Eating healthy on a budget?

proZach

proZach

Active member
seeing as I'm funemployed and can't work for at least another 2 months, and the fact that I'd like to lose 10-15lbs in the next few months, does anyone have any suggestions for healthy meals that can be had for cheap?

particularly anything that's quick and easy? I know this is something that takes time and an honest effort, but I know some of you guys are all about stuff like this. any recipes, tips, etc. would be appreciated. thanks!
 
Healthy food is pretty cheap unless you convince yourself you have Celiac's disease or are going to die if you don't eat certified organic. Vegetables, chicken, eggs, fruit, nuts for snacks, certain types of fish, etc. can be had pretty cheap. I like getting rotisserie chickens from the grocery and stripping them down sometimes. You can make a lot of stuff with one $5 chicken, it's a big chunk of meat (so to speak). Eggs cost next to nothing unless you pay $4 for 6 at Whole Foods or something. Oatmeal is super cheap and you can make all kinds of different versions with berries, nuts, etc.

A mushroom, pepper, turkey bacon scramble is my go to favorite breakfast. Not too hard on the wallet either.
 
Not hard to do at all. Im unemployed and still am managing to eat on a vegan diet. Its even cheaper if without restrictions.

You just need to focus on what you can buy large amounts of for cheap.

Rice, beans, chicken, etc. Make it all in mass, as youll save more in regards to volume/price.

Rice- Plain rice, mexican rice, friend rice, etc. All super simple, and can change taste to whatever cuisine youll like.
 
I dont eat the best but if youre tryna eat healthy shakes and stuff just rip grass out of your lawn and toss it in a nutribullet
 
13123587:maximiliaan said:
why arent you able to work for the next 2 months?
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I just finished up grad school and my boards are next week. It takes about 6-10 additional weeks for my paperwork to be processed, certification and licensure to be granted, etc.

13123612:Dustin. said:
Healthy food is pretty cheap unless you convince yourself you have Celiac's disease or are going to die if you don't eat certified organic. Vegetables, chicken, eggs, fruit, nuts for snacks, certain types of fish, etc. can be had pretty cheap. I like getting rotisserie chickens from the grocery and stripping them down sometimes. You can make a lot of stuff with one $5 chicken, it's a big chunk of meat (so to speak). Eggs cost next to nothing unless you pay $4 for 6 at Whole Foods or something. Oatmeal is super cheap and you can make all kinds of different versions with berries, nuts, etc.

A mushroom, pepper, turkey bacon scramble is my go to favorite breakfast. Not too hard on the wallet either.
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nah I know I don't have any malabsorption issues or give a shit if it's organic or not. a lot of my issues are that my food goes bad if I don't eat it right away (obviously). I'm not one to plan much, so if I get fruit, one-third to a half usually gets tossed.

13123644:urbanjib said:
Not hard to do at all. Im unemployed and still am managing to eat on a vegan diet. Its even cheaper if without restrictions.

You just need to focus on what you can buy large amounts of for cheap.

Rice, beans, chicken, etc. Make it all in mass, as youll save more in regards to volume/price.

Rice- Plain rice, mexican rice, friend rice, etc. All super simple, and can change taste to whatever cuisine youll like.
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I don't really have any restrictions, just trying to figure out what I should avoid and what goes together well. I'm definitely going to pick up some rice in the future, as well as a few pounds of chicken.

any specific recipes from anyone? these are all good suggestions, thanks guys.
 
avoid unnecessary carbs like bagels and such. when eating anything that has a wheat counterpart buy that. always purchase low or no fat options. tofu is a great source of protein, can be bought for cheap, and can be cooked into various meals. flat wraps are a great alternative to bread as well

dont overdue red meat. i personally eat egg whites. for example i made 4 eggs for breakfast...3 egg whites one whole egg

my lunch today will consist of whole wheat ritz crackers, plain almonds, and a cliff bar
 
Another vote for egg whites here. They last a while and you can use them in anything.

Look into buying onions as well. Lots you can do with those to spice up a meal. My personal favorite is caramelizing them.

An alternative to chicken is ground turkey breast. Quite low in fat, and in my opinion very good.

If you want vegetables, frozen vegetables are the way to go. Buy them in bulk and freeze them.
 
13123612:Dustin. said:
A mushroom, pepper, turkey bacon scramble is my go to favorite breakfast. Not too hard on the wallet either.
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wait, this is "healthy" now?
 
Here is what you do:

Go buy a big bag of rice and/or quinoa.

