how to eat heart healthy and stay on a budget?

vhoffman

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:confused3 Saw my doctor last week--my triglycerides are sky high--339!:scared: (anything over 150 is considered high). Cholesterol, HDL, and LDL are all somewhat elevated, but the TG is in a danger zone.

Ok, so I know the drill--eat less fat, more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. One immediate change I made was all the margarine we consume--I like it on toast or crackers as a snack, along with use in cooking, etc. I didn't realize that margarine is high in trans fat (that's what makes the margarine a solid at room temperature). I immediately threw out 4 pounds of it. I figured the trash can was a better place for it. I since bought the Smart Balance spread--the light for use on bread, the regular for baking, scrambled eggs, etc. Smart Balance cooking spray, Enova Oil. I'm working on changing my habits and making no excuses. However, its not only the fat in the diet that's of concern--carbohydrates can elevate TG's as well.

But, we're on a tight budget--dh has been laid off for 2 months with no immediate prospects in sight. We're cutting all the corners we possibly can. I depend on things like potatoes, noodles, macaroni, bread, rice, to stretch our food budget. How to stretch a budget without? Beans, legumes, lentils, are all recommended instead. Any recipies for how to use them?

Also recommended to limit fruit juice (fresh fruit is better, but more expensive:lmao: ). Oh, I also threw away 5 pounds of sugar--can't use it if its not there. I bought some Sweet and Low that can be used for baking, measure for measure (but more expensive!). Just tonight I made an apple cake using fresh apples, Sweet and low, Enova oil, 2 eggs and 2 egg whites (called for 4 eggs), but did use white flour. Well, it turned out great--no one even knew it was a modified recipie! I guess the thing to do is start with new recipies, not try to modify old favorites, or we'll notice something "different". But what to replace the white flour with? Any good baked goods recipies using whole wheat flour?

i'm also on medication (Tri Cor), but I'm not just depending on a pill. Right now I figure I can't afford not to eat right.

So, any ideas? Thanks!
 
One thing I didn't do was sit there and p*** and moan to my doctor!

"but how can I make such changes and stay on a budget? You're asking me to modify my entire way of eating! My kids like snacks, how can I have stuff in for them and not snitch?"

Oh, how doctors must get tired of hearing all that! They didn't create the situation, they're just telling you the facts. If its important enough to you, you'll figure it out. They're not your mother!
 
My dh just started a new job after being unemployed so I know how it feels. I think fish might be too expensive if your dh is still unemployed. I know I couldn't afford salmon, but tuna might be reasonably priced.

Maybe try more oatmeal, brown rice, and eggs with Omega 3 fatty acids. Yes, beans and legumes are great. I use vegweb.com for recipes and just eat a more vegetarian diet.

It would also help to get in more exercise with your dr's. clearance first, of course, like walking. It's cheap and keeps you healthy.

GL! :wizard:
 

There are a lot of fish that aren't expensive. Tilapia would be one. It's very mild and you can prepare it in 1000 different ways. It's usually less expensive than chicken.

Have oatmeal every morning for breakfast, that's really good for you and can help increase HDL.

Do you have a bread machine? You can start using whole wheat flour or rye flour in it and make your own breads.

Also use olive oil. Use it to dip bread into in place of butter--you don't need to coat the bread, just a little dab works. Use it in place of vegetable oil as often as possible.

Avoid seafood, it's super high in cholestoral--especially shrimp!

Use egg subsitutes.

Get excercise, even walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes a day will help your body break down all the bad fats.

DH's levels were elevated a few years back, and I learned to cook more heart healthy for him, and it has worked. Without meds he's come back down into the normal range.

Good luck!

Anne
 
I'm no cook, but my mom told me to use plain applesauce in baking recipes as a substitute for oil. I believe the idea was to lower fat...I suppose this would probably work for you. I've made cakes & cookies with it and you can't tell a difference.
 
Well, we eat all whole grains, but we also eat organic and it's expensive. However, if we were to cut the organic portion of our food out it would probably be 30-40% cheaper for us to eat.

