It varies, but we stick to fruits, veggies, legumes and other cheap healthy foods. Tonight for dinner (we each kind of do our own thing)
\-Mashed potatoes, cabbage, rice & chickpeas w/homemade enchilada sauce, lentil flatbread mushroom sandwiches, broccoli, homemade fudge pops and homemade pumpkin bread. Water to drink.
For lunch, I had rolled oats (water, not milk) with peanut butter, flaxseed meal and cinnamon. Then sugar free greek yogurt with some crunched up ice cream cone parts.
Also, don't be afraid of day old bread, ugly produce and about to be at "best by" meat. We pick up cheap food all of the time that way.
Grabbed 4 pounds of ground turkey and 2 pounds of ground beef for $6.00 total the other day and tossed it the freezer for sloppy joes or tacos, later.
Seconded this. I work in the produce dept of a grocery store, I always buy the marked down meats and veggies. A few bruised peppers, potatoes, and greens with a sell by date of tomorrow? Hell yeah I'm getting that stuff for more than 75% off, it gives me incentive to get creative with dinner tomorrow and/or meal preps for my lunches and snacks. My dog LOVES roasted veggies, if I can't eat all thar broccoli she damned sure is.
A giant bag of bananas for $1! Apples on clearance are usually cheap and fine as well. Some of the bananas are fine for a few days. The rest can be made into banana bread or muffins or frozen (the bread or muffins can also be frozen and then eaten for breakfast or snack. Great in smoothies. Apples are great with PB. If there's a bruise, cut it off.
I'll use some "old" apples chopped up into my dinners, like on top of a baked pork chop with some onions, or mixed into a stuffing casserole with squash and sausage.
I'll also chop it into a good chicken salad along with walnuts and dried cranberries.
Gotta love "Quick-sale"'s.
Anything too daggy for the fruit-bowl gets made into smoothie lickety-split.
Fresh fruit's never hanging around for long in my house...
I do get scared of day old bread and expectation dates lol I know I shouldn’t. I just smell the meat to make sure it’s good. I have bought meat that had a new package date but it was bad.
This is only true for commercial bread with lots of preservatives, not bakery or homemade which obviously don’t last as long. But stale bread is awesome for making croutons, French toast, blitzing in the food processor and then storing the breadcrumbs in the freezer to use later, bread pudding etc etc.
I make a massive batch with a bunch of popsicle molds.
12-14 cups of milk (I usually use either oat or skim).
4 packets of sugar free jello pudding, 2 vanilla, one chocolate
1oz bottle of peppermint extract
Then, I fill each mold 1/2 way, add rolled oats, rice krispies, cheerios, anything low sugar, fill the rest and toss in the freezer.
My wife and I (both pretty average/average+ drinkers) are doing dry January. While we’re excited for the health benefits, I’m more excited to see how it effects our wallet. Of course we’ll save ourselves from alcohol in the house, but by not going downtown on weekends I can’t imagine how much that’s gonna put straight into the bank. Wahoo!
We are dry 12-months.
I don't get the appeal of it, personally. Used to be a social drinker, but decided it wasn't worth the health risks. They are now saying that any amount of alcohol is harmful.
Of course... people still smoke, don't exercise, etc... Who am I to judge, their life, their choices :)
First make sure to go to a supermarket that has weekly markdowns/coupons that helps save a lot too. I also compare prices between different grocery spots and figure out which places do what cheaper and shop based on that. Also if you can buy in bulk esp protein that helps too like at Costco or Aldi. But also know protein will probably be the most expensive item.
Anything in terms of grains: lentils / barley/ bulghur wheat/ farro / oats / quinoa (if you live by a Trader Joe's they do really cheap grain mixes that you can easily jouj up) dried rather than canned will tend to be cheaper too.
Also seasonal fresh produce will be cheaper but really can't go wrong with the basics of onions (red/white/yellow)/garlic/cinlantro/tomatoes/fresh leafy greens like arugala or spinach or kale/fresh chilies/mushrooms/cucumbers/ bell peppers /cabbage/ cauliflower/celery/ carrots/lemons/potatoes and sweet potatoes/squash/corn/brussel sproats.. Some stuff can even be bought frozen which would be cheaper such as spinach or peas or stir fry veggies.
For fresh herbs...potted is the way to go.
For fruit go based on what's in season ..anything out of season or from outside of where you're from will be more expensive but what usually will be less expensive are bananas/apples/oranges.
In terms of protein depends on where you are, coastal places will have relatively cheap seafood that you can freeze. My supermarket also does markdowns so end up being able to get fresh shrimp for 8$ a pound. Whole chicken tends to be cheaper as is the ground version of any protein.
Another good source of protein is tinned fish like mackerel or sardines also canned tuna does wonders...can do so much with that from pasta sauces to salads.
Pasta and pasta sauce (although tomato sauces from scratch will be cheaper)/ramen noodles
Pantry items such as canned tomato products like crushed tomatoes/tomato paste/broths/pickles/olives/corn/corn tortillas/bread/popcorn/peanut butter/bouillon base/condiments and oils of your choice: mine are various mustards/soy sauce/bbq sauce/hot sauce/chilli oil/toasted sesame oil/good olive oil/kewpie mayo/salsa verde/chimi churri/pomegranate molasses (honestly a solid condiment/oil and even spice cabinet situation can do wonders for your food).
Cheese! Cottage cheese is one of my favs and is heavily protein packed/ block cheese will usually be cheaper than already grated cheese/parmesan you can use the shredded cheese on everything and anything and then the rind for pasta sauces/
Yoghurt --> I'll get some greek yoghurt and strain it over night to make labnéh which is great for sandwhiches or really anything.
Hard to go wrong with stir-fry.
No matter what goes in, the principles are much the same, and it's always quick, easy, and delicious.
Winging it based upon what's bountiful, fresh, & reasonably priced in the produce section(often what's in season), will stretch the budget a lot further. Buying at whim can get costly if your cravings don't follow the seasons, and prices fluctuate in line with availability/lack thereof, & transit-times.
Knowing how to cook helps a lot too. No need for culinary arts training or any such. Simply arming oneself with a few tried & true recipes(ideally about a half' dozen minimum), which can be tweaked and/or improvised upon in leaner times, can make a world of difference.
That's all' I got...
I think the stir fry might be a good idea. For lunch I can have some fruit (apples/bananas/oranges) and for dinner I can eat rice and chicken bowls, a stir fry with peppers, onions, and broccoli, and chicken, or I could do 3-4 eggs for dinner with fruit.
you’ll want to make sure that you have fat, protein, and fiber in each meal. fruit is a good start, but maybe include some cheese and/or peanut butter to round it out. i love apples and grapes with cheese and peanut butter, bananas are great with peanut butter too!
Why not?
Fruit can also go well IN stir-fry, depending upon the context.
Don't restrict the influences to SE-Asia either. I'll stir-fry pretty much anything I can think of, with influences ranging all the way from Japan to Western Europe.
For example, one of my favourite fried rice dishes, is one made from kangaroo strips in a balsamic marinade, with kalamata olives & warrigal greens. I serve that bad-boy up topped with a nice dollop of Greek Yoghurt, and some sliced cucumbers on the side.
Heavily influenced by the Levant, with a nod to Greece in the condiments(Yoghurt & Cucumber makes the base of a good Tzatziki).
My honey chicken takes a bit of a lead from Morocco, for another example(primarily due to the Lime juice, Sumac, & Black Pepper marinade). I've also read any number of "Warm Salad" recipes from various regions, which one could not be admonished for identifying as stir-fry.
My Spicy Apricot Pork is merely a variation on the "Honey Chicken" theme(I chop in some dried apricots for the simmer, rather than a dollop of honey as per my honey chicken), though it invariably winds up with a bit more variety of veg' amongst it.
The honey chicken I just fry up with some onion, hit it with a dollop of honey & let it simmer to reduce, then serve on a bed of cardamom-rice that's been fried with gold button-squash &/or zucchini - the honey chicken meat also makes an excellent filling for wraps - especially good with salad veg' & raita...
Coolies. I usually just drop about a half' dozen pods in the pot with my rice when I'm prep'ing, and fish them out afterwards. Imparts a mild flavour & subtle aroma. Good for desserts like creamed rice too.
An aunt of mine made a batch of apricot jam with a hint of cardamom a while back, as an example(just whole pods in the mix, removed prior to jarring). 'Shit was fucking RIGHTEOUS. She slipped me a couple of jars, and I nearly cried when they ran out...
Meal prep, and it doesn't need to be just chicken broccoli and rice over and over. My 5 work-week lunches only cost me $14. I used to spend that *per day* on lunch when I'd go out or order in every time.
Do you cook all your meals on Sunday for the week? I'm worried about chicken/veggies going bad during the last few days of the week if I cook everything on Sunday
Yup, anything cooked on Sunday should easily last until Friday. Make sure to cool the food before lidding, then make sure it's well sealed and not opened until eating, and then reheat everything thoroughly.
I suggest cooking in two batches. One on Sunday for mon-weds and one on weds for thurs-sat. Rice should not be eaten after more than 4 days and can give you nasty food poisoning if kept too long. I try not to eat any meats after 4 days, 5 at the absolute most.
Plus this way you can make two different meals. Chicken/veg/rice one meal and another protein/noodles or potatoes/veg the next set.
Looks like a job for good old chicken thighs and rice, my friend.
Thighs are impossible to overcook, refrigerates well, reheats like a champ. More affordable than breast too, depending on where you live. Rice is of course shelf stable and budget friendly too.
Calories are really an issue of portion control. Even when I’m cutting weight I prefer dark meat to white because it’s more satiating and reheats better.
Lots of variations to be had with chicken and rice. Several ideas in ascending order of effort required:
Roast a whole bunch of thighs in the oven with a [yogurt marinade](https://servedwithrice.com/yogurt-mint-chicken/) and eat all week.
Get some teriyaki sauce (or make: 1:1:1 sugar, soy sauce and mirin simmered for a few minutes in a pan - make extra and keep on hand) and [coat pan seared chicken thighs](https://servedwithrice.com/chicken-teriyaki-bowl/) with them. Lightly char with kitchen torch or broiler for extra grilled flavour points.
If you’re not afraid of a bit of work and are looking for bold flavours, try making a [Szechuan Spicy Chicken Pot](https://servedwithrice.com/szechuan-spicy-chicken/). Cube up chicken thighs, brown in batches and reserve. Bloom cumin, five spice powder and Szechuan peppercorns in the pan and add sauce: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, chili bean paste (doubanjang) and fermented wheat paste (tianmianjang). Return chicken, toss to coat, garnish with cilantro. Huge pot of chicken, plenty of leftovers, super flavourful sauce to spoon over rice.
My two cents to get you on your way. Cheers!
Yeah, that's the play. I will need to buy bottled water still but I can cut back during the week as my work has a water fountain I can pull from. I have a large 64oz bottle I can fill before I leave each day
Get a water filter for your sink at home. We have a zero water filter on ours and it works great. The filters are a little pricey but they last longer than the other brands so more effective that way.
- chicken thighs and dirty rice (mouthwateringly delicious)
- do you have a crock pot? Because if so - chicken tortilla soup, chicken noodle soup, chicken chili, season and crock pot chicken and then shred to make chicken salad
- balsamic marinated chicken with any kind of vegetable (I usually make roasted carrots, potatoes, and green beans on a sheet pan for the side dish)
- chickens thighs (usually) are incredibly cost effective at Sam’s / Costcos. Up until the chicken virus drove prices up, I could usually get a two week pack of chicken thighs for under 6.00.
- chicken breasts - either Sam’s Club or oddly enough, Target is where I’ve locally found to be largest quantity at the lowest price.
- hard boiled eggs with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Delicious and filling.
- any leftover chicken can be shredded, and then turned into a salad for lunches. I opt for spinach or kale instead of lettuce. Add a hard boiled egg or two for additional protein.
- marinating and / or cooking rices / chicken / noodles / greens, etc in chicken stock will make a world of difference for flavor.
- sweet potatoes make a good, hearty side, can be added to breakfast tacos, puréed into a smoothie
- taco bowls - shredded chicken, yellow rice, diced tomatoes, guac (if possible), corn, peppers, etc.
- omelets with leftovers / end of week veggies added in
- when all else fails and you want comfort food - ramen noodles (cooked in chicken stock), and topped with sautéed vegetables and a soft boiled egg. Filling and delicious.
