How do you eat Healthier when on a Budget?

[Mickeyistheman]

Hello My Fellow Diser's!!!

It has been quite a while since I have been on, but all good things going on along with all the other stuff that life likes to throw at you but I am keeping positive.

So I am trying to eat healthier and I am being quite serious about it. However, as I have not gotten a raise in 4 years and won't expect one anytime soon. How does one eat better on a budget?

Even just going to Shoprite I look at all the Fruits and Vegetables and they are really expensive.

Chicken and Pork even Fish - Holy Moly, they are expensive so yes I do tend to eat things that are not healthy for me.

I love my bread and Pasta, but I limit my bread to a Bagel in the morning (if I am in the mood or Special K Ceral)

Then I started eating a yogurt as a mid morning snack

Lunch is usually Tuna sometimes I make lettuce wraps with turkey and swiss cheese, but other times not so great.

Dinner is a whole other story.
I try to eat better but I do tend to have more pasta than I should and the whole wheat pasta is expensive.

So any suggestions on here on how one does it. Also trying to find substitutes for other foods as well.

Not a great cook I am trying and learning but have to stop with all the breads and pastas and still have a little spending money.

My other challenge in eating healthy is that I am highly allergic to SOY!

So all those great products that are healthy for you (so they say) have SOY in them so I cannot eat them or I will get very very sick.

Help please

 

[Minnesota!]

Costco! Seriously! We get 2 weeks worth of food - for 4 of us - for under $100. I get the big things of strawberries, 3 bunches of bananas, a box of cuties, and a few honey dew. Total for all those is about $12. Then I get 2 packages of field greens and a bag of spinach. Total - about $10. Then I get a bag or two of mini peppers, a box of mushrooms, baby carrots, and celery stalks. Totaly - about $12. Next is meat - I get 4 pork tenderloins for $14. A bag of tilapia - $13. Then I get 2 cases of eggs - so 144 eggs total - for $6. A 3 pack of almond milk. I think it''s about $7? Then 2 large cottage cheese = $8. A box of 15 cans of black beans - $6. 2 loaves whole grain bread - $4. Quinoa - about $6 each. And usually some kind of "snacky" food - pretzels, mixed nuts.

Total - just under $100. And it's healthy, filling, stretches, and cheap!!

During those 2 weeks, I might run to the regular grocery store for a few things - lunch meat if my boys are sick of Pb&J. or individual greek yogurt (I only like Fage or Greek Goddess). But we budget just about $300/month for all groceries for 3 meals a day for the 4 of us. And we eat healthy. So...it can be done!

 

[PatsGirl]

I think the biggest barrier to healthy eating is portion control. Once you realize that you should be (by you, I mean me, us, Americans) eating about half of what you normally consume, your food budget cuts in half Now switch out the non-healthy foods for healthier options and add back in 25% of that budget.

While I agree that fish and meat (not to mention fresh vegetables and organic goods) are much more expensive than pasta, there are some options that are healthy but cheaper: beans and eggs to name a couple. Try to make dinner without meat/fish twice weekly and that saves $$.

We struggle to keep within our food budget when we are trying to eat healthier but by cutting portions at the same time (we usually eat healthier to lose weight lol) we manage and its a win/win. We are trying to maintain parts of the last diet we did by cutting out white carbs which of course are the cheapest fillers too.

 

[TinkerBelled]

Hello My Fellow Diser's!!!

It has been quite a while since I have been on, but all good things going on along with all the other stuff that life likes to throw at you but I am keeping positive.

So I am trying to eat healthier and I am being quite serious about it. However, as I have not gotten a raise in 4 years and won't expect one anytime soon. How does one eat better on a budget?

Even just going to Shoprite I look at all the Fruits and Vegetables and they are really expensive.

Chicken and Pork even Fish - Holy Moly, they are expensive so yes I do tend to eat things that are not healthy for me.

I love my bread and Pasta, but I limit my bread to a Bagel in the morning (if I am in the mood or Special K Ceral)

Then I started eating a yogurt as a mid morning snack

Lunch is usually Tuna sometimes I make lettuce wraps with turkey and swiss cheese, but other times not so great.