Cutting out all white carbs (breads/pasta/refined sugars) and going to three smaller meals per day plus three snacks per day has really supercharged how we feel. We both wanted to lose some weight, but we ended up losing a lot of weight, so much that my BMI went from 26 down to 20). My DH's was 25 and he's now at 19 (he's actually eating more now and trying to add more muscle). We also really ramped up our exercise and now work out 5-6 days a week instead of the 3-4 we did before. Getting into strength training really helped us lose weight and tone up. My BP was acceptable before we started this plan over a year ago 120s/80s. Now it's 90/60...my pulse is in the low 50s. So while we weren't comopletely out of control, we saw our weight creeping up over the years and we decided to take action.

The book for us that started it all was The Abs Diet. It's sort of a silly name, but it was written by the editor of Men's Health Magazine. It's not a diet, but a way of eating. It's pretty similar to the beginning phases of Bob Greene's (Oprah's guy) new Best Life Diet.

With trigylcerides that high, I really think that you need to do something drastic. I hope this helps....
 
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Do you have any discount grocers in your area? I buy all my produce at Pricerite now and save LOTS of $. Also buy staples there that I don't mind genericc of. Buy brown rice instead of white. Same with flour. And for rice, buy the long cook kind. It's way cheaper! True, you have to plan ahead a little more, but it's worth the savings!

I posted a good, easy and cheap lentil and brown rice recipe here on the thread."easy casseroles" or something.

Buy a bag of carrots and peel and cut them yourself instead of the baby carrots, things like that take time, but save money. Switch to speet potato instead of white, more vitamins and minerals.

Most of all with the carbs, watch your portion sizes. You need carbs in your diet, but most of us eat WAY to much per serving! For example, a serving size of rice or mashed potato is about the size of a tennis ball! That's a serving size. If you only do this one step, it will save you both money and extra calories that increase triglycerides, and turn into simple sugars quickly, adding weight in the process!

Switch to LITE Whole wheat bread istead of regular. You can eat 2 slices instead of 1, but they are smaller. Tricks your brain into being full, because you still get two. Most big grocery stores sell a pretty good Lite Wheat bread now.
 
Generally, bagged apples and oranges aren't that expensive. Same thing with frozen bagged veggies like brocolli. Also, where we live, fruit stands charge a lot less than supermarkets.
 
My dh just started a new job after being unemployed so I know how it feels. I think fish might be too expensive if your dh is still unemployed. GL! :wizard:


Then cancel the cable bill/cell phone. You won't be worth a damn dead or disabled from a heart attack. That will cost you more money!
 
My father in June 2006 was diagnosed with EXTREMELY high cholesterol, so high that the doctor actually called his home and directed him to immediately go to the pharmacy to get lipidor or whatever the cholesterol reducing medication is. It was extremely high and he was very worried about heart attack.

I had read a book by Dr. Atkins about Diabetes and Protein. Can't think of the name of the book, but lots of information about high cholesterol levels reduced through his eating plan.

Well my father pretty much followed his program and with at least 1 hour of walking every day, he lost close to 20 lbs in 1 month and returned to his doctor to get bloodwork done.

Well to his doctor's surprise, he had reduced the cholesterol levels by more than 20% without any medication.

So if you are interested, do a search through amazon, book is something like Diabetic Revolution or something like that.

My father is much better now and continues to follow the program. Hope that helps.

Your health is one thing that you can't buy.
 
my tips...

For any budget....
Start a list of prices of food [frozen and fresh chicken, x per lb.; apples, x per lb., etc.] and log where you buy. Then when you're out shopping and you see a sale price, you can see if it's less than your lowest...[does that make sense?]. I used 6 months or so of receipts and excel to start my list. Then when I started looking for deals, I would update my list. I had one price slot for typical and one slot for sale [so I knew if it was ever that or lower, stock up time]. Check the weekly flyers for sale prices and compare to your list. Walmart and Meijer will price match any sale price [except buy 1 get 1 and % off]. Meijer also doubles coupons up to $.50.

Now to the healthy foods...

The key here is not to overbuy things that will go bad on you. The biggest mistake I've made is stocking up on fresh produce only to throw it away when I clean out the fridge...[$$$ literally in the trash].

Fruit typically is less expensive at Aldi if you have one near you. Sometimes it's on sale for lower than Aldi, then I'll go there. [small example bananas at aldi are .33, usually .39+ elsewhere except occ. they're .19].

Stock up on Egg Beaters [Costco usually has good bulk price; otherwise match a sale with coupons].

Buy FROZEN bags of veggies and fruits. I buy these at Trader Joe's, Aldi & elsewhere. [they last a lot longer, have more nutrients than canned, great for out of season produce].

