
I was poor when I rented my first apartment. I lived off of ramen and spaghetti.
My past experiences compared to where I'm at now, I realize I could have eaten a whole lot better for the same amount of money. But my inexperience, youth, and lack of research dictated that I ate like crap. Looking back, I'm sad for my 18-22 year old self.7 -
Also just a note...
We don't know OPs situation here. Not everyone has access to a stove, or to huge amounts of fridge or freezer space. All well and good to say cool a huge batch of something and freeze it but that requires a stove, large pots, and freezer space which not everyone has or can afford right now.
Just saying. You don't know their situation so let's not assume they're being "lazy".2 -
Also just a note...
We don't know OPs situation here. Not everyone has access to a stove, or to huge amounts of fridge or freezer space. All well and good to say cool a huge batch of something and freeze it but that requires a stove, large pots, and freezer space which not everyone has or can afford right now.
Just saying. You don't know their situation so let's not assume they're being "lazy".
We don't know what OP is eating either (besides Ramen), but it is kind of logical to suppose that Op doesn't consider it healthy.
Most of the comments have been very helpful, but that is just my opinion.
3 -
I use to think when I was young this same way !
Bought into all the hype, diet this low fat that .
I then educated myself and I do not buy anything special or marketing as such ..
Learn the ingredients and read labels ,then learn portion control is all you need to eat healthy and loose or maintain weight .
Plan and prepare -)).
Save your money dear , many of these diet foods are super high in sodium anyway and not actually proven scientifically. .
2 -
Dear Posters,
I wanted to offer a brief explanation for the locking of this thread. This discussion is welcome to continue in groups.
The forum guidelines include this item:
1. No Attacks or Insults and No Reciprocation
a) Do not attack, mock, or otherwise insult others. You can respectfully disagree with the message or topic, but you cannot attack the messenger. This includes attacks against the user’s spelling or command of written English, or belittling a user for posting a duplicate topic.
b) If you are attacked by another user, and you reciprocate, you will also be subject to the same consequences. Defending yourself or a friend is not an excuse! Do not take matters into your own hands – instead, use the Report Post link to report an attack and we will be happy to handle the situation for you.
If you would like to review the forum guidelines, please visit the following link:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines
At our discretion, this locked thread may be deleted entirely in the near future.
With respect,
Sugar
MyFitnessPal Moderator2
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions