South Beach Diet - Ideas to S-T-R-E-T-C-H your dollar

As times are getting tighter, and grocercy prices getting higher, I was wondering what all the seasoned SB'ers are doing to feed the family without breaking the bank. I'm used to using rice/noodles/sauces to stretch out a meal, but all of those are no-nos on SB. Sam's club is awesome for those types of things (cream of mushroom soups for less than $.50/can, 5lb bags of pasta for $3 - even the whole wheat kind, etc) I've tried a lot of dishes I usually serve over rice and I just don't eat the rice, but I'm blanking on ideas, and don't want to have to cook two differnt meals. Sam's is good for frozen veggies too, but little variety.

How have you all fed the family without breaking the bank?

I get meat on sale and freeze it. I go to the farmer's market and freeze veggies and sometimes fruit. I stretch a meal with veggies, while not being as cheap as doing so with carby items still gives more servings per recipe at not much extra cost. We use coupons when possible, and plan exactly how much produce we need for the week so that we don't let stuff spoil.

I often use a whole chicken instead of just chicken breasts. Usually once a week. We eat the dark meat in moderation, but it's still cheaper than breasts.

My biggest money-saver is to PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!!! I plan dinners for two weeks at a time and use my grocery store's circular to plan with. All meals are based on what meats are on sale. I'm in a fairly remote area with two small grocery stores (both owned by the same people) and that results in extremely uncompetitive pricing and we don't have any coupon options unless we have them mailed from the "big city". However, since starting back up on SB religiously, we've actually cut our grocery budget by about 15 - 25%. In all actuality, it's probably more than that since I just spent a good $20 on frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts that were $1.79 lb.

The big thing is to look for sales! Your idea to put their meals over rice, pasta and etc. is great, LaMariposa, but you can take it further! Have baked potato night (if your cravings are in check) and top theirs with a broccoli-chicken saute and put your saute on top of a salad. Also, look into "vegetarian" nights. My hubby is as big a meat-eater as they come, and even he doesn't miss the meat when I make a hearty bean soup/stew. He eats his with a salad and bread and I eat mine with just a salad. I've found a great 16-bean dried soup (1 lb.) for as little as 50 cents a bag. I definitely stock up then.

Thanks for starting this thread; I'm sure we'll all get some great tips from it!

Thanks for the ideas. Eumie - Do you blanche your veggies before you freeze them? I do a lot of whole chickens too, then throw leftovers in w/ the broth to make homemade chicken broth (with less sodium) and freeze for later use - there's always some recipe calling for it! I'm having a hard time w/ subbing beans for meat (although I love them - black bean soup, kidney beans, lima beans, navy beans....yummy!) DH won't eat them for the life of him. lol. He's not picky by any means, but raw carrots and beans are not happening with him. Although as he's seeing the weight come off - he's starting to take bigger portions of veggies at dinner.

Beans, Beans, Beans!!!!
as a side dish, or as a main dish with brown rice or quinoa.
Buying grains in bulk...like cracked wheat. A little cracked wheat goes a LONG way when you add fresh veggies to it. If you have a fresh vegetable market around, I find it's much cheaper to get better quality vegs at a cheaper price.

I also like to keep bags of frozen shrimp or fish in the freezer. Easy to add some quick protein to dishes.

Oh, and eggs! They make a great quick dinner. Frittatas! Egg Frittatas are a great way to use up leftover veggies and meats in the fridge and we can usually get 3 meals out of one frittata...great for breakfast leftover from the night before. And stuffed eggs! A great "filler" on the side of a meal or salad and wonderful for a snack. I make mine with finely crumbled turkey bacon, a little mayo and some yellow mustard. What's better than bacon and eggs?

I like to make a big pot of SB-friendly chili. It's tasty, hearty, and no one suspects it's "diet food." It also lasts through several meals with leftovers.

Here's what I use:
1/2 to 1 pound of very lean ground beef
1 big can of petite diced tomatoes
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can of green chilies
3-4 various cans of beans: dark red kidney, light red kidney, navy, black, etc.

I used to love a dollop of sour cream on my chili, but have found that this is super delicious with a wedge of RF Laughing Cow cheese mixed in for creaminess.


