Serious Eating healthy on a budget

Stagnant

I've always had issues with poor eating habits. I eat either too much or not enough along with a hodgepodge of other poor eating habits. I really struggle at lunch time when fast-food is hot, 'cheap' (its really not) and filling. So I've listed out the 4 key points that I want to achieve.

1. Healthy: Not processed, no ramen diet.
2. Cheap: No more $5 meals.
3. Convenient: No excessive ingredients and cook-time.
4. 'Full' feeling: I'll eat until I feel full. (I'm a fast eater)


For me, personally, I'm not a picky eater in the slightest. That is a non-issue. I just need guidance on a healthier, cheaper eating style(?).

So how can I achieve this goal?
 
Canned tuna, oats, fish, milk, canned veggies, potatoes, eggs, brown rice,

These are some food I can think of that are healthy and cheap. A general rule of thumb is to eat "real" foods. What I mean by this is that you shouldn't eat or drink anything processed. Candy, chocolate, and crisps are all processed garbage, and don't fill you up. Eat any meat you can get your hands on, because protein is so good for you.

If you want a "full feeling" kinda feel, I suggest eating protein, veggies, and beans. Protein fills you up on fewer cals, veggies have minerals which are essential, and beans contain some protein and a lot of fibre (which fills you up on fewer cals). Also drinking water has many benefits. It has essential minerals, fills you up on on little calories, keeps you hydrated, and makes you stronger.

By the way, what are your goals? To be healthier, do get bigger muscles, to be stronger, etc. regardless of your goal, you need consistency and exercise to see any results. Good luck bro.
 
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A canned Tuna soaked in Brine has around 20 grams of protein. Add some olive oil, lemon juice and you made yourself a delicious meal. If you want you can throw some baby tomatos in the mix and some green olives.

Edit: You also can't go wrong with having Almonds nearby as the go to snack, and having a honey jar and taking a tablespoon at least once a day is a good way to stay healthy. PB is also rich in protein and can be used as a snack with a spoon or to make sandwiches from.
 
Just... regular veggies and potatoes?
I don't see what the problem is.

Truth is, humans don't need meat for every single meal-- this saves a lot.
You can just put cheese on your potato, it will be fine.
Beans are a good protein source too.

I put mushrooms in my food for extra vitamins and other nutrients.
 
Get a vacuum sealer and purchase meat in bulk, which can be done on the cheap. Vac seal individual portions and store in the freezer for when you are ready. It will last for years and will taste as fresh as the day you got it.

(the reason most food tastes terrible when frozen is because it has been improperly stored, and has dried out due to freezer burn)
 
Portion control is every bit as important as the types of foods you are eating, so learn it. It will be challenging at first because you'll still feel hungry after eating, but after a couple of months your appetite will adjust to the new routine and you will be satisfied. This is how I was able to put a halt to my steady weight gain and get it back to the point I wanted it. This also will help you if you're on a budget, because you'll be eating less and therefore your food stock will last longer.

Make sure, if you make this change, you supplement your diet with vitamins. Reducing your food intake will mean you have to be more deliberate about your food choices.
 
Your best bet is lots of legumes and grains if you want to get a lot of protein/health while on a budget. Canned tuna is good, but don't overdo it because mercury :/. I'd also recommend canned salmon, you can make it into salmon burgers if you're feeling frisky ;)

Other than that, all types of beans are really healthy and cheap, as well as brown rice. If you can, try and replace your pastas with healthier grains like millet or quinoa.

For veggies + fruits, try getting one of those boxes where they send you stuff every two weeks. It's not the most reliable, but it's pretty cheap.
 
canned tuna is still relatively expensive if you're talking about dry weight. also, people seriously overestimate the amount of protein they need: there's NO need to eat meat every fucking day unless you're bodybuilding

also, don't eat quickly. there's a delay between eating and being full during which time you can eat whatever, so just eat more slowly and you'll feel full without eating as much. i know you said 'i like to eat quickly' but then it's like asking 'how do i lose weight without exercising or cutting down calories' - eating speed is intrinsically linked to how much food makes you feel full
 
One important thing is, even on a budget, eat three square meals a day at specific times.

Eating breakfast ensures that you won't be as hungry come lunchtime, and you'll actually eat less. Eat about as much for lunch as for breakfast, and you'll be less likely to have small snacks before your dinner. For dinner, you can eat a bit more, but not substantially more than breakfast or lunch. In fact, eating dinner at about the same time every night will get your body used to falling asleep at a certain interval after eating, and you'll be less hungry in the night and need a "midnight snack."

Oh, and don't eat quickly if you're going to eat until you're full. Eat slowly, and stick to foods that can make you full while eating less, like grains and oats. Rice will be your best friend.
 
