I'm trying to save money on my food budget. What are some suggestions for eating healthy and cheap?

Question

Any web links would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I will give you some terrific websites that have a ton of ideas for cooking on a budget!!!

http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/category/recipes/
http://www.fitsmybudget.net/index.htm
http://www.miserlymoms.com/MOMfrecipes2.htm

I hope these help!

Answer 2

if you have a job then you need to pay your parents some rent, for your electric, for your groceries, for your laundry. Are you driving, catching the bus, have your own car that you'd pay car insurance and gasoline for. See the reason i ask is that because if you were responsible and paid what you need to pay then you would not have one cent extra to spend. in addition, you didn't say the amount you spend on junk food but you should not be eating out at all, and if you're talking about eating lunch out then you should be bringing your food from home. Seems to me your parents didn't teach you about "all' the responsibilities you have, have not taught you about bounds. The only thing that can stop you from spending or overspending is that you need to give to yourself a good talking to and tell yourself to stop that and then focus on something you're saving for (school, car) that you need to buy or pay for. if your problem is that you just want to be chewing something then try sugarless gum. if it's a problem of hunger then you'd need to eat more substantial food like pasta, potatoes and such. if it's a problem of having too much time on your hands then take a book with you to read, some people used to take cassette tapes on certain things that would train you to do something good, other people do crossword puzzles from the newspaper or a book, some just like calming music, or if you find yourself with extra time you could go for a short walk.

Answer 3

A good way to save money on groceries is to stay away from pre-packaged or pre-cut food. Buying a whole chicken and removing the skin and bones yourself saves a lot over buying the boneless skinless version. The same goes for fruits and vegetables. You can also try making a lot of things yourself. I find it much less expensive to keep basic baking items like flour, sugar, baking soda, butter, eggs and shortening on had all the time. That way I can just make biscuits for dinner or some cookies for a treat. Much less expensive than pre-made or bakery items.

Answer 4

The best ways are to give up all of the prepared foods, frozen foods, etc. Buy items that are simple vegetables, meats, flavors, etc. and cook from scratch.

Epecially cheap and easy to make would be stir frys. I stir fry all the time. A little meat goes a long way and the vegetables are crisp and tasty. Low fat and high nutrition! It is also very fast. I can make a chicken and broccoli stir fry for 4 for less money and faster than cooking up a frozen chinese dinner just for me... and I know everything that goes in it!

Answer 5

If you are single I have a couple of ideas.
Buy a package of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Grill them on bake them at the beginning of the week and store in a ziploc bag or freeze if your going to be really busy.
Keep green leaf lettuce or romaine lettuce on hand...You can get 4 or 5 salads out of one bunch of lettuce.
One day serve a grilled chicken salad....instead of buying premade dressings, eat salad with white wine vinegar and olive oil. Another day have frozen spinach that has been thawed and steamed with some brown rice and one chicken breast. With the third breast have a grilled chicken quesadilla. That's 3 meals out of one package of chicken breasts.
Rice, spinach, and tortillas are inexpensive.
The idea is basically to buy meats that have more than one portion that you can use to creat additional meals.
Robin Miller on the Food Network does a lot of these type meals. Check out the Food Network website for some of her recipes..

Answer 6

shop around the outside perimeter of the store,avoid end of the aisle"specials" , check out items at the top and bottom of the shelf. Oftain eye-level items cost more. Usually your healthiest foods are around the perimeter-fruits,veges,milks... avoid pre-made foods{they are expensive ,full of salt and preservatives and are fattening} Buy a freezer to buy things on special and keep-like meats that are really marked down to sell fast,breads,. A food dehydrator is nice when fruit is on sale to dry it. Grow a garden. It really saves to even have a smaller garden. Visit farmer market day too.

Answer 7

I don't know how much you have to spend or what amount you are trying to save in what amount of time, but one thing that works really well for me is to plan my meals out a week in advance and make a grocery list. Then when I shop I don't buy anything that isn't on the list and I know about how much I am going to be spending (by approximating the cost of everything on my list) for that trip.

Answer 8

Fresh produce is healthy and inexpensive. Try fresh yams or sweet potatoes, for instance. They're rich so they fill you up, they're nutritious, and very cheap. Also, big-dish meals, like a pot roast or spaghetti with meat sauce, can last you several meals and save time as well as money.

Answer 9

Buying fresh fruit and vegetables. Stay away from pre-packaged meats such as boneless chicken. Buy a whole chicken and debone it your self. Drink lots of water and buy it from the bottling machine for 20 or 25 cents.

Answer 10

Buy whole chicken at meat market or grocery store- ask butcher to cut them up
bake, boil or grill

use real rice
cheap pasta

fresh or frozen vegetables of any kind

make stir-fry
quick, delicious, healthy, CHEAP!

Answer 11

Rice is cheap, easy to prepare, and it helps you get the grain servings that the Food Pyramid recommends.