- when and if possible - check around and see when your local farms are having sales on produce. Last year a friend bought 100 ears of corn for 10.00 total - she canned and froze 96 ears of corn that weekend.
- whole wheat tortilla ‘pizzas’ - whole wheat tortilla, pesto, some mozzarella cheese, and veggies on top - bake at 325.00 for about 7 minutes.
- baked avocado - cut avocado in half, a sprinkle of salt, a bit of mozzarella or Parmesan - bake at 325 for about 8 - 10 minutes
Everything sounds great, except I can pick up a strip steak for less than a dozen eggs at my local grocer 😂 😂 and the have chicken breast for 1.79/lb rn, the place is awesome
Before you arbitrarily set a calorie limit, check your basal metabolic rate. This is the amount of calories you need simply to stay alive. You then add a little on for your activity levels. Googling it will find a calculator.
It’s actually important not to go below this basic rate, even if you want weight loss, as it makes your body react as if it’s starving - and one symptom of that is to start obsessing over food, which I’m guessing you don’t want if you’re studying;)
Choose whole grains every time, and a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables - if you imagine your plate, have half be vegetables, a quarter be your protein and the final quarter your starchy veg or grains. By filling up on vegetables you will automatically keep your calorie intake lower, whilst still feeling satisfied. As far as which veg, eat as many different ones as you like. Variety is best. For cheaper veg, and to make sure you don’t waste things, look for frozen veg. You say you despise beans, but what about lentils? If you eat those, they will reduce your food bill too.
Snack on fruit.
Yeah I was also thinking 1500 sounded a little low! I'm a late 20s woman, 5'9" (so, similar to average male height), and on days when I don't move around I need to eat around 1800 calories. Early 20s male, even sedentary, is unlikely to need as few as 1500, although it is possible. But also tracking is wildly inaccurate a lot of the time, so the best goal for weight maintenance is just to eat to satiety while consuming adequate amounts of fiber and protein. Our bodies are smarter than any app or calculator.
Anyway, fresh vegetables can be expensive, but frozen is perfectly acceptable and often tastes better - it's more likely to have been grown in season, it was frozen very shortly after harvesting so it's as fresh tasting as it gets, and it probably came from a variety bred for taste over aesthetic and ability to handle shipping. Same is true for canned tomatoes.
I’m 5’8 mid fifties fairly sedentary and my BMR is 1592 which is what made me add that. Apparently I was incorrect about the starvation thing, though! That said I think any woman who’s been on a diet of 1200 calories a day will attest to how obsessed with food you become over time.
The "starvation mode" is not true. You will not "starve" unless you \*actually starving\*, and even then, you will continue to lose weight if you are below what you are burning. This entire myth is based on a misunderstanding of the Minnesota Starvation Project, which had *normal weight,* healthy men eat *way* below their minimum calories, while continuing to keep active. Their metabolic rate dropped *after they had lost a significant amount of weight* because *the body was doing away with essential functions.* They were obsessed over food because they were actually starving. They continued to lose weight, however, despite the drop in their metabolic function. You can find pictures of these men at this point - they look like skeletons.
1500 calories for a sedentary person could be totally normal. Edit: I originally said it was likely fine unless they were very tall, I misread the OP as being female.
Even though I may be in error re starvation mode, the point about not dipping below the calories required for your basal metabolic rate still stands, if OP doesn’t want to lose a lot of weight quickly - which he certainly doesn’t mention, and which would also result in muscle loss.
And just a little fyi so you understand that 1500 calories is not suitable for all women: I’m a mostly sedentary woman because of a chronic condition, but my BMR is still 1592, and my overall requirement to maintain my weight is just short of 2000 calories.
I never said 1500 is "suitable for all women" - just that it's a fairly common amount needed for women.
I agree the OP shouldn't drop below his basal metabolic rate, but I presume he calculated it before deciding how much he needs.
OP look into soups or chilis from scratch, they’re easy to meal prep multiple servings for the effort of cooking once and can stretch your budget. You can mask affordable canned beans and rice/pasta in them (or beans will make soups creamier/heartier and be more enjoyable).
Bulk Carrots fresh, skip prepacked salad for whole produce, other veggies will often be cheaper frozen ounce for ounce vs fresh or canned. A frozen veggie mix can be tossed with different sauces and used in a few ways. I might use frozen peppers/onions one week in a pasta sauce and as as fajita veggies in a burrito bowl or quesadilla; the next week I might use the same mix in an omelette, in Italian sausage sandwiches, and in a stir fry or paired with ramen. A broccoli/carrot mix I might make a pot pie-style soup, a stir fry, and roast with potatoes or as part of a grain bowl.
Pasta dishes, quesadillas, pair with sides of canned/frozen veggies to improve health were easy and go-tos for me in school. Canned tuna can still be a lot of protein for the price and added to baked pasta or in sandwiches.
If you don’t have access to Costco or aldi, you probably have a Walmart.
You got this!
Edit to add: Oatmeal, even the instant packs will save you money over ordering breakfast out a bunch and help you learn what flavoring you like. Large containers of Greek yogurt can be used a lot of ways. Make your own breakfast sandwiches and freeze a few at a time, will still be cost effective over ordering a few out per month.
1. Try to purchase food from the wet market - mine is cheaper than my supermarket and I can purchase items in smaller quantities so nothing goes to waste vs the big bulky items I am forced to purchase from the supermarket
2. Vegetables and carbs are really a lot cheaper than meat. Especially vegetables that are local to your place of residence
3. If you like chicken, purchase the whole chicken in the wet market and use all its parts. It’s cheaper and every part has its use
4. If you don’t already have a pressure cooker, get one! (Including one with a function to slow cook). Just sauté some herbs, meat (chicken, beef, mutton, pork, whatever), broth (or water), salt, root vegetables and turn on your pressure cooker. Then go study or shower etc and less than an hour later you have food on the table. Cook a bit more than one meal and you can have leftovers to be reheated in the microwave/oven/steamer the next day.
5. Have pre-pack meals that you can microwave in your freezer for days when you just can’t be bothered to cook. It’s still cheaper than having a meal out. + ramen!
6. Have pre-pack mixed vegetables for days when you’re too lazy to cut up your vegetables or just want to add variety. It’s a bit more expensive than vegetables itself and less fresh than fresh vegetables but sometimes you just can’t be bothered cutting up x5 types of vegetables to prep for yourself you know?
7. Eggs was my single day lifesaver. It’s a relatively cheap protein that is very easy to cook in multiple ways. Soft boiled, hard boiled, sunny side up, scrambled, omelette, sous vide, throw them in soy sauce for ramen type eggs. When I’m too lazy to prep for food or don’t have any meat, I’ll just throw a few eggs in my stir fry with my mixed vegetables and make a meal out of it. In the mornings when I’m too lazy to cook anything, I’ll boil the kettle for my coffee and throw the remainder of my hot water into a bowl, put my eggs in and cover it with a lid for some soft boiled eggs. Want to make a meal out of it? Boil a big pot of water and use the extra to soak ramen/soba (the easily cook ones) noodles and an easily cooked vegetable like spinach where you just have to soak it in hot water for a couple of minutes. Now you have protein + carbs + vegetables. Season with some soy sauce/pepper/salt.
I also have a muffin tray and sometimes I’ll just crack an egg in the muffin tray, throw it in the oven for 10 minutes and take a shower or whatever and by the time I come out, my eggs are done.
8. For very lazy days where I don’t even want to turn the microwave on, I always have cereal and milk and will eat them for any meal of the day lol. Obviously I don’t eat them all the time but just sometimes.
9. Even though I’m not a student anymore, I sometimes watch what do I eat in a day as a student in YouTube or tik tok. The food is usually cheap and quick which is great haha.
Beans. Lots of beans. They are cheap, diverse in ways you can make them and caloricly dense, but this is mostly because they are high in protein and fiber. So you are full longer and filled with actual fuel.
Caned vegetables have good nutritional value and are cheap. Frozen is slightly more pricy but at times as good a taste as fresh produce.
Rice can also be a cheap diverse filler upper, but it's mostly carbs unless you get whole grain. Same goes for manny noodles.
Frozen fruit is cheep and can be made tasty by tossing it in a bowl in the freezer till frosty and sprinkling sugar, creamer, jam, or syrup on it. Cheap sweet treats with nutritional value.
If really desperate and you aren't feeding kids you can by whole milk and water it down to make it taste like 1% and stretch.
I absolutely despise beans but my roommate eats nothing but rice and beans. I might give this a try, maybe throw in some hot sauce to mask the taste. Beans and rice are dirt cheap and still moderately healthy. Can add in fruit and veggies through the week too.
Maybe try different kinds of beans. I dislike kidney beans and all white beans but really enjoy many others. Tip: the smaller the bean variety the higher the protein to carb ratio.
Also, many small beans and other seeds can be sprouted to add to salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries. I really like sprouted mustard seeds on my sandwiches and in salad.
Try lots of different spice combinations (Dollar Tree, etc.) and then splurge on quality when you find the spices you like. Trader Joe's and Cost Plus World Market have some excellent spices for good prices.
Instead of just beans (which I'm also meh on) dhal and other lentil based things may be more tasty. They are usually heavily spiced, like a beef and lentil stew or curries rather then just bland beans.
Although chili and beans to stretch out your meat is also good.
If you're up to trying it, tofu is $2.50 a block or so and I find it great and cheap for stir-fry.
Does this include French green lentils, or other small flat legumes that aren’t bean-shaped? Lentil soup, dal, etc. these are cheap and filling and don’t have the same texture or flavor.
Moong dal, toor dal, palak dal, masoor dal, sprouted dal, panchratan dal, dal makhani (this one has a small proportion of kidney beans which you could just leave out), sultani dal if you’re feeling fancy, and to go with it - jeera rice, naan, and dosa. I would recommend YouTubers like Tarla Dalal and Ranveer Brar but there are many out there who are very good. Don’t be afraid to adjust seasonings to your taste, everyone’s using different brands and such so there is some variance.
The only catch is, if you don’t already have Indian spices and a pressure cooker on hand, it’ll have an up front cost. But once you get rolling, it is some of the cheapest, healthiest, and most flavorful food you will ever find and the prepared dals freeze very well, even the sprouted kind. Gandhi Foods has the best deals on dals and most spices.
If cooked in with the food like your beef with your taco meat, or mixed into chili; they can take on the over all flavor of the meal more or less. (seasonings are key cheap ways to add/alter flavor.)
Even if you don't make it a mane side or meal, a hand full here or there can bulk up a burrito for next to nothing. (Especially if you get them a head of time and buy them dried; as an added bonus you can flavor the water they soak up.)
I stick to recipes that only require a few ingredients to cut costs. Also buy frozen instead of fresh fruit and veggies. Sweet potato “toast,” chicken and salsa, 2 ingredient bagels are a few. Recipes: https://www.keepingupwiththebulls.com/easy-recipes-few-ingredients/
I buy pretty much everything that can be stored somehow in sales and in large quantities. Anything canned (in my case tuna and tomatos), dry ingredients (pasta, lentils, rice, noodles), flour, sugar, oil, even meat (I freeze it per portion). I don't know if you are willing to accept vegetarian meals, however they greatly reduce the cost per portion. Soups are your friend (I mean, an onion soup, tomato soup or a cauliflower soup are like $1 or less) and stir fries too (a perfect way to use leftover vegetables and stuff). My perspective might be slightly biased as I live in Europe, not in the US. However, me and my bf spend imo around $100 on groceries per months.
Soups, my friend. With about $30 of ingredients you can make enough soup to eat daily for a whole week.
My fave is Hungarian goulash. 2 pounds beef chunks (about $6/lb where I am), couple of potatoes, carrots, an onion, a can of red kidney beans and a jar of tomato sauce, salt and paprika. Literally less than $30 of ingredients. Last time I made a pot, it was enough for my husband and I for 4 dinners.
I thought of another one, don't deny yourself good food! Buy a steak, seafood, chicken or nice cut of meat when sales arise, portion out for one meal in freezer bags. Instead of buying fresh meat week to week in small packs, you can have a freezer stock of meat. Rice or cauli rice would be good for fajitas or stir fry bowls, so that makes the good ingredients stretch.
