A small food budget! My family really needs to eat better. Because of our schedules and food budget, we eat way too many quick meals that lack in real nutritional value. Dd12 is having some gastro issues (has an appt. for tests) and we think some type of food allergy may be part of the issue. Dairy makes worse, but taking dairy out doesn't make it go away. What are the best ways to eat healthy without going bankrupt? We are members of a produce co-op but it is not organic.
Well, I don't know what other people think, but I don't think only buying organic things is necessarily 'better'. Don't get me wrong, when I can I do buy organic. However, they also make organic cookies, cakes, etc. that are just as unhealthy for you as other foods...just because those are organic it doesn't mean it's 'healthy'...know what I mean? Have you had your daughter tested for Celiac Disease (gluten/wheat/barley allergy)? That is usually what most people assume these days when they are having gastro issues. It's becoming a common allergy, much like peanuts. To answer you original question...we try to by a lot of non-processed products. I stopped buying things like chicken nuggets/patties, fish sticks, corn dogs, etc. If we have those, I make them from scratch and use whole unprocessed meat. I buy whole grains, brown rice instead of white, etc. I tend to stock up on things when there is a big sale. Example: I buy Brownberry bread (LOVE the Oatnut), so when I see it on sale I buy 6 loaves or more and freeze them. This last week they had it on sale for 2 for $4...usually it's over $3 a loaf! Eek! I tend to make more from scratch, and it's actually cheaper that way. It takes more time, but cheaper in the long run. I just started making my own pasta with the pasta maker I got! You will never want to go back to boxed noodles again if you taste them!!! We eat a lot of salad with our dinners (romaine, cabbage, carrots). It's cheap and nutritious. I go to Sam's and stock up as well on a lot of items...esp. our meat when they have a sale. Also, when I see organic and non-processed items at Walmart or another store of the like, I get them there verses a health food store. There is a gluten-free cracker that my oldest really likes that I can get for $2 cheaper than at the local health food store! It's the same exact product, for less. I also check out the generic items a lot...we have a local generic company that has a gluten free and organic line, but charges a lot less.
If you can purchase anything in bulk, that is great! If you have to package it yourself, even better. Something to keep in mind is that cheap food doesn't necessarily mean it is unhealthy. Processed food is unhealthy. We have changed our diets drastically and eating healthy, in the long run, is now cheaper than not eating healthy. Plus, we are eating less because we aren't hungry as often. Oatmeal is wonderful! Make muffins and freeze them for breakfast or eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Make oatmeal cookies for snacks. There are healthy oatmeal recipes online. Oatmeal bread is great. A canister of off brand oatmeal runs about $2.00 or under around here and it goes a long way and is good for you. Potatoes are cheap and go far. You can make baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, add them to one dish stews, breads, pancakes, etc... Brown rice is wonderful. I am able to purchase it in bulk. While it cost a few cents more than white rice, it is full of fiber and has more holding power than white rice that breaks down faster. Does your family like tea? Tea goes a long way as far as drinks are concerned and healthier than sodas, even if you add granulated sugar to it. It still has less sugar than soda. Use pretzels instead of chips. You can purchase two bags of pretzels for what one bag of chips costs and while they are not necessarily "healthy", they are filling, healthier, and cheaper than chips. Of course that depends on the brand. Homemade beans are easy, cheap, and go a long way. You can do a lot with beans. I prefer fresh veggies but frozen lasts longer and you can find them even off season. Purchase your eggs from a friend or somebody who raises chickens, if possible. If you can't, then purchase them in bulk. You get more for the dollar. Eggs are full of protein and can be used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If dairy is a problem, try making your own rice milk. There are many recipes on the internet. Basically, make sure your meal is solid/balanced. Allow yourselves to feel satisfied but not stuffed. The one thing I have learned is that even healthy eaters can be "unhealthy" because they are still eating to much of a good thing. So portioning meals is just as important as what you eat. You will notice that if you only make enough for everybody to feel satisfied, eventually there will be a noticable difference in how much food you purchase and how much you save. You will also have to decide if the convenience of a quick, processed meal is worth compromising your health. It will take a small portion of your time to cut veggies in advance and have them ready to toss into a crockpot for a healthy, easy meal. You can still make quick meals that are healthy if you take a little time a week to prepare in advance. Bake your beans and freeze them in meal size portions for chili. Potatoes can even be cut ahead and kept in water for a few days so they last. Save the broth from your boiled chicken for rice or other meals. While planning a menu may not be for everybody, I know it isn't for me, planning menus will help you see what your planning for and help you prioritize what you purchase. Eventually you will be able to plan without a list. A list is really helpful in the beginning. The same goes for planning the meals in advance. The biggest and most important thing is mindset. You have to set your mind to doing it or it will not happen. I started slowly. I have tried for years to loss weight and eat health by jumping into it. I failed each time. Finally I started making changes, a little at a time and we are now eating better, saving money, and I have lost 75 pounds, Ems lost about 25, and Handsome has lost 55. We have also worked exercise into the equation. I have learned that eating healthy is a lifestyle. It isn't always easy, however it is a choice and it CAN be done for less that what it costs to eat processed, cheap, quick meals. Good luck!!!