I also have a crock pot "taco soup" recipe that is yummy and easy and not very expensive:
2 large chicken breasts
2 quarts chicken broth
2 large cans petite diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
Juice of one lime
You can add beans if you want - I don't because it seems more like chili.
Combine it all in a crock pot and let cook all day. I always put the chicken in while it is still frozen. At the end of the day, remove the chicken breasts, shred and return to soup before serving. This give a very meaty presence without using a lot of meat.

Of course, you could use beans you cook yourself and fresh tomatoes, but I'm just not that domesticated. :D

-Jasmine

Jasmine, that sounds yummy!!

re, the laughing cow....
what I like to do with it is to mash up a wedge with fresh herbs, then flatten a a boneless chicken breast and fold it over a glob of the cheese (to "stuff" it) sprinkle seasoning on top, and bake it on a sheet sprayed with olive oil. Sometimes I'll roll it in some almond flour, but it's pricey I usually save the flour for "company".

re, the laughing cow....
what I like to do with it is to mash up a wedge with fresh herbs, then flatten a a boneless chicken breast and fold it over a glob of the cheese (to "stuff" it) sprinkle seasoning on top, and bake it on a sheet sprayed with olive oil. Sometimes I'll roll it in some almond flour, but it's pricey I usually save the flour for "company".

mmmm!!! Cat, I'll have to try that! It sounds delicious, and my husband and son would probably eat it, too!

One more thing I thought of after cooking today. I got a bag of frozen vegs from target (an asian stir fry) then cut up a couple of frozen chicken breasts and a vidalia onion...added some garlic and some seasoning...pretty inexpensive. Had a cup of fresh fruit on the side (cantalope, cherries and nectarines.)

I also added some roasted pumpkin seeds and ground flax seeds to the stir fry, but not really needed. It made enough for us to eat tonight, plus more for my husband to bring to work for lunch and me for breakfast.

I use Uncle Ben's Converted rice. It's allowed on South Beach phase 2 and can be purchased in the big bag. I buy a big one when it's on sale and it lasts a long time. I just add lots of veggies to the meal as well. Bean recipes are wonderful. Sales are worth it and then freeze the extra. I do find I often make an extra shopping trip in the middle of the week to get extra fresh fruits and veggies but I buy what is on sale. I'm a single mom and right now my son is with his dad so I've been going to Costco and buying fruits there and splitting them with a friend since I can't go through them all myself before they go bad.

This topic is near and dear to my heart both because my hours have recently been cut at work and I work with child care providers who are almost always living pretty close to the edge.

Beans, including lentils, are a perfect food both in terms of budget and health. Lots of protein, vitamins and high in fiber they fill you up and are great for you. If you can buy them in bulk you will really save money. I think I figured out that 1 lb of dry beans = 3+ cans with no sodium! I've got lots and lots of links to recipes if you need them. I actually taught a class on using dried beans to feed kids last fall :) I have a sloppy joe recipe that kids love, much to the surprise of their caregivers and parents.

I'm also lucky enough to get my whole grains in bulk along with spices and flours for bread baking. Sometimes a place like a co-op or natural foods store that is more expensive in general will be cheaper if they have a bulk section.

Use local and in season produce whenever you can. Right now I get summer squash for $1/lb and chard for $1.29. I can even find local, organic tomatoes for $2.69 per. Lightly steamed shredded cabbage is a filling, healthy inexpensive base for saucy dishes. I was surprised to discover it adds almost no taste but holds the sauce quite well. It's also very filling and healthy. Filling is important because some things that seem cheap really aren't. White bread is a perfect example - if you need 4 slices to feel full then it's not as much of a bargain. That doesn't even count the health cost.

i know several people use TVP to stretch their ground meat. I don't eat meat but I'm sure someone can tell you more about that.

Make your own when you can. Homemade sauce, soups, etc are cheaper and healthier than pre-packaged.

In terms of time - on the weekends I pressure cook several lbs of beans and package them up for the week. Sometimes I freeze packages for weekends I have better things to do. I also bake bread and often make breakfast bars for the week. I also freeze and dry as much as I can. I'm a big fan of the dehydrator, but that's another story :) Finally remember that it might take your kids a little while to come around. Make your foods and mix theirs - some of the stuff they're used to and some of yours. Depending on their age it might take awhile but they will adjust and in the long run they will be healthier for it.

