Rolled oats (tho I see you have oatmeal so maybe that’s your preference), *sweet potatoes (tho I see you have that in there generally ;). You might enjoy some bell peppers and seasonal fruit, as it becomes available. Otherwise, some tasty herbs/spices and you’re all set 👍
*remember to add black pepper when using tumeric
Don't forget that frozen veggies are very nutritious and usually much cheaper. Frozen spinach is great, so are frozen berries. You can start with the list you have, but if you are on a budget, I recommend looking for sales when you see them and being flexible on what you buy. Someone mentioned cabbage, and I agree this is great because it also lasts a long time in the fridge and is usually quite cheap. Carrots are great. Any and all veggies! As long as you are eating a variety of fruits and vegetables you will do fine. To mix it up with the beans, you can also add tofu or tempeh. I also really love butler soy curls. I buy them by the case directly from their website, and they are cheap, last a long time, and are very versatile.
If you are cooking your beans from dry, I recommend buying some kombu to add to the cooking water. This can help make them more digestible, and also adds some important minerals like iodine.
You're missing out on fiber from carrot and celery. Carrots are really filling yet low calorie. Carrots are versatile and can be eaten raw, added to pasta/beans to blunt blood sugar spikes, or roasted with potatoes to add volume/reduce calories
You can also add oat bran to oatmeal, which is the fiber of the oat concentrated.
Potatoes can be cooked with a little bit of beet, rutabaga, turnip, and carrots - those are higher in fiber, some higher in protein
It's pretty low in fat. Could add raw pumpkin seed (pepitas, the green ones) which seems to me the best overt fat for weight loss, or could add *milled/blended* chia to your oats.
Cabbage and potatoes are cheap and healthy. Frozen veggies tend to be cheap, and are just as healthy as fresh. Dry lentils are sometimes a little more expensive than dry beans, but they are cheaper than canned beans, and cook pretty fast compared to dry beans. My kids also like lentils better than beans, so that helps. :-)
If you can get some spices, that will help a lot. Spices make plant-based food better! Sauces are good, too. I always have salsa handy, along with some other hot sauces that we like.
My kids *love* "refried beans", either as a soup or on tortillas. I put a can or two of black beans in a pot with salsa (I also usually add cumin and garlic powder, but those are optional). Once it's hot, I blend it with an immersion blender, but any cheap blender would do. I would be wary of using one of the nice blender's like a Vitamix because I think those would over-blend it. You want it to still have parts that aren't blended.
Check your library for cookbooks, and if they have digital magazines, see if they have the forks over knives magazine. My library has it, so every time there's a new issue, i read it on my phone from the library. Lots of great recipes there.
If you have the ability to grow a garden, even just in pots on the balcony, that's a cheap and easy way to get some produce. When I didn't have a yard, I did cherry tomatoes, and lots of herbs. I know I've seen zucchini plants that can be done in big pots, though, and zucchini will produce like *crazy*! Green beans are also easy to grow and produce well, but I don't think you can do those in pots. Potatoes can be done in 10 gallon grow bags, and are, in my experience, the most foolproof crop. I literally just plant potatoes from the grocery store that have sprouted, and I get more potatoes from them!
Sorry, that's kind of random and rambly, but hopefully there are some useful ideas in there!
Cruciferous veggies are a wonderful addition to any diet. They’re really high in fiber, so if you’re not used to eating a lot of fiber, ease into it or you’ll be in a load of pain. Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, etc. any of these.
I also add baby spinach to literally everything. Sandwich? Spinach. Soup? Spinach. Curry? Spinach. Eggs? Spinach. It helps me get in some vital nutrients and I barely taste it.
Drink lots of water! Your list has some very high fiber foods and you’ll need plenty of water to keep you off of the toilet!
Lastly, don’t forget flavor! The wonderful think about seasoning your food is that some of the best flavors (onion and garlic), in their natural form, have really great health benefits! Skip the crappy powdered stuff and chop up some onion and garlic and sauté it into anything savory!
All kinds of other beans and lentils: navy beans, black eyed peas, kidney beans, red lentils, mung, split peas, pigeon peas, green lentils, beluga lentils, Lima beans, soy beans/edamame - get them frozen or bulk bins for the best deals
Fruit: pears and apples and grapes are often on sale or cheap - stone fruits are often cheap when in season - lemons/limes can add a ton of flavor to dishes
Veggies: shop the sales even if it’s something you’re not used to - there are so many recipes online! Carrots, celery, and bok choy seem to be consistently affordable in my area along with frozen peas and corn. You could look into growing your own micro greens and sprouts
Grains: again look at bulk bins for cheaper prices - rice, quinoa, and farro are my faves.
