Foods

So I want to lose weight like many people here or just watch what I eat too. But alot of special diet foods are just too expensive. I am limited on what I can spend so any suggestions on low cal/fat foods that don't break the wallet? Even fruits and veggies are alittle high in price these days. So is milk, cheese, lean meats. Its hard not to turn to the cheaper high fat foods because of the fact they are cheaper.

Try buying fruits and veggies at farmer's markets. You can buy a whole ton for about $20, and they're always locally grown, fresh, and in season.

Im planning on hitting ours, but it doesnt open until the end of June. Until then I guess I'll be eating the canned stuff.

beans are the best bang for your buck. a bag of lentils costs $1.29 and feeds you for a week. also whole wheat pastas.... grains etc. veggies are good and the forzen ones can be relatively cheap too!

I'm another bean & lentil fan!!  If you're time rich but cash poor then dried beans are amazing value for money, incredibly nutritious and very versatile.   I buy dried beans (about £0.70 or $1.50 for 500g), soak and cook them in one go and then freeze them once cool so that they're more convenient.  500g beans turns into 1.3kgs lean, mean protein.  We only eat meat 2 or 3 times a week these days and the rest of the time we go semi-vegetarian.

Don't buy special diet foods because most of them are a rip-off and not particularly healthy.  Try to buy seasonal or local fruit & vegetables if you can.  Check the 'country of origin' on the lablel and avoid imported products as much as possible because they cost a fortune.   And splash out on some herbs and spices.  They can make humble vegetables into amazing dishes.  Pasta, rice, noodles and potatoes make great fillers and they're all very healthy.  Oats are almost given away and much cheaper than fancier breakfast cereals.  Cheese isn't cheap so buy the strongest-flavoured one you can find and use it sparingly as a flavouring rather than something to eat in its own right. 

Takes a bit more planning but if you're happy to cook then you can really save some money and eat healthily at the same time.

I feed myself and my fiance on $50 a week, and we eat healthy, good food. The  biggest thing you have to do is watch the circulars at the grocery stores. I found that where I live Kroger has the best meat prices, while Price Cutter has the best veggie prices. So I split my shopping, and freeze what I can't use immediately.

Also, for the budget minded, frozen veggies are a goddess send! Most stores will run a 10 bags for $10 sale and I stock up!

Just to give you a small idea of what we eat -

Salads! Lots of salads!
Baked Chicken and Broccoli Chimi's with Fat Free Sour Cream Sauce
Spagetti with Veggies and Ground Turkey (but sometimes I will use ground beef, brown it and rinse it REALLY well)
Fajitas
Oatmeal with Peanut butter (so good and it fills you up!)
Chicken Tacos with black beans and corn
Lentil Chilli

Really anything you want, you can work in. Just pay attention to the sales!

You can buy fatter meats if you cook out the fat.  I buy hamburger and drain the fat out.   I get bulk meats and freeze part of it.   

I make beans ahead of time, like a week's worth and store the rest.  I eat beans every day. 

I was eating oatmeal, which is cheap as hell.  Now I'm eating store brand Grape Nuts, still very cheap for its nutritional value.  (fat, protein and fiber)

I buy Trader Joe's soy milk, yoghurt and kefir. 

I don't eat "special diet foods" for the same reason, and also because they don't taste very good.

Instead I cook from scratch.  I eat a lot of beans too and they cost only pennies a serving.  With food prices rising, it's important to shop around to find those bargains.  For instance, I found a store brand of those steamer bag vegetables for only $1.87 and stocked up.

Here are some past threads on the subject.  I tagged them because frugality is dear to my heart.

Cheap and Easy (food, that is!) Part 1

Cheap and Easy (food that is!) Part 2

Discussion - Which is actually cheaper? Eating healthy or eating less healthy?

 

Thank you all for you help and tips. And clairelaine, thank you for the links to the past threads. I will check them out and look up some good recipes with beans and some of the other items you all suggested. I know one thing, I use my slow cooker alot especially with the cheap but tough meats.

I recommend eliminating the thought of "diet" food and simply eat "normal" food, but at a portion-controlled amount.  I hate sounding like I am playing with words, but I don't "diet" and have lost 30 pounds in 5 months at age 50...it can be done with reasonable exercise (I previously did none) and eating healthy (never did that before).  I simply started going to the gym (or you can do any exercise routine at home) and bought a scale to weigh my food (I had NO clue how much I was really eating) and I reduced high fat and sweets.  I didn't eliminate them - in fact, I am looking at a Milky Way mini right now that won't last long, but I haven't had anything like that in a week or so...did have a piece of chocolate cake a few weeks ago...so, I ate "normal" foods; no "special diet" foods and made choices on what to eat based on nutrition and "is that really worth those 100-200 calories?"