Fresh Vegetables are actually a pretty expensive commodity. One thing I've liked to incorporate in cooking recently:

wakame_2.jpg

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2766/2


Wakame is a type of seaweed commonly used in Miso Soup or other Japanese foods. It's actually got a similar mix of vitamin content to vegetables, and some nutrients you WON'T get in your traditional leafy greens. From nutrition facts:

The good: This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Riboflavin, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Copper and Manganese.

The bad: This food is very high in Sodium.

^However, the sodium point isn't even true for raw seaweed that hasn't been put in miso soup.

The Pragmatic Strong Points:
-Wakame is cheap: A $10 bag will come with almost a cup of the stuff, where as a half-a-handful of dried Wakame will expand in water to form volume and nutrient quantity of a small salad. To put this in perspective: This 10 dollar bag of seaweed can supply the volume and nutrient content of about 2 months worth of romaine lettuce.

-Wakame is a dried food that lasts forever. You never have to worry about whether it's going to "spoil". If you're like me, and you find it a pain in the ass to sometimes manage the purchase and consumption of fresh vegetables against their expiration date, Wakame is a pragmatic substitute that never spoils and can supplement anything with vitamins.

-Flexibility in cooking/easy to eat: Unlike salad vegetables, which can get tiring and take a lot of work to eat, Wakame is extremely flexible from a culinary stand point, and also easy to consume. Whether you put it in traditional Miso soup, or use it in a cold salad, or just chuck it in just about any dish that uses any kind of soup, stew, or sauce, (works well in marinara suprisingly), this is an easy and convenient way to boost the vitamin content of the other stuff you'll eat on a regular basis. Hell, cup Ramen becomes that much healthier just buy throwing in half a handful of Wakame.

-Wakame, while easy to eat, is a very filling food when wet. It will make you feel "full" more quickly than traditional vegetables (due to the high water content it absorbs), so it's an ideal food for weight loss.

-Wakame, is a very non-filling food when dried. Try mixing it with your chips or popcorn or something.
 
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GCSChris said:
If you literally follow this and only this you will notice results surprisingly quickly. OJ ftw
Also always eat breakfast.
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This. I stopped drinking soda altogether for about a month, and found I had more energy, and just generally felt better (plus I lost a little bit of weight too). If you're drinking a shitload of soda right now though, don't just go cold turkey; withdrawals suck.
 
I mean if you don't mind eating the same thing every day, here's a suggestion that I kinda followed back when I was at home (parents cooked a lot, so I didn't have to worry too much about food).

Buy a few loaves of bread, some sliced ham / turkey / beef, some lettuce, and tomatoes. $20-30 could probably last you a week. Breakfast: that plus a glass of milk or juice or both. Lunch, same. Dinner, actually noodles (not ramen) are really good and relatively cheap. Just boil some water, stick in the noodles, some lettuce, bok choy, tomatoes, maybe crack an egg every once in a while. It's not too complicated since you just let stuff sit and stir in a while.

Also, nuts for snacks instead of Cheese-its and Goldfish. As good as those are, they are really fluffy and only deceptively filling.
 
GatoDelFuego said:
Drink water, orange juice, milk, whatever, just don't drink soda. It goes a long way.
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I really recommend cutting out even fruit juice except as a rarity. I drink only water and tea (milk in the tea + cereal), and hot chocolate and fruit juice are rare treats for me. Most fruit juice is full of sugar and eating the actual fruit (an orange or a nice juicy apple or whatever) is very satisfying and healthy and a good snack if you're really hungry. Fresh fruit is expensive but it's very nutritious (and feels so good) and an important part of a good diet, so it's worth buying and substituting your favourite delicious but shitty snacks out for. I don't know if this is just impossible for everyone else though because I really like water more than the average person. Either way I really echo getting rid of soda, you're spending money for nothing but unhealthiness.

You shouldn't overload on nuts but certain nuts in small portions aren't bad snacks at all (almonds, walnuts). I'm also a fan of stuff like blueberries because they're really easy to eat (this is big for me because I'm lazy and can't cook) and taste super good imo. I like popcorn but don't put loads of butter or salt or whatever. It's not the staple of a balanced diet but if you resist the temptation to prepare it with unhealthy things it's some nice variety from rabbit food. Also you can't go wrong with eggs. Tasty, not hard to prepare, satisfying, and nutritious. I've been told many times rice and stir-fries but not that big a fan QQ

Obvious but: make your own lunch and take it with you. Spend the extra time to cut down the money and unhealthiness from fast food. If stuff like buying chips is an issue then take nuts or whatever in a ziplock bag, or a muesli bar or something (if there's nowhere you can buy cheap healthy food from near your school or work or whatever you implied). Carry around a water bottle to keep hydrated (sometimes I find myself feeling hungry when really I'm just dehydrated) and avoid spending on bottled water or overpriced cans of soda. I know I get boredom hungry as well so if that's an issue for you find some way to resist that / nip the boredom in the bud...

