How to be Broke and and on a Diet?

It's sad that it IS more expensive to eat healthy than to eat junk food

I'm sorry, but it's simply not.

It's more expensive to eat healthy RESTAURANT fare, true, but well-selected healthy foods are often cheaper than junk food for at-home eating. You just have to put a few minutes' effort into it and a little thought.

At my local Hannaford:

2.5lb Boneless/Skinless chicken breasts (6 breasts): $6.99
16oz Hannaford frozen peas and carrots: $0.99
4.5oz minced garlic in olive oil: $1.49
8.5oz Colavita olive oil: $4.99
2 lb Della Brown basmati rice: $4.79

Total: Under $20.

Chop a chicken breast, stir-fry in minced garlic, add frozen peas and carrots, serve over generous helping of rice (1 cup). Makes 6 meals. Total cost: under $3.34 per meal. And you'll have LOTS of olive oil, garlic and rice left for other meals.

535 calories, 58 carbs, 5 sugar, 18 fat, 32 protein. The frozen chicken breasts are a little high in sodium, but far less than most prepared meals.

It takes about 10 minutes to cook (you'll sit in line at the fast food place longer than that!). You can cook as much as you want at one time because it keeps for days, and freezes wonderfully. I call it "bachelor chow" because when my wife is traveling I eat this exact meal for supper very frequently (sometimes with pasta instead of rice, or with different spices or different frozen veggies for variety).

If you eat it right out of the frypan, you'll have seven dishes: The pan, a saucepan you cooked the rice in, the cutting board and knife you used for the chicken, a measuring cup, a measuring spoon, and a fork. If you're feeling fancy, use a plate for an 8th dish.



And I've used almost all processed foods for those meals. If you buy whole chickens and cook them yourself, then strip them and freeze the meat, it's a LOT cheaper per meal. Store-brand olive oil is also cheaper, as is store-brand minced garlic or even garlic powder. Non-basmati brown rice may be cheaper than basmati. The point is, I picked my ingredients largely at random, you can shop a bit and probably save 50 cents a meal or so.

My diet consist mainly of eggs, tuna (canned), oatmeal, lettuce, and fruits. It's within my budget and also for my convenience (since I don't cook).

Gardening also will give you some exercise while you grow your foods........ Most cities have community gardens or maybe you have a friend with spare land and you can share..... growing your own tomatos and herbs that you can use or can could help. I know I can eat for $40* a week and we eat a wide variety of meats and fish , rice vegetables and stirfries. If you can save up and buy meat in bulk either direct from a farmer or from costco, that could help too. I find that if there is a will there is a way, and if you just really don't want to give up your powder or coconut oil, then you have to cut out elsewhere. I don't buy either item even though I like and can afford them. I just deteremined it wasn't a necessary expense. Of course, I find cable TV an unnecessary expense and many people argue with that too!

* That's not a budget, just my norm when I buy what I want to make the food I want.

I did not have time to read all of the post but I try to buy certain items on sale. Buy fruits and veggies in season. I definitely agree with the comments on skipping the protien powder. Buy fish and chicken when on sale. You can do it but it takes pre-planning. Also some things are cheaper in bulk at Costcos or Sam's club.

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

Buy less food = save money.

I'm not sure where you're shopping, but just getting a little of chicken to last this week and some fruits and veggies that more than likely WON'T be enough for this week was over $57. I could get a lot of crap food if I wanted to for that $57 and feed us for a lot longer than this stuff will last. I don't go for expensive organics or fancy cuts of meat at all. But I have to feed two people on what I have as income and it's just not much. I'm eating better and trying to help him eat better also, and our only splurge this week to buy a box of pancake mix and some sugar free syrup. Oh and he wanted chips earlier this week. What we buy becomes healthier every week, and unfortunately because of that becomes less and less food to make it through the week. Maybe you live where it's more affordable.

Edit: I just found there's an Aldi store. I didn't know our town had one. I'll check there for deals. I know in my hometown out of state, the food was AWFUL quality.