Dinner is a whole other story.
I try to eat better but I do tend to have more pasta than I should and the whole wheat pasta is expensive.

So any suggestions on here on how one does it. Also trying to find substitutes for other foods as well.

Not a great cook I am trying and learning but have to stop with all the breads and pastas and still have a little spending money.

My other challenge in eating healthy is that I am highly allergic to SOY!

So all those great products that are healthy for you (so they say) have SOY in them so I cannot eat them or I will get very very sick.

Help please

Eating healthy is more expensive--it's part of the country's problem.

There are some things you can do, though. Some vegetables are cheaper than others. Bagged spinach is really expensive; kale by the head is not. Try to find out which veggies are cheaper and look up recipes for them online. All vegetables are going to be cheaper when they require less preparation. For example, buying baby carrots can get quite pricey. Buying carrots by the pound, peeling and slicing them gives you carrot sticks for half the price.

Some vegetables also freeze very well. While there's some debate about whether frozen vegetables loose some of their nutrition, it's certainly much better than canned and a better than nothing. Spinach holds up pretty well, for example. (Again, fresh is better in the summer, but frozen is better than nothing.)

Fruit is generally less important than vegetables in terms of eating right, as it has a lot of sugar. A good way to get your fruit is, again, by eating frozen: frozen blueberries, for example, are half the price of fresh. Pour some lowfat milk on top, and it's a great dessert.

In terms of proteins, part of it's about eating less. Meat should generally be served the size of a pack of playing cards. You can buy jumbo packs of chicken breasts and freeze them individually. Also quite lean is pork tenderloin--it's pricey, but try to get them on sale and freeze. You can often find a pack on sale for $8 or less--and most packs have two tenderloins. If you're on your own, that's a week's worth of dinner meat! (Make sure you get the kind without the seasoning.)

Do you have any space to grow any of your own vegetables? Even a patio will do it--I use containers for cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, and beans. It's a total PITA sometimes, but a) it's kind of fun to eat something you've grown and b) each seed costs pennies.

Good luck!

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

This has been the biggest struggle for me but the cheapest way I found to do fresh fruits and vegetables is by taking advantage of the local produce stands.

There is a stand not far from me that stays open all year round and just switches it's offerings depending on what is in season. Now that the weather is getting warmer, the weekly farmers markets are starting back up and road side stands are as well. Using the local produce stands I can get a weeks worth of fruits and vegetables for less than $10.

As for Whole Wheat Pasta, I find the bulk food section at the grocery store has the best options and are by far the cheapest. They run around $1-$1.50 per pound.

We have a stand alone freezer in our garage so when we see a good price on meat we stock up and freeze the extra.

We supplement everything else with frozen fruits and vegetables and canned beans.

 

[jsmith]

Its a good thing you avoid soy-its NOT healthier. I could rant aboutstit for hours.
We purchase a CSA share for veggies-its a one time expense and we get about 20 weeks of stuff. I can and freeze the extras for winter and share with one of my sons-we get whats currently being harvested each week. Fresh, seasonal, locally grown is good for you and good for the enviroment and the community. the cost of ours averages out to about 25 dollars a week.

purchase meat in bulk if you can-again locally pasture raised may look more expensive on the face of it but often winds up being alot less. We split a pastured steer with my brother and sister in law. Purchased from a Ranch near where he lives in Casper Wyoming and raised in clean air on clean water and good Wyoming grass. Butchered, Cut and Packaged it cost us 4.50 a lb-everything from hamburger to steaks. We also split half a locally purchased pastured hog and can purchase locally pasture raised poultry. chicken is not cheap this way but i make sure i use all of the bird including turning the bones to broth. You can find sources of local pastured meat in your area here : www.eatwild.com.

