Weight Watcher Cooking on a budget

[Tink2000]

I am on weight watchers and seem to be doing well with it but boy has my food bill gone up. Any suggestions? Favorite WW low budget recipes?

 

[my3sonsagn]

I've been back on WW myself for close to a month now. One thing we do is go to the International Farmer's Market once per week to stock up on meat and produce because they have, by far, the best prices around. If you don't have one nearby, try finding a Hispanic food market or Super H Mart; I've heard that both are comparable in price to IFM. Even Kroger/Ingles/Publix usually has boneless/skinless chicken breasts for 1.99/lb most weeks, so we eat tons of that. When they put their pork loins on sale I buy several and freeze them. Things like beans are far cheaper dried than canned or frozen, but out-of-season veggies are cheaper frozen than fresh (and flash freezing allows them to retain most nutrients). I've found that we're saving money eating WW (if Momma's eating WW food, so is everyone else lol) since we aren't buying soft drinks, juices, chips, crackers, and fast food much (we might pick up food on weekends since I'm taking those "off" right now - doing so is keeping me on the straight & narrow during the week; I'll change that when I hit a plateau plus I'm still eating much smaller portions even on weekends).

For some great recipes (not sure on cost - probably a mix) try 3fatchicks.com (forums have WW specific boards with recipe sub-boards), and skinnytaste.com (her slow cooker carnitas are to die for!).

Good luck with it!

 

[prncess674]

There is nothing wrong with frozen veggies as long as they aren't packed in oil or other sauces. Also learn to eat whatever veggies/fruits are in season and on sale.

When things like boneless skinless chicken breasts are on sale be sure to stocke up. You can bring home the big pack and then portion them into smaller packages and freeze.

Just like you learned to buy high fat food cheap you will soon learn to spot sales and bargains on healthy foods.

 

[Kae]

Bulk cooking helps too. things you can freeze. Do you work/pack your lunch? You can take leftovers. Are you a pop drinker? I started drink more water & iced tea cut that out of the budget saved good amount of money. Do you have an Aldi by you they have good prices on veggies & fruits.

Kae

 

[girli565]

I find that I save a bit on groceries when on WW because I'm not buying the processed stuff that's kind of pricey like soda, juice, and snacks.

I buy frozen veggies for dinner and lunch, no sauce, oils, or butter so they're still 0 points. I buy whole heads of lettuce and romaine and process them myself instead of buying it pre-cut and washed. , I bought a salad spinner and it's amazing!!

I stock up on boneless, skinless chicken breasts and flank steaks when they're on sale, pork loins and loin chops are also low in points so I stock up when they're on sale. I also use ground turkey in place of ground beef. It's lower in points and costco always has it at a great price.

When I'm on WW everyone in my house eats the same thing. They just don't have to watch their portions. I find that since I'm watching portions we get a lot more leftovers which are great for lunches and maybe freezing for another night's dinner later on in the month.

 

[Shagley]

I'm not sure what type of foods you usually eat, but I have found that I can make a lot of things WW friendly just by tweaking some things...

Tacos - use black beans flavored with taco seasoning in place of the meat. Serve with all the taco fixings. I usually make a salad out of the taco fixings, and break up one crunchy taco shell over the top of the salad. It saves me from the calories of too many taco shells, but I still get the crunch with each bite.

Pizza - use a flour tortilla for the crust and add pizza sauce, veggies, and a little cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy.

Shrimp scampi - saute salad shrimp in a little olive oil and garlic. I usually spray the shrimp with spray butter to give it a bit of a buttery taste. Serve over brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli. (I stock up on frozen shrimp when they are on sale).

Cheesy broccoli baked potato - put a package of frozen broccoli in low fat cheese sauce on top.

Omelets - use one whole egg and two egg whites - add veggies & a little cheese.

Grilled cheese - Use light bread & FF cheese. Have with veggie soup or a salad.

BBQ chicken sandwiches - put boneless, skinless chicken breast in crock pot with BB sauce and cook until chicken can easily be shredded. Serve open face on a bun (or use a light bun). Serve with vegetarian baked beans and a veggie.