[vixjean]

Hi, I am here to confess, I eat out, ALL the time!!
Lets start with dinner meals, that will save me 20-35 $ a day, can you imagine?

Please help me make a grocery list for dinner meals, about $100ish. I need to cook things that are fresh, but also,when money is tight - I need to have things to whip out of no where for my and my bf for dinner. So, trying to double or even triple my money I guess. So make $100 last about 10+ nights.

Also want to work on healthy snacks too!

Let me know what you think ladies.

[vixjean]

Here is what I am thinking:
frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts
can corn
can green beans
whole grain rice a roni - (to make a chicken and rice dinner) - 2 nights?
pasta noodles
pasta sauces
low fat cheeses - (to make a chicken and pasta dinner) - 2 nights?
(so that is about 3-4 meals)
cans of stew tomoato
package of fresh veggies - (stew mix of veggies) - 2 nights?
zuccini
sausage - (to make stew)

Hows this? What else?

[zenor77]

I would buy frozen veggies versus canned. The nutrients are preserved better with freezing and you don't have the added salt. Frozen veggies can even be better then fresh at times.

Also, why not buy a 2lb bag of brown rice instead of rice-a-roni? It'll go farther and be cheaper. You could use it as a side using spices and broth to make it tasty or you can make a stir fry to go with plain rice. Leftover rice is also good as a breakfast, reheated with milk and a pinch of cinnamon.

As far as chicken, I find whole chicken to be a better deal $$$ wise then pieces. When I buy a whole chicken (look for sales) I cut it up into legs, thighs, breasts, breast tenders (the under part of the breast that likes to detach anyway), and wing "drumettes." I then take all the leftovers (back, giblets, wing tips) and I make a batch of chicken broth by throwing it all in my 6qt crockpot with water, onion, celery, a bay leaf, and a splash of vinegar (it help to dissolve the calcium in the bones.) Once the broth is cooked I take the chicken leftovers out and remove as much meat as possible, I save this for casseroles and soups. I can get enough meat for at least 4-6 meals out of one whole chicken.

Canned tuna and canned wild salmon are good cheap sources of protein as are eggs. I make salmon patties quite frequently.

You might also want to try shopping in different types of stores. Ethnic markets can have some amazing deals and health food stores/co-ops usually sell staples in bulk at great prices.

If you like salads, greens are very easy to grown and take little space. I have three small pots on my porch right now with arugula, mizuna (Japanese mustard green), and turnips. Seeds are on sale everywhere right now.

Oh, and whole wheat pasta is a good deal when on sale too.

If your library has a copy, check out The Tightwad Gazette. She has a lot of great ideas for saving on groceries.

[msroboto]

You may need to buy some things to get you going that might put you over the 100.00 mark initially.

I would suggest getting a new selection of spices you can do a lot for very few calories with spices.

Sea salt
Pepper
Cumin
Red pepper
Cayenne
Rosemary - may want fresh herbs for this when you are using it but nice to have some dry in case you want to throw some in.
Oregano
Garlic Powder - same fresh is better but sometime nice to have
Onion powder or flakes

Also, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar

with the spices you can whip up some real lowfat salad dressings.

[SkinnyGina]

Beans
Rice
Oatmeal
salad stuff
Not glamorous but it will save you a ton of money Its primarily what I live off of.

[WebRover]

Start by looking at your grocery store's weekly flyer - if it's not in your paper, it will be online. Pick 2 or 3 low-fat meats that are on sale. If one is a staple that you'll be sure to use week after week, buy a couple of extra packs and freeze the ones you won't use right away.

Pick fresh and frozen veggies that you will eat.
Leftover cooked but now cold veggies are good additions to salads.
Canned beans are inexpensive and good additions to salads and as side dishes.
Salsa (check the sugar content) can make veggies, meats, beans, and salads tasty.
Plan just a few days of meals. There will be leftovers. And if you are used to eating out, you will want to be able to do it once or twice without food spoiling.
Cook something(s) that can be planned as leftovers. Leftover chicken or lean beef on a salad or sandwich. Leftover chicken or seafood as a salad (with chopped onions, a little mayo or low-fat cottage cheese as a binder)
While you're preparing and eating dinner one night, make up a big batch of brown rice. Separate it into single servings and/or family sized servings. Set one aside for tomorrow's dinner. Freeze the rest flat in Freezer bags. Now you can have brown rice for a meal without the long prep time. Reheat in the microwave. Add veggies and/or meat and beans for a meal.
Roll up leftovers with extra veggies or romaine in a whole grain tortilla. Put the extras in the freezer for another week.

Only plan one complex dish for a meal. Grilled meat with a veggie or two. Make one veggie reheated from frozen, one from fresh involving prep work, meat plain or with a simple marinade. If it's too hard, you won't want to do it.

Have a plan for everything on your shopping list. Prep and eat according to plan.

[sweettart08]

I just wanted to let you know that I spend $150-175/week on groceries for my family of four...that includes EVERYTHING (paper products, dog food etc...)......and we don't eat top ramen EVER My point is that your $100 for 10 healthy dinners for 2 is definitely reasonable. Here are some things that I make on a regular basis:

Spaghetti:
Whole Wheat Pasta
Ground Turkey (1/2 lb is plenty!)
Sauce (somedays I make from scratch...others I just use the healthiest jar I can find!)
Grated Parmesan

Taco Salad:
Ground Turkey w/ taco seasoning
Beans (black, kidney or pinto)
Lettuce/tomato/onion
Low-fat cheese and/or fat-free sour cream
Salsa
We like fat-free catalina dressing too!!

Taco Soup:
Ground Turkey
Kidney and Pinto beans
Frozen corn
Tomato Sauce / Diced tomatoes
Taco Seasoning

Eggs and potatoes:
My hubby and boys eat real eggs and red potatoes, I make a seperate pan of egg whites and sweet potato for me.

With Chicken, I either bake it or bbq and serve with salad, rice, etc...or cut it into strips for fajitas, chicken soup, stir-fry, etc....We tend to eat alot of one dish type stuff (i.e. casseroles) which I know may not be "ideal"...but it works for me...I find all kinds of creative ways to "healthify" things

I have a weekly shopping list that I keep and use pretty much everytime, adjusting things as needed.