Go fishing-its good for your health because its calming and relaxing, getting to the water is exercise which is good for stress and you get a bonus of fresh wild caught food. If you have never been fishing there are usually rec programs that teach it.
Grow you own-even in tiny space you can grow things in pots. I converted a flower bed to salad greens and herbs. Tastes better than what you buy, saves money and is healthy for mind and body ( again a stress releiver). Also planted one heirloom tomato and got 70 lbs of tomatos-what we didnt eat fresh became homemade ketchup, green tomato pickles, and frozen tomato sauce.

I realize not everyone can do all these things-and changing your diet takes time anyway. Even one or two will help your health your budget and the enviroment.
I dont personally thing grain foods are evil-and they have been in the human diet long enough for evolutionary change to have taken place. I do think modern GMO based flours are not so great so when i do buy bread or flour im selective about the source. when i have time i make my own pasta-other wise i purchase from a local producer whos ingredients are organic.

Watch out for hidden sugars in the products you buy-any ingredient ending in -ose, dehydrated cane juice, brown rice sryup. I also avoid artificial sweeteners when i can.
Most important-let it be a process of change, not an overnight one and dont beat your self up -do the best you can.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You have to change your eating habits and it is NOT easy. We are a bread and pasta people too and find that to be one of the hardest things to change.

 

[robinb]

I think you have two issues: eating healthy and eating on a budget. It sounds like you are not doing too bad on the former with your healthy snacks and meals. So you need to find places to buy whole, unprocessed foods cheaper. I would suggest that you shop the sales and if you have a freezer doing some stockpiling. All that means is that you buy more things than you need when they are on sale and then save them for later. Around here whole wheat pasta can be found for about $1 per box every few months. I buy a bunch of it for my panty when it does go on sale. Other folks buy meat when it is on sale and freeze it. I'm not great at remembering what I have in the freezer, so that doesn't work well for me but if I were on more of a budget I would make it work. Also, do you have an Aldi's nearby? It's taken me years to warm up to Aldi's but I now shop there every week, mostly for fruits and veggies. Last week I bought strawberries for $2 per pound, blackberries for $1 per box and grape tomatoes for $1 per box. No, it's not organic but I'm OK with that.

 

[Acklander]

Farmers market helps, also ditching the animal protein. My favorite quick (and inexpensive) meal is lentils and rice. I'll cook up a huge pot with a bag of brown rice, a bag of lentils, and some chopped onion. I will put 1 cup portions in baggies in the freezer. When ready to eat I'll heat up in the microwave with some veggies (usually a mix of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, or whatever was on sale). In 3 minutes I've got a filling dinner, that cost very little to make. I eat this 4 or 5 times a week.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

Thank you everyone. I am one person while I do belong to BJ's its alot of food, and I don't have a big freezer to keep everything in.
I try to shop every 2 weeks.

Some really great ideas that I am going to try. I try to get more when the good stuff is on sale, the other challenge is a live in an apartment that only has so much kitchen space.

I've been taking my lunch and only eating out once a week with friends so that is saving money and again watching what I eat.

This not going to be overnight but again, instead of onion dip, I eat Hummus which I have always LOVED.

So many PP's are right it is about portion control and I try to use that and put as many different colors on my plate as I can.

I am picky and don't like all vegetables but I am trying to add a new one every 2 weeks, some stuck others have not.

Again, just trying and what is great is that my friends are very supportive.

This is about a healthier lifestyle and more exercise.

I was going to invest in a crock pot as I don't have one. Think its a good idea?

I usually get home at a decent hour but then to cook dinner. Thought that might be a good option.

Thanks again!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

In some ways, eating healthier is cheaper since you're buying very few processed foods. If you cut those things out you'll have more money to spend on fresh produce and meats. Also, look at the intended serving size of each item you use. Whole wheat pasta does cost more than regular, but each package usually contains 8 servings. Part of eating healthier is adjusting portion sizes. You can bulk up a serving of pasta with a little meat and tons of veggies. Produce doesn't have to be fresh. Frozen fruits and vegetables are a good and less expensive alternative to buying everything fresh. And don't forget to shop the sales. Much to my mom's dismay, I tend to buy everything at one store. She still checks the sale ads and sometimes goes to 4 stores to get the sale items. She buys everything else at outlet stores. I choose to spend less time shopping which means I probably pay more. But very careful shopping is a good option if you're trying to save.