Find 3-4 good recipes that you can make in one big pot, like chilli and curries. Make them vegetarian. Getting protein from meat costs a lot more than getting it from vegetables. Use dried beans/lentils whenever possible. They are cheaper than the canned kind. Now make a ton of the food and put it in the freezer in those ziploc containers. These meals you can use when you are lazy, and would otherwise eat shitty quick food. Just make some of the rice and have it with that and a salad.

On the days you actually have time to make a meal, just find a recipe that looks cheap and healthy, and go buy the stuff to make it.

Freeze everything you can. It will stop you from overeating things like bread. Make your own crutons for salad from bread.
 
13123697:pmw said:
avoid unnecessary carbs like bagels and such. when eating anything that has a wheat counterpart buy that. always purchase low or no fat options. tofu is a great source of protein, can be bought for cheap, and can be cooked into various meals. flat wraps are a great alternative to bread as well

dont overdue red meat. i personally eat egg whites. for example i made 4 eggs for breakfast...3 egg whites one whole egg

my lunch today will consist of whole wheat ritz crackers, plain almonds, and a cliff bar
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pasta is pretty much out I'm assuming. not a fan at all of tofu, but gonna look into flat wraps as an alternative to bread. thanks!

13123701:.MASSHOLE. said:
Another vote for egg whites here. They last a while and you can use them in anything.

Look into buying onions as well. Lots you can do with those to spice up a meal. My personal favorite is caramelizing them.

An alternative to chicken is ground turkey breast. Quite low in fat, and in my opinion very good.

If you want vegetables, frozen vegetables are the way to go. Buy them in bulk and freeze them.
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frozen is probably what I'll do. also, a big fan of ground turkey and onions in general haha.

in terms of egg whites, this might be a moronic question, but do you guys prefer just tossin the yolk or the boxed shit?

13123734:Dirac said:
Here is what you do:

Go buy a big bag of rice and/or quinoa.

Find 3-4 good recipes that you can make in one big pot, like chilli and curries. Make them vegetarian. Getting protein from meat costs a lot more than getting it from vegetables. Use dried beans/lentils whenever possible. They are cheaper than the canned kind. Now make a ton of the food and put it in the freezer in those ziploc containers. These meals you can use when you are lazy, and would otherwise eat shitty quick food. Just make some of the rice and have it with that and a salad.

On the days you actually have time to make a meal, just find a recipe that looks cheap and healthy, and go buy the stuff to make it.

Freeze everything you can. It will stop you from overeating things like bread. Make your own crutons for salad from bread.
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I like the idea of more beans/lentils. as much as I'd like to eat more healthy, I can't really get rid of meat. too big of a fan haha. most likely though, I'll cut back solely due to cost.

great suggestions, I have some good ideas, any more is always a plus. thanks again
 
Boxed. Easier/less time consuming for me. I will buy regular eggs too, as I do enjoy a fried egg here and there. Or I mix it in with the egg whites to add a little more taste.
 
Rice, beans, chicken or fish. Throw in some frozen veggies which are cheap as balls and you're set. I still live like this and I'm making decent money - I just want to stuff my face for less than 10$ a meal sometimes haha
 
13124049:carltusz said:
Sooooooo you don't have money to eat and want to lose weight...

Am I the only one who doesn't see this as a challenge?
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right but it's healthy to eat less and make sure what youre eating is good for you and filling all your macro and micro needs, not just to eat small amounts of crap

lean meats, beans, and other good protein sources can be pretty cheap. EGGS as discussed

eat tons of veggies and fruits, theyre generally cheap, have tons of nutrients and fiber, and fill you up but aren't super calorie heavy (fruits have quite a bit of sugar of course tho)

good cereal and milk
 
Eggs and Oatmeal

Chicken and rice

Potatoes

1x Banana and 1x Apple a day.

Beef when it is on sale - I often buy t-bones and NY strip @ $5/lb

Find a friend who hunts more than they eat

get a freezer.

supplement with whatever green vegetables you can get. Spinach, Avocado, Broccoli, and Green Beans, made the bulk of mine.

Frozen green beans, broccoli, brusel sprouts, peas and carrots are cheap and don't go bad, but I tried to get fresh when I can.

Big thing to do is step back and prep your food. You can eat a really nice home cooked meal for less than the price of a shitty takeout or fast food one.

Or get a fucking job ya bum
 
13124157:cobra_commander said:
Or get a fucking job ya bum
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yeah but eating cheap and healthy is a great habit to get in and then stay in even when you have money..plus you'll then waste less food the rest of your life

great suggestions too btw
 
buy things in bulk at places like sam's club or costco. when the big pack of meat goes on sale, buy it and freeze it and vegetables, etc. also refrain from buying frozen vegetables, fresh is cheaper most of the time. also clip coupons, yea your mom does it and it takes time, but you can save a lot of money.
 