I talk a lot about whatever unhealthy snacks I'm eating or craving but the truth is that the thing I probably eat most is fresh fruit. lol I could do a lot better, but at the periods in my life when I've eaten healthiest, I've felt pretty good. Remember to keep up a variety of food though, if you're working on a budget that might be hard but speaking from experience vitamin deficiencies make you feel reaaaally shit so you should definitely ensure you're getting all the major vitamins.
 
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I recently got a juicer and have found that I am now tearing through fruit with gusto. Making it yourself is an amazing way to make sure that you are only getting the natural sugars (which are still bad in excess, but is alot better than the alternative) while still getting the vitamins.

As for meals, breakfast and lunch are very simple and have been covered in other posts. Pluffles, as always, has made an amazing post.

So time for Brammi's list of great and healthy meals and tips for low budgets.

Eggplant - I hate eggplant, but if you want to make yourself something that uses mince as a base, eggplant makes a great alternative. If you're working with strong flavours then you won't even be able to tell it's eggplant, I use it for pasta sauces myself.
Your Grill - Pretty much every oven has a grill on top of it. Cooking on a grill is a brilliant way to cook meats without cooking them in their own fat as it will drip into the tray instead. Simple herbs on lean chicken when cooked over a grill is a brilliant way to bring flavour onto a rice bed and it's good for you as well.
Soup - Root vegetables and stock. Add lentils for a great meatiness as well. If you get a large enough pot you can start cooking it in the morning on a low heat and keep it going throughout the day. The true beauty of soup is that you can easily make it in huge amounts and it is a very easy to store meal. If you get a bit hungry throuhout the day you can grab yourself a small portion of soup to tide you over. The other main plus is that it requires no skill because it's about slow cooking, and that you can put whatever you want in it. Whatever is on sale in terms of vegetables is prefect which allows to get whatever is cheap when you go shopping.
Rice - Is absolutely brilliant stuff. Everything can go on a bed of rice. It's filling, full of non glutenous complex carbohydrates (depends on the variety) which keeps you fuller for a longer period of time. Also when I say it goes with anything I mean it. Stick it under soup. I mean it. Shit is cray levels of awesome. Ok so the other thing you can do with rice. If you add flavour to the water you cook the rice in, the rice will absorb it. This means that you can cook say a variety of vegetables and not have to use the myraid of expensive and 'bad for you' sauces that you would normally use to add flavour to a dish.

I'v got loads more things, but I can't think of them all now, but these are a good start of tips.
 
jumpluff said:
I really recommend cutting out even fruit juice except as a rarity. I drink only water and tea (milk in the tea + cereal), and hot chocolate and fruit juice are rare treats for me. Most fruit juice is full of sugar and eating the actual fruit (an orange or a nice juicy apple or whatever) is very satisfying and healthy and a good snack if you're really hungry. Fresh fruit is expensive but it's very nutritious (and feels so good) and an important part of a good diet, so it's worth buying and substituting your favourite delicious but shitty snacks out for. I don't know if this is just impossible for everyone else though because I really like water more than the average person. Either way I really echo getting rid of soda, you're spending money for nothing but unhealthiness.
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It's loaded with sugar but at least it has vitamins, so it's a good way to wean yourself off soda.

Learn how to cook some good stews. You can take the shittiest cut of meat, slow-cook that baby for a few hours or jam it in a pressure cooker for half an hour, and it will become so tender. Then you stick it in a stew, with a bunch of potatoes (cheap) and other root vegetables. In fact, a pressure cooker is a good investment to turn poor quality meat into something decent.
 
probably already been said but I'm too lazy to read the thread so
dried legumes are dirt cheap and super nutritious.
 
inanimate blob said:
One important thing is, even on a budget, eat three square meals a day at specific times.
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This isn't true at all. Having spaced-out small meals of stuff like uncooked vegetables, nuts, fruits, chicken and grains, so basically snacking throughout the day with no main meal, is equally viable for a diet/eating habit. It's not what I follow but to say eating 3 big meals instead of small, HEALTHY snacks is the only way to go is ridiculous.

The most economical meals possible are:
Soups
Stews
Casseroles

It costs me like $60 to eat for 2 weeks when my parents go on vacation and I'm home alone. You will have a lot of leftovers, but many soups/casseroles can be frozen and taken out later, and most will reheat well. You can put a lot of grains into all 3 of these, as well as some cheap cuts of meat into soup/stew to tender them up, and don't forget beans and potatoes for hearty bulk.

There are also many very easy casserole recipes out there for people pressed on time or inexperienced at cooking, and soups/stews are very easy if you get a crock pot or something similar where you can start it in the morning, go out for the day, and come back to a ready meal. Anything that makes leftovers and can use a lot of bulky, hearty grains/veggies is very economical, and it can save tough meat pieces from being otherwise inedible.
 
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