Cheapest foods per calorie (healthy)

auditorz
auditorz Posts: 15
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
I've eliminated refined sugar, wheat, alcohol and dairy (except butter) from my diet. I've been working out a ton so trying to get cheap ways to add calories. When you eliminate junk foods I've found it can be much harder to hit my calorie targets!

Potatoes are $0.23 /lb which is $0.68 per 1000cal
Quacker Oats are $3 for 2.62 lb which is $0.67 per 1000cal
Salmon which I grilled last night was $10/lb which is $15.53 per 1000cal definetely not cheap!

Rice and Beans are cheap. I'm allergic to many nuts (Peanuts) so PB is a no go for me ;(

Anybody have any other tasty cheap ideas?
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Replies

  • rrrbecca11
    rrrbecca11 Posts: 477
    Your username makes me nervous. :p

    Especially this time of year.
  • meramon
    meramon Posts: 18 Member
    Carrots? I grate them and use them as the base for a salad, or make soup out of them with fresh ginger (which is also incredibly cheap!) and garlic.
  • bzstrick1
    bzstrick1 Posts: 1 Member
    Tuna Fish is one of my favorite "cheap" proteins. Sometimes I drain a small can of tuna and eat it with Texas Pete or...a tablespoon of salsa. I eat a lot of eggs too.
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
    Lentils, black beans.

    One of my favorite recipes from skinnytaste.com. Makes a very large amount, freezes well.
    Lentil And Chicken Soup
    Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
    Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups • Points: 2 pts
    Calories: 126.3 • Fat: 0.8 g • Protein: 15.8 g • Carb: 14.1 g • Fiber: 5.0 g

    1 lb dried lentils
    3 small chicken breast halves on the bone, skin and fat removed
    2 chicken bullion (I like Maggi)
    1 packet Sazon (in Latin section)
    1 small onion
    4 scallions
    3 cloves garlic
    1 tomato
    1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
    8 cups water

    In a large pot combine lentils, chicken, water and chicken bullion. Boil, covered over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from the bone and shred, return to pot.

    Meanwhile, in a mini chopper, finely chop onions, scallions, cilantro, garlic, and tomato. Add to the lentils with sazon and cook 15 more minutes, or until lentils are soft. (Add more water if needed)
  • sjv1966
    sjv1966 Posts: 121 Member
    How about olive oil mayonaise? Or olive oil itself?
  • loseweightjames
    loseweightjames Posts: 360 Member
    I've eliminated refined sugar, wheat, alcohol and dairy (except butter) from my diet. I've been working out a ton so trying to get cheap ways to add calories. When you eliminate junk foods I've found it can be much harder to hit my calorie targets!

    Potatoes are $0.23 /lb which is $0.68 per 1000cal
    Quacker Oats are $3 for 2.62 lb which is $0.67 per 1000cal
    Salmon which I grilled last night was $10/lb which is $15.53 per 1000cal definetely not cheap!

    Rice and Beans are cheap. I'm allergic to many nuts (Peanuts) so PB is a no go for me ;(

    Anybody have any other tasty cheap ideas?

    I eat a lot of soup. $1 a can, ~200 calories for 16 ounces of soup, can be stored for months or years.

    That's a lot of food for a little price and few calories
  • jenluvsushi
    jenluvsushi Posts: 933 Member
    Oatmeal is cheap....get generic!
  • fit4everyoung
    fit4everyoung Posts: 395
    Where are your vegetables? Frozen vegetables are inexpensive and cheap, especially seasonal produce. Sweet pototoes, yams, kale, mixed greens, and so forth...all these produce are very filling. Yogurt, eggs, dairy, etc. Many variations of legumes...Happy hunting :flowerforyou:
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    Rice noodles are really cheap and filling - mix with canned tuna and a dash of spicy tabasco or something is nice.

    Pulses are cheap, particularly if you buy them in bulk.

    Eggs.

    Whatever veg is in season - you can always stir-fry.

    Protein powder - whilst it's not as cheap as some things, if you buy it in bulk you can makes some great filling shakes and they're much cheaper than the ready mixed store bought ones. Also if you're working out a lot, they really help with muscle repair

    :smile:
  • wren176
    wren176 Posts: 148 Member
    bump!
  • petsmom7
    petsmom7 Posts: 4
    I'm going to use this recipe. I agree you get your monies worth with beans. Thanks for sharing.
  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
    Just a random side note: This is your body we're talking about. A lifelong investment. As such you should not look at the price for food too much. It's better to spend more money on something that will benefit you.

