losing weight on a budget...

[Cryozombie]

I think we're all still eating and still trying to eat healthy on the cheap, no?

I gave up eating. I live on a diet of Sailor Jerry's Rum and Diet pop.

 

[Tez3]

But that doesn't mean that new members can't shed useful light on the general situation, if not the OP's specific situation. I mean, I think we're all still eating and still trying to eat healthy on the cheap, no?

Wasn't criticising just pointing out the OP will either have sorted it, starved or gone pop. And I did say food even more expensive now.

 

[terryl965]

Well I have said this before but will once again since the thread has been brought back to life: People tend to buy a Dollar burger at a fast food restaurant when they could buy three to four apples for the same amount, they will but 99 cent tacos instead of five banana's. People will eat 12 to 24 ounces of meat when they could easily make that into three smaller meals but do not. Sometime eating healthy means understanding what one can really do with a buck and a little brains.

 

[oaktree]

I would like to give my experience and with a $40 a week budget.

for me I count my fruit and vegetables I try to eat about 9 a day.

I buy Oatmeal. It cost about $2 so that is my breakfast.
I add a banana,walnuts,flax seed.I use soy milk.

Snack:Green tea


Lunch:1 cup 100% juice, grape,2 carrots,broccoli,apple sauce.

Snackeanut butter and Jelly

Dinner:Rice,Bok choy,onions,green pepper.

Cost:Oatmeal-$2
Banana7-1.40
walnuts-$2
flax seed-$2
Soy milk-$1(the dollar store sells this how awesome)
Green tea-$3(Gunpowder)If I have more money I buy real expensive.
100%juice-$2.50
grapes2lbs-$2
carrots-0.89
broccoli-$2
peanutbutter-$4(I like real good type)
Jelly-$1
Rice-$4
Bok Choy-$1.70
Onions-$3
Green pepper-$2

However depending on the market and if I have extra money I may add or move things around. I may not get peanut butter and get beans instead. I may not get flax seed so this is the last time I went to store. Also it is all Vegan so you can be a Vegan for under $50 a week.

 

[oaktree]

When I had to eat on a $25 a week diet it was like this:

Oat meal,with banana and soy milk.

snack:apple sauce

Lunch:rice,beans,scallions,spinach.

snack: carrots

Dinnerasta,with tomato sauce parsley,garlic.

oatmeal:$2
banana:$1.60
soy milk:$1
rice$4
beans :$3
scallions:$1
spinach$2.29
apple sauce$2
carrot:0.89
pasta:$$2.40
tomato sauce:$2
parsely:0.79
garlic:$2

The prices varies sometimes things are on sale so this is an average.

 

[Tez3]

Jelly I assume is jam? I don't buy jam, it's very easy to make oneself. I make bread too.

I find eating too many carbohydrates is bad for me as is using soy products.

We have a weekly market so veggies, meat etc is fairly cheap plus living in the country there's always game to eat.

 

[oaktree]

Jelly I assume is jam? I don't buy jam, it's very easy to make oneself. I make bread too.

I find eating too many carbohydrates is bad for me as is using soy products.

We have a weekly market so veggies, meat etc is fairly cheap plus living in the country there's always game to eat.

Jelly is made from fruit juice and so has no fruit bits. Jam is made by boiling fruit and does have fruit bits.But pretty much the same thing.

Hats off to you Tez for being able to make jam. For me seems like a lengthy process and more expensive than the $1(0.62 pound right?)I spend on jelly.
I am sure the Jam you make at home is exquisite and with the bread I am sure is amazing. Maybe you can market the Jam as Auntie Tez ole'fashion british jam Americans like packages with key words:Auntie/Uncle Ole'fashion.

I try to get most of my carbs if possible from fruit and vegetables but when money is tight things are not always as plan. In America we have Walmart but recently stores called dollar stores are taking away Walmarts business. Example: A hammer at walmart is $2.50 but at dollar store it is $1. The $1 stores also sell food so the Soymilk I buy at the regular groccery store goes for $3 the dollar store sells for $1.

In China the cost of food is cheap. The cost of vegetables is cheaper than meat which is so backwards compared to America. The things I pay $3-4 is like $1-2 or less. In Japan fruit is very expensive. Tofu was about a $1 which in America I pay $2-3.

Game as far as I am aware of, some Latins eat Iguana.Before 1990's Peacocks were everywhere I have heard rumors that people were eating them. All I know is they are not around anymore.

How are prices in England?

 

[Tez3]

LOL!

A lot of people make jam here, it's actually very easy.We either pick the fruit from hedges ie blackberries or 'the pick your own farms' so fruit is very cheap. To us jelly is made with gelatine and makes a dessert as in jelly and ice cream or jelly and custard. Lemon curd is very easy to make as well and is delicious. It works out at pence per jar. Pickles and chutneys are good to make. If you have jars to spare they make nice presents for relatives saving you money or perhaps you can swap someone's homemade bread for jam etc. Set up a cooking circle!
http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/river-cottage/river-cottage-everyday/index.html



Our game is rabbits, venison, pheasant, grouse, duck, hare, partridge and pigeon.


Raspberry Jam

2lb raspberries
2lb sugar

put in big pan, bring to boil, stirring to make sure sugar dissolves, boil hard for two to three minutes then pout into warmed jars and seal.


Lemon curd
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/lemon/lemon-curd.html

bread recipes
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/favourites/bread/


Baking is actually a lot cheaper than buying shop board stuff as well as tasting a whole lot better, you actually know what's in your food.

 

[BloodMoney]

Its not too expensive to eat healthily, really. To eat really well it is, but not just to eat well (and trust me I live in New Zealand, one of the most expensive places in the damn world to get fresh veggies and fruit etc given we are about 5 minutes from Antarctica )

Buy bulk (as has been said above). Make your own stuff (make soup dont buy packet soup, get a bread maker)

Most people can afford to eat decently, well at least most people that have the luxury of an internet connection and computer. I gave up smoking, that gave me more money for good food. I gave up a few hobbies, stopped going to the movie theater etc. Yeah that kinda sucks but it meant I could afford a personal trainer, and to start another art (BJJ) so in the end (as long as you put health and fitness first, as I do) it will be worth it. If health and fitness arent a priority then (in my opinion) you have to make it so if you seriously wanna get in good shape.

And, as a wise poster put above, get your own food. We just got ourselves a massive buck and let me just say, we have so much nice organic (and lean!) venison that we are literally giving it away so we can fit it in the freezer. And thats ONE deer...we dont need to buy meat for months now In fact, cause we are well stocked, the next buck we get we are selling to a local butcher (and for a decent sum I might add). Cost? Maybe 10 bucks for petrol, a dollar for the .303 round that took the buck, and half a day of manpower and you have hundreds of dollars of nice fresh meat (of course that option isnt open to everyone)