OK.. let me clarify... we don't eat lots of corn dogs, chicken nuggets, etc. We eat lots of pasta dishes and casseroles, because they take little time and aren't terribly expensive. We do use whole wheat pasta. I stock up when it's $1 a box. We also use wheat bread, but not whole wheat ($$$). I don't like rice (except Spanish rice-YUMMY!), so I rarely fix it. I guess I should. I've been trying to cut out sodas, but my dh will stop and pick some up if I dont buy them. We do drink tea, although sweetened. I've been making less, because everyone will drink water if it's all we have. I buy veggie chips vs. regular (except on family game night). My kids aren't really crazy about them. We do eat pretzels, too. I try to stay out of the snack aisle. We make cookies from scratch, though those aren't great for you. I want to do more making snacks-especially for swim meets, days at the pool/park this summer. I need ideas for that. We always have some fresh produce on hand, because of being in a co-op. I buy some, but try to use what we get. If I buy, I buy frozen, except for English peas--LeSueur only!! I buy meat and eggs at Sam's, simply because there are 6 of us to feed. We aren't sure what's up with my dd12. She's been to her pedi 4 times and was on Nexium for a few weeks with no results. He's sending her to a pedi gastro but they can't fit her in until sometime in May. I have an aunt who's a Celiac, but my dd also took Accutane, which has been linked to some pretty nasty gastro disorders. I suspect we are going to have to change our eating habits for her at some point, so we might as well start eating better now.
Wow, I guess I wish I lived in a different state. The ONLY thing I've ever made from scratch that was cheaper than buying it was bread. And only after you've made quite a few batches. I even raise chickens for eggs and meat and.. those are more expensive than buying (although you could pasture them and probably get away with less graining). I did a batch of broilers, and I swear I spent $10 a bird with feed costs and shavings costs factored in. (I don't keep them for cheap food anyway- they are an insurance policy, and my attempts to be sure we eat meat grown in humane, drug free conditions. My chickens are happy birds!) I don't know if it's necessarily cheaper, but I will say if we have crackers and fruit, as opposed to chips and cookies, it lasts much longer. I have this theory :roll: that we really get 'addicted' to sugar. So instead of eating a few cookies, we eat a sleeve or a stack. With grapes or a banana, it's much easier to stop after a little bit. We eat a lot of veggies, and I skimp on meat-our bodies don't need the massive amounts we've become accustomed to eating. Gardening is a way to save money- seeds are super cheap. If you find ways to fertilize that don't involve trips to the store, you can save a bundle (again, nod to my girls here). Radishes grow incredibly fast, and even in my cold state, it's time to get the peas started. Spinach likes cold weather, as well. And if you do it right, you'll have tons of tomatoes to process in the fall to last you into winter. I apologize that I don't have any great ideas. The cost of food in my state is terrible. Finding something decent for a decent price isn't easy- and I don't even shop the organics aisles. These days, dh does most of our grocery shopping, but I nearly had a heart attack buying meat in the fall.. I just can't understand how anyone can eat on anything like a budget at this point.
The cost of living will vary from state to state. Personally, depending on the area, I find California is an expensive state to live in. This is why making our own rather than buying processed is cheaper amd healthier. As for gardening, while some things are cheaper to grow, where I live in SoCal the heat hits 116 easy in the summer and the cost of watering a garden can add up to more than the cost of purchasing veggies and fruit. Still, we have a lot of fruit trees; more for the sake of enjoying it rather than health or cost purposes because in the middle of summer, gardening and having fruit trees isn't always cost efficient. So where a person lives will make a difference for sure, unless a person produced in mass and sold what they produced, like some people around here. EDITED to add the word always.