 

[disfan07]

It's not easy, but doable. My budget is higher than yours would have to be because I have to buy a lot of specialty products because of my allergies.

If you cook, avoiding soy shouldn't be that much of a problem.

I am allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, shellfish, wheat, oats, coconut, sesame, dairy, soy, sunflower seeds, broccoli, raw fruits, raw veggies. I also have to limit fish, chicken, and bean intake.

A normal day for me is:

Homemade gluten free/allergen free blueberry pancakes (made with frozen blueberries) with some applegate sausage or bacon.

Lunch: either applegate farms organic cold cuts with some baked fruit and roasted veggies or something in the freezer (homemade sloppy joes, GF veggie lasagna, turkey burgers, et)

Dinner: same possibilities as lunch

Snacks are generally dried fruit (made in nature brand...no added sugar) fruit bars (just fruit brand....all it is is fruit purée), roasted or sautéed veggies, or a homemade treat (GF/allergen free brownies, cookies, etc).

Honestly, I still eat carbs and red meat. My carbs are mostly made of brown rice flour. But for me, I need the calories and fat in my diet. I would say that even with my limitations, i eat healthier than a lot of Americans.

But it's also all about portion sizes. However, I do eat a lot less than the normal amount because of stomach problems so my budget does stretch a little more in that sense. For example, 3/4 pound of ground beef in sloppy joes is 5 servings for me. My stomach just can't handle much more than that.

I do most of my shopping at Ralph's and Whole Foods. For two weeks, I spend about $40-$50 on meat/poultry and the rest is veggies, fruits and some specialty items.

I do the majority of my cooking on the weekend and freeze everything. Yesterday I cooked meatballs, turkey burgers, homemade pizza, veggie lasgna, and sloppy joes. That's enough for about 10 days. During the week I just reheat, add in some fruits and veggies (canned or baked) and eat. I don't have time to cook during the week but I also don't have the luxury of being able to go and grab something to eat because of my allergies so I have to plan ahead.

 

[npmommie]

Costco! Seriously! We get 2 weeks worth of food - for 4 of us - for under $100. I get the big things of strawberries, 3 bunches of bananas, a box of cuties, and a few honey dew. Total for all those is about $12. Then I get 2 packages of field greens and a bag of spinach. Total - about $10. Then I get a bag or two of mini peppers, a box of mushrooms, baby carrots, and celery stalks. Totaly - about $12. Next is meat - I get 4 pork tenderloins for $14. A bag of tilapia - $13. Then I get 2 cases of eggs - so 144 eggs total - for $6. A 3 pack of almond milk. I think it''s about $7? Then 2 large cottage cheese = $8. A box of 15 cans of black beans - $6. 2 loaves whole grain bread - $4. Quinoa - about $6 each. And usually some kind of "snacky" food - pretzels, mixed nuts.

Total - just under $100. And it's healthy, filling, stretches, and cheap!!

During those 2 weeks, I might run to the regular grocery store for a few things - lunch meat if my boys are sick of Pb&J. or individual greek yogurt (I only like Fage or Greek Goddess). But we budget just about $300/month for all groceries for 3 meals a day for the 4 of us. And we eat healthy. So...it can be done!

Can you post a couple days menus of what the 4 of you eat? I spend 3 times what you spend and we eat fairly healthy. I go to bj's too.

 

[sasywtch]

A large container of plain quick oatmeal for breakfast with banana or raisins.

Spagetti squash even though more expensive then pasta, it replaces pasta well.

I like the PP who mixed beans and brown rice. You can replace a few meat meals during the week.

I live in an area where a lot of people have lemons bushes or trees if that's what you call them. People here will let you have some as they can get overwhelming.

I also buy chicken in bulk and freeze in portions. I always boil 2 pieces and skim the fat off the top. Shred the chicken and make soup. I keep a container in the freezer for any leftover veggies even if it's a tablespoon. When that gets full, I make my chicken soup.

