Healthy on a budget

keynaspider wrote: »

I'm currently a full time student working two jobs and planning a wedding. any tips on saving money while trying to eat healthier. right now all we can afford and have time for is fast food so any tips would be appreciated.

Do you have a Grocery Outlet nearby? Their foods is always cheaper.

Do you have a wholesale fruit/veggie local farmer's type market nearby? We have one open year round, fresh locally grown veggies and fruits, and the veggies are always a great price.

The Dollar Store/Tree has some foods to work with too. Just be sure to check the expiration dates.

Fast food can get expensive, but there is nothing at all wrong with it. Buying food in bulk can help with expense in the long run, and cooking a crockpot of food will help time wise.

kayeroze wrote: »

Cheap meats - ground turkey, chicken (legs and thighs especially), and some frozen fish fillets (not everything has to be fresh).

Buy frozen vegetables if you don't have time to chop, but generally buying fresh is cheaper in the long run.

Fruits, you should buy seasonally. Bananas and apples are fairly consistent in price throughout the year.

Don't spend a lot on snacks, instead go for a few that week like boiled eggs, granola bars, cheese sticks, and apples.

Shop around at different grocery stores if they're available. Places like Aldi and Sprouts are great for produce, meat, and dairy.

I don't agree with the bold part. Granola bars, cheese sticks and apples can be more expensive than things like a bag of chips, or a block of cheese. Granola bars get pretty expensive too.

xchocolategirl wrote: »

If you have an Aldi store nearby make sure to visit it! They have great prices, and I often fill my cart and not spend a lot.

^^^ This...I LOVE our local Aldi...we also have a great IGA. I generally go to IGA for meat bc the quality is great and they generally have great specials. This week I stocked my freezer with 2 weeks worth of meat for the price I would generally pay for half that time at Walmart.

meal prep and planning is essential for me because I try and stay on a budget also

I know some things might be different depending on location, but here are some of my favorites:

-frozen veggies. I have Giant Foodstores in my area, and I can get a very large bag of frozen broccoli florets for about $4. I use this a lot when I prep lunches for the week because I can roast it in the oven right from frozen (400 degrees for about 30 minutes, I generally will top it with some garlic powder, salt, pepper, and occasionally grated parmesan--the same stuff you get in the spaghetti aisle ), and it covers at least 10 lunches, and usually a bit extra for snacking on the day I make it.

-Zucchini. I use this to "bulk" some meals and spread them out further. I take a standard box grater and grate the zucchini very fine. it has no flavor, really, so I add it to things like spaghetti sauce, enchiladas, hamburger BBQ, etc. Anything that I use ground meat and sauce, I will usually add grated zucchini, and occasionally diced onion.

-family pack meats. I used to buy the store brand family packs of chicken breasts (usually around $10-$15 for 5-6 very large chicken breasts), but I've switched to Perdue because I get 10-12 smaller chicken breasts for about $12-$18, and they vacuum seal 2 breasts in a bag, so I can freeze portions I don't need right away. Also pork chops tend to be budget-friendly. Same with Chicken Legs/Thighs. I don't buy a lot of beef anymore (I like the lean ground beef, and that seems to never go on sale). I do use a lot of ground turkey.

-Rice. I have a rice steamer and I can put 2 cups of rice and 3 cups of water in it and let it steam. I end up with 4 cups of beautifully fluffy rice that can accompany many meals. I can toss it in a pan with some sauce to add a little flavor. My fiance likes it plain with a little soy sauce and salt. I prefer white rice over brown.

I try and find recipes that can "flow" from one to another. Like on Sundays I prepare 10 lunches for the week (5 for me, 5 for him). I use 10 chicken breasts, but even the smaller ones are bigger than what I want to take to lunch so I trim off the tenderloin and shave a but off the bottom to make it more even. I cube them up and cook them in a recipe for dinner that night, or sometimes make some for lunch that day and the rest for dinner. That meal will get us through sunday/monday nights.

Tuesday I will make another recipe that may use the leftovers, which should get me through Tues/Wed night dinners. While that recipe is cooking, I might make something to go in the freezer.

Thursday I will make a larger meal that will get us through Thurs/Fri dinners and Saturday lunch. Saturday night we generally go out, or pick at whatever is in the fridge/freezer.

Eating cheap and healthy:
1) plan your meals in advance. When you're working a lot, it helps to know what your plan is when you get home.
2) Plan and shop only once a week or so. Too many visits to the store means more junk and snacks and money.
3) Plan for leftovers. Cook extra when you cook so many nights you only have to assemble and/or reheat.