How to be Broke and and on a Diet?

I too have a small budget for food. You may want to start buying other brands and more fruits and vegetables. I buy body fortress protein powder. It's $15 bucks at Walmart. I've never had PB2, but maybe start making that a once in a while treat? Olive oil works fine for me. Make sure you cook everything at home and try and use what you have around to make meals. I almost never throw out food because I plan all my meals a week ahead and use everything that I buy. Tuna is also cheap and a good source of protein. Make a tuna melt!

Protein powder 27.00/month, pb2 4.99 bi-weekly, bananas(reasonablly priced) stevia 70ct box, bi-weekly, coconut oil 52 oz. 30.00 every 2 months, green tea 10.00/monthly, popcorn, 10.00 monthly.

Skip the protein powder. You can eat fish (tilapia, tuna, etc.) to get a lot of protein. Cottage cheese and yogurt are also packed with protein and they're cheap! Skip the coconut oil. Not sure why you need it but there are other oil options out there. Buy generic stevia if you really need it. Focus on eating clean vegetables, fruits, nuts, and meats. You should be good just with those. Hope that helps?

www.bountifulbaskets.org
See if there's one in your area. You get a lot of fruits and veggies, for 16.50 every Saturday. It's a Co-op thing, and a ton of fun. Plus, you don't get to pick your foods. It's a surprise every week

Skip protien powder and eat your protien - another poster gave good sources - eggs, greek yogurt, cottage cheese

Cut out stevia and popcorn

I adore coconut oil - if you have a Trader Joes near you they have both Coconut oil and good olive oil for very reasonable prices (under $6) (they also have frozen fish for great prices too) - I go through a jar and a bottle every month so ~$12/month for both...

buy and eat fruits and veggies based on what is in season and on sale.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not more expensive to eat healthy.

Buy less food = save money.

Hello,
Maybe I can start using the bagged popcorn and not microwaved.:noway:

It's easy to pop your own popcorn and bag it...buy a container of popcorn seeds, put some oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the popcorn seed. Oh, don't forget to put a lid on it. Then, you can get creative with toppings like parm cheese, garlic, etc. Way cheaper.

Look up some ethnic markets on Yelp.com. They usually have good prices on fresh foods -- meat, veggies & fruits. i.e. broccoli $0.69/lb, 12 mangos $5.99, boneless chicken breast $1.99/lb, various fish $1.69+, etc.... doubt I could afford them at the big chains like Safeway, Giant, Shopper's, etc....

I'm going to ask why you use so much stevia that you need to buy it bi-weekly...you may want to go cold turkey there.

Protien powder isn't necessary. Use olive oil it's cheaper. PB2 isn't necessary.

Actually I save money eating the way I do now than eating out all the time (which is how I gained the 35 pounds I lost). It doesn't have to be expensive. Do you have an Aldi near you? I basically live there, everything is very reasonable and their produce beats every grocery store around hands down.

Good sources of protein: Tuna, chicken (especially if you watch your weekly sales flyers), eggs, cottage cheese and yogurt. While I use whey -- i think one can get sufficient protein without that. Little things add up -- for example using a cole-slaw blend instead of iceberg lettuce in salads.

Also watching the weekly flyers usually gets you into some nice veggies & fruits for the week.

I don't buy coconut oil -- and cook with a little bit of olive oil instead (or I avoid adding oil where possible -- to me the change in taste is acceptable, but everyone is different).

For popcorn, I find buying raw kernels bulk is cheap. Bought an air-popper at walmart for about $15 I think. I add some salt, spices, and spray on butter after when needed. Or you can also make it in a saucepan / pop it yourself as some have suggested.

Overall though I hear what you are saying -- that eating healthy can be a challenge one has to overcome on a budget.

Cut protein powder intake and eat more chicken (more filling). Likewise for peanut butter.
Skip sugar instead of buying stevia..or use real sugar.
Why coconut oil? Use regular oils until you can afford more. Not worth the extra price...

Now you have room to buy big packs of veggies and meats at Costco

Try to find a farmer's market near you. We usually go on the weekends and stock up. You can get a trunkload of veggies for $40-$50.

Protein supplements are not necessary to weight loss. You can use them if you need, but it's still much better to get protein from lean meats or other whole food sources.

I have to say I've found it cheaper to eat healthier vs. junkier. Don't know why people say it's more expensive.

All of the things you listed aren't "needed" to lose weight. Sure, they've helped you, but there are other ways. Or do it differently. For example, like someone suggested before, buy popcorn in bulk and some paper lunchbags, a few tablespoons of popcorn in the bag, fold it and pop it for a few minutes in the microwave. CHEAP!!!

Perhaps you can try shopping at cheaper super markets, or Target and Walmart. I know the items in their grocery section are reasonably priced.

I don’t necessarily agree with everyone telling the OP that she shouldn’t worry about protein powder and should just get her protein from other sources. Quality meat is very expensive. Not to mention the fact that an individual need to find what foods/diet works for him/her. If the OP finds it easiest to get her protein in shake form, than more power to her for making a healthy decision that works for her. It’s more likely for her to continue with a healthy diet if she eats things she likes.

It’s so frustrating when people post a topic on MFP only to have others steer from the original question so they can throw out their opinion and not offer suggestions to the question being asked.

sassyjvg – I would suggest trying Amazon.com for your protein powder. You can buy a larger quantity to get you through several months, rather than buying it monthly, and usually you can get free shipping on larger orders. This is a seller that I’ve gone through before... http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337709272&sr=8-1.

Also, do you use coupons much? Most stores will allow you to double up on coupons by using a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon on the same item. I would look in your Sunday paper or on Coupons.com. Target stores are good about posting coupons on their website that can be combined with the coupons found online. Also chat with your friends that are also on a limited income and let them know to keep their eye out for sales on specific items you like, and you can do the same for them.

As for Popcorn – are you buying Microwave popcorn? That can tend to be pricy (and loaded with sodium) if you’re not careful. I would suggest buying an old school bag of popcorn kernals and popping it yourself in a skillet on the stove, its cheaper and healthier.

Hope my minor suggestions are helpful – and keep up the good work.