I'm a student in college, so I'm sure you can imagine money is a bit tight for me. Does anyone know the best way to get low-calorie foods at the cheapest price without compromising quality? I know that veggies and fruit are a must and usually they aren't too expensive, but chicken is on the expensive side (for me at least) and so are the foods that are "diet-friendly". Any suggestions/tips would be most appreciated!
I don't have a ton of suggestions, but I wanted to suggest that you not forget about the dark meat of chicken, which is usually a lot cheaper. Assuming you like the flavour and texture of chicken thighs, etc. The calorie differences between white and dark meat are greatly exaggerated (especially if both are skinless), and it's still much healthier than a lot of other meat.
Checkout the shoestring meals forum. There are tons of tips there.
Chicken thighs and leg-quarters are often cheap and if you don't eat the skin, the calorie difference isn't that different from white meat.
I even make "hot wings" from thighs, but cutting the thin into two or three pieces parallel to the bone (so one piece gets a bone, and the other two pieces will be boneless).
A crockpot is great too, because that's where you can really save money and calories. If you're living in the dorms, that might not be feasible.
I'd really recommend checking out amazon.com for a copy of The Complete Tightwad Gazette and similar books - and search for college student cookbooks (some are healthier than others) and for cookbooks on the topic of cheap, healthy cooking.
Not all the recipes will fit some people's idea of healthy or of quality, but they will give you ideas.
I've even checked out "feeding a family on a budget" cookbooks and websites, even though I mostly only cook for myself (hubby and I have different food plans, so we have a "fend-for-yourself" policy).
I don't have a ton of suggestions, but I wanted to suggest that you not forget about the dark meat of chicken, which is usually a lot cheaper. Assuming you like the flavour and texture of chicken thighs, etc. The calorie differences between white and dark meat are greatly exaggerated (especially if both are skinless), and it's still much healthier than a lot of other meat.
Thanks for the info! I never knew that. I'll have to try it out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaplods
Checkout the shoestring meals forum. There are tons of tips there.
Chicken thighs and leg-quarters are often cheap and if you don't eat the skin, the calorie difference isn't that different from white meat.
I even make "hot wings" from thighs, but cutting the thin into two or three pieces parallel to the bone (so one piece gets a bone, and the other two pieces will be boneless).
A crockpot is great too, because that's where you can really save money and calories. If you're living in the dorms, that might not be feasible.
I'd really recommend checking out amazon.com for a copy of The Complete Tightwad Gazette and similar books - and search for college student cookbooks (some are healthier than others) and for cookbooks on the topic of cheap, healthy cooking.
Not all the recipes will fit some people's idea of healthy or of quality, but they will give you ideas.
I've even checked out "feeding a family on a budget" cookbooks and websites, even though I mostly only cook for myself (hubby and I have different food plans, so we have a "fend-for-yourself" policy).
Thanks for pointing me to that forum! It looks pretty helpful. And those cookbook suggestions look great...I'll have to check them out too.
I recommend eating a lot of beans. They are very filling and super cheap, especially if soak and cook them yourself. Beans are healthy as well at most kinds being around 100-130 cals for 1/2 cup. They're full of protein and make a great meat replacement.
And as far as produce goes, if you have a farmers' market nearby go there to shop. Farmers' market prices are usually lower than the grocery store prices.
Beans, rice, potatoes. Those are our staples when we don't have food stamps. Then I figure out what are the cheapest fresh foods for the week. I make sure we have some lettuce and then usually apples and bananas or oranges.
Whole wheat pasta is a great one too.
Then I get creative with the beans, rice, potatoes and pasta with spices herbs and sauces.
I honestly stay away from a lot of meats when we don't have much money for food. During those times we might eat meat once a week. But the beans, rice, potatoes and pasta all make up for the protein loss of meat. I keep an eye on those and different nutrients and make sure we're getting it all. We do completely fine.
I know not everyone can do it. But sometimes it comes down to fresh veggies or meat. I honestly prefer fresh veggies and fruit over meat any day of the week. When I do buy meat it is sparingly and I thin it out. Tacos with beans mixed in. A chicken breast chunked up in some bean chilli.
Bring lunches with you to school. Eat out as minimally as possible. This definitely takes advanced prep, but will save you a TON!
Anyway, there is my 2 cents in ideas. A lot of it is just getting creative. I will also be checking out the shoestring forum. I didn't know it exsisted! HA!!
Calorie counting does not need to be expensive. Watch the newspaer for ads at the various supermarkets. I see you live in California as I do. Safeway often has specials, buy one get one free, they will usually have several of these in the store at any given time. It could be anything, meat, produce or household products such as laundry detergent, toilet paper, etc.Shop the sales. If you live in Southern California look for Von's they are the same as Safeway.Buy fruits and vegies that are in season. I do not spend a lot of mobey on food to be a calorie counter, I watch for special sales and save where I can.
When it gets a little colder, try out some homemade soup recipes. You can usually make them cheaply, they freeze well, they're filling, and most are nutritious and low in calories. I often make a winter minestrone soup (found on foodtv.com --Giada DeLaurentis), split pea, or lentil soup.
Do you like tofu? It is always on sale somewhere, and its a cheap source of protein. There are about a billion ways to prepare it. My favorite way (which is super cheap) is to saute up some onions and garlic, and mushrooms, add crumbled tofu, and some red pepper flakes, and then add in some leafy greens (kale, chard, spinach.) Voila! Dinner is served.
Eggs are cheap, too. One large egg is only 70 calories.
I always shop at numerous supermarkets! And I have a discount card for each of them. I look online at 3-4 local supermarkets and look at the circular. I shop around that. I also go to the Farmers Market and buy produce. It's cheaper & sooo fresh & juicy! Frozen fruit/veggies can be a cheaper alternative. I always thought that eating healthy was sooo expensive... But I didn't take into consideration that the grocery store bill may be a little higher, however, I was no longer spending $5 a day on junk at the convenience store, $5 every few days on the dollar menu, $5 every few days on ice cream, etc... So in reality, it has became MUCH cheaper!!!
Have you looked into couponing? There are sites that have forums for stores and list the deals every week for them (not sure if I can post them here). You don't have to go all out 'extreme couponing', just get things you use. It's truly been a lifesaver for me to get the whole wheat pasta, canned beans, frozen veggies and others things when I can get them free or under $0.50 with coupons and a sale allowing me to stock up and have some extra money for fresh vegetables and chicken the rest of the weeks.
Coupons and deals at drugstores can often get you free or close to free shampoo, conditioner, soap, cleaning supplies etc...if you are paying less for those items you have more for food.
Also if you have a Walmart they price match items in other sales ads...including your local grocery stores and dollar generals, so if I see produce that I want on sale at Grocery store 1 and some other produce on sale at Grocery store 2 and Soy milk at Grocery store 3 and cereal at Drug store 1, I just bring in the ads from the other stores (I circle the item with a large marker so it is easier to spot) and when I check out I show the cashier and they will price match what the sales ads say. Check with other local stores they may do so too.
I usually grab my suppermarket flyers and plann my meals that way. You can stock up on meats that are on sale and cook it all at once and then freeze it in preportioned amounts so you can have a quick meal.
Ooh, ooh. Make just about any kind of canned beans with about a half a packet of taco seasoning (both of these items dirt cheap), and you can have a pretty low-cal and extremely delicious meal.
Cook up some onions and sprinkle with some reduced fat cheese...om nom nomz!
Counting Calories on a Budget?