 

[lizabu]

A couple of things I do to buy healthy food cheaper are shop at Asian grocery stores. The quality is much better and the prices are lower. And go to the once a week Farmers Market in your area. Always go in the afternoon. By then the farmers have been there all day and they don't want to drag everything home with them so they start dropping prices.

 

[Zatson23]

I have the same issue as you, trying to eat healthy on a budget with a soy allergy is harder than people think. One of the things that has helped me the most is weighing my meat and making sure I'm only making 3-3.5 oz per serving. I also get a lot of my protein with eggs, dairy, beans, and nut butter.

I save money on meat by getting together with my friends and just buying a cow from a local farmer, having them send it to the butcher and paying the butcher, on average we are paying $3.99/lb. of beef, and that includes prime rib and tenderloin steak as well as roasts and ground beef. I just suck it up and buy my fish and chicken at the store, but I do know of a friend that keeps a chicken coop and she will collect eggs and take them to the butcher for meat. The other good part about going directly to local farmers is that you know exactly where your food is coming from and you're helping the local economy.

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

We shop at Costco. You cannot beat the cost for fish, chicken and veggies. Rice and beans are good for you, have protein and can be seasoned differently to go with many different things.

One of my favorite CHEAP dishes: (it goes well with chicken, over rice and on salad)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp of cumin
1 cup chicken broth or water
salt and pepper to taste
a good-sized handful of cilantro
corn, drained (optional)

Throw everything everything except the cilantro into a pan and bring to a boil, then drop and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates. Throw in the cilantro and let it cook for about 1 more minute. Serve. SO YUMMY!

 

[AntePrincess]

Costco! Seriously! We get 2 weeks worth of food - for 4 of us - for under $100. I get the big things of strawberries, 3 bunches of bananas, a box of cuties, and a few honey dew. Total for all those is about $12. Then I get 2 packages of field greens and a bag of spinach. Total - about $10. Then I get a bag or two of mini peppers, a box of mushrooms, baby carrots, and celery stalks. Totaly - about $12. Next is meat - I get 4 pork tenderloins for $14. A bag of tilapia - $13. Then I get 2 cases of eggs - so 144 eggs total - for $6. A 3 pack of almond milk. I think it''s about $7? Then 2 large cottage cheese = $8. A box of 15 cans of black beans - $6. 2 loaves whole grain bread - $4. Quinoa - about $6 each. And usually some kind of "snacky" food - pretzels, mixed nuts.

We shop at Costco. You cannot beat the cost for fish, chicken and veggies. Rice and beans are good for you, have protein and can be seasoned differently to go with many different things.

I second Costco. We don't eat much poultry or red meat, but they have a great price on wild, sustainable rainbow trout. Their prices on fresh green beans, celery, carrots, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and lettuces are great, and we feast on berries whenever they're in season. That said, we have trouble keeping a Costco trip in our weekly budget because of the package sizes and respective prices, even if they're less by unit, so we shift to shopping once every other week if we're going to Costco and freeze the extra fish, etc.

A couple of things I do to buy healthy food cheaper are shop at Asian grocery stores. The quality is much better and the prices are lower. And go to the once a week Farmers Market in your area. Always go in the afternoon. By then the farmers have been there all day and they don't want to drag everything home with them so they start dropping prices.

We love our local Asian grocery stores, we get great prices on nice (very fresh) mushrooms, plaintains, yuca, fresh herbs, cabbages, and all sorts of greens. I've found that dairy and meat is more expensive at our Asian grocery store, unless you shop for unusual cuts of meat like oxtail, marrow bones, beef heart, and so on. Since we've been using our Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, we've actually developed a taste for the recipes made with chicken feet and beef tendon (soup broths, really), so it isn't as strange and unappealing as it sounds on the face of it, and things like beef heart actually make a great lean burger if you trim them right and have a meat grinder attachment for your Kitchenaid or a Cuisineart.

 

[scrapquitler]

Hello My Fellow Diser's!!!

