Budget/meal plan advice.

kam3190
kam3190 Posts: 157 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Im trying to start a weekly meal plan with my family because food is expensive BUT my family wants lot of stuff that will blow my calories out of the water. does anyone have any tips? I was thinking of making the food my family likes and eating a smaller portion with a salad or mixed veggies etc. I thought of maybe eating less earlier but I work a very manal job ( at least 12-16000 steps in 8 hours with lifting ad if I dont eat decent lunch Im super light headed.

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    To be able to make eating healthy, affordable and tasty, and at the same time suit several people with way different needs and preferences, you have to plan well. I live alone, so I can't provide anything but loose tips: Simplify, combine, plan to eat up everything. The bulk of your family's meals should be old favorites, but try new dishes/recipes occasionally (maybe once per week) too. Let everybody have a say, but the cook makes the final decision. Eat family meals, everybody eats the same foods, but in various amounts and proportions. Keep an assortment of shelf stable staples. Buy cheap foods most of the time, rotate and alternate, buy more expensive items in smaller amounts and less frequetly. Buy fresh or frozen according to price/quality - when in doubt, go with whatever version is cheapest but still acceptable. Learn prices, stock up on sales, and understand the difference between price and value. Use your food diary to learn how to assemble balanced meals and how much food you need.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    based on what you said in your OP - maybe evaluate your goal calories - if you are as active as you say then an active/very active level of activity would be appropriate (if you don' thave it set that way already)
  • kathleennf
    kathleennf Posts: 606 Member
    Hi - I'll chime in too since I am dealing with the same problem! I lived alone for many years but now have moved in with my dad since my mom died not quite 2 years ago. So- I've had to sort of try to figure out how to deal with this, to give him food that he wants and likes without overdoing my calories or having to cook 2 meals! I second Lynn's suggestion above, to start with- I usually give him about 2/3 of the rice/pasta/bread whatever. Also, I've learned to substitute olive oil for butter and Greek yogurt for sour cream in a lot of recipes- this was necessary because after I moved in with him my cholesterol went up a bit LOL. Now it's back down. Also, when I make something like oatmeal for breakfast, I put butter in his but not mine, and let him add his own sugar. Little things like this make a huge difference.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,091 Member
    Meals where the protein, non-starchy vegetables, and starches are separate dishes rather than combined (as in a casserole, stew, pot pie, etc.) are easier to adjust to different people's needs (you just have more of the non-starchy vegetables, less of the starch, maybe less of the protein than other people at the table). If other family members complain when they see vegetables on the table, just tell them they don't have to eat them.
  • nic_27_grassisgreener
    nic_27_grassisgreener Posts: 193 Member
    kam3190 wrote: »
    I was thinking of making the food my family likes and eating a smaller portion with a salad or mixed veggies etc.

    This seems like an awesome strategy. Because then you get to eat yummy foods AND learn proper portions. Sounds like a recipe for eating well for life.

    As for budget foods - here are some of my favs:
    pasta with homemade tomato sauce (big jar of canned tomatoes plus spices)
    Breakfast for dinner (pancakes, French toast, waffles, eggs, etc)
    Rice and Beans (served plain, or burrito style)
    Soups like veggie soup, chili (mine is vegetarian). You can buy a loaf of French bread and toast it up for on the side.
    Frozen veggies are usually cheap and never go bad.
  • angelsja
    angelsja Posts: 859 Member
    lynndotbee wrote: »
    For starchy foods like rice and potatoes I don't split evenly between my husband and me. He gets more 2/3 and me 1/3. For protein I keep it the same though. And if I ever split something in half if one accidentally looks bigger than the other I just give him the bigger half. Unless it's dessert... :)

    I do this too except I weigh the plates after I dish up give him the heaviest he sometimes puts weight on when I'm trying to lose oops lol


  • kam3190
    kam3190 Posts: 157 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    based on what you said in your OP - maybe evaluate your goal calories - if you are as active as you say then an active/very active level of activity would be appropriate (if you don' thave it set that way already)

    Im eating between 2000-2500 a day to lose 1 lb a week. But my family likes very high caloric foods.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    kam3190 wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    based on what you said in your OP - maybe evaluate your goal calories - if you are as active as you say then an active/very active level of activity would be appropriate (if you don' thave it set that way already)

    Im eating between 2000-2500 a day to lose 1 lb a week. But my family likes very high caloric foods.

