Healthy Eating with a Low Budget?

Question

I have been trying to get my wife to buy healthier food at the grocery store, but she says we don't have the money. I used to believe healthier food cost more but I am taking a nutrition class in college and it seems that's not necessarily true. She buys a lot of processed foods and easy-to-make stuff because she can't cook too well. (to me) I have asked her to learn how to cook a little bit from my mom so she'll know how to make things I like more but she puts it off. We have about $250 a month for two people for food in our budget and she is in charge of groceries since I work and go to school. I really care about OUR nutrition but she is not that concerned with it so she buys cheap unhealthy stuff. Are there things she can buy that are not too expensive or unhealthy to substitute? I need some examples to give her PLEASE! Also a few healthy recipes or something would be nice for her to learn. I'm not on a special low-carb diet or anything I just want to eat more nutritiously.

Answer 1

Oh, Randall. So many issues, so little time.

First off, don't try to make your wife learn anything from your mom unless she wants to. That's just asking for trouble.

Secondly, if you are wanting to change how your family eats, you'll have to be more proactive than just handing your wife some print-outs. I understand you're working and going to school, but I can tell just from reading your question that you need to be more involved with this than you might like. You'll need to help out with the cooking for a while until your wife gets into this new style of cooking, you can't just tell her to do it and leave it at that. She'll most likely need to learn how to chop and prepare these foods, so help her out. Make it fun for both of you, pop in some music and have fun with your cooking.


That said, there are sooo many ways you can eat healthy and inexpensively. Believe me, we do it. Learn what veggies you guys like, and learn ways that you like to cook them. Soups are very cheap to make. If you buy frozen veggies, you can get big bags very inexpensively and use them for all sorts of meals. Frozen chicken breasts are not that expensive. Do you have a Crock Pot? I have been looking around on the internet and found soooo many great websites for easy Crock Pot dinners, so many are healthy and easy. Usually, you toss in some meat, some veggies, and some seasonings, and the Crock Pot does the rest.

Chili is really easy to make & inexpensive- get some ground beef (I only get 93% lean), brown it in a big pot, add some canned beans (rinse the juice off them first to lower the sodium), add a can of chopped tomatoes, a small can of chiles if you like, fresh or frozen chopped onions and green pepper (budget friendly tip- buy onions or green peppers when they are on sale, chop up a whole bunch, and put them in a freezer bag. It's a pain to chop a bunch, but you'll have them for a while & can use them in many recipes), add a packet of chili seasoning and let it simmer. Couldn't be easier.

Another way to serve veggies (cheap and healthy) is to chop up a large potato (or two small) and slice an onion. Lay out a large sheet of aluminum foil. Put the veggies on there and sprinkle with just a bit of salt & pepper and a tablespoon of olive oil. Place on a bbq grill or in a 350 degree oven. Grill or bake some chicken breasts that have been marinating in Italian dressing overnight next to the packet. When the juices from the chicken are clear, your veggies should be done, too. Yummy, healthy dinner in 30 minutes or so. Or make a few hamburger patties (again 93% lean) and cook them next to the packet. If your hamburger is $3.00 a lb., make four patties, and freeze two of them for later. The two patties you eat only cost $1.50, and the veggies maybe cost $1.00 or $1.50. That's dinner for two for $3!!

I could go on all day. If I have time, I'll come back and add some more meals we eat regularly.

Good luck~

Answer 2

I don't want to start out too harsh, but....YOU could learn to cook, and trade a chore with your wife. My father in law did all the grocery shopping in their family. My mother in law did all the cooking. Be careful about the comparisons to your mother==the MIL/DIL dynamic can be very antagonistic. Actually, don't make comparisons to your mother-- it comes off as criticism, unless the comparason puts your wife in a good light

My most recent shopping tip is to look really closely at stores that sell organic and non organic foods. Many times I have found organic apples, onions and such cheaper than the regular stuff.