I have IBS, it gets worse with dairy products like cheese or ice cream. (on fridays we have pizza .....so I have to make sure we don't also have anything else dairy on that day) I don't know what your feelings are about substitutes like Equal or splenda, I make a gallon of tea (Ok sammie makes it) every night for dinner and we use Equal. I also like the Crystal light packets ($1 at the dollar store) Eva just made the best banana nut muffins today...... that might be a good thought for your swim time. I can't give you the best advice on eating healthy because I can't say I do.... but yesterday I bought a new popsicle set (not the dinky kind) and I made some out of crystal light raspberry ice flavor) so you get a calorie/ sugar free snack that will help hydrate. The only real casserole I make is chicken pot pie because my family is kind of picky. I just plan one meat and 2 vegetables for most dinners. Even if I do breakfast for dinner (you can make healthy pancakes or waffles) and add fruit topping or cut fruit on the side. Make a menu---- plan quick meals for your days out and make your grocery list accordingly. I even plan snacks and desserts. Try to match up coupons to store sales. Use coupon blog sites to help. My DH really stopped drinking pop pretty much, I still like one can a day at lunch, the kids get pop if we eat out or/and on pizza day.
Excellent point, Patty. Definitely if you have to buy your water, etc, gardening could be incredibly expensive. I think also if I lived in a drier climate my garden would be a bust. I rarely water unless we are having a particularly dry spell, and our water is from a well (elect cost but don't have to pay for the actual water).
I have been trying to change our eating habits to make them healthier and have been using a lot of recipes from the site Heavenly Homemakers. So far the changes haven't broken the bank because I buy ingredient in bulk and having the muffins and etc on hand for snacks fills my kids up quickly. I will admit that what makes this inexpensive is that I make it all from scratch and it can be a lot of work.
We've tried a small garden twice. The plants will come up, but never produce anything. And it's HOT and DRY here. The water bills get crazy with too much watering! I do have a Topsy-Turvey tomato hanging. I'm going to see how that goes. I'm definitely going to start making muffins to freeze. That's a great idea. I have mini and regular pans so I can make assortments.
Months ago there was this snack/on the go recipe from RebekahG77. I made them and they were a great snack. After cooling, I cut and wrapped in plastic wrap. Peanut Buttery Bars 1.5c. oatmeal .5c. peanut butter .5c. flour (I use whole wheat) .5c. honey (you can substitute agave nectar) 1 egg (you can substitute apple sauce) Mix together, pour in a greased dish, bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. YUM!
Those will be great at swim meets. I always pack lots of raw fruit and veggies, but those will be a great source of protein and seem like a treat!
My daughter had stomach issues spanning about 4 years. We went to the pedi numerous times and were sent home numerous times. We eliminated several things, but the problem did not go away. We finally got a consultation with a gastro who did an exray of Ashley's intestines. Turns out she was terribly constipated. Yes, for that long. The gastro said 90% of his patients under the age of 18 were constipated due to sluggish intestinal movement. He had her drink something from the drug store to 'clear her out' (can't recall the name but it makes you poo). Then the next day, she bagan taking Miralax daily. Miralax is not harmful to you and you can take it daily. He said she most likely will need to take it indefinately. In reality, she doesn't take it every day anymore but will go back to it now and then when her stomach hurts again. (Oh and she did the Nexium pills with no effect, either).
The 99 cent only store and The Dollar Tree sell fresh produce and food here. I buy my butter ( Land O Lakes Real Butter ) in the 4 pack for 99 cents ( I stock up and buy 6 or more when they have it in , maybe every 3 months). The produce is from Dole and everything is fresh..I like buying there if my co-op didn't have what I needed ( like green onions, reg. onions). Coupons..I have coupons for eggs, butter , almond /coconut/soy milk , flour, etc. I try not to buy a lot of processed food or high carb foods. Most of Target's coupon are also Manufacturer's coupons. My area stores do not double coupons but I can use a coupon on reduced priced managers specials and that helps a lot. http://www.coupons.com/Couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=14997&zid=iq55&nid=10&varb=cd2973 http://coupons.smartsource.com/smartsource/index.jsp?Link=5S2ZUA6PWPEPO http://coupons.target.com/mcp/pd.cf...yHXdQqXF0Pyy5J4MM3LC E0VxgPQn&ref=nav_t_15_1 When we buy meat we buy what is strictly on sale, if its not we don't buy it. I also cut my portions, no more 6 chicken breast for 4, its just 4 ( 1 per person) or casseroles, egg bakes. No pasta here its either lentils, rice , shredded cabbage or couscous. What we get in our co-op basket is what we have with/for dinner for the week. The green chiles were 2 dinners ..stuffed w/ cheese and a layered egg/cheese casserole. Chicken salad one night, veggie stir fry ( with other veggies I had on hand), couscous with veggies and steak. We make smoothies for breakfast 4 days a week ( with co-op fruit that we freeze or use fresh), I make huge batches of waffles and pancakes ( made with buckwheat flour) and freeze those for the week. We grind our own meat for hambuger and sausages ( with casing and w/out for breakfast patties). We also make our own potato chips ( made w/ either red potatoes or sweet potatoes). I buy bread, bagels and treats at the Wonder Bread discount store..Home Pride Bread is 89 cents ( well all bread and bagels are 89 cents) , organic bread is $1.29. I just try to make everything last all week ( w/ casseroles, stir fries, rice/veggie dishes), make as much "pre" package food I can ( instant oatmeal, muffins, granola bars, cookies, potato chips, waffles, pancakes, etc) and I try to limit snacks to what we have on hand ( no quick trips to the store because we are out of something).