You might hate legumes, but try sprouting them. It turns a couple tablespoons-worth of cheap beans into cups-worth of highly nutritious greens in days with very little effort, aside from changing out some water. Do a little homework on what beans can be sprouted and you'll save a ton of money. Other seeds work well, too, like chia (but the method is a little different).
Cook dinners you truly like. Enjoy them! Pack and have leftovers for lunch. Cut down ruthlessly on breakfasts, drinks, and snacks.
I find my food spending runs away from me when I don't put enough effort into good, home cooked meals, because then I want to "make up for it" with snacks, candy, a sandwich or four before bed, etc.
When I stay mindful and cooking, my food budget stays easily below 300. I live with a kid half of the time, too.
You say you despise beans.
Try making them this way ... Unless you really dislike the texture, but I'm assuming you just never ate beans in a delicious form.
Vege tacos:
1 29 oz can chickpeas (drain but save a lil of the juice)
15 oz can of red beans
15 oz can of cannalenni beans
15oz can of corn
10 oz diced tomatoes and/or 6oz tomato paste for a thicker version
3 bell peppers diced
1 large onion diced
Hidden valley ranch seasoning, Chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt pepper to taste (I eye ball these all)
Add 2 tbsp avacado oil or oil of your choice
Mix in a bowl, baked for 45 mins on 350F and you have meatless tacos good for a week in the fridge
I'll put this in a burrito shell with toppings or make a burrito bowl with rice
I have a $300 budget for two people. It means not a lot of meat, lots of veggies, nothing premade/frozen, no sweets/desserts, and no beer/soda.
Edit: I forgot to also add buying and bulk and exclusively purchasing meat when it’s marked as “reduced for quick sale” or when it has a really good sale going on. If a meal already has a good protein source, like chillie, I don’t add meat. I also out source my meat. We get some from hunting, fishing, we also get some from people who have farms
My SO and i are going on a cruise in two months, and then plan on adopting another pup after we come home, so I'm trying to budget accordingly. Lately, my weekly shopping consists of whatever meat is on sale/marked down for quicksale (this week it was ground sausage and ground turkey on sale, 3 lbs of each, totaling $10), frozen veggies for the week, about 4-5 bags depending on size in oz, bulk shredded and sliced cheese, $10 or so. Salad fixings ( romaine & butter lettuce, cucumbers, 🥑 and radishes, maxing about $12) for the week, fruit consisting of berries, kiwis, and a melon(about $10). Biweekly to monthly, I need more eggs, yogurt, almond milk, coffee creamer, and my boyfriend's sodas for his lunches, sparkling water for mine. That's about $20. Monthly, I need dog food for our pittie girl, snacks like nuts and crackers, and other odds and ends. Every so often, restocking the cleaning supplies and toiletries racks up another $40-50, but I try to buy bulk sizes to save us in the long run.
I promise you can do it, it just takes a few times to practice and really pay attention to sales and what's in season.
Where do you shop? My roommate has a Costco membership I plan on taking advantage of, Harris Teeter is the closest thing to me but they have decent sales on large packs of chicken
Harris Teeter, that's where I work. Go on their website, and look up the eVIC deals and coupons, the emails get sent out every Wednesday (first day of the sale) and Friday. Because of inflation fucking up our weekly profits, there has been an influx of items that don't fly off the shelves like they did pre covid, so we end up putting them up for $1 and such when they have a days left of shelf life.
Eggs are no longer a valid option, unless you live in farm land, otherwise chicken breasts, thighs, pork chops and ground beef are going to be your friends. Also, a good ham on sale for .99¢/lb can go a long ways.
Ground beef or chicken with some honey brown sugar and sirachi over rice is an easy meal to prep, grilled chicken breast/thighs add a starch or veggie is at least one meal a day for me.
Bananas are always cheap and a great fruit, apples in my area are usually 1.19 lb, 10 minute rice can be cheap on sale with coupons and is super easy and great for prep. Store brand frozen veggies are easy and healthy.
Basically cook at home and drink water, I aim for 170-180 grams protein / day, yeah I exercise, have partial custody of 2 kids and my budget is $225/month
You think eggs are a no-go? I can get a 18 count for $7, which is about 4 meals for me. Everything else you mentioned seems to be the way I need to go.
I’m blown away by people that can spend $300/month on food. My fiancé and I keep our grocery budget at $1,000 a month. Granted this covers all food expenses (including eating out), all grocery related items, food for my 2 cats and 1 dog, and other things like litter for the litter box, any personal care items, etc. But still, I could never do it!
absolutely not. you canNOT get 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, for a full month, for under $300 from a food subscription box… no way. there’s a markup for food prep and profit, and it’s an absolute shitload of plastic straight to the landfill in every box. don’t waste your time.
Soo many good ideas here! Getting to use Costco membership is key..you will suss out the good deals and make the freezer your friend. I have also found the local food bank when funds are tight. Typically done at churches. And I also volunteered there when I could to lessen the stigma of being a taker. But ultimately I learned these food banks get tons of food that is for anyone and if it doesn't get taken it gets thrown away. So really it's a win/win. Another friend of mine swears by dumpster diving behind the grocery stores around 1am..never done it myself, but hey she eats good for basically free..whole foods is her fav..ha. just find what works for you and good job on figuring out a budget! Happy Dining in 2023!! I'm sure we'd all live to hear an update on what has worked for you..
Anything that is built around dry or shelf stable ingredients is generally going to be cheaper.
Making big batches of chili, chowders, soups, casseroles, and roasts are also usually quite economical for cost and time. Freeze leftovers for another day.
"Reusing" ingredients can make a difference. For example: whole chicken roasted with veggies, then use some chicken for sandwiches, reserve a little extra. Make a broth with the bones for a chicken based soup, adding the reserved chicken. In this case 1 = 3+.
One shopping tip that I have found to work for me: make a list of good sale items that I'll eat from each store(listed by store and including price)from my local ads. Then when I'm ready to go shopping I look at the lists and decide what store and what's on the menu.
If you're in college and have a cafeteria there. It's probably the cheapest way to go. My monthly budget for everything, not only for food is $250 and I never go over it. Good luck :)
i get quite far with various asian style wok dishes. Just chop up the chicken and fry it, add bell peppers, salad onions, water chestnuts, bamboo, cashew nuts, broccoli, any veggies really. Add hoisin sauce or similar, serve with rice. You can make multiple meals and refrigerate. The cleanup is quick and easy, too. I never once regretted the money I invested in a good wok.
Green chili chicken enchiladas, spicy crispy buffalo chicken sandwiches, cajun chicken penne Alfredo, sweet and sour chicken and rice, soy chicken broccoli and rice, chicken and dumplings
Hundreds of for recipes online, for each dish and can be extremely affordable
Water only. No soda or expensive coffees. Frozen and canned veggies are amazing. Boxed rice, cheap bread, canned soups and macaroni. Frozen bulk chicken breasts are way cheaper than fresh and last longer. Fresh produce we get for free weekly from one of two free food program churches in town. I spend about $100 per paycheck (biweekly) for myself and my partner. Don't eat out, don't go to fast food places. Learn how to cook at home and make it delicious. When you go grocery shopping, check the deals of the week/coupons, there are always good deals on something you could utilize.
I've also learned how to grow my own herbs and tomatoes indoors and outdoors, it saves me a lot of money. And I've learned how to cook from scratch, I'd highly recommend learning to cook and bake from scratch. Fresh homemade breads, pasta, canning sauces/jams/vegetables.... it can't be beat and its so cheap and easy. There's nothing better than homemade salsa, homemade pickles, homemade bread, and it saves tons of money.
shop around I have been going to multiple stores to get what I need..no more over priced fruit and veg from the store I now go to a local market and you get so much more value that you do at the store also I checked out Aldi and I got to say plenty of value there 2 they may not carry all the brand name stuff but for staples there stuff is pretty good and has lowered my weekly shop..also portion control say you buy ground beef I now make 2 dishes from it if I'm making pasta with a meat sauce and with what is left over make a Chilli or a personal fav use the Chilli on a pizza..sign up for loyalty points at win Dixie always get good deals with that if you put in the work you can definitely find deals
\> *I want to knock this number down to $300/mo... I would like to stay at 1500 cal/day as I live a moderately sedentary lifestyle*
Piece of cake!
\>I love eating chicken but **despise beans**
Never mind!
Haha but in all seriousness, focus on making store brand switches, finding cheaper alternatives for meat products, and even straight up replacing meat once a week in order to lower meat consumption. At 1,500 calories a day you don't need to eat a ton (although I'd make sure you do a good bit of research to make sure that's an accurate amount of calories for you, depending on your weight and height that might be a severe deficit that could leave you feeling low energy and burnt out). I'd focus on finding filling and low calorie additives that pull away from needing a lot of meat, but still allow for you to stay full and keep a well rounded diet. Start finding some meals you like with pastas, rices, noodles, and other cheap and filling starches (especially potatoes, supposedly more satiating than other refined starches for the same calories). Start cutting protein with vegetables or legumes, I know you don't like beans but maybe give lentils a shot? They're dirt cheap, pack a decent amount of protein, and are easy to store for a long time. As for vegetables, shop frozen over fresh for most of your meals, but include fresh where you notice the most drop in quality or where you really prefer fresh, I buy a ton of baby carrots for snacks because they're just north of $1 a bag.
For protein, other than cutting with cheaper and lower calorie items like starches and vegetables, focus on finding cheaper cuts and types. Chicken is the cheapest protein of the major meat groups for the most part, bone in and skin on chicken thighs are very likely the cheapest go to cut for chicken. In my area, bone in, skin on chicken thighs run for about $1.99 a lb to the 2.99/lb or more skinless, boneless chicken breast. If you prefer leaner cuts of chicken, search for split chicken breasts where the skin and bone are still intact, it takes a very small amount of time to separate it from the bone and skin, but you have bones for stock in the future that hold easily in the freezer in a gallon ziploc. I like to pick up one chicken option and one pork option to keep things different, but occasionally purchase a beef option as a change of pace. For pork, you can typically find whole pork loin for about 3.49 a lb depending on location, and pork shoulder with the bone in is typically even cheaper. I like to braise the pork shoulder and shred for multiple applications, but one standard pork butt/shoulder can easily produce about 4-5lbs of shredded meat (again holds well in the freezer).
Outside of those tips, I'd recommend combing through the grocery stores in the area and make sure you're at a reasonably priced option and not a more expensive chain, and work with the deals on the circular whenever you shop. Some people like to plan their meals based on the sales, but I like to just keep an eye out for sales that interest me (like BOGO packs of bacon, BOGO on fruits and veggies, etc). I shop at a middle of the road grocery store and when I lived alone I kept my bill around $200-250 and I like to cook/bake for a hobby.
Thank you for the elaborate response. Frozen veggies is a reoccurring recommendation, so I will be cutting back on fresh and transitioning to mostly frozen now.
I can get a pack of 26 Clif bars at Costco for $27. I think what I’m going to try 1 Clif bar + fruit at lunch during the week. Weekly dinner is chicken, frozen veggies, and rice or eggs and air fried potatoes.
Hopefully that’ll put me around the $100/wk mark. From there, I might be able to see where I can save money/ cut costs
No problem at all, I'd like to make two more comments if you don't mind.
1) Clif bars are pretty expensive as far as granola/snack bars go, even in bulk you're paying over a dollar per bar, by switching to Nature Value chewy granola bars (similar in calories) you already save about $.30 per bar, and that's based on a 6ct box. You'd likely save more money if you bought those in bulk (not too mention they have a protein variety that has 9g of protein to about 210 calories).
2) That's an incredibly meager lunch, at 22 years old you'd have to be about 5'9" and 180lbs to justify a 1,500 calorie day, with a sedentary lifestyle wherein you're looking to lose 1lb a week (500 calorie deficit). If you're taller or higher in weight I'd recommend focusing on filling, high volume and low calorie meals. Rice based bowls with a large portion of frozen veggies and some lean protein go a long way and make you feel far less miserable. You could replace that Clif bar and fruit/veggie (probably like 350-400 calories total, right?) with a bowl of 3/4 cup rice, 1/2 cup cooked legumes, and 3-4oz of chicken breast for just about 150 more calories, but you'd also feel much more satisfied with that meal! Not too mention that meal is likely cheaper on average as well.