It has been quite a while since I have been on, but all good things going on along with all the other stuff that life likes to throw at you but I am keeping positive.

So I am trying to eat healthier and I am being quite serious about it. However, as I have not gotten a raise in 4 years and won't expect one anytime soon. How does one eat better on a budget?

Even just going to Shoprite I look at all the Fruits and Vegetables and they are really expensive.

Chicken and Pork even Fish - Holy Moly, they are expensive so yes I do tend to eat things that are not healthy for me.

I love my bread and Pasta, but I limit my bread to a Bagel in the morning (if I am in the mood or Special K Ceral)

Then I started eating a yogurt as a mid morning snack

Lunch is usually Tuna sometimes I make lettuce wraps with turkey and swiss cheese, but other times not so great.

Dinner is a whole other story.
I try to eat better but I do tend to have more pasta than I should and the whole wheat pasta is expensive.

So any suggestions on here on how one does it. Also trying to find substitutes for other foods as well.

Not a great cook I am trying and learning but have to stop with all the breads and pastas and still have a little spending money.

My other challenge in eating healthy is that I am highly allergic to SOY!

So all those great products that are healthy for you (so they say) have SOY in them so I cannot eat them or I will get very very sick.

Help please

Lucikly for you, this is the best time of year to try and eat healtier on a budget because most fruits and vegetables grown in the spring and summer! Always try to buy fresh fruits and veggies based on what is currently in season, they are less expensive that way. For example, strawberries and watermelon should be less expensive this time of year than in the winter. Apples are more expensive now, but the price plummets in Sept/October when they are harvested. Citrus fruits tend to be less expensive in January. Always use the seasonal foods to your advantage. When fruits and veggies are not in season and more expensive, buy frozen.

Eggs are a really good and inexpensive source of protien. Dried beans are very cheap and healthy, and provide protien as well. You can use the dried beans with a very small amount of meat to stretch it, then you aren't buying so much meat.

As for chicken, buy it when it's on sale as a loss leader. My local store sells it on sale for $1.99 for chicken breasts about once every two months. I buy a lot then becuase the rest of the time it's $4.99 or $5.69/lb. A whole turkey is usually much cheaper. Buy the whole turkey and use it multiple meals, freeze some for later.

That yogurt for your mid-morning snack is much less expensive if you buy it in a big quart size container and portion it out into tupperware to take to work with you than if you buy the individually sized cups.

STock up on things like pasta and brown rice when they are on sale. Most of us eat portions that are way too big anyway, so eat a smaller portion of it. If you think about it, the price per serving will be much lower if you eat the proper serving size vs. what you probably eat now (I'm WAY guilty of eating too big a pasta portion).

As for the bread, try baking it yourself. You'll know exactly what's in it and it is a lot less expensive. It's really not hard to do.

 

[Jill in Chicago]

Legumes are your friend: red beans, black beans, chick peas.... When chick peas go on sale make your own hummus, much cheaper. You can also bake the chick peas, with lots of garlic.... low and slow in the oven. Make your own black beans and rice. Go super easy on the rice, even add a TINY bit of sausage and go heavy on the peppers and onions. It's very filling. Black bean and corn salsa. (Recipes on internet.)

Carrots, onions and celery are usually pretty cheap. Skip the bagged salad and buy whatever whole lettuce is on sale. It's cheaper and lasts longer in the fridge.

Chicken soup. Buy one rotisserie chicken. Eat that one night. Pull off all the meat and freeze in individual portions for fajitas, chicken salad.... Then take all that juicy goodness from the container, all the bones, the wings and put it in a huge pot of water. Roughly chop carrots, onion and celery. Boil away. Strain ALL of it so you have just the broth. The next day heat up some broth and add fresh carrots, onion and celery. Delish and cheap. (Of course you can use a whole chicken, non rotisserie,for all of the above.)

Anything frozen and boxed starts getting pricey. Start watching the prices of fish at the counter. Talk to the people who work there. If it is just you eating, you can get away with a small piece of fish.