If it were me, I'd get bananas, blueberries, spinach, brussels sprouts, peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage, sun dried tomatoes, grape tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Those are my go-to foods, and with the addition of broth, sriracha and rice noodles, it's about all I want to eat :)

Well, we are in this spot quite often since both of our job situations took a downturn. Don't overlook eggs. As I have seen them advertised recently as one of the least expensive sources of protein. There are so many things that you can do with eggs as well. Again, tuna is another good source of lean protein that is very versatile.

Whole wheat pasta can be dressed up or down, depending on what you have in your cupboards. By changing the sauce, you can do so much with that.

Scour the store coupons and see if there are any specials this coming week.
I have been able to find grapes, etc. on sale which is a great way to get your fresh fruit in.

Speaking of specials, see if the local grocery stores are advertising any two-for or three- for specials. We also buy the store brand of meat. We eat a lot of chicken but in our local Publix store(located in the south) we get lean pork steaks for $5 each. I grill them and they are delicious with a baked potato and steamed vegetables.

Avoid buying in the cans, cardboard or convenience foods. Eating healthy doesn't have to cost more. That in an "urban myth".I would stay away from anything that is in cardboard boxes as you are paying extra for the convenience of their packaging. Actually, Mother Nature's packaging is the best all the way around.

And, if you continue to have to deal with this issue I would strongly encourage you to start a small home garden. I live in an apartment but my front porch faces the South morning sun and it is open. I got a catalog yesterday that was showing a lot of preplanted vegetables, etc so this spring and summer I am going to try my hand on growing tomatoes, peppers, garden lettuce and some herbs. Last summer tomatoes were off the charts for cost and I went ahead and bought them because they are such a versatile vegetable, good for men to prevent prostate cancer; so I am going to try my hand at porch gardening. I have seen others do it and I shied away from it but no more.

Good luck!

What's your plan? If you do low-calorie/low-fat, maybe try to find a Whole Foods nearby. The ONLY reason I got there is to get whole [literally] grains in bulk. They have competitive prices vs Bob's Red Mill and the other grocery store brands. Steel cut oats with oatmeal is an awesome, quick breakfast (you pop it in the oven the night before), and pearled barley is a good topper for spinach salads.

If you're doing low-carb, pick anything from the meat aisle. Then, pick anything from the veggies aisle. Corn and potatoes are not vegetables. :P Don't buy anything "low-fat" or "lite" if you're low-carbing - you need to eat more fat.

She's right, I forgot the eggs!!!

I eat a ton of them, and they are a real staple of my diet.

I would buy...

- cage free eggs
- free range chicken breasts (i hate dealing with bones!)
- wild salmon
- carrots
- broccoli
- brussels sprouts
- green peppers
- onions
- grape or cherry tomatoes (if you can get them during this season)
- yams
- cucumbers
- apples
- bananas
- hummus
- chocolate almond milk (because we like it)
- organic maple syrup (for the yams and salmon)
- almond butter
- cannelloni beans
- raw cheese if you can do dairy

Okay, that probably covers $60 if not more.