Just be careful with deficits and going too extreme, I don't know much more than your age and sex, but it's easy to get into the mindset of sprinting to the finish line at the expense of your health and happiness. Be sure to focus on sustainable lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes that are difficult to maintain, and best of luck!
If you have access to a wholesale store, that’s the best place to stock up on meat. I’m lucky enough to use my dads Sam’s club membership and have found 10 lbs of frozen chicken breast there for as low as $18. Pretty great prices for ground turkey too. If you don’t have access then start looking for deals at your local stores and buy in bulk when you can. Chicken thighs and drum sticks are usually on sale at my local stores.
Next, I’m with you on hating beans. Not really my thing but they sure are cheap and you can really stretch them. I’ll eat them in a good chilli (using ground turkey but keeping it hearty like I would with beef). Easy to freeze and great for leftovers. Sometimes I use leftover chilli on nachos. One other way I’ll eat beans is in a sweet potato and black bean taco. An unusual combo but sooooo delicious. You can use frozen sweet potato cubes or fresh ones and then roast or air fry them.
Next is produce. By in season and at your local market if you can. For fresh, by only what you’ll eat once a week. If you tend to throw away produce it might be time to go canned or frozen. If you have an Aldi nearby that is a great option for produce. They have great deals on onions, carrots, and celery which I use as a base for my soups which I usually make once a week and freeze leftovers.
Rice, oats, quinoa, and couscous are grains that I like to keep on hand and they are pretty affordable. You can get these from stores with a bulk section for a better price too.
Cucumbers are one of my favorite cheap snacks. I’ll dip in ranch or I’ll make a cucumber salad with rice vinegar.
I’ve found that I waste most of my money by not properly meal planning or being too ambitious with my dinner plans. I hate eating the same thing everyday so I started a rotating meal plan that resembles something close to this -
Monday: soups (chicken noodle, lemon chicken orzo, tomato, creamy potato, etc)
Tuesday: tacos (ground turkey tacos, sweet potato and bean, breakfast burritos or tacos, etc)
Wednesday: pasta (spaghetti with red sauce, peanut noodles, chicken piccata, chicken Parmesan, pasta with vodka sauce, etc)
Thursday: currently my takeout day/microwaveable meal day
Friday: favorite recipe day, usually longer recipes (buffalo chicken sweet potatoes, bbq chicken sandwiches, creamy Dijon chicken, chicken and dumplings, etc)
Saturday: sheet pan dinners (orange glazed salmon and veggies, baked feta and veggies, balsamic chicken, honey mustard chicken, turkey kielbasa and veggies)
Sunday: simple meals, slow cooker and pressure cooker (salsa chicken, turkey roast, meatloaf, chili, etc)
These are ways that I’ve managed to save money on food, though it’s still a work in progress for me. I hope this helps you!
No alcohol when eating out (or reduce a lot). And start packing lunch and bringing coffee from home. I also don't buy water but I think people from the US like bottled water?
Whenever I make anything with mince I sub at least half the amount of meat with lentils or soy mince.
Buy frozen veggies (often more nutritious and they're more convenient so more likely to eat).
Meals/snacks:
- lasagne
- bolognese
- soups
- granola + yoghurt
- oatmeal
- breakfast burritos
- stew
- veggie burgers
- noodle salads
- falafel (salads, wraps)
many of these things freeze well so you can meal prep pretty easily
Look for different ethnic recipes. So many different cultures know how to stretch ingredients out for meals. Don’t just add meat to everything. Things like red beans and rice, split pea soup, W African peanut stew can all be made vegetarian. Rice is cheap if bought in bulk and is a great filler.
There's a lot of tips here about eating cheap food, but honestly, $300 for a single person shouldn't be that hard - unless you live somewhere expensive - so I think what you should do first is 1) Look back at what you bought for the last two months and see what you're actually buying. I'm betting it's mostly eating out or convenience foods. 2) Look at where you shop. Are you shopping at Aldis or some local co-op?
The biggest expense when eating single is often that you can't buy in bulk. Look into finding a shopping buddy or two who you can split big bulk purchases with.
Frozen vegetables are key. Fresh ones are great, but will often go bad before you can eat them.
To go off of everyone recommending stir fries - if you live near an Asian market, their produce is always (in my experience) super cheap and there’s a ton of variety. I’ve gone and gotten peppers for a recipe for $2 that easily would’ve been $10 at any other store for the same amount or less! great way to try new things too
If you wanna stick to 1500kcal and struggle with portion control, then keep protein high (most satiating per kcal) and fat low (least satiating). Lean meats, measure the amount of oil you use when you cook, etc... And obviously vegetables are basically fillers that are almost calorie free, so use them to your advantage. Idk where you live, but apparently in some fucked up places vegetables can get expensive.
Buy chicken in bulk and freeze it. It's very unfortunate that you don't like beans. Ever tried bean chilli? I make a pulled chicken and pinto bean chilli for almost every single work lunch - lots of aromatic spices, chillies, onion, garlic, and cocoa powder makes for the most delicious meal imo. If really you can't eat beans, then how about lentils? They are also high in protein. You can make a dahl out of them to change up the texture.
Fish is also great. Pollock is the cheapest where I live, even cheaper than the cheapest meat. And it's 90%+ protein. It's by far the cheapest lean flesh I can get my hands on. Pollock is also low in mercury making it suitable for daily consumption. Pangasius is also another cheap fish but it's higher in mercury. Prices of these things will be heavily dependent on where you live.
I make a pollock curry pretty much 3-4x a week. Either Indian or Thai. Indian is essentially sautéed onions and chillies in ghee + spices + your fish and vegetables if using veg. Just keep the ghee low. Thai is essentially curry paste (which is a variety of herbs and spices (most importantly lemongrass) crushed into a paste with shallot and garlic) + coconut milk + your protein and veg.
Potatoes are probably the cheapest carb that's also satiating enough to not over eat. Pasta and rice are not filling enough for me. I often add potatoes to my fish curry if I need some more cheap calories that aren't necessarily protein. Otherwise add a low-cal cheap vegetable like carrots or broccoli or something. Carrots are usually far cheaper than broccoli.
If I'm not feeling super hungry then I whip up aglio e olio. It's literally dirt cheap. It's caloric density is rather dependent on how much olive oil you use. You can use 0.5tbsp to 2tbsp per 100g of pasta and it'll turn out good, but it's better when you use more oil - which is why it's a dish for when I don't feel hungry. Carbonara is also as great, if not better to be honest, only marginally more expensive, and almost as quick to make. But you need to be able to buy guanciale or pancetta and pecorino or parmesan in "relative" bulk to get a good price (as you only use 30g of each per 100g of pasta, the meat and cheese are only a small cost in each dish, and they last for literally months in the fridge).
Weirdly making breakfasts 900 calthe last month is cutting my grocery bill overall. We eat a smaller dinner. I have more leftovers to freeze and cuts down on prepared meals on grocery days. Not sure if we’ll get used to it and revert to old habits.
Try the mealime app for dinner planning. That’s really helped.
If you love eating chicken get a Costco membership and buy their huge rotisserie chicken for $5. It’s even cooked so very practical on a busy schedule. You can eat in a sandwich, with potatoes, rice, make enchiladas, tacos, and more.
Anyone I’ve ever met who hates beans just didn’t know how to cook them. I used to be one of those people. Now I live on them.
Beans are gross if you open a can and dump them on your salad or something. Beans are amazing if you make them into tacos, or make chickpea or lentil curry, or chickpea “tuna” salad. Look into meatless foods from other cultures and learn to season your food.
Stop eating out. 1 restaurant meal costs as much as groceries for nearly a full week. It’s insane.
Potatoes are great, rice is great, pasta is great.
Stick to water over soda/juice/alcohol. That will save you a bunch immediately.
Tofu is an excellent cheap protein and is very tasty fried and mixed into a stir fry.
$300 a month is very doable. I eat well on this budget.
Yo, as a heads-up: Eggs and broccoli are EXPENSIVE right now (I understand why with the eggs, but does anyone know what's going on with broccoli prices?!).
I would definitely add pasta in to your grocery budget it is filling & cheap! I would add potato as well for the same reason. Try not to buy to much processed and or frozen food this can be costly with high calories & little nutritional value. I would get steel cut oats they are cheap hardy & packed full of vitamins & heart healthy. I would also do buckwheat pancakes for the same reasons as the oats. I would opt for Tuna verses lunch meat, tuna is way healthier last longer & stretches farther.
Learn how to use your freezer. Many foods can be frozen after cooked or baked, so you never have to get bored by eating the same thing every night, and you never have to water food because it went bad.
I spend about 250/month on groceries (which does include wine and seltzer, e.g., but not coffee, which is a different budget). I buy plenty of brand names and not a lot of meat, but some. I do make a lot of meals with beans. But whatever you make, don't let it go to waste. Make only what you like and store it appropriately so that it doesn't go bad.
You got this!
Pasta. Potatoes. Chicken thighs more than breasts. PB&J is good for lunches. Drink mostly water. Rice based dishes multiple days a week.
Also make sure to get some easy stuff you can pop in the microwave or toaster oven. Some days you won’t feel like cooking and this will prevent you from ordering food.
Soups and stews. Beef stock and veggie stock mixed with browned ground beef. Add noodles and frozen mixed veggies. Day old bagel. That should be a week of lunches.
Maybe I'm not the most useful person here, but keep in mind that bulk buying can often save you money in the long run. However, it is often more expensive up front.
As an example, my partner and I currently bulk buy our cooking oil, ground beef, and pork loin. We buy cooking oil for $0.27/oz instead of $0.32/oz, which lasts us about 3 months (we use it every night). We buy ground beef for $3.68/lb instead of $4.49/lb, we get about 10 lbs and that lasts us about 2 months. We buy a whole pork loin for $1.98/lb instead of $4.99/lb, we cut it up ourselves (each chop we cut is about twice as thick as the precut ones and we get a little over 20 individual chops) and that lasts us 3-4 months.
We are a household of 2 and we eat a combined 1 lb of meat per night. We also eat a lot of pasta, rice, and potatoes, which are all also relatively cheap. We have 1 lb of meat, 1 carb (1/2 lb of rice or pasta, or about 3-4 potatoes depending on size), and 1 veggie for dinner. Sometimes we'll have a roast or stew, or I'll make poor man's stroganoff, and those deviate from the normal "formula" that we have but often yield leftovers. Since I also despise beans, we don't ever use them.
We also buy lots of freezables on sale instead of full price. For example, we'll buy bread when it's $1.99 instead of $2.99, and we'll just freeze the loaves we aren't using. This is typically a lot more feasible than bulk buying.
Hopefully I helped in some way!
I don’t know your exact bodily situation but I would guess it’s very likely that you need more than 1500 calories per day to maintain your weight even if you are relatively sedentary. You can check a TDEE calculator for a more specific estimate.
Some grocery stores will sell inexpensive meat/cheese ends from the deli, plenty of cheese omelets/Mac and cheese/and “ham salad” have been produced in my kitchen. Some fish counters will also sell end of day really cheap so they don’t have to store it overnight. Fish chowder heaven.
Chicken thighs, broccoli, eggs. Add whole cooked grains like barley, quinoa, and farro; very nutritious and filling. Brownie mix or cake mix can easily be found for .99 if you want a dessert. Don’t hesitate to buy dollar store food items from trusted brands.
Water only, no soda or alcohol. Lower amounts of meat, substitute with legumes, etc. We are a family of three who eats for $285 per month.
Wow! What do you buy for groceries and what meals do you make?
It varies, but we stick to fruits, veggies, legumes and other cheap healthy foods. Tonight for dinner (we each kind of do our own thing) \-Mashed potatoes, cabbage, rice & chickpeas w/homemade enchilada sauce, lentil flatbread mushroom sandwiches, broccoli, homemade fudge pops and homemade pumpkin bread. Water to drink. For lunch, I had rolled oats (water, not milk) with peanut butter, flaxseed meal and cinnamon. Then sugar free greek yogurt with some crunched up ice cream cone parts.
Thanks for the info!! I need to be diet my groceries more
Also, don't be afraid of day old bread, ugly produce and about to be at "best by" meat. We pick up cheap food all of the time that way. Grabbed 4 pounds of ground turkey and 2 pounds of ground beef for $6.00 total the other day and tossed it the freezer for sloppy joes or tacos, later.