ETA - you can also cook brown rice in large batches and freeze in meal sized bags. Cheaper than the quick cooking version.

I have my meat/tvp recipe on my 3FC Blog

http://www.3fatchicks.com/diet-blogs/kaplods/

Most of the recipes on my blog are South Beach friendly (I/m not strictly-speaking a Beacher as I follow an exchange plan, because I have portion control issues regardless of my food choices, but if I don't follow South Beach guidelines fairly closely, I don't lose very well because I find it much more difficult to stick to my exchange plan).

Thanks for the ideas everyone! Keep them coming.

I'm really lucky in the "picky kids" department. They will eat almost anything you put in front of them, no questions asked. Asparagus, squid, eggplant, lentils, - oddball things most kids look at and go "can I have some mac and cheese?".

One question though - What's TVP? Is it an abbreviation for something or do I ask for TVP?

Sorry :) TVP is textured vegetable protein, the dry mostly soy granules that look like ground meat when reconstituted.

Farmer's Markets!!! SO much cheaper than the grocery store, plus the produce is local and, very often, organic. Most importantly, it's in season, so it tastes fantastic! You can freeze the veggies for later, or use them in soups and then freeze if they don't do well being frozen on their own. You can also get great deals on fruit that you pick yourself--plus it can be a fun activity to do with your family. :D

You can get some great deals on veggies at Sam's Club, though the whole "local" issue is at risk there.

If you cook dried beans, you can package them in containers after they are cooked and freeze them--it's much, much cheaper than cans and healthier, too!

If you get grains in bulk, try getting wheat berries and other slow-cooking grains, then cook them when you have time and toss 'em in the freezer for later. They are SO filling and good for you, but are often pretty cheap!

One great way to save money is to make things yourself. Making a homemade pizza crust is always going to be much cheaper than buying one. There was a great article on this in Cooking Light. You can find the online version here (http://www.cookinglight.com/food/everyday-menus/stretch-food-budget-00400000049819/).

One thing they noted in the article is that eating more meatless meals is a great way to save money. We've implemented that and are now eating 1-2 meatless meals a week, and it's saved us, on average, about $20/week. :yikes: It's amazing!

Another way to save money in regards to meat is buying during sales (we have a store near us that often has great meat sales), and buying items that require work, like whole chickens. I can get a whole organic chicken at our grocery store for nearly nothing. Most of my whole chicken recipes are easy "fix and forget it" ones, like roasting or leaving it in the crock pot for the day. Then I boil the carcass to make broth and/or soup, which makes another meal. It's a major money saver, though it can take a lot of time.

Hope that helps.

Kap I definitely want to try your beef(or turkey) TVP recipe Might have to snag some tvp from amazon
How long is it good in the freezer?

I had some veggie hotdog thing when camping with my sister, and the GI tract did not care for it. My sister kept thinking the baby had a dirty diaper. :( Makes me nervous to try TVP. I believe TVP was the main ingredient. And I'm someone who eats lots of beans! I haven't noticed any problem with soymilk or tofu.

I find in my area the farmers markets are way more expensive then the local grocery store. I shop the weekly sales, go to a couple different grocery stores to get the best deals. When something is on sale, I stock up.

I love to shop at my local Asian/International store, get tons of veggies, fish and tofu and almost always walk out spending with less the $30.

Good luck
Sarah in MD

My husband and I have a "system" for our groceries, and when I explain it, people tend to tell me "Oh, I couldn't do that, it's far too much work, and I don't have that kind of time," but I'm not really sure I spend that much more time shopping and cooking than I did when I was working, I just have to be a lot more organized and plan better.

My husband and I do shop at several stores for our groceries and household items, but we really only visit one or two stores in any week. Usually we plan the trips on days we're going to be going to that side of town for a particular reason, or when we're "in the neighborhood..." I think we actually spend less time shopping doing this, because instead of shopping megamarts, we're mostly shopping very tiny stores so it takes less time to shop, and the lines at the checkout, if there are any, are shorter.