I am a big fan of bagged fresh spinach. It is really good for you, lots of vitamins. It can be a salad with just about any thing put on top of it, tuna salad, some hard boiled eggs, beans, etc. You can also dump it in soup and stirfrys, but it does shrivel up.

Other things I try to keep on hand:

3-4 lb bags of frozen boneless chicken breasts or thighs-this is usually the cheapest way to buy this kind of meat.

Good bread= I love sourdough, but I try to buy different kinds to keep things interesting.

Onions, especially green.
Tortillas- corn are better for you.
Cheese, at least cheddar and Parmesan.
Pasta
Spaghetti Sauce
Butter is better for you than margarine.

Sometimes spending more for just a few good things can make a big difference!
Enough for now! Good Luck!!

Answer 3

In reading your other responsed, that chicken salad sounds very good - you could even add some nuts - pine nuts or walnuts - to it to make it a little healthier.

If she buys a whole chicken and cooks it, the leftovers can go into soups, stews, on a tortilla with cheese, in sandwiches, or salads. The whole chicken is cheaper than buying parts - but only if you use ALL of the chicken. I pick all the meat off the bones and separate it into small zip-lock bags and freeze it to use later. The water I cook the chicken in, I save to use as a soup base. My grandmother taught me to do all this because she was very poor when she was young. She used every part of everything.

Frozen veggies are a good idea but so are fresh zucchini and crookneck squash which are in season right now. Stir-fry is a wonderful healthy, inexpensive meal. For the two of you, you can use 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery, 1/2 medium onion, 3 mushrooms - sliced, 1/3 of a small can of water chestnuts - freeze the remainder for soups later. Add whatever kind of meat you want (like that frozen chicken), some Napa cabbage (very good in fighting cancer, etc.) and for the seasonings use soy sauce, black pepper, a little chicken base, some oyster sauce and water. Very easy - lots of recipes on the net and how to cook it. My son's wife doesn't care to cook and when she does, she likes to use quick things - prepared foods that she mixes together. My son, fortunately loves to cook so he does the BBQ a lot and has started cooking things inside as well. He did Corned Beef and cabbage recently. He cooks stir-fry, fried rice, among other things. My son is Army and works about 12 hours a day but he still likes to cook - it relaxes him - as it always has me.

Answer 4

I like to buy groceries at the local Target. The frozen food section has frozen veggies for under $1.00 a bag. Personally, I prefer frozen because I don't seem to get to the fresh stuff in time to eat it before it goes bad. Frozen broccoli sauteed with minced garlic is quite good. Sugar snap peas are good as well, and you can just steam them to keep out fat from butter and oil. Also, you can take the frozen veggies and add them to a sauce and put it on whole wheat pasta. Ask her to buy whole wheat crackers or a multi grain cracker instead of ones made with white flour. I have found that the healthier things are more expensive, but not that much. YOu might pay .25 to .50 cents more for whole wheat pasta. Fresh celery with cream cheese and salsa make for a nice snack. It's crunchy like chips, but it's not chips. Have her look for food with a higher fiber content, those items are always better for you (there is 4 or 5 grams of fiber per serving in whole wheat pasta compared to none in regular pasta. Stay away from white flour as much as possible.; If you eat bread, get wheat or multigrain or low carb bread, these all have higer fiber content and are better for you. I also think you should try and shop with her. I always hated the grocery store until I met my boyfriend, and now we always shop together. My suggestion, so you don't go over budget, is to bring a calculator. Put in the cart everything you need and add it up. That has really helped us stop impulse buying things we don't need. Good Luck!!