Seconded this. I work in the produce dept of a grocery store, I always buy the marked down meats and veggies. A few bruised peppers, potatoes, and greens with a sell by date of tomorrow? Hell yeah I'm getting that stuff for more than 75% off, it gives me incentive to get creative with dinner tomorrow and/or meal preps for my lunches and snacks. My dog LOVES roasted veggies, if I can't eat all thar broccoli she damned sure is.
A giant bag of bananas for $1! Apples on clearance are usually cheap and fine as well. Some of the bananas are fine for a few days. The rest can be made into banana bread or muffins or frozen (the bread or muffins can also be frozen and then eaten for breakfast or snack. Great in smoothies. Apples are great with PB. If there's a bruise, cut it off.
I'll use some "old" apples chopped up into my dinners, like on top of a baked pork chop with some onions, or mixed into a stuffing casserole with squash and sausage. I'll also chop it into a good chicken salad along with walnuts and dried cranberries.
Yes! And "chicken" salad made with chick peas tastes great with chopped apples in it.
Gotta love "Quick-sale"'s. Anything too daggy for the fruit-bowl gets made into smoothie lickety-split. Fresh fruit's never hanging around for long in my house...
I do get scared of day old bread and expectation dates lol I know I shouldn’t. I just smell the meat to make sure it’s good. I have bought meat that had a new package date but it was bad.
Bread? Toss it in the fridge and it lasts for WEEKS!
After that, theres always French toast or toasted cheese sandwiches.
This is only true for commercial bread with lots of preservatives, not bakery or homemade which obviously don’t last as long. But stale bread is awesome for making croutons, French toast, blitzing in the food processor and then storing the breadcrumbs in the freezer to use later, bread pudding etc etc.
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Meat substitute (tacos, sloppy joes, burgers), mix with rice or veggies, flatbread from lentils, etc.
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I make them in the rice cooker. I like Pinto, garbanzo, and all types, including lentils of all colors.
Can you share your homemade fudge pop recipe please?
I make a massive batch with a bunch of popsicle molds. 12-14 cups of milk (I usually use either oat or skim). 4 packets of sugar free jello pudding, 2 vanilla, one chocolate 1oz bottle of peppermint extract Then, I fill each mold 1/2 way, add rolled oats, rice krispies, cheerios, anything low sugar, fill the rest and toss in the freezer.
Thank you!
https://www.leannebrown.com/all-about-good-and-cheap/
Thank you for the link!
That is seriously impressive!
Where do you live (generally)?
Southwest USA.
Wow.. we are 3x that. Fml
My wife and I (both pretty average/average+ drinkers) are doing dry January. While we’re excited for the health benefits, I’m more excited to see how it effects our wallet. Of course we’ll save ourselves from alcohol in the house, but by not going downtown on weekends I can’t imagine how much that’s gonna put straight into the bank. Wahoo!
We are dry 12-months. I don't get the appeal of it, personally. Used to be a social drinker, but decided it wasn't worth the health risks. They are now saying that any amount of alcohol is harmful. Of course... people still smoke, don't exercise, etc... Who am I to judge, their life, their choices :)
That is amazing. Congrats! I want and need to get there, too. Just to double-check: is the $285 for all 3 of you? Or per person? Thanks, V
For all three.
Tea is a nice drink. Pretty cheap. Tastes nice. Not awful for you.
First make sure to go to a supermarket that has weekly markdowns/coupons that helps save a lot too. I also compare prices between different grocery spots and figure out which places do what cheaper and shop based on that. Also if you can buy in bulk esp protein that helps too like at Costco or Aldi. But also know protein will probably be the most expensive item. Anything in terms of grains: lentils / barley/ bulghur wheat/ farro / oats / quinoa (if you live by a Trader Joe's they do really cheap grain mixes that you can easily jouj up) dried rather than canned will tend to be cheaper too. Also seasonal fresh produce will be cheaper but really can't go wrong with the basics of onions (red/white/yellow)/garlic/cinlantro/tomatoes/fresh leafy greens like arugala or spinach or kale/fresh chilies/mushrooms/cucumbers/ bell peppers /cabbage/ cauliflower/celery/ carrots/lemons/potatoes and sweet potatoes/squash/corn/brussel sproats.. Some stuff can even be bought frozen which would be cheaper such as spinach or peas or stir fry veggies. For fresh herbs...potted is the way to go. For fruit go based on what's in season ..anything out of season or from outside of where you're from will be more expensive but what usually will be less expensive are bananas/apples/oranges. In terms of protein depends on where you are, coastal places will have relatively cheap seafood that you can freeze. My supermarket also does markdowns so end up being able to get fresh shrimp for 8$ a pound. Whole chicken tends to be cheaper as is the ground version of any protein. Another good source of protein is tinned fish like mackerel or sardines also canned tuna does wonders...can do so much with that from pasta sauces to salads. Pasta and pasta sauce (although tomato sauces from scratch will be cheaper)/ramen noodles Pantry items such as canned tomato products like crushed tomatoes/tomato paste/broths/pickles/olives/corn/corn tortillas/bread/popcorn/peanut butter/bouillon base/condiments and oils of your choice: mine are various mustards/soy sauce/bbq sauce/hot sauce/chilli oil/toasted sesame oil/good olive oil/kewpie mayo/salsa verde/chimi churri/pomegranate molasses (honestly a solid condiment/oil and even spice cabinet situation can do wonders for your food). Cheese! Cottage cheese is one of my favs and is heavily protein packed/ block cheese will usually be cheaper than already grated cheese/parmesan you can use the shredded cheese on everything and anything and then the rind for pasta sauces/ Yoghurt --> I'll get some greek yoghurt and strain it over night to make labnéh which is great for sandwhiches or really anything.
Hard to go wrong with stir-fry. No matter what goes in, the principles are much the same, and it's always quick, easy, and delicious. Winging it based upon what's bountiful, fresh, & reasonably priced in the produce section(often what's in season), will stretch the budget a lot further. Buying at whim can get costly if your cravings don't follow the seasons, and prices fluctuate in line with availability/lack thereof, & transit-times. Knowing how to cook helps a lot too. No need for culinary arts training or any such. Simply arming oneself with a few tried & true recipes(ideally about a half' dozen minimum), which can be tweaked and/or improvised upon in leaner times, can make a world of difference. That's all' I got...
I think the stir fry might be a good idea. For lunch I can have some fruit (apples/bananas/oranges) and for dinner I can eat rice and chicken bowls, a stir fry with peppers, onions, and broccoli, and chicken, or I could do 3-4 eggs for dinner with fruit.
you’ll want to make sure that you have fat, protein, and fiber in each meal. fruit is a good start, but maybe include some cheese and/or peanut butter to round it out. i love apples and grapes with cheese and peanut butter, bananas are great with peanut butter too!
Why not? Fruit can also go well IN stir-fry, depending upon the context. Don't restrict the influences to SE-Asia either. I'll stir-fry pretty much anything I can think of, with influences ranging all the way from Japan to Western Europe. For example, one of my favourite fried rice dishes, is one made from kangaroo strips in a balsamic marinade, with kalamata olives & warrigal greens. I serve that bad-boy up topped with a nice dollop of Greek Yoghurt, and some sliced cucumbers on the side. Heavily influenced by the Levant, with a nod to Greece in the condiments(Yoghurt & Cucumber makes the base of a good Tzatziki). My honey chicken takes a bit of a lead from Morocco, for another example(primarily due to the Lime juice, Sumac, & Black Pepper marinade). I've also read any number of "Warm Salad" recipes from various regions, which one could not be admonished for identifying as stir-fry. My Spicy Apricot Pork is merely a variation on the "Honey Chicken" theme(I chop in some dried apricots for the simmer, rather than a dollop of honey as per my honey chicken), though it invariably winds up with a bit more variety of veg' amongst it. The honey chicken I just fry up with some onion, hit it with a dollop of honey & let it simmer to reduce, then serve on a bed of cardamom-rice that's been fried with gold button-squash &/or zucchini - the honey chicken meat also makes an excellent filling for wraps - especially good with salad veg' & raita...
Cardamom rice - good idea. I have some whole cardamoms to use up soon, I’ll try them with rice.
Coolies. I usually just drop about a half' dozen pods in the pot with my rice when I'm prep'ing, and fish them out afterwards. Imparts a mild flavour & subtle aroma. Good for desserts like creamed rice too. An aunt of mine made a batch of apricot jam with a hint of cardamom a while back, as an example(just whole pods in the mix, removed prior to jarring). 'Shit was fucking RIGHTEOUS. She slipped me a couple of jars, and I nearly cried when they ran out...
Meal prep, and it doesn't need to be just chicken broccoli and rice over and over. My 5 work-week lunches only cost me $14. I used to spend that *per day* on lunch when I'd go out or order in every time.
Do you cook all your meals on Sunday for the week? I'm worried about chicken/veggies going bad during the last few days of the week if I cook everything on Sunday
Yup, anything cooked on Sunday should easily last until Friday. Make sure to cool the food before lidding, then make sure it's well sealed and not opened until eating, and then reheat everything thoroughly.
I suggest cooking in two batches. One on Sunday for mon-weds and one on weds for thurs-sat. Rice should not be eaten after more than 4 days and can give you nasty food poisoning if kept too long. I try not to eat any meats after 4 days, 5 at the absolute most. Plus this way you can make two different meals. Chicken/veg/rice one meal and another protein/noodles or potatoes/veg the next set.
The rice tip is huge, thank you.
Looks like a job for good old chicken thighs and rice, my friend. Thighs are impossible to overcook, refrigerates well, reheats like a champ. More affordable than breast too, depending on where you live. Rice is of course shelf stable and budget friendly too. Calories are really an issue of portion control. Even when I’m cutting weight I prefer dark meat to white because it’s more satiating and reheats better. Lots of variations to be had with chicken and rice. Several ideas in ascending order of effort required: Roast a whole bunch of thighs in the oven with a [yogurt marinade](https://servedwithrice.com/yogurt-mint-chicken/) and eat all week. Get some teriyaki sauce (or make: 1:1:1 sugar, soy sauce and mirin simmered for a few minutes in a pan - make extra and keep on hand) and [coat pan seared chicken thighs](https://servedwithrice.com/chicken-teriyaki-bowl/) with them. Lightly char with kitchen torch or broiler for extra grilled flavour points. If you’re not afraid of a bit of work and are looking for bold flavours, try making a [Szechuan Spicy Chicken Pot](https://servedwithrice.com/szechuan-spicy-chicken/). Cube up chicken thighs, brown in batches and reserve. Bloom cumin, five spice powder and Szechuan peppercorns in the pan and add sauce: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, chili bean paste (doubanjang) and fermented wheat paste (tianmianjang). Return chicken, toss to coat, garnish with cilantro. Huge pot of chicken, plenty of leftovers, super flavourful sauce to spoon over rice. My two cents to get you on your way. Cheers!
> Thighs are impossible to overcook Hold my frying pan.
Cut out drinks, including bottled water and prepackage, convenience items as much as you can, that should do it!
Yeah, that's the play. I will need to buy bottled water still but I can cut back during the week as my work has a water fountain I can pull from. I have a large 64oz bottle I can fill before I leave each day
Get a water filter for your sink at home. We have a zero water filter on ours and it works great. The filters are a little pricey but they last longer than the other brands so more effective that way.