Stock up on Chicken when it hits your sale price point. Otherwise, Meijer often has B1 G1 on the frozen breasts. Aldi typically has good prices on frozen breasts. Ditto with Fish...I'm not a huge fish person but I do enjoy Tilapia.

Do not buy bags of lettuce..expensive. Instead buy the bags of romaine and chop yourself. You can get 3 'heads' and make several salads. Romaine has more nutrients than iceberg. If you see spinach on sale, grab it and mix in. Great way to get more health. Stock up on your favorite low fat or ff salad dressing when it's on sale [I love Trader Joe's FF Balsamic Vin.]. Or make your own. Mix in any veggies you've bought that week on sale.

Cottage Cheese with pineappe makes a great snack. Or string cheese and apple slices. Buy generic and/or sale prices for good low price healthy snacks.

Brown rice, whole wheat flour [so you can make your own rolls, biscuits, etc.] and corn tortillas [for a sandwich wrap, etc.] are great and healthy staples for you, buy generic or on sale.

Buy a Big tub of the light Vanilla and swirl preserves or fruit into it . My kids love 'strawberry yogurt' made this way. I sometimes crunch up pretzels for them. And it's much cheaper than the little tubs.

Stock up on WHOLE GRAIN BREADS when it's on sale and freeze loaves you aren't using....make sure they're whole grain and high in dietary fiber.

Water is FREE and great for you.

I rarely eat red meat, but I buy the rolls of ground beef when they're on sale. The key with the more fatty red meat is to rinse off the fat after you cook. I put it in sink with a strainer and rinse. It reduces the fat and saves you $$$. But better savings for pocket and heart is to just limit it. Same with pork.

Some Recipes if you are interested:

Breakfast...
Egg Beater Omelet...an egg beater omelet made with [1/2 c egg beaters in pan sprayed with Pam, add salsa on top for more veggies and flavor or a sprinkle [sprinkle] of cheddar cheese].

Egg Pancake....1/2 c egg beaters + 1/4-1/3 c quick oats [you want it to be thick but not too thick that you can't pour]. Pour in pan sprayed with Pam.
Cook like a pancake. Add 1T Strawberry Preserves to top and enjoy.

Lunch...
Stir-fry chicken and veggies [pre-cook chicken breasts and keep in fridge so you can grab a breast and chop it up]. I basically steam the veggies if fresh [if frozen just throw in skillet] then throw in skillet with 1-2 T Soyaki and the cut up chicken. Delicious and cheapo.

Dinner...
Blackened Tilapia...[non fishy taste]. I spray the fish with Pam and then rub blackened seasoning on it. I grill it. Yummy. This + veggies + brown rice...mmmm.

Chicken...1 T olive oil, 1/2 c white wine or chicken broth or water, capers, garlic, artichoke hearts salt, pepper & chicken breasts. Yummo.

Hope this helps...

Trish
 
Basically switching to a low-carb diet will do the trick. No white flower or sugar. Instead use sweet potatoes and whole grain pasta and skip dessert. Use butter in place of margerine - or better - olive oil. My dh did this and his triglycerides and cholesterol dropped dramatically - to the point where he no longer needed cholesterol controlling medication. Oh yeah, eat almonds, too. Very heart healthy and very filling.

Good luck!
 
Then cancel the cable bill/cell phone. You won't be worth a damn dead or disabled from a heart attack. That will cost you more money!

Wow, that was uncalled for. The OP was asking for suggestions on healthy eating on a budget, not how to avoid bankruptcy. There are plenty of ways to eat healthy on a budget as those who have given constructive advice have suggested.

Your bridge is calling, you might want to go back under it to see what it wants.

Anne
 
If you don't like fish you can try fish oil pills not that expensive at costco to reduce the triglycerides. Walnuts will raise your HDL a handful a day is all it takes. Be careful with whole wheat breads if they contain molasses they are not really good for you it is used as a coloring to make it look like whole wheat also the bread should be course not like white bread. Start every meal with a salad or vegetables to fill you so you eat less meat. A very good book is Eat to Live check the library to see if they have it. Good Luck and make the changes slowly one at a time so you don't set yourself up for failure.
 
Start every meal with a salad or vegetables to fill you so you eat less meat.