So, there won't be any problem going on maintenance...it simply won't be a change in eating habits, other than eating slightly larger portions or more frequently than the 5-6 times I eat now.

Good luck.

Thank you for that tip. That does sound reasonable and I have recently been eating less portions and staying away from the really bad foods.  At least most of the time that is. I have to have my chocolate but I eat it in moderation instead of indulging like I used to do. A bag of chocolates will last me a couple of weeks instead of a few days.  I remember reading somewhere that if you allow yourself a small indulgence then you won't crave them so bad and cave in and go on a binge which is easy to do.   And hey dark chocolate is at least good for you so I don't feel too guilty.

My last real grocery trip, a week ago, was $20. I bought a loaf of sliced bread, inexpensive peanut butter, fat free store brand yogurt, skim store brand milk, several cans of beans, a box of fruit and grain bars, a bag of edamame, and store brand veggie burgers. I still haven't touched the burgers, edamame, or bars; there's still some bread left, and a ton of peanut butter. I think that's pretty darn cost efficient. Peanut butter in moderation is okay, yogurt is great and really pretty inexpensive if you  buy a big container. For 5 dollars more I got more salad than I can eat alone, two bananas, and two apples, great healthy treats. Toss in supplementing this with rice and pasta that was in the house already when I moved in (I live with a large family) and I never feel hungry. It's easy to eat healthy on a budget if you buy store brand and don't eat too much. Healthy food can be cheaper than junk if it fills you up. Yogurt and beans have been my big godsend, and I'd have saved even more if I bought uncooked beans instead of canned, but I can't always cook.

Original Post by liliren:

I feed myself and my fiance on $50 a week, and we eat healthy, good food. The  biggest thing you have to do is watch the circulars at the grocery stores. I found that where I live Kroger has the best meat prices, while Price Cutter has the best veggie prices. So I split my shopping, and freeze what I can't use immediately.

Also, for the budget minded, frozen veggies are a goddess send! Most stores will run a 10 bags for $10 sale and I stock up!

Just to give you a small idea of what we eat -

Salads! Lots of salads!
Baked Chicken and Broccoli Chimi's with Fat Free Sour Cream Sauce
Spagetti with Veggies and Ground Turkey (but sometimes I will use ground beef, brown it and rinse it REALLY well)
Fajitas
Oatmeal with Peanut butter (so good and it fills you up!)
Chicken Tacos with black beans and corn
Lentil Chilli

Really anything you want, you can work in. Just pay attention to the sales!

 

I don't think a lot of the people on this post actually know what eating on a budget means. $50 dollars a week is a budget? Wow, I'd think I was rich if I could spend that much on food!!!!

Inexpensive protein could be a whole chicken!  Just buy a whole chicken..roast it.  You can eat that for a few days..roast chicken dinner with rice and veggies, then maybe the next have a big chicken salad, then when all the main meat is gone..take the carcass, boil it with water or low fat canned chicken broth, add some spices and veggies and you have home made chicken soup for another few meals.. its one of the most economical meats i can think of.  we often do this in the winter and around holiday times but with turkey.  same thing! 

even the tougher or fattier cuts of beef can be inexpensive.  for the tougher meats, slow braise them or quickly broil to keep it from getting too tough..fattier cuts, remove as much of the outer fat as possible and again, slow braise them or put them in a stew or slow cooker.  all you really need is stock and veggies! 

i love to cook..although i often never eat what i cook..so i have tons of ideas if you need them!

I plan out my meals for the week. I probably spend close to $150/paycheck for me and my bf... and we eat 6-7 meals a day. I usually buy two boxes of dymalean dymatize shakes (no carbs, high in protein) for $26/ea... if you are using proteins and fiber like staples like I do (I don't know your goals but I want to be a fitness model) so either way I need protein... have to have it! lol!!

I go to www.buildingbrawn.com for all my stuff... hope that helps ya :)

I've got to say those rotisserie chickens you get at the grocery store are great. I checked prices at our Publix compared with the frozen chickens and there isn't that much of a difference.  Rip all the meat off of that and save it for meals throughout the week.  They are usually only $7. 

My husband and I only drink milk and water (we sometimes buy Crystal Light)  I stock up on fresh fruits and veggies OR the frozen ones and always take two servings with me to lunch.  I shop sales on cereal and skip whole isles in the grocery, I don't need to go down the cookie isle, so why bother?!

I agree with the consensus, do not buy 'diet foods' it's a scam for them to make money. Go natural, you can't go wrong there, seriously.

Good luck!  My husband just got a raise at work and we were able to up our grocery budget by $5... we feel super rich!