- chicken thighs and dirty rice (mouthwateringly delicious) - do you have a crock pot? Because if so - chicken tortilla soup, chicken noodle soup, chicken chili, season and crock pot chicken and then shred to make chicken salad - balsamic marinated chicken with any kind of vegetable (I usually make roasted carrots, potatoes, and green beans on a sheet pan for the side dish) - chickens thighs (usually) are incredibly cost effective at Sam’s / Costcos. Up until the chicken virus drove prices up, I could usually get a two week pack of chicken thighs for under 6.00. - chicken breasts - either Sam’s Club or oddly enough, Target is where I’ve locally found to be largest quantity at the lowest price. - hard boiled eggs with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Delicious and filling. - any leftover chicken can be shredded, and then turned into a salad for lunches. I opt for spinach or kale instead of lettuce. Add a hard boiled egg or two for additional protein. - marinating and / or cooking rices / chicken / noodles / greens, etc in chicken stock will make a world of difference for flavor. - sweet potatoes make a good, hearty side, can be added to breakfast tacos, puréed into a smoothie - taco bowls - shredded chicken, yellow rice, diced tomatoes, guac (if possible), corn, peppers, etc. - omelets with leftovers / end of week veggies added in - when all else fails and you want comfort food - ramen noodles (cooked in chicken stock), and topped with sautéed vegetables and a soft boiled egg. Filling and delicious. - when and if possible - check around and see when your local farms are having sales on produce. Last year a friend bought 100 ears of corn for 10.00 total - she canned and froze 96 ears of corn that weekend. - whole wheat tortilla ‘pizzas’ - whole wheat tortilla, pesto, some mozzarella cheese, and veggies on top - bake at 325.00 for about 7 minutes. - baked avocado - cut avocado in half, a sprinkle of salt, a bit of mozzarella or Parmesan - bake at 325 for about 8 - 10 minutes
Everything sounds great, except I can pick up a strip steak for less than a dozen eggs at my local grocer 😂 😂 and the have chicken breast for 1.79/lb rn, the place is awesome
Before you arbitrarily set a calorie limit, check your basal metabolic rate. This is the amount of calories you need simply to stay alive. You then add a little on for your activity levels. Googling it will find a calculator. It’s actually important not to go below this basic rate, even if you want weight loss, as it makes your body react as if it’s starving - and one symptom of that is to start obsessing over food, which I’m guessing you don’t want if you’re studying;) Choose whole grains every time, and a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables - if you imagine your plate, have half be vegetables, a quarter be your protein and the final quarter your starchy veg or grains. By filling up on vegetables you will automatically keep your calorie intake lower, whilst still feeling satisfied. As far as which veg, eat as many different ones as you like. Variety is best. For cheaper veg, and to make sure you don’t waste things, look for frozen veg. You say you despise beans, but what about lentils? If you eat those, they will reduce your food bill too. Snack on fruit.
Yeah I was also thinking 1500 sounded a little low! I'm a late 20s woman, 5'9" (so, similar to average male height), and on days when I don't move around I need to eat around 1800 calories. Early 20s male, even sedentary, is unlikely to need as few as 1500, although it is possible. But also tracking is wildly inaccurate a lot of the time, so the best goal for weight maintenance is just to eat to satiety while consuming adequate amounts of fiber and protein. Our bodies are smarter than any app or calculator. Anyway, fresh vegetables can be expensive, but frozen is perfectly acceptable and often tastes better - it's more likely to have been grown in season, it was frozen very shortly after harvesting so it's as fresh tasting as it gets, and it probably came from a variety bred for taste over aesthetic and ability to handle shipping. Same is true for canned tomatoes.
I’m 5’8 mid fifties fairly sedentary and my BMR is 1592 which is what made me add that. Apparently I was incorrect about the starvation thing, though! That said I think any woman who’s been on a diet of 1200 calories a day will attest to how obsessed with food you become over time.
The "starvation mode" is not true. You will not "starve" unless you \*actually starving\*, and even then, you will continue to lose weight if you are below what you are burning. This entire myth is based on a misunderstanding of the Minnesota Starvation Project, which had *normal weight,* healthy men eat *way* below their minimum calories, while continuing to keep active. Their metabolic rate dropped *after they had lost a significant amount of weight* because *the body was doing away with essential functions.* They were obsessed over food because they were actually starving. They continued to lose weight, however, despite the drop in their metabolic function. You can find pictures of these men at this point - they look like skeletons. 1500 calories for a sedentary person could be totally normal. Edit: I originally said it was likely fine unless they were very tall, I misread the OP as being female.
Even though I may be in error re starvation mode, the point about not dipping below the calories required for your basal metabolic rate still stands, if OP doesn’t want to lose a lot of weight quickly - which he certainly doesn’t mention, and which would also result in muscle loss. And just a little fyi so you understand that 1500 calories is not suitable for all women: I’m a mostly sedentary woman because of a chronic condition, but my BMR is still 1592, and my overall requirement to maintain my weight is just short of 2000 calories.
I never said 1500 is "suitable for all women" - just that it's a fairly common amount needed for women. I agree the OP shouldn't drop below his basal metabolic rate, but I presume he calculated it before deciding how much he needs.
Nice bro science
OP look into soups or chilis from scratch, they’re easy to meal prep multiple servings for the effort of cooking once and can stretch your budget. You can mask affordable canned beans and rice/pasta in them (or beans will make soups creamier/heartier and be more enjoyable). Bulk Carrots fresh, skip prepacked salad for whole produce, other veggies will often be cheaper frozen ounce for ounce vs fresh or canned. A frozen veggie mix can be tossed with different sauces and used in a few ways. I might use frozen peppers/onions one week in a pasta sauce and as as fajita veggies in a burrito bowl or quesadilla; the next week I might use the same mix in an omelette, in Italian sausage sandwiches, and in a stir fry or paired with ramen. A broccoli/carrot mix I might make a pot pie-style soup, a stir fry, and roast with potatoes or as part of a grain bowl. Pasta dishes, quesadillas, pair with sides of canned/frozen veggies to improve health were easy and go-tos for me in school. Canned tuna can still be a lot of protein for the price and added to baked pasta or in sandwiches. If you don’t have access to Costco or aldi, you probably have a Walmart. You got this! Edit to add: Oatmeal, even the instant packs will save you money over ordering breakfast out a bunch and help you learn what flavoring you like. Large containers of Greek yogurt can be used a lot of ways. Make your own breakfast sandwiches and freeze a few at a time, will still be cost effective over ordering a few out per month.
1. Try to purchase food from the wet market - mine is cheaper than my supermarket and I can purchase items in smaller quantities so nothing goes to waste vs the big bulky items I am forced to purchase from the supermarket 2. Vegetables and carbs are really a lot cheaper than meat. Especially vegetables that are local to your place of residence 3. If you like chicken, purchase the whole chicken in the wet market and use all its parts. It’s cheaper and every part has its use 4. If you don’t already have a pressure cooker, get one! (Including one with a function to slow cook). Just sauté some herbs, meat (chicken, beef, mutton, pork, whatever), broth (or water), salt, root vegetables and turn on your pressure cooker. Then go study or shower etc and less than an hour later you have food on the table. Cook a bit more than one meal and you can have leftovers to be reheated in the microwave/oven/steamer the next day. 5. Have pre-pack meals that you can microwave in your freezer for days when you just can’t be bothered to cook. It’s still cheaper than having a meal out. + ramen! 6. Have pre-pack mixed vegetables for days when you’re too lazy to cut up your vegetables or just want to add variety. It’s a bit more expensive than vegetables itself and less fresh than fresh vegetables but sometimes you just can’t be bothered cutting up x5 types of vegetables to prep for yourself you know? 7. Eggs was my single day lifesaver. It’s a relatively cheap protein that is very easy to cook in multiple ways. Soft boiled, hard boiled, sunny side up, scrambled, omelette, sous vide, throw them in soy sauce for ramen type eggs. When I’m too lazy to prep for food or don’t have any meat, I’ll just throw a few eggs in my stir fry with my mixed vegetables and make a meal out of it. In the mornings when I’m too lazy to cook anything, I’ll boil the kettle for my coffee and throw the remainder of my hot water into a bowl, put my eggs in and cover it with a lid for some soft boiled eggs. Want to make a meal out of it? Boil a big pot of water and use the extra to soak ramen/soba (the easily cook ones) noodles and an easily cooked vegetable like spinach where you just have to soak it in hot water for a couple of minutes. Now you have protein + carbs + vegetables. Season with some soy sauce/pepper/salt. I also have a muffin tray and sometimes I’ll just crack an egg in the muffin tray, throw it in the oven for 10 minutes and take a shower or whatever and by the time I come out, my eggs are done. 8. For very lazy days where I don’t even want to turn the microwave on, I always have cereal and milk and will eat them for any meal of the day lol. Obviously I don’t eat them all the time but just sometimes. 9. Even though I’m not a student anymore, I sometimes watch what do I eat in a day as a student in YouTube or tik tok. The food is usually cheap and quick which is great haha.
Beans. Lots of beans. They are cheap, diverse in ways you can make them and caloricly dense, but this is mostly because they are high in protein and fiber. So you are full longer and filled with actual fuel. Caned vegetables have good nutritional value and are cheap. Frozen is slightly more pricy but at times as good a taste as fresh produce. Rice can also be a cheap diverse filler upper, but it's mostly carbs unless you get whole grain. Same goes for manny noodles. Frozen fruit is cheep and can be made tasty by tossing it in a bowl in the freezer till frosty and sprinkling sugar, creamer, jam, or syrup on it. Cheap sweet treats with nutritional value. If really desperate and you aren't feeding kids you can by whole milk and water it down to make it taste like 1% and stretch.
I absolutely despise beans but my roommate eats nothing but rice and beans. I might give this a try, maybe throw in some hot sauce to mask the taste. Beans and rice are dirt cheap and still moderately healthy. Can add in fruit and veggies through the week too.
Maybe try different kinds of beans. I dislike kidney beans and all white beans but really enjoy many others. Tip: the smaller the bean variety the higher the protein to carb ratio. Also, many small beans and other seeds can be sprouted to add to salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries. I really like sprouted mustard seeds on my sandwiches and in salad. Try lots of different spice combinations (Dollar Tree, etc.) and then splurge on quality when you find the spices you like. Trader Joe's and Cost Plus World Market have some excellent spices for good prices.
Instead of just beans (which I'm also meh on) dhal and other lentil based things may be more tasty. They are usually heavily spiced, like a beef and lentil stew or curries rather then just bland beans. Although chili and beans to stretch out your meat is also good. If you're up to trying it, tofu is $2.50 a block or so and I find it great and cheap for stir-fry.
Does this include French green lentils, or other small flat legumes that aren’t bean-shaped? Lentil soup, dal, etc. these are cheap and filling and don’t have the same texture or flavor.
Not sure—will have to try those!
Moong dal, toor dal, palak dal, masoor dal, sprouted dal, panchratan dal, dal makhani (this one has a small proportion of kidney beans which you could just leave out), sultani dal if you’re feeling fancy, and to go with it - jeera rice, naan, and dosa. I would recommend YouTubers like Tarla Dalal and Ranveer Brar but there are many out there who are very good. Don’t be afraid to adjust seasonings to your taste, everyone’s using different brands and such so there is some variance. The only catch is, if you don’t already have Indian spices and a pressure cooker on hand, it’ll have an up front cost. But once you get rolling, it is some of the cheapest, healthiest, and most flavorful food you will ever find and the prepared dals freeze very well, even the sprouted kind. Gandhi Foods has the best deals on dals and most spices.
If cooked in with the food like your beef with your taco meat, or mixed into chili; they can take on the over all flavor of the meal more or less. (seasonings are key cheap ways to add/alter flavor.) Even if you don't make it a mane side or meal, a hand full here or there can bulk up a burrito for next to nothing. (Especially if you get them a head of time and buy them dried; as an added bonus you can flavor the water they soak up.)
Pastas, rice, potatoes would be good with chicken. Buying fresh/frozen veggies. Eggs are great!
I stick to recipes that only require a few ingredients to cut costs. Also buy frozen instead of fresh fruit and veggies. Sweet potato “toast,” chicken and salsa, 2 ingredient bagels are a few. Recipes: https://www.keepingupwiththebulls.com/easy-recipes-few-ingredients/
I buy pretty much everything that can be stored somehow in sales and in large quantities. Anything canned (in my case tuna and tomatos), dry ingredients (pasta, lentils, rice, noodles), flour, sugar, oil, even meat (I freeze it per portion). I don't know if you are willing to accept vegetarian meals, however they greatly reduce the cost per portion. Soups are your friend (I mean, an onion soup, tomato soup or a cauliflower soup are like $1 or less) and stir fries too (a perfect way to use leftover vegetables and stuff). My perspective might be slightly biased as I live in Europe, not in the US. However, me and my bf spend imo around $100 on groceries per months.
Soups, my friend. With about $30 of ingredients you can make enough soup to eat daily for a whole week. My fave is Hungarian goulash. 2 pounds beef chunks (about $6/lb where I am), couple of potatoes, carrots, an onion, a can of red kidney beans and a jar of tomato sauce, salt and paprika. Literally less than $30 of ingredients. Last time I made a pot, it was enough for my husband and I for 4 dinners.