    Give us examples of three meals you cook for them. That would be helpful if you want specific feedback.


  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    edited February 2018
    nic_27_grassisgreener wrote: »
    kam3190 wrote: »
    I was thinking of making the food my family likes and eating a smaller portion with a salad or mixed veggies etc.

    This seems like an awesome strategy. Because then you get to eat yummy foods AND learn proper portions. Sounds like a recipe for eating well for life.

    As for budget foods - here are some of my favs:
    pasta with homemade tomato sauce (big jar of canned tomatoes plus spices)
    Breakfast for dinner (pancakes, French toast, waffles, eggs, etc)
    Rice and Beans (served plain, or burrito style)
    Soups like veggie soup, chili (mine is vegetarian). You can buy a loaf of French bread and toast it up for on the side.
    Frozen veggies are usually cheap and never go bad.

    This is pretty much what I do. I also cycle my calories such that 5 days are lower, so that I have more calories on Fridays and Tuesdays. So on Friday and Tuesday I have more room to enjoy our favorite (calorific) meals--homemade pizza, pasta with pesto, breakfast for dinner, etc. But yes, on my lower calorie days, I just have to portion out a smaller amount for myself, and go heavier on the protein and vegetables. If you happen to like zoodles, those can be a nice substitute for pasta. My family eats the zoodles as a side dish, but I eat it like I would pasta, with sauce and parmesan cheese, for quite a bit fewer calories than pasta.

    Ditto on the above meals!! We have frozen vegetables most nights. And I often try to stretch ground beef with mushrooms and other vegetables in meat pasta sauce, with beans and vegetables in chili, and with quinoa in taco meat. This also helps with added nutrition/variation.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    Your original plans sounds pretty good. Decreasing your portion size and backfilling with salad or mixed veggies sounds logical. My only hesitation is whether or not you would be getting adequate protein doing this. It makes such a big difference to satiation and you want to do what you can to you preserve muscle as you lose weight.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
    Always offer a vegetable. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but always offer something like salad, steamed broccoli, roasted cauliflower, grilled asparagus, grilled zucchini, sautéed spinach, sautéed peppers etc etc with the meal. Your family will hopefully get used to the appearance of vegetables and they might even like them! And, you always have a vegetable to supplement a reduced portion of whatever the family is eating.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    kam3190 wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    based on what you said in your OP - maybe evaluate your goal calories - if you are as active as you say then an active/very active level of activity would be appropriate (if you don' thave it set that way already)

    Im eating between 2000-2500 a day to lose 1 lb a week. But my family likes very high caloric foods.
    A calorie target like that means that you too can eat very high caloric foods.
    I'm a proponent of not making things harder than they have to be. Maybe I'm just lazy :D
  • MamaMc3
    MamaMc3 Posts: 213 Member
    My family likes high caloric foods, but ultimately, if you are doing the meal planning, shopping, and cooking, you get to decide what they are eating! :) You could still do some of their favorites, but incorporate some lighter dishes, too. Healthier food can taste just as good as high calorie food. At my house, I am the only one that eats low-ish carbs, so I will modify the meals for myself (skip the bread, eat cauliflower rice instead of actual rice, etc.). Alternatively, they eat what I am eating and get their carbs/calories from the snacks they eat. There's definitely ways to make it work when you are feeding a family - it just takes some extra planning and cooperation.
  • abbynormalartist
    abbynormalartist Posts: 318 Member
    I struggle with this but I've found some prepping helps tons. I cook up a bunch of chicken or pork and prep fruits and veggies on Sundays after I go grocery shopping. Then when it comes to dinner I can more easily make meals that fit everyone. I can portion out a lot of protein and veg with a bit of fruit for myself, a smaller portion of my meal for the kids, and then give them a side of pasta or rice. Things like quesadillas, eggs, tacos, wraps, and salads are great and easily customizable.
  • rikkejohnsenrij
    rikkejohnsenrij Posts: 510 Member
    I have 2 kids (who cannot agree on dishes they like) and a husband. I've told them that as long as I shop AND cook ANd pays the food I'll decide...they can come with ideas and inputs, but it's my decision. (also, since they all prefer cheesy, fried food it's not in their best interest to get to decide the meals every day)

    we get all kinds of food, since I enjoy cooking...but every evening meal has vegetables on the side, either as an easy salad, as sticks or in the case of "mixed" food part of the dish. I just make sure I eat a lot of vegetables if the food is caliorie dense.

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