If you do a search here, you should find another thread from way back about being frugal with a food budget. The biggest money saver for us is probably hunting and fishing. We invested in a deep freezer to store it all in. Then I also have freezer space available for buying things on clearance or great sales. We also freeze veggies from our garden. If you are brave , you can really get some great deals at the grocery store on items close to the expiration date. Here are some ways we have save HUGE amounts of money: 1) PRODUCE Ask the manager what they do with their produce that they throw out. They don't wait until the produce is rotten to throw it out. As soon as it looks not as good as the newest produce it is sitting with, they remove it and throw it in the trash compactor. Offer to purchase this produce. A friend did this (wish I had beat her to it--but she shares) and now she gets two or three banana crates of produce a week for only $1 a box. She processes the food immediately into cans or the freezer. Lettuces she shares with others since you can't store them. 2) MEAT. There are prepackaged meats like sausage that get close to date. Offer them what you are wiling to pay (I usually end up paying $1 a pound) for the remaining packages if you take them all. That is the key, right there. You want your deal to be mutually beneficial so everyone walks away happy. In the fresh meat section, look for meat that has started to loose the red color. The manager knows that people won't buy it unless it is still bright red (after being chemically treated to stay red), so they will often make you a great deal on the grayish ones....which really just means you found ones with less chemicals, right? :lol:....ok...moving on... 3) DAIRY The same concept applies to milk, yogurt and cheese. Most of these freeze well, too. Wish I had more time....kids are waiting on me for school work. Sometimes I'm on here and forget that I'm a homeschooling mom! :lol: Edited to say....oh, and we buy our bread at the bakery outlet for $2.50 a cartful that just got taken off the shelf that day....I give a bunch away and make croutons from what won't fit in the freezer.
OH, the bakery outlet! We have one too, and it's AWESOME! I bought $30 worth of bread products there last time for only $8. LOVE that store! Sadly, they don't have the sandwich bread I like (Brownberry Oatnut), but I buy the closest thing to it as I can while I am there. lol
She's had an abdominal ultrasound that came back fine. We do have bread outlets, but when I went their bread was more than the fresh store brand. I'd LOVE to start making my own, but I'm not sure of the time commitment involved.
Hi! I haven't read all the responses, but wanted to share. DH had to...um...shape up for a military school :lol:so we had to get healthy kinda quickly around here. He did the whole two week South Beach diet (which he LOVES amazingly enough!) and I switched the kids to whole wheat pasta, brown rice, whole grain tortillias, cut out all "snacks" (ie fruit snacks, store bought cookies, things like that.) I also didn't bake because it's my hubby's temptation! Anyway, I say all that for this, my ds is a bit hyper. He has had several "people" say they think he's ADD (whatever) I will tell you that cutting out all that, and eating the way we have has changed his attitude, his hyperness, and helped his concentration. He's almost a totally new kid (in a good way...not that I want him to be different or anything.) Just a personal observation!
Amazing how the .99 cent store can have some really good stuff, I like getting spices there too, and I think it was last time we went they had some good red wine vinegar. (and muffin liners) I love that store! I miss that we don't live near the wonder outlet, the one we have isn't as good, but once in a while they put out coupons for a free product in the stupid little circular... ours is the Oroweet one.
wow wish our 99 cent store did that. Pam, sounds like you all are doing everything you can. It will come with time. To me didn't sound like you eating unhealthly. Cassroles aren't bad. Do you use a slow cooker? In south Texas in the summer time I live out of mine. No garden here. Can't afford the watering. Don't pay. Has she been checked for a ulcer?