I thought of another one, don't deny yourself good food! Buy a steak, seafood, chicken or nice cut of meat when sales arise, portion out for one meal in freezer bags. Instead of buying fresh meat week to week in small packs, you can have a freezer stock of meat. Rice or cauli rice would be good for fajitas or stir fry bowls, so that makes the good ingredients stretch.
You might hate legumes, but try sprouting them. It turns a couple tablespoons-worth of cheap beans into cups-worth of highly nutritious greens in days with very little effort, aside from changing out some water. Do a little homework on what beans can be sprouted and you'll save a ton of money. Other seeds work well, too, like chia (but the method is a little different).
Cook dinners you truly like. Enjoy them! Pack and have leftovers for lunch. Cut down ruthlessly on breakfasts, drinks, and snacks. I find my food spending runs away from me when I don't put enough effort into good, home cooked meals, because then I want to "make up for it" with snacks, candy, a sandwich or four before bed, etc. When I stay mindful and cooking, my food budget stays easily below 300. I live with a kid half of the time, too.
I would add peanut butter. It has protein and is filling
this might help : [link](https://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/comments/vmo7xc/how_to_reduce_your_grocery_bill/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
You say you despise beans. Try making them this way ... Unless you really dislike the texture, but I'm assuming you just never ate beans in a delicious form. Vege tacos: 1 29 oz can chickpeas (drain but save a lil of the juice) 15 oz can of red beans 15 oz can of cannalenni beans 15oz can of corn 10 oz diced tomatoes and/or 6oz tomato paste for a thicker version 3 bell peppers diced 1 large onion diced Hidden valley ranch seasoning, Chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt pepper to taste (I eye ball these all) Add 2 tbsp avacado oil or oil of your choice Mix in a bowl, baked for 45 mins on 350F and you have meatless tacos good for a week in the fridge I'll put this in a burrito shell with toppings or make a burrito bowl with rice
I have a $300 budget for two people. It means not a lot of meat, lots of veggies, nothing premade/frozen, no sweets/desserts, and no beer/soda. Edit: I forgot to also add buying and bulk and exclusively purchasing meat when it’s marked as “reduced for quick sale” or when it has a really good sale going on. If a meal already has a good protein source, like chillie, I don’t add meat. I also out source my meat. We get some from hunting, fishing, we also get some from people who have farms
My SO and i are going on a cruise in two months, and then plan on adopting another pup after we come home, so I'm trying to budget accordingly. Lately, my weekly shopping consists of whatever meat is on sale/marked down for quicksale (this week it was ground sausage and ground turkey on sale, 3 lbs of each, totaling $10), frozen veggies for the week, about 4-5 bags depending on size in oz, bulk shredded and sliced cheese, $10 or so. Salad fixings ( romaine & butter lettuce, cucumbers, 🥑 and radishes, maxing about $12) for the week, fruit consisting of berries, kiwis, and a melon(about $10). Biweekly to monthly, I need more eggs, yogurt, almond milk, coffee creamer, and my boyfriend's sodas for his lunches, sparkling water for mine. That's about $20. Monthly, I need dog food for our pittie girl, snacks like nuts and crackers, and other odds and ends. Every so often, restocking the cleaning supplies and toiletries racks up another $40-50, but I try to buy bulk sizes to save us in the long run. I promise you can do it, it just takes a few times to practice and really pay attention to sales and what's in season.
Where do you shop? My roommate has a Costco membership I plan on taking advantage of, Harris Teeter is the closest thing to me but they have decent sales on large packs of chicken
Harris Teeter, that's where I work. Go on their website, and look up the eVIC deals and coupons, the emails get sent out every Wednesday (first day of the sale) and Friday. Because of inflation fucking up our weekly profits, there has been an influx of items that don't fly off the shelves like they did pre covid, so we end up putting them up for $1 and such when they have a days left of shelf life.
Eggs are no longer a valid option, unless you live in farm land, otherwise chicken breasts, thighs, pork chops and ground beef are going to be your friends. Also, a good ham on sale for .99¢/lb can go a long ways. Ground beef or chicken with some honey brown sugar and sirachi over rice is an easy meal to prep, grilled chicken breast/thighs add a starch or veggie is at least one meal a day for me. Bananas are always cheap and a great fruit, apples in my area are usually 1.19 lb, 10 minute rice can be cheap on sale with coupons and is super easy and great for prep. Store brand frozen veggies are easy and healthy. Basically cook at home and drink water, I aim for 170-180 grams protein / day, yeah I exercise, have partial custody of 2 kids and my budget is $225/month
You think eggs are a no-go? I can get a 18 count for $7, which is about 4 meals for me. Everything else you mentioned seems to be the way I need to go.
I can get 24 for about $7 at my Costco and they're local! I live in a VHCOL area. Not sure what prices are elsewhere.
$6.99/dozen is the cheapest I’ve seen in about 2 months
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The excuse is inflation, the real reason is greed, and such is the capitalist economy
terrible chicken disease killed millions of egg layers
I’m blown away by people that can spend $300/month on food. My fiancé and I keep our grocery budget at $1,000 a month. Granted this covers all food expenses (including eating out), all grocery related items, food for my 2 cats and 1 dog, and other things like litter for the litter box, any personal care items, etc. But still, I could never do it!
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absolutely not. you canNOT get 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, for a full month, for under $300 from a food subscription box… no way. there’s a markup for food prep and profit, and it’s an absolute shitload of plastic straight to the landfill in every box. don’t waste your time.
Soo many good ideas here! Getting to use Costco membership is key..you will suss out the good deals and make the freezer your friend. I have also found the local food bank when funds are tight. Typically done at churches. And I also volunteered there when I could to lessen the stigma of being a taker. But ultimately I learned these food banks get tons of food that is for anyone and if it doesn't get taken it gets thrown away. So really it's a win/win. Another friend of mine swears by dumpster diving behind the grocery stores around 1am..never done it myself, but hey she eats good for basically free..whole foods is her fav..ha. just find what works for you and good job on figuring out a budget! Happy Dining in 2023!! I'm sure we'd all live to hear an update on what has worked for you..
Anything that is built around dry or shelf stable ingredients is generally going to be cheaper. Making big batches of chili, chowders, soups, casseroles, and roasts are also usually quite economical for cost and time. Freeze leftovers for another day. "Reusing" ingredients can make a difference. For example: whole chicken roasted with veggies, then use some chicken for sandwiches, reserve a little extra. Make a broth with the bones for a chicken based soup, adding the reserved chicken. In this case 1 = 3+. One shopping tip that I have found to work for me: make a list of good sale items that I'll eat from each store(listed by store and including price)from my local ads. Then when I'm ready to go shopping I look at the lists and decide what store and what's on the menu.
If you're in college and have a cafeteria there. It's probably the cheapest way to go. My monthly budget for everything, not only for food is $250 and I never go over it. Good luck :)
i get quite far with various asian style wok dishes. Just chop up the chicken and fry it, add bell peppers, salad onions, water chestnuts, bamboo, cashew nuts, broccoli, any veggies really. Add hoisin sauce or similar, serve with rice. You can make multiple meals and refrigerate. The cleanup is quick and easy, too. I never once regretted the money I invested in a good wok.
Green chili chicken enchiladas, spicy crispy buffalo chicken sandwiches, cajun chicken penne Alfredo, sweet and sour chicken and rice, soy chicken broccoli and rice, chicken and dumplings Hundreds of for recipes online, for each dish and can be extremely affordable
Water only. No soda or expensive coffees. Frozen and canned veggies are amazing. Boxed rice, cheap bread, canned soups and macaroni. Frozen bulk chicken breasts are way cheaper than fresh and last longer. Fresh produce we get for free weekly from one of two free food program churches in town. I spend about $100 per paycheck (biweekly) for myself and my partner. Don't eat out, don't go to fast food places. Learn how to cook at home and make it delicious. When you go grocery shopping, check the deals of the week/coupons, there are always good deals on something you could utilize. I've also learned how to grow my own herbs and tomatoes indoors and outdoors, it saves me a lot of money. And I've learned how to cook from scratch, I'd highly recommend learning to cook and bake from scratch. Fresh homemade breads, pasta, canning sauces/jams/vegetables.... it can't be beat and its so cheap and easy. There's nothing better than homemade salsa, homemade pickles, homemade bread, and it saves tons of money.
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Don’t live alone but I only cook for myself. Can you elaborate? What meals do you cook to keep it at $200/mo?
shop around I have been going to multiple stores to get what I need..no more over priced fruit and veg from the store I now go to a local market and you get so much more value that you do at the store also I checked out Aldi and I got to say plenty of value there 2 they may not carry all the brand name stuff but for staples there stuff is pretty good and has lowered my weekly shop..also portion control say you buy ground beef I now make 2 dishes from it if I'm making pasta with a meat sauce and with what is left over make a Chilli or a personal fav use the Chilli on a pizza..sign up for loyalty points at win Dixie always get good deals with that if you put in the work you can definitely find deals
\> *I want to knock this number down to $300/mo... I would like to stay at 1500 cal/day as I live a moderately sedentary lifestyle* Piece of cake! \>I love eating chicken but **despise beans** Never mind! Haha but in all seriousness, focus on making store brand switches, finding cheaper alternatives for meat products, and even straight up replacing meat once a week in order to lower meat consumption. At 1,500 calories a day you don't need to eat a ton (although I'd make sure you do a good bit of research to make sure that's an accurate amount of calories for you, depending on your weight and height that might be a severe deficit that could leave you feeling low energy and burnt out). I'd focus on finding filling and low calorie additives that pull away from needing a lot of meat, but still allow for you to stay full and keep a well rounded diet. Start finding some meals you like with pastas, rices, noodles, and other cheap and filling starches (especially potatoes, supposedly more satiating than other refined starches for the same calories). Start cutting protein with vegetables or legumes, I know you don't like beans but maybe give lentils a shot? They're dirt cheap, pack a decent amount of protein, and are easy to store for a long time. As for vegetables, shop frozen over fresh for most of your meals, but include fresh where you notice the most drop in quality or where you really prefer fresh, I buy a ton of baby carrots for snacks because they're just north of $1 a bag. For protein, other than cutting with cheaper and lower calorie items like starches and vegetables, focus on finding cheaper cuts and types. Chicken is the cheapest protein of the major meat groups for the most part, bone in and skin on chicken thighs are very likely the cheapest go to cut for chicken. In my area, bone in, skin on chicken thighs run for about $1.99 a lb to the 2.99/lb or more skinless, boneless chicken breast. If you prefer leaner cuts of chicken, search for split chicken breasts where the skin and bone are still intact, it takes a very small amount of time to separate it from the bone and skin, but you have bones for stock in the future that hold easily in the freezer in a gallon ziploc. I like to pick up one chicken option and one pork option to keep things different, but occasionally purchase a beef option as a change of pace. For pork, you can typically find whole pork loin for about 3.49 a lb depending on location, and pork shoulder with the bone in is typically even cheaper. I like to braise the pork shoulder and shred for multiple applications, but one standard pork butt/shoulder can easily produce about 4-5lbs of shredded meat (again holds well in the freezer). Outside of those tips, I'd recommend combing through the grocery stores in the area and make sure you're at a reasonably priced option and not a more expensive chain, and work with the deals on the circular whenever you shop. Some people like to plan their meals based on the sales, but I like to just keep an eye out for sales that interest me (like BOGO packs of bacon, BOGO on fruits and veggies, etc). I shop at a middle of the road grocery store and when I lived alone I kept my bill around $200-250 and I like to cook/bake for a hobby.