    That being said, try chicken (that seems to be cheaper after the weekends), maybe protein powder) i think you can make it last quite long)
    and search for the topics on students and saivng money. there's some great tips for when you don't want to spend too much money.
  • shutterbug282
    shutterbug282 Posts: 588 Member
    Yoghurts, fresh fruit and veg.
    I have recently started buying lentils, I got a huge bag for about £1.50 and you only need about a cup each time so it's really worth the money when making soups or stews. :)
  • MMarvelous
    MMarvelous Posts: 1,067 Member
    Your username makes me nervous. :p

    Especially this time of year.

    LMAO...good observation
  • MMarvelous
    MMarvelous Posts: 1,067 Member
    Sweet potatoes or yams - I bake them and put cinnamon on them
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    I've been looking into this a lot recently. The cheapest foods per calorie that I can find are grains, legumes and oils. I eat a lot of oatmeal ($0.40 per 1000 calories for Costco oats) and we make our own bread ($0.50 per 1000 calories for flour). Our grocery store has bulk pinto beans, which are the cheapest legume I've found ($0.80 per 1000 calories). We sprout them to make them more nutritious and digestible. Bananas are $1.70/1000 cal and eggs $1.90/1000 cal. The best true veggie I've found is sweet potatoes. In this area they're about $2.60 per 1000 calories, but get a little cheaper if you bake them with some olive oil.
  • Evelyn_Gorfram
    Evelyn_Gorfram Posts: 706 Member
    Yams.
    Bananas.
    Carrots.
    Turnips (cook & serve like potatoes).
    Potatoes.
    Spinach (the wash-it-yourself kind).
    Mushrooms (especially in Oregon :smile: Combine with spinach for a super-satiying healthy combo.)

    Eggs. Egg whites are a nearly perfect protein.

    Rice.
    Beans.
    Oatmeal.
    (With generic grains, sometime you get even less than you pay for. Higher-priced grades of grain can contain enough more nutrition that they work out to a lower cost/healthy calorie.)
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
    I shop at this store called aldi and their produce and meat is much cheaper than normal. I get avocado there super cheap. Also, eggs and tuna are main sources of cheap protein for me. I buy frozen chicken in bulk. Cheese is an easy way to add calories (I buy what's on sale). Olive oil is probably the easiest way to add calories. Brown rice is cheap and you can add it to soups and stir fry. Full fat dressing rather than fat free on salads.

    Edit: ex-nay on the cheese, I just saw you don't eat dairy.
  • auditorz
    auditorz Posts: 15
    I eat a lot of soup. $1 a can, ~200 calories for 16 ounces of soup, can be stored for months or years.

    That's a lot of food for a little price and few calories

    Ahh I should've specified I'm targeting a 4-1 potassium to sodium ratio which basically removes all soup I think ;( Perhaps if I get better at cooking in the crock pot I can do something with beans and rice and freeze my own sodium free though!
    Where are your vegetables? Frozen vegetables are inexpensive and cheap, especially seasonal produce. Sweet pototoes, yams, kale, mixed greens, and so forth...all these produce are very filling. Yogurt, eggs, dairy, etc. Many variations of legumes...Happy hunting :flowerforyou:

    Veggies? Many of those are low calorie probably right up there with fish in being super expensive per calorie! Don't get me wrong I make sure to eat half a head of romaine a day but if I need to add a thousand calories from workouts I need something cheaper and that'll fit in the stomach. An entire jumbo bag of Spinach is only 58 calories and eating more then a bag in one sitting is very gross.

    Yams are a very good idea though! I've just been doing bags of russells but I'll look for deals on other taterzz!!!

    Some great ideas everybody much thanks!!!
  • Prefessa
    Prefessa Posts: 90
    Look at the Bulk Bins at Whole foods or health food stores....Dry Beans and UnRefined whole grains(Millet. Oats, Amaranth ect) are cheaper than dirt and they will keep in the cupport until the next millenium.

    Believe it or Not....Protein Powder!!! Met Rx Plus....~1 dollar a serving with more protein than a steak and no fat.