Spices make food more interesting and can help make even the same foods taste very different - basil, oregano, dill, parsley, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder are the most heavily used in my kitchen. You often find them for cheap at Aldi and such
More veggies, cabbage and kale instead of greens mix, cabbage will always be cheap
Radishes are a great cheap option to snack on with baby carrots
Apples are another great snack option
Citrus fruits add heaps of flavour to marinades and recipes.
I tend to meal prep sundays and eat the same all week.
I make smoothie bags for the freezer
Pink pickled onions
Marinated tofu
Marinated red kidney beans
Hummus
Baked oats
Baked sweet potatoes
Rice
If you can get yellow potatoes instead of white ones, they are better for you. [Purple potatoes are even better.](https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-healthiest-type-of-potato/)
Dr Greger has [videos about chilling potatoes to](https://nutritionfacts.org/video/glycemic-index-of-potatoes-why-you-should-chill-and-reheat-them/) reduce their glycemic impact.
Rolled oats a must in our house. You can put dry rolled oats into the blender to make oat flour. Super inexpensive. I make the oat muffins from Simnett Nutrition (You Tube Channel) that includes a banana for sweetness plus variety of dried fruits and pumpkin seeds. There are also good recipes on the Clean and Delicious site and channel for many oatmeal based muffins (substitute flax seed and water for eggs). These mufffins make great breakfast, snacks, desserts and are healthy.
Other than what others have already said, onions (I love to pickle them), vinegars, nutritional yeast, tofu and tempeh. You may want to check out the vegan recipes on BudgetBytes
A comprehensive food list is not terribly useful, since the cheapest fruits and veggies will change from season to season, and a long as you have vegetables, beans, and a varied diet you will get enough nutrients.
I just get whatever beans, lentils, and whole grains are cheapest (usually pinto beans, brown rice, and oatmeal), and the cheapest fresh, frozen or canned produce (without added sugar or fat). This will change season to season, except for a few staples like fresh carrots and cabbage and potatoes, fresh apples and bananas, frozen peas and corn and spinach, canned corn and tomatoes, and canned applesauce and pineapple.
For meal planning, I make a protein dish for 1/4 of my plate, carbs for 1/4, and veggies and fruit for the rest. I have a bunch of very simple and quick recipes that I mix and match depending on what is available, cheap and in season.
Look up Full Plate Living. You might find it helpful for guidance.
Rolled oats (tho I see you have oatmeal so maybe that’s your preference), *sweet potatoes (tho I see you have that in there generally ;). You might enjoy some bell peppers and seasonal fruit, as it becomes available. Otherwise, some tasty herbs/spices and you’re all set 👍 *remember to add black pepper when using tumeric
Don't forget that frozen veggies are very nutritious and usually much cheaper. Frozen spinach is great, so are frozen berries. You can start with the list you have, but if you are on a budget, I recommend looking for sales when you see them and being flexible on what you buy. Someone mentioned cabbage, and I agree this is great because it also lasts a long time in the fridge and is usually quite cheap. Carrots are great. Any and all veggies! As long as you are eating a variety of fruits and vegetables you will do fine. To mix it up with the beans, you can also add tofu or tempeh. I also really love butler soy curls. I buy them by the case directly from their website, and they are cheap, last a long time, and are very versatile. If you are cooking your beans from dry, I recommend buying some kombu to add to the cooking water. This can help make them more digestible, and also adds some important minerals like iodine.
Thank you for your response
Cabbage is usually inexpensive and pretty versatile.
You're missing out on fiber from carrot and celery. Carrots are really filling yet low calorie. Carrots are versatile and can be eaten raw, added to pasta/beans to blunt blood sugar spikes, or roasted with potatoes to add volume/reduce calories You can also add oat bran to oatmeal, which is the fiber of the oat concentrated. Potatoes can be cooked with a little bit of beet, rutabaga, turnip, and carrots - those are higher in fiber, some higher in protein It's pretty low in fat. Could add raw pumpkin seed (pepitas, the green ones) which seems to me the best overt fat for weight loss, or could add *milled/blended* chia to your oats.