I work my ass off so I can spend my money on three things:

Shooting, skiing, and eating.

Spent to long not getting to enjoy eating, to miss out on it now.
 
13124049:carltusz said:
Sooooooo you don't have money to eat and want to lose weight...

Am I the only one who doesn't see this as a challenge?
Click to expand...

that's why I created the thread, to get ideas and suggestions.

13124157:cobra_commander said:
Eggs and Oatmeal

Chicken and rice

Potatoes

1x Banana and 1x Apple a day.

Beef when it is on sale - I often buy t-bones and NY strip @ $5/lb

Find a friend who hunts more than they eat

get a freezer.

supplement with whatever green vegetables you can get. Spinach, Avocado, Broccoli, and Green Beans, made the bulk of mine.

Frozen green beans, broccoli, brusel sprouts, peas and carrots are cheap and don't go bad, but I tried to get fresh when I can.

Big thing to do is step back and prep your food. You can eat a really nice home cooked meal for less than the price of a shitty takeout or fast food one.

Or get a fucking job ya bum
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great suggestions, definitely gonna try to do a bunch of this.

and as addressed, I'm in a field where I can literally move to any state in the nation and find a well-paying position within a month, I just need to get credentialed which is going to make a month or two.

but I'm assuming that last comment was just a lol

13124313:butterslut. said:
buy things in bulk at places like sam's club or costco. when the big pack of meat goes on sale, buy it and freeze it and vegetables, etc. also refrain from buying frozen vegetables, fresh is cheaper most of the time. also clip coupons, yea your mom does it and it takes time, but you can save a lot of money.
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fresh is cheaper, especially at the farmer's markets around here. but like I mentioned, if I don't freeze them, they tend to go back. for example, I can get 3 enormous cucumbers for a dollar, but I'm not gonna eat all them cucs before they go back.

13124337:kamesjelly said:
Exercise goes hand in hand with eating healthy!
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yeah, but honestly, I'm pretty damn lazy. I lost 10lbs earlier this year by eating healthy. I just went back to eating shit, but with less money now haha.

13124604:cobra_commander said:
I work my ass off so I can spend my money on three things:

Shooting, skiing, and eating.

Spent to long not getting to enjoy eating, to miss out on it now.
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I hear that. I plan on working 50-60 hours minimum once I can start working. being unemployed sounds glamorous, but I'm bored as shit way too often.

and thanks to all the good suggestions. if anyone has any specific recipes, I'd love to try something new
 
My girlfriend is vegan and the only thing she really spends money on is her junk food like chips and frozen "chicken" patties. A lot of fruits and veggies are damn cheap especially in bulk. Plus it'll help you get healthy at the same time. I only eat fish as a meat protein, and I've started saving so much money on meats; switching my proteins to brocolli and other veggies has definetly helped me gain muscle and lose belly fat. Beat of luck OP!
 
13124630:wolfbackpack said:
My girlfriend is vegan and the only thing she really spends money on is her junk food like chips and frozen "chicken" patties. A lot of fruits and veggies are damn cheap especially in bulk. Plus it'll help you get healthy at the same time. I only eat fish as a meat protein, and I've started saving so much money on meats; switching my proteins to brocolli and other veggies has definetly helped me gain muscle and lose belly fat. Beat of luck OP!
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I would literally eat fish for every meal if I could afford it. I feel like whenever I check the circulars, it's always more than I'd like to spend haha. and, thanks!
 
i just try to stay away from fried food and bread. I dont drink soda either. When i'm not on the road, i shop at trader joes. they're a little more spendy than regular grocery stores, but are a little more health conscious and not as expensive as the whole foods are stores like that.

also portions are a huge deal. most people over eat. an easy fix is before a meal, drink a glass of water. you'll feel full sooner, and most likely only eat an appropriate amount of food.

its hard to do when you're not working, but staying active is a huge thing.. i bicycle places as much as possible. and try not to eat just out of boredom. if you think you're hungry, drink some water or orange juice instead.

me? i drink A LOT of coffee..
 
If you aren't working you have time to keep everything in order. I haven't bought shit for healthy shit because I end up having shit go bad. Pretty much going all out on whatever shit is on sale. My diet is horrid right now but I'm saving money and eating tons of food = good enough for me.

Also lol diets, send me your calories.
 