    Anything Perishable is gonna cost you! Produce, Meats, Veggies, Fruit even Eggs have gotten out of hand especially if your thowin yolks away. SO...look for Bulk sales and stock up n freeze.

    Also....Learn how to fish the Surf....Your in Oregon...Ling Cod, and Halibut run the beaches there it think. Boat caught fish will cost you more than buying them.
  • floweringcurrant
    floweringcurrant Posts: 112 Member
    I think most bulk grains/fruits/vegetables are pretty cheap. I get bulk salad greens, brown rice, oats and quinoa and they are all very inexpensive. As for foods that fill you up (help you reach your calorie goal), a couple tbs of almonds or almond butter, half and avocado, etc. - go for a food that is nutritionally and calorically dense. While they may not be as inexpensive, you eat less of them, so for me it evens out. Lentils are a great one, too!
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    Eggs are the cheapest source of protein on the market if you want real food. The other route is going for protein powder.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    Anything Perishable is gonna cost you! Produce, Meats, Veggies, Fruit even Eggs have gotten out of hand especially if your thowin yolks away. SO...look for Bulk sales and stock up n freeze.

    Not necessarily. Esepciay if you have an Asian or Latino grocery store nearby-- their produce is really inexpensive.
  • babybluefire
    babybluefire Posts: 100 Member
    Whole chickens are 99 cents a pound at walmart. I roast 2-3 of those a week, make pot pie, soup ect with it. I can control the salt and add all the healthy veggies I want.


    Take whole chicken, rinse in clean water. Pat dry. Rub tablespoon olive oil over whole bird. Take about a teaspoon of poultry seasoning and sprinkle over. I cook mine in a roasting pan with a small rack for the bird and a lid. I add about 6 cups plain water to the bottom, might sprinkle some garlic and onion powder in. Then I roast it covered for 2 hours at 350. You can baste it half way, but its not 100% necessarily.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Your username makes me nervous. :p

    Especially this time of year.

    you hidin' sumpin? lol
  • kngarber
    kngarber Posts: 227
    Whole chicken. I make one in the crockpot on Sunday and it lasts me all week. I make all kinds of different meals with it through the week.
  • shimwari
    shimwari Posts: 5
    What about polenta for that (cornmeal)? It's really cheap, lasts a long time, and can be covered with all kinds of sauces. I found some great cornmeal and apple muffin recipes that are sweetened with applesauce (also not particularly expensive to make on your own).
  • auditorz
    auditorz Posts: 15
    Tuna Fish is one of my favorite "cheap" proteins. Sometimes I drain a small can of tuna and eat it with Texas Pete or...a tablespoon of salsa. I eat a lot of eggs too.

    I wanted to do more Tuna as I even enjoy eating it straight from the can, convenient, but they say you need to be concerned about mercury poisoning so I limit myself to a can a day.…. They say salmon has negligible mercury so I’m hoping to find a cheap deal on low sodium canned salmon than stock up!

    I do agree eggs are great I usually eat 6 for breakfast.
  • Porcelain1981
    Porcelain1981 Posts: 51 Member
    If I understand correctly what you're after is calorie dense foods (within a budget)?

    There's some really good suggestions above, a few more...
    seasame oil - great for stir frys (cheap at chinese/japanese supermarkets)
    coconut oil - online is cheapest

    If you can (know you're allergic to peanuts) eat pistachios & almonds, they're a good top up and relatively high protein. Walnuts aren't as high but still good for you and AWESOME mixed with a little honey.

    For protein shakes / bars, buy online. The bars can go a good way to eating back the exercise calories, but check the labels as a lot of them will be dairy based.

    I'm very much finding that the easiest way for me to not have a huge deficit is to plan more into each meal, i.e.
    brekkie oatmeal - switch water for soya/oatley/rice milk and add a banana & blueberries (go for dried / frozen for cheaper options)
    salads - add real olive oil + cider / balsamic / sherry vinegar (get the oil from a cash & carry) & double the protein (i.e whole tin of tuna instead of half, or add eggs) or add nuts/seeds
  • full4ce
    full4ce Posts: 3
    I've actually done the research, and, if you buy in bulk RICE is the cheapest food per calorie. Even cheaper than sugar!!! You can buy long grain rice in bulk at COSTCO at 0.00069 per calorie for a 44 lbs. bucket, which is cheaper than the next available options of sugar, rolled oats, flour, or pinto beans.
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