Ok, I've heard and read about all sorts of diets and low-fat recipes, but how about something for the financially impaired? Everything is so expensive! The healthier it is, the more it costs. I count my pennies just to get the bills paid and *have* food in my fridge, why should I have to break the bank to lose weight?
Since I'm not sure what an Aldi is, I am guessing not. Beans and eggs are cheap, but I can't live off those. Well, technically I could, but realistically, I would get very bored and I would stray. Is it possibly to have a wide, varied diet that is cheap?
mandalinn, my budget changes all the time, but generally I have about $50 - $70 I spend on food for 2 people for a 2 week period.. so that's about $25 - $35 a week for 2 people. This usually only leaves room for really cheap quick fix things that aren't healthy at all. I'm hoping this will change soon, my husband and I are just now starting to pull out of debt.
ladybug, yes.. I am military, and I do shop at the commissary sometimes, although I find that Wal-Mart is actually cheaper on most things because of the Great Value brand.
Watch the newspaper ads , also use coupons when you can. I count calories so my shopping is not a whole lot different then before, in fact I save a lot by not buying donuts, candy, icecream and other fattening foods.
So lets assume that all meals have to cost under $3.50 or so for 4 servings. That will get you both dinner and lunch the next day, and leave you a bit left over for breakfast and other needs. I'm basing my prices on Safeway in my area, which is probably a bit more expensive than Wal-Mart in your area.
You are going to have to adjust to some new staples. Frozen veggies, dried beans, brown rice, and fresh veggies only when they can be fit into your budget, but this can be done!
A couple of meals off the top of my head that'll work on that budget - veggie frittatas (mix 4 whole eggs, 8 egg whites, some cooked frozen veggies, and a little bit of cooked pasta (2 servings - 1 quarter of a package) in a big bowl. Pour into a PAM-sprayed skillet, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the center is set - then broil in the oven until the top is browned and crunchy). A dozen eggs (about 1.50 where I am), maybe 25 cents worth of pasta, and a dollar worth of frozen veggies, and you have a high-protein meal for approximately 2.75.
Beans are about to be your new best friend. 9 servings (2 meals worth) of dried beans costs about 1.25 in my local stores, so you're talking about 66 cents or so for four servings of dried beans...you can do a lot with them! I've made white bean soups (frozen or fresh veggies, canned chicken broth, and lots of white beans, soaked and cooked), red beans and rice (cooked beans with chili powder, onion, and garlic, served over a serving of brown rice, which costs about a dollar for 10 servings, or 40 cents per meal). Even with the onions and chili powder, you're talking about 2 dollars or less for that 4-serving meal, meaning you can probably find room in the budget for a side salad to get some more veggies and help round out the meal. Anything you can do with brown rice and beans is going to help you out budget-wise...and beans have tons of fiber and protein!
Have you tried making your own for some things that are more expensive? It costs 3 dollars minimum to get a loaf of 100% whole wheat bread, but making it at home with yeast, whole wheat flour, and a few other cheap ingredients you probably have on hand costs less than a dollar and you can slice it thinly to get lots of servings...and once you have the bread, you can use it for sandwiches on the cheap with turkey breast deli meat, mustard, a little lettuce, pickles, whatever. Again, throw a side salad with that and you have a meal that is cheap, healthier than convenience foods, and delicious.
And then you have the pastas...yes, whole wheat pasta is a little more expensive than white, but it still isn't that expensive...my grocery store sells 8-serving bags for 1.50, meaning you pay 75 cents for a meal's worth of pasta. One of my favorite budget-friendly things to do is to bulk out a serving with frozen spinach. A box is about $1.25, so our total so far is 2.00 for the pasta and the spinach. Add half a box of frozen broccoli spears (1.50 for the box, or 75 cents for the meal) and warm through. You can make one of several quick sauces...my favorite involves thickening up some canned chicken broth and lemon juice (bottled or fresh is fine...one lemon costs me no more than 50 cents, usually. ) with a few pennies worth of flour and a small bit of fat. Just take 1 tbsp butter or margarine, melt it in a saucepan, and add 1 tbsp of flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or two. Remove from heat, then whisk in a can of chicken broth (buy on-sale! Its usually 50 cents or so...stock up!) and your lemon juice, and if using fresh lemon, the zest of the lemon. Add salt and pepper, return to heat, and bring to a boil - it should thicken up nicely. Pour that over your pasta and veggies and yum! You could also cook up some cheap canned tomatoes and use that for a sauce. The whole recipe for 4 servings costs 3.75, less if you get sale prices on some of the items.
So there are some ideas for you. This is going to be a challenge, but it is ABSOLUTELY do-able for you.
Jelly D Fish, counting calories is free and you absolutely do not need to get "bored" with beans and rice and veggies! Use herbs and spices, vegetable broths, sauces, salsas, purees and so on, to flavor it up healthily, without adding unneeded calories!
I also wanted to add that not all vegetables and fruit are expensive, either. Bananas are usually always cheap...as are bags of salad and baby carrots. (Baby carrots go on sale often around here for $1 a bag...)
The key for me, is to check the ads each week, and see what is on sale. If corn ears are 6 for $2, then I get some. If bags of potatoes are on sale then I pick one of those up. (For baked potatoes-not fried, etc.) Whatever produce is abundant/in season at the time is going to be the best priced-so check the ads!
Diet Dollars
