Any suggestions of 'cheap' healthy foods?

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245

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  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
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    an interesting site *S*:

    http://www.brokeandhealthy.com/

    (the recipes here even give approx costs per serving)
  • paigemarie93
    paigemarie93 Posts: 778 Member
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    I shop at Iceland, it's not as bad as people make it out to be & the food I buy lasts two weeks for just £10.
  • itgeekwoman
    itgeekwoman Posts: 804 Member
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    chick peas, onions, vinegar, green beans. .. Also if you are in the States and you have save on or other discount grocery stores, you can do very well with fresh veg at a cheaper price. They don't last long, so only buy what you can eat in a day or two or it goes bad.

    Think protein packed, bang for your buck. A bag of sweet potatoes can last a while too.
  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
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    bump!
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Beans, lentils, rice, oats, bananas all very cheap
  • myth4ever
    myth4ever Posts: 372
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    buy in bulk...I usually cook meals on Sunday and store them in my meal containers. Comes out being cheaper in the long run, if you eat what you cook.
  • busymomto5PA
    busymomto5PA Posts: 62
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    Bump!!
  • deborawrrx
    deborawrrx Posts: 35
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    Unfortunately never heard of the Trader Joe's place! Don't think we have them over here. We do however have an Aldi & that is a great idea. I might have a peek at their website as they usually show the offers they have on it don't they? Might have a look at Aldi too.
    I don't mind shopping over a few supermarkets. We used to shop at Asda as my boyfriend worked there and got discount, however he's recently got a new job and so we don't have that anymore which is kind of annoying!

    Thanks so much for all the amazing suggestions! Definitely gonna write them all down. Gonna buy only the things I need and make larger portions to freeze. And lots of soup :) x
  • BigDaddy822
    BigDaddy822 Posts: 99
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    My suggestion: you better prepare or cook your own healthy food in bulk [like 5-6 servings] then pre pack them [with balance macros and enough portion size] and store them in the fridge so you can simply grab, preheat and eat it when your hungry. I always bought large amounts of the raw foods [good for 1 week budget] like brown rice, whey protein, skinless/boneless checking breast, fresh eggs, sweet potatoes, fresh veggies like broccoli, asparagus, celery, onions, garlic, etc. and learned to cook them myself with minimum salt or sugar. It may be costly at first but once you realize the benefits it will be easy. hope this helps. :-)



    Totally Agree
  • fatty_to_fitty
    fatty_to_fitty Posts: 544 Member
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    all of the above really and ...

    Ready made soups with vegetables.

    Frozen vegetables

    Frozen fruit which can be made into smoothies and added to cereals
  • jomom2
    jomom2 Posts: 429 Member
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    I buy frozen green beans,spinach, broccoli and berries. Also, fresh kale in a big bag already washed is less than 2 bucks.
  • BeautyNBriefcase
    BeautyNBriefcase Posts: 38 Member
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    do you have a daily budget that we as a group can suggest a days worth of food? For example, i would suggest the following:
    B: oatmeal
    sn: greek yogurt & apple
    lunch: salad w/veggies & tuna/chicken breast.
    sn: hummus w/celery
    dinner: weight watchers, side salad
    dinner: glass of milk & fruit

    This is a pretty cheap menu, filling & nutritious.

    Also check out www.aldi.us and your local farmers markets for discounts. remember supermarkets have to support advertising. good luck
  • gigigirl003
    gigigirl003 Posts: 16 Member
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    If you have a microwave there is a lot that you can get cheap. The frozen steamer veggies are good and they are only around $2 a bag. I like to microwave them and add can't believe it's not butter spray and pepper. Yummy
  • Bethee101
    Bethee101 Posts: 99 Member
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    You could buy frozen veggies, or beans in bags ( need to soak). Also do you have an Aldi's? Most of their food is garbage but they do offer some healthy things like yogurt, eggs, and fruits and veggies for less. Farmers Markets also are usually a good deal.
  • Lisa__Michelle
    Lisa__Michelle Posts: 845 Member
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    I'm on a $25/week budget (college kid here). I have a bag of onions that's lasted me a week so far, I always keep a couple of bell peppers (about a dollar apiece right now), a bag of lettuce (the one I have was maybe four?), and some squash in the fridge, also a box of instant rice (I know it's not as good for you as brown rice, but I'm not going to just throw away all that food). With those and a bit of garlic powder and olive oil I can make a ton of different things. I also keep some frozen chicken breasts in the freezer all the time. It was recommended to me to get chicken stock and buy some beans for soup, something I'm working on this week.