We start shopping each month at a privately owned overstock warehouse (sort of a privately owned Big Lots). Anything can show up there, and the price savings can be up to 90%. However we have to be picky, because there's a lot of junk food. I won't say I'm not tempted by ten cent full-size Heath bars, but we have learned to make pretty good choices. I just finished the last of my gourmet beans I bought there about a year ago. I wish I had bought more. Each pound of beans was only 30 to 40 cents. I bought adzuki, garbanzo, pink, kidney, black, pint, anasazi (a black and white pinto type bean).

We also shop at

the Farmers' market
an oriental grocery
Aldi (never on Saturdays, it's too busy. They offer double money back satisfaction guarantees on all of their products. Prices are great on everything but some produce).
Walmart (Tuesday mornings are good for the marked down meats, and weekday evenings can't be beat for checkout, and around 10:30 they mark down unsold rotisserie chicken and fried chicken 8packs - we don't do the fried chicken anymore, though.).
Discount Bakery (don't do this anymore, because we don't eat much bread.)
Three "regular" grocery stores depending on the sales flyers and their specialties (though if you take in the flyers, Walmart will match any other store's flyer prices except gimick sales like buy one get one free).
Health food store for bulk tvp and fresh ground peanut and almond butter (our local store just discontinued the fresh ground nut butters, I'm so bummed).
Sam's Club (where we buy our prescription medications, we only shop when we're there to pick up meds. There are some good buys, but store brands and generics are often better in smaller stores. Love the organic baby spring greens, though).
U-Bake (a store that sells spices and other baking supplies, fruit, and some specialty items).
Dollar Tree (a lot of "junk," but a lot of nice items too).
County Fresh Meats (great prices on cuts of meat that are difficult to find, like beef tail and shank for making soups, and they make a lean smoked beef "bacon" that is awesome. I buy the "end pieces" at a discount.
Rudolph Cheese Factory (amazing prices on cheese, and you get to see the cheese being made)
Nueske's (a lot of expensive "touristy" items, but we buy the smoked pork chop and applewood smoked bacon "ends" at a discount. They also have some homemade sausage we love. Since we don't eat sausage often, we only buy the good stuff).


I know that sounds like a lot of places, but we don't go to every place every week, or even every month. Some we only go about twice a year.

Instead of shopping the mall for recreation, we shop the grocery stores, garage sales and second hand stores instead. Grocery shopping for fun sounds a bit odd to people, even odder when you consider that we sometimes leave without buying anything because we were "just browsing," and didn't find anything we wanted or needed.

After we move Oct 1, we're thinking of adding a trip to the nearest Trader Joe's/Whole Foods (both in Madison, WI) every few months.

Is Quorn a kind of TVP? I live in the UK. Am about to move in with 2 girlfriends - one veggie, one not. I'm a postgrad student and they're on first-job wages. This is gonna be hard. I know planning is the key, but it's so hard to find the time between research, work, housework and semblance of social life :S. There is an Aldi near us, which subject I will broach with the girls, but their stock is pretty limited (read: junk). The girls aren't really so concerned with healthy eating as I am.

Is Quorn a kind of TVP?

No, quorn is made from a fungus, tvp is made from soy.

I had some veggie hotdog thing when camping with my sister, and the GI tract did not care for it. My sister kept thinking the baby had a dirty diaper. :( Makes me nervous to try TVP. I believe TVP was the main ingredient. And I'm someone who eats lots of beans! I haven't noticed any problem with soymilk or tofu.

I have IBS and am prone to gassiness, and I've never noticed a more severe problem with tvp than other foods. In fact, I'd say that I have more issues with fresh vegetables and beans than I've ever noticed with tvp (actually I haven't noticed any problems at all with tvp).

But, like any foods that can contribute to gas or other intestinal upset, it can depend on how the food is prepared, what it's prepared with, how much of the food you eat, and how often you eat it.

I find that meat substitutes don't always agree with me, but it can be difficult to pinpoint the ingredient at fault, since many have a lot of ingredients.

My favorite form of tvp is the unseasoned granules (sort of looks like Grapenuts cereal or beige aquarium gravel). It has to be reconstituted with water and broth and then can be used like ground beef. It has so little flavor that I generally combine it with meat or use it in dishes like chili where it will absorb alot of flavor.