Produce and fruit aren't too expensive at all. Learn how to cook, learn how to make sauces, maybe get a few spices. This will allow you to make tons of different tasting dishes while using the same core ingredients.
 
13124049:carltusz said:
Sooooooo you don't have money to eat and want to lose weight...

Am I the only one who doesn't see this as a challenge?
Click to expand...

It's actually way easier than you'd think.

OP, if you're really trying to drop some weight on a budget I'd highly recommend researching the slow carb diet. There's a really great chapter on it in the book The 4 Hour Body, but I'm sure you can find the guidelines online somewhere. Basically, you want to cut out "white carbs" which cause a spike in your blood sugar, and instead get your carbs from legumes like beans and lentils.

The meals are super cheap if you make them at home.
 
Plan out your meals for the week. You will save a shitload of money at the grocery store. Make sure to buy items that you will use all of (ie. if you buy a red pepper, plan to do stir fry one night and salad another night or two). Rice and beans is inexpensive.

Chicken and pork are affordable for protein, especially if you buy in bulk (freeze what you're not using right away). Stir fry is also great because you can make a big batch and have left overs for a day or two.

When you buy produce like lettuce, make sure to check the date it's good until (if buying a box of it), grocery stores always have the stuff that expires first up front, check behind the front boxes and usually you can find some that expires a couple days later.
 
13124629:proZach said:
fresh is cheaper, especially at the farmer's markets around here. but like I mentioned, if I don't freeze them, they tend to go back. for example, I can get 3 enormous cucumbers for a dollar, but I'm not gonna eat all them cucs before they go back.
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yea. if i were you, i would be freezing pre made meals. but thats me.
 
Drink lots of water, don't drink pop, don't eat worthless greasy foods like french fries. Just eat in moderation with lots of water, it should work out pretty well.
 
Eating healthy for cheap is pretty easy to do if you look in the right places. Fruit and vegetables are as healthy as you can get, but it can be really spendy if thats all your eating. They don't have a high calorie load and you will eat so much and still feel hungry.

Staying away from processed foods can really cut your expenses. A bag of chips or a container of cookies is $5. I make my meals for under $2. The best way to go (IMO) is to get a bag of frozen chicken (~$5 for a dozen chicken breasts) and then rice and veggies. Rice and beans are a great cheap base for any meal. Also, my vegan friend eats rice and beans as a meal. He does this by cooking up several different types of beans almost like a chili w/o the beef.

Oh yeah, one last thing. You ALWAYS have time to workout/exercise. 30 pushups every day when you get out of bed will do wonders and it only takes a minute.
 
Currys are a delish dishes that are a snap to make! Meat of your choice, tons veggis, coconut milk and you curry paste and some rice and you are all set for at least a few meals!
 
Quinoa.

I know it's super hyped raw food, but If you avoid the hip 1 oz packages and just get a big bag you will have tasty nutritious food for weeks.

Red_quinoa.png
 
Not that I'm the most motivated soul on the forum but couldn't you find a part time job for a few months to cure the boredom and have some spare change?

Anyway, eggs and something green like kale or spinach for the morning. Clif bars for snacks which are only a dollar most of the time at supermarkets. Boneless chicken breast or turkey ground beef for lunch and/or dinner. Or boneless turkey breast. All cheap. Buy broccoli or whatever green stuff is on sale that week but veggies are generally inexpensive, especially if your buying for yourself. Buy a few cheap apples and bananas too for snacks. Basically my diet in a nutshell except that I munchie out on sweets..a lot.
 
13124940:Gnarbangalakazoo said:
Produce and fruit aren't too expensive at all. Learn how to cook, learn how to make sauces, maybe get a few spices. This will allow you to make tons of different tasting dishes while using the same core ingredients.
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I definitely want to expand the sauces I can make (which right now consists of hot sauce haha). Great idea.

13125006:skodeo7 said:
Plan out your meals for the week. You will save a shitload of money at the grocery store. Make sure to buy items that you will use all of (ie. if you buy a red pepper, plan to do stir fry one night and salad another night or two). Rice and beans is inexpensive.

Chicken and pork are affordable for protein, especially if you buy in bulk (freeze what you're not using right away). Stir fry is also great because you can make a big batch and have left overs for a day or two.
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I feel like this is one of the best ways to go, but because I'm almost incapable of planning that much out, it doesn't work as much as I'd like it to. for example, this Thursday is another (obviously) NFL game on tv. right now I'll say I can stay home and make a grilled chicken salad. when it comes down to it, I'll probably go to the bar and get a few beers and wings or something stupid. just by impulse and peer-pressure haha

13125751:DirtYStylE said:
Eating healthy for cheap is pretty easy to do if you look in the right places. Fruit and vegetables are as healthy as you can get, but it can be really spendy if thats all your eating. They don't have a high calorie load and you will eat so much and still feel hungry.