This is sooo true! I'm dieting right now (which for me means a low-fat, reduced calorie diet) I was really bad over the past few months with a lot of Mc D's and other junk food and have gained a lot of weight. (for me it's a lot!)

I eat a HUGE salad with just a little dressing with about three ounces of cubed grilled chicken. I put it in a big Rubbermaid/Gladware bowl and add the dressing, then turn it over and shake vigorously. Coats it all nicely and only about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing cover a half gallon sized bowl of salad. I use the Walden Farms dressing, no fat, "no calories" (it's actually about 20 per tablespoon IMHO) and I really like the balsamic dressing. That and two thin or short bread sticks or one ounce of cheese or a container of non-fat yogurt or eight mini rice cakes or a piece of fruit (all 60-100 calories) with two large glasses of water and I'm full. Total calories for that lunch is about 220 or less. Add some carrot sticks or pepper slices or celery or insert your fresh nibble veggie here to munch in the afternoon and you'll stay full. And there's almost no fat or cholesterol.

Dinner is a huge side of microwaved frozen veggies (no sauce but lemon, garlic, or any herbs or spices are fine to add) and a 4-6 ounce serving of very lean beef or chicken breast. (I don't eat pork, but a lean cut of that would work as well.) Total calories is under 300, again with almost no fat or cholesterol. If you like fish, use that instead of the meat for an even healthier meal.

For breakfast I usually have either a bowl of oatmeal, or a bowl of Special K with some sort of fruit on it, or a piece of fruit and fat free yogurt or if I'm home, Egg Beaters with onions and peppers and sometimes tomatoes stirred in, and sometimes a little sprinkle of cheddar on top.

Because I'm also watching calories, my portion sizes are probably smaller than they need to be for someone not trying to lose weight. I eat as many veggies as I want if I'm truly hungry. IIf I feel hunger, I have a cup of tea (no sugar and a splash of fat free milk) or a glass of water. If after 20 minutes I still feel hungry, I'll have a piece of fruit or some sort of veggies. You shouldn't have more than two servings of fruit a day, because they are full of carbs.

Anne
 
Great job on your efforts to start a healthier lifestyle:goodvibes

This is the best advice I can offer......

If you have aethnic market around you, they have incredible prices on fruits, veggies & even lunch meat & butcher items as well as milk, egg & yogurt.....the one I go to has the word "produce" or "fresh Market" in its name...I get flyers every week with specials.
Some times the Hispanic stores have great prices also

As for cooking......I LOVE my GF grill(the one that drains fat).....It cooks so much & without the butter or fat...grilled cheese, mushrooms, tortillias, peppers, turkey bacon, etc

I would say try to make your changes slowly so you dont put your system in shock......its easier to go back to the old ways if you switch to quickly....take it slow & find things you like.....there are so many options now a day

Good luck:yay:
 
We had bought a Betty Crocker rotisserie at Home Depot/Lowes a year or so ago... we've used it for chickens, Thanksgiving turkey, and a Christmas duck.

ANYWAY, I finally figured out that the basket that came with it perfectly holds two chicken breasts. Great taste, very moist, and the extra fat ends up dripping off. Also, I started buying chicken breast on sale and freezing them in packages of 1 or 2. Easy to take out of the freezer and put in the fridge a day or two before I want to use them. Rotisserie time about 35 minutes.

I love mine with Emeril's Southwest Essence. McCormick makes a Caribbean Jerk Spice that is good, but it does contain sugar... although probably not enough to "hurt".

As to the budget, at school we've been laughing about how it often costs more to buy foods with "less"... less salt, less fat, etc.
 
Forgot to point out... I noticed that chicken breasts were on sale for $.99 a lb and the SKINLESS chicken breasts were $1.29 a lb. DD and I laughed because it takes NO time at all to rip that skin off.

Time is money... and in this case, a little time is a lot of money proportionally.
 
Do some searching for Indian recipes - they tend to make great use of vegetables, beans and rice. Find an ethnic market near you (or a grocery store with a large ethnic section) and you'll find all these foods very inexpensive. Recognize that with picky kids, you may be cooking two meals (or cooking one and letting your kids live off peanut butter sandwiches - which is what we do - my kids could make peanut butter sandwiches at the age of four, you can eat what we are having for dinner or you can make yourself PB&J. Now that they are a little older, their ability to cook has expanded - they can do organic chicken hotdogs and fruit if they choose).
 

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