Healthy eating on a budget?

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mcmahonclan5
mcmahonclan5 Posts: 12
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone have any suggestions for eating right on a budget? It's so expensive to make healthy choices especially when your family won't eat some of it.

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  • cdstadt
    cdstadt Posts: 311 Member
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    Don't buy pre-cut or individual sized anything.

    Buy fresh produce when on sale and IN SEASON. Try farmer's markets for deals.

    Buy big bulk bags of frozen vegetables (I do peas, corn, broccoli, and mixed vegetables this way)

    Only buy enough lettuce to last you. You don't want to buy too much and waste the rest you can't eat.

    Buy beans and rice in big bags. Beans are cheapest when dry though canned are still cheap.

    Don't buy specialty low-fat dairy products if your family doesn't eat them. Either portion out the full fat versions or skip it all together and learn how to season with spices rather than "cover up" bland food with sour cream or mayonnaise.
  • beccala18
    beccala18 Posts: 293 Member
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    I buy family size frozen veggies - usually cheaper than fresh and just as nutritious (and they don't go bad). You can buy different veggies for each member of your family even!

    Look for sales. Buy whole chickens and roast them yourself - a ton of food for a lot less than chicken parts. Buy anything healthy that you like when it is on sale and freeze it. Stews and soups can be done pretty cheaply as well.

    Especially getting a family on board - try substituting one thing on the dinner table for them to try. Brown rice for white, whole wheat pasta for regular pasta. Usually changing one thing won't cause too much of an uproar.

    Have each member of your family pick a healthy recipe out for a meal one night of the week - that way they are choosing the healthy foods that they are eating.
  • theginnyray
    theginnyray Posts: 208 Member
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    Shop sales and plan ahead. If apples are on sale, stock up on those. If green beans are in season, eat a bunch of those. Plan your meals for the next week, so you know exactly what you need to buy. Buy just that stuff.
    In my house, I do the shopping and the majority of the cooking. If you don't like what I make, make a pb sandy or an egg. Pretty simple. On the flip side - I don't make dishes that my husband hates. He hates cauliflower, so that is reserved for me and me only. I also find new ways to cook stuff so that he will like it - for instance, he hates steamed broccoli but really likes it when I roast it in the oven. Problem solved! We love pizza, so rather than order out - we make our own and measure our ingredients.
    Compromise, and get the whole family involved in meal planning!
  • Fit_Britt
    Fit_Britt Posts: 35 Member
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    Walmart has cheap produce, whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, cereal and fiber one bars.

    A lot of grocery stores like Safeway and giant double coupons up to a dollar.

    If you have an iPhone make sure to download shop savvy or red laser to compare prices while you're shopping.

    Also check out amazon.com to buy items in bulk. I did this for whole wheat couscous since my store stopped carrying it and I actually saved money!

    What kind of foods do you usually shop for?
  • mcmahonclan5
    mcmahonclan5 Posts: 12
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    Thank you, a lot of good ideas here. My kids are picky and like opposite foods. I know I am guilty of playing into this by allowing it but have gotten better & try not to make what they absolutely hate, but will now make them eat certain things (like my youngest doesn't like spaghetti but he will eat it now since we make him while my oldest loves it). My little one loves white rice but my oldest hates it. My husband grew up eating white rice and soy sauce (he is half Philippino) and my little guy takes after him. I am afraid to try brown rice but was thinking of mixing half and half at least as a transition, and also with whole wheat pasta. So they get white rice and I now get brown, and sometimes will even make rice pilaf for my older son (since that is the only rice he will eat)... I know crazy huh, and I am wondering why my groceries get so expensive, lol.

    I buy basic lunch stuff for everyone (sandwiches) and bread is 4 times the price for healthier bread. My husband isn't a big veggie fan but will eat salads, so we have had a lot of salad with chicken breast lately. My kids wont eat salad and don't care for too many veggies but will eat lots of fruit... I know I need to get them all on board and I like the idea of letting them pick one healthy recipe to try per week, oh and changing only one thing at a time at the dinner table.

    They are FINALLY building a super Wal-mart by me. I can't wait!

    Thanks!
  • mcmahonclan5
    mcmahonclan5 Posts: 12
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    I do have an iPhone and will check it out, thanks.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    eggs
    old fashioned oatmeal
    whole chickens
    fruit and veggies on sale, in season or from farmer's market (no bagged salads, or baby carrots, etc)
    fatty burger, browned and drained
    store brand whole wheat pasta, or bread
    brown rice
    canned veggies (including black beans, my kids LOVE black beans).
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    Check and see if there is a produce co-op in your area - sometimes you can get amazing deals. Shop at farmer's markets if you have them available. Consider growing some things yourself. And definitely shop the sales. Walmart has great prices, but if a grocery store puts something on sale BOGO it is probably cheaper than the walmart price - check flyers to find the good deals each week and plan your meals around the best buys.
  • Fit_Britt
    Fit_Britt Posts: 35 Member
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    Also check out the Fooducate App. it will give foods you scan grades on how healthy they are (rated and explained by dieticians). That way you will be able to tell how to get the most nutritional bang for your buck :)
  • branflake5
    branflake5 Posts: 332
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    I know exactly what u mean, my kids are pretty willing to try anything but my fiance is a whole other story. He is very picky if anything even sounds healthy he hates it, yet he is in great shape (makes me sick). I try to trick him sometimes like when I make spaghetti and use ground turkey instead of ground beef, I don't tell him. LOL Sometimes he doesn't notice. We shop for most things at Costco since we are a big family I buy in bulk, its cheaper in the long run. And I bought a food storage system so I can portion out the meats myself and seal them up to freeze them. It has helped cut costs for us, also ur food doesn't go bad or get freezer burnt.

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