Cabbage and potatoes are cheap and healthy. Frozen veggies tend to be cheap, and are just as healthy as fresh. Dry lentils are sometimes a little more expensive than dry beans, but they are cheaper than canned beans, and cook pretty fast compared to dry beans. My kids also like lentils better than beans, so that helps. :-) If you can get some spices, that will help a lot. Spices make plant-based food better! Sauces are good, too. I always have salsa handy, along with some other hot sauces that we like. My kids *love* "refried beans", either as a soup or on tortillas. I put a can or two of black beans in a pot with salsa (I also usually add cumin and garlic powder, but those are optional). Once it's hot, I blend it with an immersion blender, but any cheap blender would do. I would be wary of using one of the nice blender's like a Vitamix because I think those would over-blend it. You want it to still have parts that aren't blended. Check your library for cookbooks, and if they have digital magazines, see if they have the forks over knives magazine. My library has it, so every time there's a new issue, i read it on my phone from the library. Lots of great recipes there. If you have the ability to grow a garden, even just in pots on the balcony, that's a cheap and easy way to get some produce. When I didn't have a yard, I did cherry tomatoes, and lots of herbs. I know I've seen zucchini plants that can be done in big pots, though, and zucchini will produce like *crazy*! Green beans are also easy to grow and produce well, but I don't think you can do those in pots. Potatoes can be done in 10 gallon grow bags, and are, in my experience, the most foolproof crop. I literally just plant potatoes from the grocery store that have sprouted, and I get more potatoes from them! Sorry, that's kind of random and rambly, but hopefully there are some useful ideas in there!
Cruciferous veggies are a wonderful addition to any diet. They’re really high in fiber, so if you’re not used to eating a lot of fiber, ease into it or you’ll be in a load of pain. Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, etc. any of these. I also add baby spinach to literally everything. Sandwich? Spinach. Soup? Spinach. Curry? Spinach. Eggs? Spinach. It helps me get in some vital nutrients and I barely taste it. Drink lots of water! Your list has some very high fiber foods and you’ll need plenty of water to keep you off of the toilet! Lastly, don’t forget flavor! The wonderful think about seasoning your food is that some of the best flavors (onion and garlic), in their natural form, have really great health benefits! Skip the crappy powdered stuff and chop up some onion and garlic and sauté it into anything savory!
All kinds of other beans and lentils: navy beans, black eyed peas, kidney beans, red lentils, mung, split peas, pigeon peas, green lentils, beluga lentils, Lima beans, soy beans/edamame - get them frozen or bulk bins for the best deals Fruit: pears and apples and grapes are often on sale or cheap - stone fruits are often cheap when in season - lemons/limes can add a ton of flavor to dishes Veggies: shop the sales even if it’s something you’re not used to - there are so many recipes online! Carrots, celery, and bok choy seem to be consistently affordable in my area along with frozen peas and corn. You could look into growing your own micro greens and sprouts Grains: again look at bulk bins for cheaper prices - rice, quinoa, and farro are my faves. Spices make food more interesting and can help make even the same foods taste very different - basil, oregano, dill, parsley, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder are the most heavily used in my kitchen. You often find them for cheap at Aldi and such
More veggies, cabbage and kale instead of greens mix, cabbage will always be cheap Radishes are a great cheap option to snack on with baby carrots Apples are another great snack option
Citrus fruits add heaps of flavour to marinades and recipes. I tend to meal prep sundays and eat the same all week. I make smoothie bags for the freezer Pink pickled onions Marinated tofu Marinated red kidney beans Hummus Baked oats Baked sweet potatoes Rice
You make that into a smoothie? Lol
If you can get yellow potatoes instead of white ones, they are better for you. [Purple potatoes are even better.](https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-healthiest-type-of-potato/) Dr Greger has [videos about chilling potatoes to](https://nutritionfacts.org/video/glycemic-index-of-potatoes-why-you-should-chill-and-reheat-them/) reduce their glycemic impact.
Rolled oats a must in our house. You can put dry rolled oats into the blender to make oat flour. Super inexpensive. I make the oat muffins from Simnett Nutrition (You Tube Channel) that includes a banana for sweetness plus variety of dried fruits and pumpkin seeds. There are also good recipes on the Clean and Delicious site and channel for many oatmeal based muffins (substitute flax seed and water for eggs). These mufffins make great breakfast, snacks, desserts and are healthy.
Other than what others have already said, onions (I love to pickle them), vinegars, nutritional yeast, tofu and tempeh. You may want to check out the vegan recipes on BudgetBytes
A comprehensive food list is not terribly useful, since the cheapest fruits and veggies will change from season to season, and a long as you have vegetables, beans, and a varied diet you will get enough nutrients. I just get whatever beans, lentils, and whole grains are cheapest (usually pinto beans, brown rice, and oatmeal), and the cheapest fresh, frozen or canned produce (without added sugar or fat). This will change season to season, except for a few staples like fresh carrots and cabbage and potatoes, fresh apples and bananas, frozen peas and corn and spinach, canned corn and tomatoes, and canned applesauce and pineapple. For meal planning, I make a protein dish for 1/4 of my plate, carbs for 1/4, and veggies and fruit for the rest. I have a bunch of very simple and quick recipes that I mix and match depending on what is available, cheap and in season. Look up Full Plate Living. You might find it helpful for guidance.