    You know they make instant brown rice? That is what I buy!
  • tataliciousd89
    tataliciousd89 Posts: 465
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    My suggestion: you better prepare or cook your own healthy food in bulk [like 5-6 servings] then pre pack them [with balance macros and enough portion size] and store them in the fridge so you can simply grab, preheat and eat it when your hungry. I always bought large amounts of the raw foods [good for 1 week budget] like brown rice, whey protein, skinless/boneless checking breast, fresh eggs, sweet potatoes, fresh veggies like broccoli, asparagus, celery, onions, garlic, etc. and learned to cook them myself with minimum salt or sugar. It may be costly at first but once you realize the benefits it will be easy. hope this helps. :-)
    Yeah I find it cheap and easy to buy and cook in bulk and freeze anything I won't eat within a week. You need to have a lot of tupperware, but it has saved me so much time and money in the long run.
  • marsellient
    marsellient Posts: 591 Member
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    You can buy a bag of "soup mix" which is just odds and ends of different legumes and some rice, and make a big pot of inexpensive soup with whatever veggies you have around, some stock, whatever seasonings you like, and a can of tomatoes (or fresh). It fills you up, is low in calories and tastes good.
  • TurtleTape
    TurtleTape Posts: 254 Member
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    I'm on a $25/week budget (college kid here). I have a bag of onions that's lasted me a week so far, I always keep a couple of bell peppers (about a dollar apiece right now), a bag of lettuce (the one I have was maybe four?), and some squash in the fridge, also a box of instant rice (I know it's not as good for you as brown rice, but I'm not going to just throw away all that food). With those and a bit of garlic powder and olive oil I can make a ton of different things. I also keep some frozen chicken breasts in the freezer all the time. It was recommended to me to get chicken stock and buy some beans for soup, something I'm working on this week.

    You know they make instant brown rice? That is what I buy!

    Once I work my way through this box I may look into other rice, but as this one is nearly full I can't justify just buying more rice, lol, especially on my budget.

    Re: Aldi: It's an amazing place, if the nearest one to me wasn't an hour away I would do all my grocery shopping there, it's so cheap.
  • girlnamedlee
    girlnamedlee Posts: 96 Member
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    Lately I've been making a giant pot of soup on Sundays so that I'll have something healthy for lunch all week that's cheap. This week's soup is 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (on sale $1.99/lb), 1 cup millet (it's a whole grain, $1.69/lb in the bulk bins), 16 oz frozen mixed vegetables (99 cents), 32oz can diced tomatoes ($1.44) 2 32 oz containers low fat, low sodium chicken broth ($1.99 each. bullion works for this too for the same calories & can be way cheaper) & whatever seasoning I have on hand & water (it'll soak up a lot of liquid). Crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, etc.

    Total Cost $12.08. For 10 servings, that's $1.21 a meal & I think about 220 calories.
  • sufikitkat
    sufikitkat Posts: 596 Member
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    I have food allergies and a very tight food budget. Although fresh is the best...I have opted to purchasing frozen vegetables and berries so they last longer and you can get more for your dollar. Also, when I buy bread, I always put one loaf in the freezer and the other in the fridge to last longer. For myself, the thing that has helped me save money is finding ways to keep the food lasting fresh a long time and sticking to portion sizes!

    Also, depending on what supermarket you have, keep up with their newsletters and such. I go to Wegmans, and nearly everyday they email a coupon for something in their newsletters and have coupons throughout the store. They also have "Club Packs" of items so you buy bulk without having to purchase a membership somewhere. Also...Farmer's markets are great for the fresh veggies and fruits! You can get soooo much for so little. Hope this helped!

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