Answer 5

I was actually doing some research on the subject and found out some particularly interesting things. Many people thinks of healthy as expensive or rabbit food, but actually the best and actually the easiest way to stay healthy is to eat less of the refined carbs such as pasta. They get stored in the cells up to a certaqin point for energy. When the body reaches that point it starts to store it as fat and it kills your energy levels. I know you've probably heard it all before but I have information to back it up. When you see all of these low-fat and fat-free foods out there, they are actually the things to avoid. They replace fats with complex sugars and refined carbs. They cause the hypothalamus gland to over- or in some cases under-react to what is going on in your body. It controls metabolism, fat storage, and appetite. This doesn't mean however that fat is your friend. Just certain types. As long as you stay away from fatty things like potatoe chips, pastries, and baked goods, and eat a balanced diet of meats and dairy products, you'll look and feel healthier while spending the same or even less money than usual.

Answer 6

I know what you're saying - we have 6 in our family, we live check to check, basically,but I am determined we eat well. Part of the problem is the convenience with processed foods - we need to decide NOT TO BUY THEM. You have PLENTY to cook at home and make really good nutritious meals!
Here's what I do:
No growth hormones in my milk
Farm eggs or Egglands best
Fresh fruits and veggies - esp dark greens, raw sweet potatoes, squash, etc... Look for organic, or what looks best
(Frozen if fresh is not available)
WHOLEGRAINS for bread and pasta - and organic if you can find it.
Cereals without a bunch of sugar, wholegrain
no diet soda or artificial sweetener - it's like poison
no hydrogenated fats
baked chips, not fried
use Extra virgin olive oil and safflower oils!!! SO healthy - fats are good, if they are the right fats
Look at recipes on Epicurious and FoodNetwork's websites. They have tons of fast recipes! What about 7 layer dip and chips? Baked Fish (not breaded)? Lasagna? These are not expensive!!! I use Brown rice, little red potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc... YUM! You can both do it if you're determined - go shopping together!
Hope I could help!

Answer 7

First, there are tons of recipe sites on the internet, have her use them. Look for (easy recipes). Second, i do not know exactly what she buys or cooks, however here is a few suggestions: Premade salad mixes, add shredded cheese and boiled eggs or mushrooms or whatever you like to spruce it up. Hamburger Helper?-NOT- its so loaded with sodium and perservatives. Add your own noodles, rice or whatever to the hamburger and some frozen vegetables and seasoning. If she uses box mix "Suddenly Salad" mixes- OK just use half the seasoning packet and add more carrots, celery etc for nutrition.
Simple food thats not loaded with fat and sugar and salt: Ham , egg and cheese sandwich on lowfat bread. Hamburgers and a fruit and vegetable, flour tortilla wraps- be creative they will hold any type of food you like and you can eat them with your hands.
On Sunday's help her make a few casseroles, divide into small bowls and freeze.
Here's an easy recipe: canned chicken, canned black beans, salsa, low-fat shredded cheese, flour tortilla shells, (vegetables such as peppers, onion, black olives)
spread some drained beans, some chicken, salsa, cheese, and veg on shells, wrap, toothpick, put salsa on top bake until hot;-its tastey and quick.
I could go on and on, however you get the idea. You can make things at home fairly quickly and they taste so much better than store bought food. One thing to remember, on a budget: if there are some items you are going to use alot such as frozen vegetables or canned chicken, you must watch the ads and do not be afraid to stock up. It is not going to go to waste.

Answer 8

Listen.. use a small portion of that budget to buy a cook book. Pasta dishes and fish dishes are easy to prepare and healthy for you. Salads are great with broiled fish and chicken.Once in a while try a ordered veggie pizza and bread sticks. chicken salad sandwiches are easy to prepare. example of receipe below.

Answer 9

If your wife isn't willing or interested, you need to take control of your own health and nutrition and set a good example. Mix a can of black beans with a can of flavored chopped tomatoes (with onion and garlic) and serve it over brown rice. Show her how easy it can be just using canned foods to eat better. But if she doesn't care, you're on your own.

Answer 10

Do you have a vegetable stand/market near you? They are usually cheaper than the grocery store and have fresh fruits and veggies on sale. I spend about $80 a week for 3 people, so it can be done.