Trying to eat well on a budget AND with a sticky situation!
neurocentric
Posts: 8 Member
Hi, all!
Well, I'm new to this group - just joined today - and I have a question for ya'll.
So, my boyfriend and I are trying our best to eat well for different reasons. Both of us want to lose weight, but he also has diabetes (just diagnosed last year, looong story). We figured out we can live on about $60-$70 worth of food a week, but what makes it difficult is our living situation. Long story extremely short, we're living with his parents until we can snag another place in September, but they are hoarders essentially and there is no room for really anything except for canned, simple meals (like chili) and microwave meals.
I stick with healthy choice dinners (especially the Chicken Margherita Pasta - so good!!) and he does as well, but I'm just wondering if this would suffice for now. I hate that I can't cook fresh meals. I love, love, love to cook, and I hate that we're not eating fresh veggies, lean meats and proteins, and the like.
What other things would you guys suggest, or do you think that what we're doing could suffice, at least for now? I mean sincerely that it's not that we don't want to eat healthier foods.. but there really is no room for them. The pantry and fridge/freezer is filled with old food, huge bulk meals that only his parents eat, etc.
Well, I'm new to this group - just joined today - and I have a question for ya'll.
So, my boyfriend and I are trying our best to eat well for different reasons. Both of us want to lose weight, but he also has diabetes (just diagnosed last year, looong story). We figured out we can live on about $60-$70 worth of food a week, but what makes it difficult is our living situation. Long story extremely short, we're living with his parents until we can snag another place in September, but they are hoarders essentially and there is no room for really anything except for canned, simple meals (like chili) and microwave meals.
I stick with healthy choice dinners (especially the Chicken Margherita Pasta - so good!!) and he does as well, but I'm just wondering if this would suffice for now. I hate that I can't cook fresh meals. I love, love, love to cook, and I hate that we're not eating fresh veggies, lean meats and proteins, and the like.
What other things would you guys suggest, or do you think that what we're doing could suffice, at least for now? I mean sincerely that it's not that we don't want to eat healthier foods.. but there really is no room for them. The pantry and fridge/freezer is filled with old food, huge bulk meals that only his parents eat, etc.
0
Replies
-
Maybe by nuts and dried fruit for snacking?
The biggest problem with microwave meals is they are processed and full of sodium.0 -
When you say "there is no room". I kinda question what you mean.
I would suggest pre-making a bunch of meals and freezing them. You won't take up any more room than your current frozen dinners and they will be WAY more healthy. For example: Last week I made a Butternut Squash Bisque. (Recipe here: http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/2009/12/recipe-butternut-leek-bisque-in-acorn-squash-bowls.html ) A serving of that is about one cup, but I made extra and froze them in 1 Cup loaf pans. (These ones: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VFUY0C/ref=oh_o04_s01_i02_details )
We have done the same thing with a really healthy lasagna. (I'm not sure where we got the recipe from) Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I love cooking and have been trying to collect as many recipes that we can do this way. My goal is to have a cooking day once a week and pre-make a couple of foods that can be frozen like this. Kinda my own take on OAMC (Once a Month Cooking).
We also usually do one meal a day as a green shake. This does require you to have a fair amount of fresh fruit and veg about, but it is totally worth it.
There are a lot of things you can do like this. If you need ideas for where to look for recipes, Poor Girl Eats Well (http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/ ) Is simply amazing.0 -
i'm sorry to hear about the situation you're in. my best advice would be to plant some vegetables outside (ones that grow easily such as tomatoes, lettuces, carrots, etc) and pick them fresh daily so you don't have to store them inside. you can also buy fresh fruits and vegetables really cheap at local farmers markets.0