Staying away from processed foods can really cut your expenses. A bag of chips or a container of cookies is $5. I make my meals for under $2. The best way to go (IMO) is to get a bag of frozen chicken (~$5 for a dozen chicken breasts) and then rice and veggies. Rice and beans are a great cheap base for any meal. Also, my vegan friend eats rice and beans as a meal. He does this by cooking up several different types of beans almost like a chili w/o the beef.

Oh yeah, one last thing. You ALWAYS have time to workout/exercise. 30 pushups every day when you get out of bed will do wonders and it only takes a minute.
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the whole satiety issue really gets to me. last night I made a rice/tomato combo dish (whatever the fuck it was, I dunno). I drank about 1.5 liters of water. an hour later, I was still hungry so I just tried to go to sleep. I gotta get on the bean train. not my favorite food, but I really haven't tried too many types.

13126095:japanada said:
Currys are a delish dishes that are a snap to make! Meat of your choice, tons veggis, coconut milk and you curry paste and some rice and you are all set for at least a few meals!
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I'll have to look into this. some currys I straight up hate. might as well try some more and see if I like em

13126133:omnidata said:
Quinoa.

I know it's super hyped raw food, but If you avoid the hip 1 oz packages and just get a big bag you will have tasty nutritious food for
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never heard of it, but healthy snacks are something I'm lacking. usually I just stick to tortilla chips or something with enormous amounts of salt. my blood pressure is gonna be fucked in 10 years lol

13126172:-benedetto said:
Not that I'm the most motivated soul on the forum but couldn't you find a part time job for a few months to cure the boredom and have some spare change?

Anyway, eggs and something green like kale or spinach for the morning. Clif bars for snacks which are only a dollar most of the time at supermarkets. Boneless chicken breast or turkey ground beef for lunch and/or dinner. Or boneless turkey breast. All cheap. Buy broccoli or whatever green stuff is on sale that week but veggies are generally inexpensive, especially if your buying for yourself. Buy a few cheap apples and bananas too for snacks. Basically my diet in a nutshell except that I munchie out on sweets..a lot.
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I could get a job in a few weeks, but I'd only be there for a month or so (hopefully). my boards are next Tuesday, followed by hopefully passing/taking a week long vacation to celebrate. on top of that, I need to send out my CV/cover letter/recommendations for a real position which may take up time. not sure who would want to hire me for like 4 weeks to do something menial.

but I like your suggestions hah.
 
.

I could get a job in a few weeks, but I'd only be there for a month or so (hopefully). my boards are next Tuesday, followed by hopefully passing/taking a week long vacation to celebrate. on top of that, I need to send out my CV/cover letter/recommendations for a real position which may take up time. not sure who would want to hire me for like 4 weeks to do something menial.

but I like your suggestions hah.[/QUOTE]

Good luck!
 
13126304:proZach said:
I could get a job in a few weeks, but I'd only be there for a month or so (hopefully). my boards are next Tuesday, followed by hopefully passing/taking a week long vacation to celebrate. on top of that, I need to send out my CV/cover letter/recommendations for a real position which may take up time. not sure who would want to hire me for like 4 weeks to do something menial.

but I like your suggestions hah.
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yeah, assuming you tell them youre gonna be only available for a few weeks, which you should 1)to not be a dick and 2) cause it could come back to bite you in the ass, youre never gonna get hired for a job for that little time unless it's some special quick thing. maybe there are opportunities for super temp stuff like that but yeah

good luck dude
 
13126531:-benedetto said:
Good luck!
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13126650:RubberSoul said:
yeah, assuming you tell them youre gonna be only available for a few weeks, which you should 1)to not be a dick and 2) cause it could come back to bite you in the ass, youre never gonna get hired for a job for that little time unless it's some special quick thing. maybe there are opportunities for super temp stuff like that but yeah

good luck dude
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thanks guys.

yeah at this point there's no way I'll be finding a temp job. one, I don't really care enough and can support myself for about 5 more months at this rate (as long as I'm frugal). and two, I've busted my ass for the past 8 years to not have a job in my field haha

on a food related note, I picked up a bunch of fresh vegetables, some pork tenderloin, and about 10lbs of white rice. probably do up some stir fry in the next few days.
 
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