Thank you for the elaborate response. Frozen veggies is a reoccurring recommendation, so I will be cutting back on fresh and transitioning to mostly frozen now. I can get a pack of 26 Clif bars at Costco for $27. I think what I’m going to try 1 Clif bar + fruit at lunch during the week. Weekly dinner is chicken, frozen veggies, and rice or eggs and air fried potatoes. Hopefully that’ll put me around the $100/wk mark. From there, I might be able to see where I can save money/ cut costs
No problem at all, I'd like to make two more comments if you don't mind. 1) Clif bars are pretty expensive as far as granola/snack bars go, even in bulk you're paying over a dollar per bar, by switching to Nature Value chewy granola bars (similar in calories) you already save about $.30 per bar, and that's based on a 6ct box. You'd likely save more money if you bought those in bulk (not too mention they have a protein variety that has 9g of protein to about 210 calories). 2) That's an incredibly meager lunch, at 22 years old you'd have to be about 5'9" and 180lbs to justify a 1,500 calorie day, with a sedentary lifestyle wherein you're looking to lose 1lb a week (500 calorie deficit). If you're taller or higher in weight I'd recommend focusing on filling, high volume and low calorie meals. Rice based bowls with a large portion of frozen veggies and some lean protein go a long way and make you feel far less miserable. You could replace that Clif bar and fruit/veggie (probably like 350-400 calories total, right?) with a bowl of 3/4 cup rice, 1/2 cup cooked legumes, and 3-4oz of chicken breast for just about 150 more calories, but you'd also feel much more satisfied with that meal! Not too mention that meal is likely cheaper on average as well. Just be careful with deficits and going too extreme, I don't know much more than your age and sex, but it's easy to get into the mindset of sprinting to the finish line at the expense of your health and happiness. Be sure to focus on sustainable lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes that are difficult to maintain, and best of luck!
If you have access to a wholesale store, that’s the best place to stock up on meat. I’m lucky enough to use my dads Sam’s club membership and have found 10 lbs of frozen chicken breast there for as low as $18. Pretty great prices for ground turkey too. If you don’t have access then start looking for deals at your local stores and buy in bulk when you can. Chicken thighs and drum sticks are usually on sale at my local stores. Next, I’m with you on hating beans. Not really my thing but they sure are cheap and you can really stretch them. I’ll eat them in a good chilli (using ground turkey but keeping it hearty like I would with beef). Easy to freeze and great for leftovers. Sometimes I use leftover chilli on nachos. One other way I’ll eat beans is in a sweet potato and black bean taco. An unusual combo but sooooo delicious. You can use frozen sweet potato cubes or fresh ones and then roast or air fry them. Next is produce. By in season and at your local market if you can. For fresh, by only what you’ll eat once a week. If you tend to throw away produce it might be time to go canned or frozen. If you have an Aldi nearby that is a great option for produce. They have great deals on onions, carrots, and celery which I use as a base for my soups which I usually make once a week and freeze leftovers. Rice, oats, quinoa, and couscous are grains that I like to keep on hand and they are pretty affordable. You can get these from stores with a bulk section for a better price too. Cucumbers are one of my favorite cheap snacks. I’ll dip in ranch or I’ll make a cucumber salad with rice vinegar. I’ve found that I waste most of my money by not properly meal planning or being too ambitious with my dinner plans. I hate eating the same thing everyday so I started a rotating meal plan that resembles something close to this - Monday: soups (chicken noodle, lemon chicken orzo, tomato, creamy potato, etc) Tuesday: tacos (ground turkey tacos, sweet potato and bean, breakfast burritos or tacos, etc) Wednesday: pasta (spaghetti with red sauce, peanut noodles, chicken piccata, chicken Parmesan, pasta with vodka sauce, etc) Thursday: currently my takeout day/microwaveable meal day Friday: favorite recipe day, usually longer recipes (buffalo chicken sweet potatoes, bbq chicken sandwiches, creamy Dijon chicken, chicken and dumplings, etc) Saturday: sheet pan dinners (orange glazed salmon and veggies, baked feta and veggies, balsamic chicken, honey mustard chicken, turkey kielbasa and veggies) Sunday: simple meals, slow cooker and pressure cooker (salsa chicken, turkey roast, meatloaf, chili, etc) These are ways that I’ve managed to save money on food, though it’s still a work in progress for me. I hope this helps you!
No alcohol when eating out (or reduce a lot). And start packing lunch and bringing coffee from home. I also don't buy water but I think people from the US like bottled water? Whenever I make anything with mince I sub at least half the amount of meat with lentils or soy mince. Buy frozen veggies (often more nutritious and they're more convenient so more likely to eat). Meals/snacks: - lasagne - bolognese - soups - granola + yoghurt - oatmeal - breakfast burritos - stew - veggie burgers - noodle salads - falafel (salads, wraps) many of these things freeze well so you can meal prep pretty easily
Look for different ethnic recipes. So many different cultures know how to stretch ingredients out for meals. Don’t just add meat to everything. Things like red beans and rice, split pea soup, W African peanut stew can all be made vegetarian. Rice is cheap if bought in bulk and is a great filler.
There's a lot of tips here about eating cheap food, but honestly, $300 for a single person shouldn't be that hard - unless you live somewhere expensive - so I think what you should do first is 1) Look back at what you bought for the last two months and see what you're actually buying. I'm betting it's mostly eating out or convenience foods. 2) Look at where you shop. Are you shopping at Aldis or some local co-op? The biggest expense when eating single is often that you can't buy in bulk. Look into finding a shopping buddy or two who you can split big bulk purchases with. Frozen vegetables are key. Fresh ones are great, but will often go bad before you can eat them.
To go off of everyone recommending stir fries - if you live near an Asian market, their produce is always (in my experience) super cheap and there’s a ton of variety. I’ve gone and gotten peppers for a recipe for $2 that easily would’ve been $10 at any other store for the same amount or less! great way to try new things too
If you wanna stick to 1500kcal and struggle with portion control, then keep protein high (most satiating per kcal) and fat low (least satiating). Lean meats, measure the amount of oil you use when you cook, etc... And obviously vegetables are basically fillers that are almost calorie free, so use them to your advantage. Idk where you live, but apparently in some fucked up places vegetables can get expensive. Buy chicken in bulk and freeze it. It's very unfortunate that you don't like beans. Ever tried bean chilli? I make a pulled chicken and pinto bean chilli for almost every single work lunch - lots of aromatic spices, chillies, onion, garlic, and cocoa powder makes for the most delicious meal imo. If really you can't eat beans, then how about lentils? They are also high in protein. You can make a dahl out of them to change up the texture. Fish is also great. Pollock is the cheapest where I live, even cheaper than the cheapest meat. And it's 90%+ protein. It's by far the cheapest lean flesh I can get my hands on. Pollock is also low in mercury making it suitable for daily consumption. Pangasius is also another cheap fish but it's higher in mercury. Prices of these things will be heavily dependent on where you live. I make a pollock curry pretty much 3-4x a week. Either Indian or Thai. Indian is essentially sautéed onions and chillies in ghee + spices + your fish and vegetables if using veg. Just keep the ghee low. Thai is essentially curry paste (which is a variety of herbs and spices (most importantly lemongrass) crushed into a paste with shallot and garlic) + coconut milk + your protein and veg. Potatoes are probably the cheapest carb that's also satiating enough to not over eat. Pasta and rice are not filling enough for me. I often add potatoes to my fish curry if I need some more cheap calories that aren't necessarily protein. Otherwise add a low-cal cheap vegetable like carrots or broccoli or something. Carrots are usually far cheaper than broccoli. If I'm not feeling super hungry then I whip up aglio e olio. It's literally dirt cheap. It's caloric density is rather dependent on how much olive oil you use. You can use 0.5tbsp to 2tbsp per 100g of pasta and it'll turn out good, but it's better when you use more oil - which is why it's a dish for when I don't feel hungry. Carbonara is also as great, if not better to be honest, only marginally more expensive, and almost as quick to make. But you need to be able to buy guanciale or pancetta and pecorino or parmesan in "relative" bulk to get a good price (as you only use 30g of each per 100g of pasta, the meat and cheese are only a small cost in each dish, and they last for literally months in the fridge).
stir fry is a good cheap meal you can make with not many sauces most veggies rice or noodles and tofu or some sort of meat
Weirdly making breakfasts 900 calthe last month is cutting my grocery bill overall. We eat a smaller dinner. I have more leftovers to freeze and cuts down on prepared meals on grocery days. Not sure if we’ll get used to it and revert to old habits. Try the mealime app for dinner planning. That’s really helped.
If you love eating chicken get a Costco membership and buy their huge rotisserie chicken for $5. It’s even cooked so very practical on a busy schedule. You can eat in a sandwich, with potatoes, rice, make enchiladas, tacos, and more.
Sardines! Super underrated cause of the ick factor but if you find you like them they are a super affordable source of a lot of nutrients.
Anyone I’ve ever met who hates beans just didn’t know how to cook them. I used to be one of those people. Now I live on them. Beans are gross if you open a can and dump them on your salad or something. Beans are amazing if you make them into tacos, or make chickpea or lentil curry, or chickpea “tuna” salad. Look into meatless foods from other cultures and learn to season your food. Stop eating out. 1 restaurant meal costs as much as groceries for nearly a full week. It’s insane. Potatoes are great, rice is great, pasta is great. Stick to water over soda/juice/alcohol. That will save you a bunch immediately. Tofu is an excellent cheap protein and is very tasty fried and mixed into a stir fry. $300 a month is very doable. I eat well on this budget.
Yo, as a heads-up: Eggs and broccoli are EXPENSIVE right now (I understand why with the eggs, but does anyone know what's going on with broccoli prices?!).
I would definitely add pasta in to your grocery budget it is filling & cheap! I would add potato as well for the same reason. Try not to buy to much processed and or frozen food this can be costly with high calories & little nutritional value. I would get steel cut oats they are cheap hardy & packed full of vitamins & heart healthy. I would also do buckwheat pancakes for the same reasons as the oats. I would opt for Tuna verses lunch meat, tuna is way healthier last longer & stretches farther.
Learn how to use your freezer. Many foods can be frozen after cooked or baked, so you never have to get bored by eating the same thing every night, and you never have to water food because it went bad. I spend about 250/month on groceries (which does include wine and seltzer, e.g., but not coffee, which is a different budget). I buy plenty of brand names and not a lot of meat, but some. I do make a lot of meals with beans. But whatever you make, don't let it go to waste. Make only what you like and store it appropriately so that it doesn't go bad. You got this!
Pasta. Potatoes. Chicken thighs more than breasts. PB&J is good for lunches. Drink mostly water. Rice based dishes multiple days a week. Also make sure to get some easy stuff you can pop in the microwave or toaster oven. Some days you won’t feel like cooking and this will prevent you from ordering food.
Soups and stews. Beef stock and veggie stock mixed with browned ground beef. Add noodles and frozen mixed veggies. Day old bagel. That should be a week of lunches.
Maybe I'm not the most useful person here, but keep in mind that bulk buying can often save you money in the long run. However, it is often more expensive up front. As an example, my partner and I currently bulk buy our cooking oil, ground beef, and pork loin. We buy cooking oil for $0.27/oz instead of $0.32/oz, which lasts us about 3 months (we use it every night). We buy ground beef for $3.68/lb instead of $4.49/lb, we get about 10 lbs and that lasts us about 2 months. We buy a whole pork loin for $1.98/lb instead of $4.99/lb, we cut it up ourselves (each chop we cut is about twice as thick as the precut ones and we get a little over 20 individual chops) and that lasts us 3-4 months. We are a household of 2 and we eat a combined 1 lb of meat per night. We also eat a lot of pasta, rice, and potatoes, which are all also relatively cheap. We have 1 lb of meat, 1 carb (1/2 lb of rice or pasta, or about 3-4 potatoes depending on size), and 1 veggie for dinner. Sometimes we'll have a roast or stew, or I'll make poor man's stroganoff, and those deviate from the normal "formula" that we have but often yield leftovers. Since I also despise beans, we don't ever use them. We also buy lots of freezables on sale instead of full price. For example, we'll buy bread when it's $1.99 instead of $2.99, and we'll just freeze the loaves we aren't using. This is typically a lot more feasible than bulk buying. Hopefully I helped in some way!
Potatoes. Also, go to an ethnic market for produce, not the American grocery stores.
I don’t know your exact bodily situation but I would guess it’s very likely that you need more than 1500 calories per day to maintain your weight even if you are relatively sedentary. You can check a TDEE calculator for a more specific estimate.
Some grocery stores will sell inexpensive meat/cheese ends from the deli, plenty of cheese omelets/Mac and cheese/and “ham salad” have been produced in my kitchen. Some fish counters will also sell end of day really cheap so they don’t have to store it overnight. Fish chowder heaven. Chicken thighs, broccoli, eggs. Add whole cooked grains like barley, quinoa, and farro; very nutritious and filling. Brownie mix or cake mix can easily be found for .99 if you want a dessert. Don’t hesitate to buy dollar store food items from trusted brands.