I did make a really good no-meat sloppy joe with tvp, cooked wheat berries, diced onion, celery, and bell pepper, a bouillon (chipotle, which may not have been veg*n, but I think it was) cube, and bottle barbecue sauce.

I made a cup of bouillon with one cube and a cup of boiling water, and added a cup of dry tvp, and let sit while I sauteed the veggies in a nonstick pan with a tiny bit of oil. Then added the tvp and a cup of cooked wheat berries (I either simmer them in 2 to 3 times as much water or broth until tender - about 90 minutes or I cook in a crockpot overnight), and added bottled or homemade barbecue sauce.

So good. Almost too good.

Wow, love all these tips and tricks to save $$ -- thank you!!!

I'm a big couponer, mix them with the weekly sales. I've been careful with the additions of fresh veggies and all, but so far I'm managing to stay within my grocery budget. Trying to combine my food with the family's, so eventually we will all be eating SB friendly foods.

I just love the health aspect of this way of eating, and glad that DH and kids can benefit as well.

Off to pick up some brown rice on sale!! :carrot:

This recipe for lentil sloppy jpes is tasty and inexpensive: http://theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=2059

The lentil sloppy joes look good -- so assuming maple syrup is SB friendly?

sadly it's not. I think I used agave with maple flavoring instead.

There's a seasoning and condiment company called Spices, Etc. Since we found the U-Bake store (sells seasonings, fruits, baking supplies - basically an old "general store" feel), I haven't ordered from them, but I'm thinking of placing an order.

They're not exactly cheap, especially in the smallest quantities, but they carry stuff you can't find anywhere else. I'm thinking of taking the catalog to family and friends so we can "go in" on the larger sizes and split them up (they also sell empty spice jars).

I like buying the extracts and flavorings (I want maple or brown sugar, butter, and about a dozen others), and also the vinegar, horseradish, wine, cheese, mushroom and stock powders. They seem kind of expensive, but they save me money in the long run on condiments. I've made a bunch of Tastefully Simple condiment clones. The powders takes up alot less space than wine and cheese would, and there's no spoilage issues.

They also make nice components for gift mixes.

A few years ago I bought the bookGifts in a Bag: Dips (Spiral-bound). The dip mix recipes and the instructions for making them into dips were on tear out pages that could be used as gift tags. You made the mix, put it in a ziploc bag, and attached the tag with ribbon or staples. There were several copies of each tag/recipe.

I never made any of the mixes in the book, but I used them as jump off points for making my own. Then I'd use my computer to design my own labels/tags for the mixes.

I thought about trying to sell my mixes, but even if you repackage seasonings it's considered cooking/food preparation and you need to be licensed/inspected by the health department. You can't make them in a home kitchen, you need a professional kitchen. It doesn't have to be fancier than a home kitchen, but you can't use a kitchen that's being used for family use (and all the utensils have to be separate too). Before I got sick, hubby and I even discussed renting a duplex so that I could use the one kitchen for my seasoning mixes and homemade jerky.

Kap I definitely want to try your beef(or turkey) TVP recipe Might have to snag some tvp from amazon
How long is it good in the freezer?

I've always run out of it before I noticed any quality drop. Usually I use it up within three months, but the "oldest" I've ever used (because I "lost" a small container in the back of the freezer) had been in the freezer for six months.

I do take extra precautions to prolong freezer life. I prefer using heavy duty ziploc bags and remove as much air as I can before returning the bag to the freezer. When we buy the chest freezer, after our move, I also want to buy a vaccuum sealer. I bought one at a garage sale about 8 years ago (in box, never been used) for $3!. I used that thing to death (in fact, it died about a year ago). I've been balking at the $60 plus price tags, but they really are great for prolonging shelf life for dry goods, produce, meats.... in cabinet, freezer, or fridge.

The six month old tvp wasn't vaccuum sealed, just in a ziploc freezer bag.

I created a new recipe tonight (use of tvp or tvp mixture, optional) and put it on my blog.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/diet-blogs/kaplods/

Except for the bottled barbecue sauce, it is South Beach friendly, so you'd need to find or make a South Beach appropriate barbecue sauce. I bet it would be good as a topping for a baked sweet potato.

This was really, really good.